ExxonMobil investigating near miss with flying rod that could have killed Hebron workers
Oil giant ExxonMobil is investigating an incident on the Hebron platform in which a hydraulic pin puller became a seven-kilogram projectile that could have killed workers.
The incident was reported May 28 following maintenance on a crane, according to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board in a press release issued Monday.
The work involved the use of a hydraulic pin puller that failed, the release said, which turned the puller rod into a projectile. The 6.8-kilogram rod flew about 19 metres across the deck, struck a handrail, and fell 21 metres, landing on a walkway below.
No injuries were reported, but ExxonMobil reported no barriers were in place for the handrail the rod hit, the drop path to the deck or the walkway.
In its release, the C-NLOPB noted the incident could have killed someone.
"The incident had the potential for fatality," says the release.
The C-NLOPB says it's monitoring ExxonMobil's investigation into the incident.
