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What happened?
A 20 kg (44 lbs.) "bird screen" lid was installed on a decommissioned atmospheric vent line at an offshore floating production storage unit.
During heavy winds with speeds of 50-60 knots, the lid fell onto a walkway 37 metres (121 feet) below.
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Why did it happen?
The vent line lid was designed to be installed facing upwards, but it was installed incorrectly.
The lid lacked any secondary retention measures as it was not considered a potential dropped object.
After decommissioning, the vent line's tag number was marked as "deleted," leading to its omission from the maintenance program.
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What did they learn?
The decommissioning procedures should include provisions for managing the risk of potential dropped objects.
Review and improve inspection routines for potential dropped objects, incorporating both physical and drone-based inspections.
Review requirements for establishing tag numbers for decommissioned equipment that could deteriorate into hazardous conditions.
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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?
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What happened?
A 20 kg (44 lbs.) "bird screen" lid was installed on a decommissioned atmospheric vent line at an offshore floating production storage unit.
During heavy winds with speeds of 50-60 knots, the lid fell onto a walkway 37 metres (121 feet) below.
Why did it happen?
The vent line lid was designed to be installed facing upwards, but it was installed incorrectly.
The lid lacked any secondary retention measures as it was not considered a potential dropped object.
After decommissioning, the vent line's tag number was marked as "deleted," leading to its omission from the maintenance program.
What did they learn?
The decommissioning procedures should include provisions for managing the risk of potential dropped objects.
Review and improve inspection routines for potential dropped objects, incorporating both physical and drone-based inspections.
Review requirements for establishing tag numbers for decommissioned equipment that could deteriorate into hazardous conditions.
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?
A 20 kg (44 lbs.) "bird screen" lid was installed on a decommissioned atmospheric vent line at an offshore floating production storage unit. During heavy winds with speeds of 50-60 knots, the lid fell onto a walkway 37 metres (121 feet) below.
