Alert
  • Published: 23 Oct 2019
  • Incident ID: 4294

Safety Lanyard caught by rotating Cathead

Cause & Consequence

  • Moving machinery or material being machined
  • Fall from height

Contributing Factor

  • Communication
  • Control of work

Description of Process

Working at height - cleaning roof window of drillers cabin.

Description of Incident

Run in hole (RIH) drill pipe operation was taking place. The driller asked one of the floorman (IP) to clean the roof window, the floorman climbed on top of the drillers cabin to clean the window. The floorman was wearing a safety harness with a shock absorber lanyard (1.5m long). After cleaning the drillers cabin window, the IP disconnected the lanyard from the anchor point on the roof pad eye and started to descend from the cabin roof. As he was descending at the backside of the cabin, the lanyard got caught by the rotating cathead and started pulling the floorman. The IP was able to quickly remove the safety harness as the lanyard was on tension. As a result, he slipped and landed on his knees on the frame below the AC. One of the other floormen had noticed and informed the driller to stop drawworks. The operation was stopped immediately, and the IP was assisted down from the easy torque.

IP was sent to the rig clinic for a check-up as he had suffered light bruising to hihs chest and arms.

Good Practice Guidance

-Ensure Working at Height procedures are followed

-Fixed ladders in place to allow safe access to cabin roof

-Utilise desiginated anchor points

-Carry out Task Risk Assessment and Tool Box Talk prior to carrying out task

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