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What happened?
A slickline crew were rigging up on a well.
A worker separated the lubricator and wireline valve stack.
The crane operator picked up the lubricator without waiting for a signal from the worker, while the slickline wire was still in the wireline clamp.
The wire got caught, but the crane operator was unaware and continued to pick up the lubricator.
The crane pulled the wire out of the rope socket.
The toolstring (18ft long, weighing 120lbs / 6m, 54kg) hit the bottom of the stuffing box, breaking the slickline wire at the rope socket.
The toolstring then fell onto the scaffolding brace and onto the well house grating.
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Why did it happen?
The crane operator began their operations without waiting for the proper signals from the other worker to indicate they had finished their task.
No personnel were at risk below during this operation, as the area within the well house is managed as a controlled exclusion zone.
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What did they learn?
Incorporate engineering controls such as a ‘scotty boot’ or a tool catcher into surface equipment rig-ups during slickline operations.
Include specific consideration of dropped objects during risk assessments, toolbox talks and pre-job safety meetings.
Always follow written procedures, practices, and policies when rigging up for slickline operations.
Emphasise the need for effective communication between slickline crews in toolbox talks and pre-job safety meetings.
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Ask yourself or your crew
How can something like this happen here?
What is the process we should use for communicating between crane and floor crews? How does the crane operator know when to lift?
Where is the exclusion zone on our worksite? Is there any way for a dropped load to injure someone? (What haven’t we thought of?)
What other controls do we have in place to prevent dropped loads?
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Published on 10/07/21
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A slickline crew were rigging up on a well. The crane operator picked up the lubricator before work was completed – the crane pulled the wire out of the rope socket, and the toolstring fell onto the well house grating.
