Oceaneering employee suffered leg injury by falling mud mat
On June 24, 2013 at 10:20PM, on the Olympic intervention IV vessel offshore in Gulf of Mexico, an Oceaneering technician was injured while lowering the mud mat from the bladder. He was struck by the mud mat on his left leg from below his knee to the top of his ankle after removing the retaining bolt that held the mud mat upright.
Employee statement (6/25/2013)
"Grabbed wrenches out of ROV tool as instructed. Made my way to back deck and saw a supervisor taking bolt out of one side of the bladder mud mat. I proceeded to remove the bolt on the other side and when the last thread of the bolt came out, the mud mat fell striking my leg."
Witness statement (1)
Vessel Superintendent
"During preparation for over boarding SFL frames and methanol tote, I noticed a DTS employee limping and acting strange. A quick conversation with him led me to believe he was injured. I asked his coworker to escort him off the deck and called the medic/OIM/PM."
Witness statement (2)
Another Oceaneering technician
"At approximately 22:00, the injured technician (IT) and I were given instruction. We were to make a 6' jumper with our high collapse resistance hose with (2) high flow hot stabs, assist in lowering the mud mats, lay a 100' high collapse resistance hose in a figure 8 and position it on the 1200 gallon bladder frame. (Also with high flow hot stabs).
After we made the 6' jumper, we were getting ready to go to the back deck to begin assistance with the mud mats and hose. IT and I had separated for a second. I was getting zip ties so we could attach the hose on the bladder frame.
I was looking for IT in the ROV hanger when I saw J from the rigging crew. I asked if he had seen IT. He told me he was on the back deck. As I approached IT, I saw him standing in front of the mud mat unscrewing a bolt that held the mud mat ear in place. I was approximately 15-20ft away when I saw the bolt pulled and the mud mat swing down to the deck and IT fell under the piece.
I yelled back at M to let him know what had happened. He told me to walk him back to the change room. I saw an ROV tech as we reached the change room. I told him what had happened and he asked me if I had called the bridge. I said no and that I thought that M had. Then he called the bridge."
Gallery
Bladder dockside
Injured left leg.
Injured left foot.
Injured left leg after treating.
