Injured worker airlifted from Murchison platform

An offshore worker was transported to a hospital from a North Sea platform this weekend after being struck by a pipe. 

According to STV TV News, the worker, 57, suffered head injuries after being hit by a falling pipe and is suspected to have fractured ribs. The injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.

He was airlifted to Gilbert Bain Hospital in Lerwick at around 1pm on Sunday. The incident occurred on the Canadian Natural Resources (CNR)-operated Murchison platform located in the Northern North Sea.

The CNR International owned and operated Murchison field is located in the Northern North Sea Block 211/19, north of Aberdeen in the East Shetland Basin. The Murchison platform was installed in 1980 and ceased production in March 2014. The platform is now slated for removal and disposal by Heerema and AF consortium. The decommissioning activities at the Murchison platform started in Q4/13 and the company estimates the decommissioning efforts will continue for approximately 5 years.

STV TV quoted a spokesman for Shetland Coastguard as saying: “We were alerted at about 8am about pipe which had fallen from a height and hit a crewman.

“The platform’s medic made an assessment of his condition and they consulted with a shore-side doctor who agreed he needed to come off.

“The coastguard helicopter scrambled from Sumburgh and he was taken to Lerwick.”

When contacted by Offshore Energy Today, the spokesperson for the CNR confirmed that a worker was injured on December 21, 2014 “by a bunkering hose while working on the offshore Murchison platform in the UK North Sea”.

The spokesperson goes on to add that the “emergency procedures were immediately undertaken at which time the worker was evacuated as a precautionary measure”.

Regarding the extent of injuries to the worker, the spokesperson says: “The worker has been examined in hospital, has not suffered any fractures or broken bones, but will remain in the hospital for observation. The worker is expected to be released shortly. Canadian Natural has begun an investigation into the cause of the incident.”

Offshore Energy Today Staff

[mappress mapid=”966″]