High potential near miss dropped object

What happened?

During trans-spooling of 1½” hydraulic jumper from a wooden reel to a subsea carousel, the second end termination head of the hydraulic jumper pipe released from the reel and fell to the floor. The end termination head, weighing 11kg, fell from approximately 3 meters down to the floor. It released during spooling of the first two of several layers. The securing arrangement consisted of a rubber covered metal band that was fastened to the wooden reel with 2 wood screws. Five people were working nearby and were in the line of fire; the end termination head missed them and there were no injuries.

Our member noted that a similar incident happened in 2017.

What went wrong?

• This specific risk was highlighted in the task plan; however, the task plan was not properly followed on site before conducting the operation;
• The hazards of potential dropped objects were not properly addressed to personnel involved in the pre-job toolbox talk (TBT) and task risk assessment;
• Some personnel involved in the work were not trained in this type of work;
• The distance between the reel and the carousel was too short to allow for the people operating the reel, to attach the wire to the jumper and keep a safe distance from the reel when rotating;
• The securing arrangement for the heads, in this case wooden screws, was inadequate. Additionally, a second barrier was not considered necessary.

What actions were taken?

• Termination heads on reels should be highlighted as potential dropped objects in the task risk assessment (TRA). A second barrier should be added before spooling if proper engineered solutions are not in place;
• Working closely to a rotating reel should be considered a high risk which should be properly mitigated;
• All personnel should be trained for the task they are performing. If there are uncertainties regarding their competence, a competence assessment should be conducted beforehand.

Members may wish to:

• Pipe under tension on a reel
• Uncontrolled rotation of 9.6m reel