The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) has issued a safety alert regarding an incident where an explosion and fire aboard a liftboat injured workers.
ΒSEE has recently investigated an explosion and subsequent fire that occurred on a liftboat during well cleanup and testing operations. Two contract workers suffered second-degree burns.
This event underscores critical shortcomings in procedural controls, equipment readiness, and emergency response during offshore oil and gas operations. The explosion was caused by a gas accumulation on the liftboat deck during the draining of fluids from a test separator into a 500-barrel tank.
The night supervisor initiated the draining process, and five minutes later, a surge in the generator engine triggered the explosion and multiple fires. Two contract workers were injured, suffering burns to their faces, necks, and hands.
Furthermore, the liftboat’s fire suppression system extinguished the fire within 15 minutes. However, the evacuation of the injured workers faced logistical delays, resulting in their arrival at a medical facility nearly five hours after the incident.
This delay underscores the importance of having robust personnel evacuation and medical response plans in place.
An investigation by BSEE identified several procedural and equipment deficiencies:
