ExxonMobil in near-miss incident offshore Canada

Oil major ExxonMobil has reported a near miss incident involving a dropped object on the Thebaud platform, Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board said on Monday.

According to CNSOPB, on January 24, 2019, while workers were erecting scaffolding, a three-meter scaffold pole weighing 11.8 kilograms slipped through a small gap and landed on a deck 9 meters below.

There was no one in the immediate area at the time and there were no injuries. ExxonMobil advised that ongoing work was immediately stopped, and that a safety stand down was conducted.

Although there were no injuries associated with this incident, it was determined that it had the potential for fatality if a worker had been in the immediate area, and has thus been classified as a high potential near miss. The incident remains under investigation by ExxonMobil, which is being monitored by CNSOPB Safety Officers, CNSOPB said.

To remind, ExxonMobil Canada was in November 2018 involved in a high-potential near miss incident on the Noble Regina Allen rig offshore Nova Scotia, when a 52 foot chain, along with a swivel and shackle (a segment of lifting gear arrangement) with a combined weight of 225 pounds, fell to the deck in the derrick area.

There were five workers in the area at the time but no one was injured. Although there were no injuries associated with this incident, it was determined that it had the potential for fatality, and has thus been classified as a high potential near miss.

Offshore Energy Today Staff