Alert 10 – 08 Rabbiting Tubing with Rig Air Results in an MTO
Alert 10 – 08 Rabbiting Tubing with Rig Air Results in an MTO
WHAT HAPPENED:
Tubing was being laid down and “rabbited” on the pipe rack. (“Rabbit” means to run a device (small plug) through a pipe or tubing to clean or test for obstructions.) To “speed up” the operation the rig personnel decided to blow the rabbit through the tubing with rig air (120 psi). A hose was attached to the box thread protector. The rabbit went through the tubing and bumped against the pin protector on the other end. The air pressure built up and the box end protector blew off the tubing striking an employee on the knee resulting in an injury that required seven stitches.
The company previously had an identical incident where a roustabout was struck in the abdomen by the pipe protector and rabbit. This resulted in disemboweling him and shattering his hip. Eleven years later, he is still undergoing therapy for the injury.