OSHA looking into rig fatality

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090214/NEWS01/902140351

By Alisa Stingley • [email protected] • February 14, 2009 2:00 am

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the Feb. 4 death of a worker on a natural gas drilling rig near Stonewall, an OSHA spokeswoman said Friday.

Elizabeth Todd, who is with the OSHA regional office in Dallas, said the agency has up to six months to investigate accidents but a report could be released at any time before then.

"On any incident, whether an injury or fatality, we will go to the site to see if we can find the cause," Todd said. "We do things such as interview any witnesses, other employees on the scene and review the history of the company (for whom the employee worked) to see if there were any violations in the past."

Jonathan Brazzel, 26, a supervisor for L&S Testing Inc. in Shreveport, was working on a rig on a lease held by Chesapeake Energy when pressurized tubing broke during a shutdown procedure. The tubing whipped and struck Brazzel, according to an investigation by the DeSoto Parish sheriff's office. The sheriff's office has since closed its investigation and handed that off to OSHA.

Chesapeake is doing its own investigation, which is still in progress, said Kevin McCotter, director of corporate development for Louisiana.

"I do not have an expected completion date," he said. "It's important that we take all the time necessary to thoroughly evaluate and understand the accident circumstances."

FULL story at link.