Stabbing Board Fatality and Injury
Effective Date: 11/6/1996
 | Minerals Management Service Gulf of Mexico OCS Region |
Notice No. 170
November 6, 1996
Stabbing Board Fatality and Injury
One fatality and one injury occurred aboard a submersible drilling rig while personnel were in the process of running casing. Two workers were on the stabbing board when the two bolts that attach the stabbing board to the vertical rails in the derrick were sheared. One worker fell approximately 40 feet to the rig floor, sustaining fatal injuries. The other worker remained suspended by his safety belt and retractable lifeline, which was attached to the derrick. A third worker on the rig floor sustained a head injury as a result of the falling stabbing board.
It is recommended that stabbing boards be checked to ensure that they are properly bolted/anchored to the derrick. Additionally, personnel working in the derrick should always wear proper fall prevention equipment properly secured to a permanent part of the derrick.
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