The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has released its Accident Investigation Report on the November 13, 2021 incident on the Diamond Offshore Black Hawk deepwater rig in the Gulf of Mexico. At the time of the incident, the rig was working for Anadarko Petroleum in the Green Canyon Block 518. During the incident, a driller was attempting to lift a stand of drill pipe when it fell onto the rig below.
The BSEE report, documented what happened leading up to the incident:
As work commenced, it was decided to move the 4.5-inch double drill pipe to the auxiliary drill floor side as a precaution to prevent any objects from accidentally falling into the active well on the main drill floor side. Preparation began on the auxiliary side which included replacing the proper inserts into the top drive elevators for 4.5-inch drill pipe. The Driller knew that the inserts in the elevators were the wrong size, so he proceeded out of the drillers shack to instruct the drill crew on which inserts to install.
Unfortunately, the inserts used in the elevators were not the proper size based on the guidelines from the Drill Pipe Performance Data Sheet. Although a Job Safety Analysis was completed by everyone involved in the work, the incorrect sizers were still used. As a result of the incident, Diamond updated its Step-by-Step Procedure (SSP) to include “Change Inserts in Elevators” including a verification with the appropriate Drill Pipe Performance Data
Sheet.
The BSEE report determined the contributing cause of the incident:
Human Error: The Driller or Assistant Driller verified that the correct drill pipe inserts were installed as per the Performance Drill Pipe Data Sheet.
Ultimately, the procedures on a platform or vessel should be detailed enough in order to cover all of the important steps on a job. Accidents like this are often known risks, which much be planned for by platform owners and operators. Precautions and safety protocols must be in place beforehand.
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 following fires or explosions 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 accident. Please contact us online or call 713-804-9306 or to learn more about your legal rights.