Case 0002 - Permanent Disability at Oil Rig

Current Status : Awaiting Court Decision

Industry : Oil & Gas

Claim Amount : RM 5,xxx,xxx.xx

Description of the Incident

What Happened

Explosion while performing Meggering test on semi-hermetic compressor winding coil

Consequences

Severe injury to injured person and shutdown of platform, with the potential for fatality to injured person and major explosion to platform causing multiple fatality

Detailed Description of the Incident

Two (2) technicians has been assigned to perform repair work on the refrigerant piping and the semi-hermetic compressor which has been reported to have a short-circuit. The initial plan is remove the compressor and bring it back to workshop for overhaul.

On 02/02/16, all hot-work (brazing) on the copper piping has been completed followed by pressuring the piping system with Nitrogen to 300psi as part of the leak test requirement.The pressure was maintain overnight with no leak observed.

On 04/02/16, soon after lunch break at 2.30pm, the Work Supervisor / Work Leader for the job and the Technician went to air-condition compressor house with the intend to remove the compressor.

However, both the technician were instructed by Electrical Engineer (owner's rep.) to perform Megger test on compressor coil to reconfirm the short circuit before removal.

While performing meggering test on the compressor coil, a sudden explosion occurred. The impact of explosion caused the compressor casing to be dislodged and thrown about 1 - 2 from the foundation hitting the right leg of Work Supervisor causing multiple bone breakages while the heat created from the explosion caused 50% burn to the face, both arms and left leg of the work supervisor while the technician had burn to face and arm.

Both were evacuated to the Hospital and later transferred to a different Hospital for further medical treatment.

As a result of the incident has caused the injured person permanent disability and after 12 months still undergoing medical treatment.

This incident led to damage to business performance, damage to property or equipment and fatality or serious injury.

This incident is reportable under relevant legislation.

Discussion of Findings

Although the compressor was found to be faulty during Megger test on 01/10/2015 with the electrical  power supply to the compressor disconnected / isolated on 02/10/2015, the owner's representative (Electrical Engineer) had insisted and instructed the maintenance team to perform the 2nd Megger test on the compressor coil. The reason for this is to avoid removal of the semi-hermetic compressor for major overhaul at workshop which will takes longer time.

Furthermore, the injured person (IP) had been with the company for the last 7 years, very experience and had undertook Megger Test on compressor coil hundreds of times / repetitively as stated in JMS and SOP without any difficulty.

In fact, the mobilisation of maintenance team to work-site on 18/01/2016 are intended to repair the piping system and remove the semi-hermetic compressor. However, on the fateful day of the incident, the maintenance team who were ready to remove the compressor were instructed by owner's representative to perform 2nd Megger test on the compressor coil. During the Megger Test, only two (2) workers that is Injured Person (Work Supervisor) and his colleague (Technician) were at the work-site as this task are considered low risk. Hence, no presence of owner's representatives were there to supervised and observed the activity nor no gas testing were done.

Unfortunately, while performing the Megger Test, an explosion occurred believed to have been caused by spark created from compressor coil together with the presence of highly combustible gas (high oxygen) at work-site causing explosion. The impact of the explosion caused the compressor to be dislodged or moved away from its location to about 1 - 2 metre hitting the left leg of the IP and the fire burnt both the IP and the Technician.

Immediately after the incident, the owner's representative conducted gas test on the Nitrogen cylinder which have been used for leak test at work-site and surprised to have found out that the Nitrogen cylinder was filled with Oxygen thus creating a highly combustible environment.

Both IP and Technician were treated by medic team at the work-site and later transferred to hospital via helicopter. The IP to loose conscious for 20 days and received treatment in hospital for almost 1 year while the technician was treated for burned on face and hand.

Conclusion

Based from the analysis and feedback from interview with witnesses, it can be concluded that the explosion is due to presence of highly combustible gas (high oxygen) contained inside the piping system caused by negligence of nitrogen cylinder supplier and failure of the company to instill strict control on gas supplied while the Plant Owner failed to take reasonable care to avoid causing foreseeable harm to another and which failure caused the harm. Full particulars whereof are as follows:-

a) Plant Owner failed to provide strict control of work at work-site to monitor the work and this task is treated as low risk.

b) Plant Owner did not provide portable gas detectors to detect explosivity level (LEL) at work-site as Megger test will create spark.

c) Plant Owner has failed to comply to the Occupational Safety and Health Act and Regulation Act 514 – to ensure, so far as practicable, that the plant is so designed and constructed as to be safe and without risks to health when properly used;

d) Plant Owner has failed to appoint / assign Site Safety Supervisor who shall be responsible to promote safe conduct of work at the work-site, inspecting and rectifying any unsafe place of work, correcting any unsafe practise, etc.

e) Plant Owner has failed to ensure the functionability of Gas Detection and Alarm System and Emergency Shutdown Device (ESD) so as to prevent the explosion from happening.