Investigative Report from BSEE on Gulf of Mexico Crane Incident

by | Sep 2, 2020 | Offshore accidents

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has released its Investigative Report on the crane incident that occurred at Ship Shoal Block 358 “A” OCS–G19822 on February 22, 2020.  The platform operator was Magnum Hunter Production, Inc.  The crane operator was employed by Seatrax.  During the incident, the platform’s crane operator was transferring a 6 ft by 6 ft conex box with supplies from the offshore supply vessel John Harville to the platform.

The BSEE report, explained the damage that was caused to the crane during operations:

During the lift, the Crane Operator boomed up to a high angle in order to place the Conex box close to the galley door. The Crane Operator and Rigger / Signal Person were unaware that the pendant line on the right side of the boom fell to the side of the boom frame. Once the Conex box was emptied, the Crane Operator proceeded to hoist and swing the container to load back onto the supply vessel. While the Crane Operator was booming down, the pendant line snagged on a bolt in the flange connecting the heel and mid-section of the boom. The more the Crane Operator boomed down, the tighter the pendant line became until it finally twisted the boom.

The BSEE report determined the contributing cause of the incident:

Lack of Awareness: Crane operator and rigger / signal man failed to recognize that the pendant line on the right side was outside the border of the boom.

Our attorneys have extensive experience in maritime injury and wrongful death litigation in courts across the country and the skills needed to represent the families of loved ones who have lost their lives as a result of the negligence of another party, or been seriously injured.  We have handled numerous cases involving injuries that occurred on offshore platforms.  The experienced offshore accident attorneys at Spagnoletti Law Firm can help you understand your rights if you or a loved one was a victim of an offshore crane accident.  Please contact us online or call 713-804-9306 or 877-678-5864 to learn more about your legal rights.