Just over a week ago, a drilling rig accident in Dawson County left two workers dead. The fatal workplace incident is currently being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
On Saturday, June 11, two twenty-something workers died after sustaining serious head injuries when part of a drilling rig malfunctioned, and each man was hit in the head by part of the rig. The drilling rig, operated by Robinson Drilling of Texas Ltd, was located just west of Lamesa, Texas. Emergency personnel responded to the accident around 4:30 a.m,, and found serious damage to the both men’s hard hats.
The 25-year-old worker died on the scene, and the 28-year-old man was airlifted to University Medical Center in Lubbock, but died several hours later at the hospital. Both men were residents of Big Spring.
A spokesman for the drilling company said that the company is very sorry about the loss of life, and noted, “The incident is still being carefully investigated by very qualified investigators. That includes certainly OSHA but of course also experts from inside and outside our company.”
Robinson Drilling lost another employee in April of the last year when a high-pressure pipe on the rig burst, knocking a 35-year-old worker off a platform.
OSHA continues to investigate the matter – according to officials the agency has six months to investigate the accident and will not comment until the investigation is closed.
Source: MyWestTexas.com, “OSHA investigating fatal oil rig accident involving 2 Big Spring men,” 6/14/11.