Falling tree fatally injures a drilling crew member

While waiting for the water supply to continue a drilling activity, one crew of the drilling unit was hit by a falling tree and became trapped in between the fallen tree and a mud pump frame.

Paramedics provided immediate first aid treatment and then evacuated the injured person on a stretcher (20 minutes walk).

Approximately one hour after the incident, the ambulance arrived at the clinic. The doctor assessed the patient’s condition and declared him dead.

The incident was influenced by a combination of external workplace conditions and organizational factors.

The seismic area exhibited numerous fallen, dead, and nearby trees due to logging activity by a third party. Despite no tree cutting by the seismic operation, the presence of these conditions contributed to the incident.

There was an incomplete or deficient hazard identification process. Specifically, hazards related to falling trees were not adequately identified in both the hazard identification (HAZID) and job safety analysis (JSA).

Despite the crew raising several "errors and defaults (E&D) cards" related to falling tree hazards, immediate actions were only taken to warn the crew at the specific time and location of identification. The absence of a systematic mechanism to consistently raise awareness contributed to the incident.

Always carry out a risk assessment.

Introduce line safety assessment to identify hazard in the lines and produce a hazard map for every section of both receiver lines and shooting lines.

Establish a specific job safety analysis with a more robust review and approval and a line toolbox talk at the work location delivered by the foreman before the work is started.

Carry out continuous hazard identification and mitigation to address dynamic hazards and external hazards.

Stop the job when unsafe conditions or actions are observed.

What measures can be taken during drilling activities to enhance situational awareness and prevent incidents this from happening on our site?

How can we improve communication protocols to ensure timely awareness of dynamic and external hazards, especially those introduced by third parties?

What are our current practices for conducting hazard identification (HAZID) and job safety analysis (JSA) on our site? How can we improve?

What steps can be taken to ensure that the hazard map is not only created but also regularly updated to accurately reflect the current state of potential dangers?

What is our emergency response protocol, and what role do you play in it?