// IOGPSafetyZone

Safety Alert
PIPE FALL FROM SKIDS RESULTING IN 2 FATALITIES - INVESTIGATION LESSONS
SUMMARY

Country:---
Location:ONSHORE : Other onshore
Incident Date:2 May 2016Time:18:00
Type of Activity:Construction, commissioning, decommissioning
Type of Injury:Struck by
Function:Construction

Pipe fall from skids resulting in 2 fatalities of Contractor employees. On 2 May, 2016, at
approximately 16:00 Gulf Standard Time, two employees received fatal injuries when a
section of 36 inch gas export line they were working under or near fell off the approximately
2 ft high temporary wooden supports (skid stacks) and crushed them. The two employees, a
grinder and a welder, were completing a construction weld repair at the north-eastern-most
weld joint of a c.120 meter curved section of the export pipeline.

Figure 1

Figure 2

http://safetyzone.iogp.org/SafetyAlerts/alerts/Detail.asp?alert_id=277&back=false 1/4
// IOGPSafetyZone

Figure 3

What Went Wrong?:

The work permit system in place was rigorously applied to the known risks, but there was a
lack of awareness of:
1. The hazard presented by temporarily suspended pipes, which constituted a dynamic
load / dropped object hazard.
2. The hazard of thermal expansion, differential heating, and residual pre-stress forces
contributing to the lateral movement of curved pipe segments.

Corrective Actions and Recommendations:

CAUSAL ANALYSIS

1. The curved pipeline section elongated and deected due to thermal expansion, which
in combination with other forces, such as pre-stress, resulted in the incident end of
the pipe moving inwards relative to the radius of curvature of the pipe, by a distance
exceeding the width of the northeast end skid stack, and falling to the ground.
2. The lateral movement of the curved pipeline section was initially restrained by friction
between the pipe and the skid stacks and potentially by wedging of the installed
chocks. As stored energy continued to accumulate in the curved pipeline section, the
restraining capability of the support skids / chocks was exceeded, and the stored
energy was released in a rapid movement of the incident end of the pipeline towards

http://safetyzone.iogp.org/SafetyAlerts/alerts/Detail.asp?alert_id=277&back=false 2/4
// IOGPSafetyZone

the truck (pictured). Prior to that release, the pipeline appeared to be in the normal
position on the skids.
3. The hazards revealed by this investigation (thermal expansion, differential heating and
pre-stress, resulting in elongation and deection of long curved pipe section, as well
as the broader hazard of pipelines dropping from temporary support skids) were not
appropriately recognized.

SUMMARY OF LOCAL ACTIONS

1. Develop design and monitoring methods and procedures to reduce the probability of
unplanned fall of temporarily elevated pipeline sections caused by movement. Ensure
supports are large enough to accommodate the worst possible movement and do not
use chocks to constrain / restrain the lateral movement of curved pipe, but rather
predict and accommodate for such movement.
2. Identify those tasks that place individuals at risk of injury caused by movement /
falling of the pipeline and ensure that a secondary barrier is in place.
3. To review all current temporary pipeline supports across the project (e.g. wooden,
skidding and sand berm supports) to assess suitability, stability and margin against
axial and lateral pipe loading.

KEY LEARNINGS TO SHARE

1. Recognize that suspended pipelines represent dropped object (working underneath)

and stored energy (working alongside) risks, and fully consider these risks in
associated job hazard analyses and risk mitigations.
2. While conducting risk assessments, in addition to focusing on obvious hazards of
main work activities, ensure rigour in identifying less obvious and latent risks that
could materialise under certain conditions.
3. If activities are to be undertaken in accordance with industry custom and practice,
make sure these requirements are clearly communicated to those undertaking the
task, fully understood by all stakeholders (including permitting authorities) and clearly
documented.

safety alert number:277

IOGP Safety Alertshttp://safetyzone.iogp.org/

Disclaimer

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this
publication, neither the IOGP nor any of its members past present or future warrants its accuracy or
will, regardless of its or their negligence, assume liability for any foreseeable or unforeseeable use
made thereof, which liability is hereby excluded. Consequently, such use is at the recipient's own risk
on the basis that any use by the recipient constitutes agreement to the terms of this disclaimer. The
recipient is obliged to inform any subsequent recipient of such terms.
This document may provide guidance supplemental to the requirements of local legislation. Nothing
herein, however, is intended to replace, amend, supersede or otherwise depart from such
requirements. In the event of any conict or contradiction between the provisions of this document
and local legislation, applicable laws shall prevail.

London ofce: City Tower, 40 Basinghall St, 14th Floor, London EC2V 5DE, United Kingdom T. +44 (0)20 3763 9700 F. +44 (0)20 3763 9701 E.
[email protected]

http://safetyzone.iogp.org/SafetyAlerts/alerts/Detail.asp?alert_id=277&back=false 3/4
// IOGPSafetyZone
Brussels Ofce: Bd du Souverain 165, 4th Floor, B-1160 Brussels, Belgium T. +32 (0)2 566 9150 F. +32 (0)2 566 9159 E. [email protected]
Houston Ofce: 10777 Westheimer Road, Suite 1100, Houston, Texas 77042, United States T. +1 (713) 470 0315 E. [email protected]

http://safetyzone.iogp.org/SafetyAlerts/alerts/Detail.asp?alert_id=277&back=false 4/4