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Worker injured after fall from detached stairs in coiled tubing unit

  • What happened?

    A worker performing maintenance on a coiled tubing unit fell while exiting the control cabin
    when the stairs became detached. The worker was seriously injured in the fall.

    The stair stops, or “ears”, on the stow box are expected to hold the roller in place while in use. Note the roller is not secured behind the stair stops (red circle).
  • Why did it happen?

    The stops holding the stairs in position did not hold. The stair stops “ears” were slightly bent,
    allowing the stairs to escape the tracks.

    Contributing factors:

    The original design of the stairs did not prevent this occurrence. It allowed movement within the stair roller and stop, which ultimately failed when worker exited the control cabin and stepped onto the stairs.

    Engineered solution for step  securement
  • What did they learn?

    • The company inspected all stairs on other coil tubing units and developed a
      permanent modification with the original equipment manufacturer.
    • Check stairs periodically to ensure they are secured and not damaged.
    What learn - icon
  • Ask yourself or your crew

    • How can something like this happen here (e.g. on our site)?
    • What safety measures (i.e. procedures, controls/barriers) do we have in place to mitigate the risk?
    • How do we know the risk controls/barriers are working?
    • What improvements or changes should we make to the procedures, controls/barriers or the way we work?
    Ask your crew - icon
Published on 03/06/23 518 Views

A worker performing maintenance on a coiled tubing unit fell while exiting the control cabin when the stairs became detached. The worker was seriously injured in the fall.

Original material courtesy of Energy Safety Canada

Energy Safety Canada