Having a safety incident occur when on the job site is never a good thing, especially when it could have been avoided. In the past, we had such a safety incident happen, and using that incident as a learning tool; it will now be avoided from happening again.
During this particular job, we had a worker get injured while they were performing a routine task. While the worker was working on performing wellsite peel/put backs, a piece of equipment fell on him. The falling pressure switch fell through the cable tray and landed on his hand. Typically, when performing this work, we would store the switches in the cable trays above the ground without fixing the switch into place. The odds of the switch falling through the tray rungs was thought to be very slim.
After the injury occurred, we assessed how the injury could have come about and how it could have been avoided. Even though the chances of having the same event happen again would be rare, there was still a possibility that this same injury could happen to occur. Which was not something we were not willing to repeat. Instead of continuing with the same method, we decided that moving forward, whenever possible, we would make sure the pressure switches would be disconnected and placed on the ground. Making sure it is in a safe place where they would not fall on any workers.
Since making this change, we have had no recurring injuries. Especially since the initial injury could have been avoided; we wanted to make sure we learned from the incident and prevent it from happening again.
Safety is vital, and no matter what we need to keep looking for ways to make our sites the safest they possibly can be. Unfortunately, due to the repetitive nature of the task, complacency, and had routine crept. This behavior is what leads to increased odds of injuries occurring.
We used this incident as an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn from, and not have it repeated in the future. Some of our most simple and routine tasks can present some of our biggest dangers, and we need to ensure we are always aware of that. Safety is a top priority not only for our workers but for our customers as well.
