IADC ISP: 2012 LTI rate hits record low; 22 fatalities reported

Lost-time incident rate improved by 24% over 2011; recordables rate also lower despite more manhours worked

By Amy Rose, IADC director of external relations

The drilling industry’s worldwide lost-time incident (LTI) rate reached a record low of 0.26 in 2012, a 24% improvement over the 2011 rate of 0.34, according to the latest report from the IADC Incident Statistics Program (ISP). The 2012 recordable rate improved to 0.88, a 25% improvement over the 2011 report of 1.17. A total of 22 fatalities were reported by drilling contractors in 2012, a rate of 0.008, which is an increase from 0.007 in 2011.

A total of 110 contractors, representing approximately 74% of the worldwide fleet, participated in the 2012 program. The ISP has tracked safety and accident information for the drilling industry since 1962. The 2012 data accounts for 572.334 million manhours worked, during which a total of 730 LTIs and 2,524 recordable incidents were reported.

Rates are calculated on incidents per 200,000 manhours. Data are compiled separately for land and offshore operations and for seven geographic regions – US, Europe, Canada, Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

“Even with the increase in rig demand in 2012, the incident rates have improved over 2011,” said Paul Breaux, IADC director, onshore HSE. The reported number of manhours increased by just over 13% from 504.34 million manhours in 2011. “The industry can be proud of the strides that have been made toward improving safety.”

Of the 22 fatalities reported in 2012, 11 occurred to employees who had more than one year and less than five years of service with the company. Two fatalities were employees who had less than six months of service and one had between six months and a year of service. Two fatalities were those who had between five to 10 years with the company, and five had worked for the company 10 years or more.

Two of the 22 fatalities occurred during tripping operations and three during routine drilling operations. Eight fatalities were struck-by incidents while five were due to fall incidents. Six of the fatalities occurred to floormen and four to supervisors of driller or above.

In Europe, onshore and offshore operations together totaled for more than 93 million manhours with six fatalities. European offshore represented 36.48 million manhours with no fatalities, while European land had 57.51 million manhours and six fatalities.

US land and offshore contractors together represented more than 141.97 million manhours worked, with six fatalities. US land had six fatalities with 102.08 million manhours worked, and offshore reported 39.89 million manhours with no fatalities.

The Middle East accounted for 118.17 million manhours, with two fatal incidents. The land segment had 85.72 million manhours and two fatal incidents, while there were 32.45 million manhours and no fatalities for offshore.

Africa’s combined land and offshore numbers showed two fatalities for 67.06 million manhours worked. Land accounted for 26.01 million manhours with no fatalities while offshore reported 41.05 million manhours and two fatalities.

Asia Pacific showed two fatalities with 72.4 million manhours worked. Offshore reported 56.24 million manhours with one fatality while the onshore division had 16.16 million manhours and one fatality.

South America reported 59.2 million manhours with one fatality. A total 40.69 million manhours was worked onshore, with one fatality, while offshore had 18.51 million manhours and no fatalities.

In Central America and the Caribbean, land and offshore together totaled 15.92 million manhours with two fatalities. Land operations reported 6.2 million manhours and two fatalities while offshore had 9.7 million manhours and no fatalities.

Canadian contractors accounted for 3.6 million manhours and one fatality. Canadian land had 2.9 million manhours and one fatality while offshore experienced just over 719,000 manhours and no fatalities.

The LTI rate among US offshore workers worsened in 2012, from a rate of 0.17 in 2011 to 0.19 in 2012, a 12% increase. The total recordable incidence rate also worsened by 22%, from 0.76 in 2011 to 0.93 in 2012. The LTI incidence rate for US land workers improved by 37% from 0.81 in 2011 to 0.51 in 2012. Similarly, the recordable incidence rate improved by 31% from 2.87 in 2011 to 1.97 in 2012.

European land workers’ LTI rate declined in 2012 to 0.26 from 0.29 in 2011, a 10% difference. The recordable incidence rate also improved by 13% from 0.40 in 2011 to 0.35 in 2012. The LTI rate for European offshore workers remained the same for 2012 at 0.27, while the recordable incidence rate worsened by 3% from 0.80 in 2011 to 0.82 in 2012.

Canadian land contractors had a 2011 LTI rate of 1.07, which bettered to 0.69 in 2012, a 36% change. Recordable incidence rates fell by 31% from 3.88 in 2011 to 2.68 in 2012. Canadian offshore workers improved their LTI rate to 0 in 2012 from 0.24 in 2011. Their recordable incidence rate, however, worsened by 190%, from 0.48 in 2011 to 1.39 in 2012.

Central America and Caribbean land contractors improved their LTI rate by 3%, from 0.30 in 2011 to 0.29 in 2012. The 2011 recordable incidence rate of 1.06 improved by 52% to 0.51 for 2012. Offshore, the 2011 LTI rate of 0.07 worsened by 200% to 0.21 in 2012. The recordable rate of 0.59 in 2011 improved by 2% to 0.58 in 2012.

The LTI rate for Africa land worsened by 36% from 0.28 in 2011 to 0.38 in 2012. The recordable incidence rate improved by 6% from 0.89 in 2011 to 0.84 in 2012. African offshore’s LTI rate of 0.23 for 2011 improved by 17% to 0.19 for 2012 while their recordable incidence rate improved by 30%, from 0.79 in 2011 to 0.55 in 2012.

In the Middle East, onshore operations showed an improvement in its LTI rate, from 0.24 in 2011 to 0.17 in 2012. The 2011 recordable incidence rate of 0.83 improved by 12% to 0.73 in 2012. The Middle East offshore LTI rate improved by 50% from 0.12 in 2011 to 0.06 in 2012, and the recordable incidence rate improved by 12% from 0.52 in 2011 to 0.46 in 2012.

The LTI rate for land contractors in the Asia Pacific improved by 34%, from 0.32 in 2011 to 0.21 in 2012, while the recordable incidence rate worsened by 7%, from 0.99 in 2011 to 1.06 in 2012. Asia Pacific offshore contractors’ LTI rate worsened in 2012 by 29%, going from 0.14 in 2011 to 0.18 in 2012. The recordable incidence rate improved by 23% from 0.61 in 2011 to 0.47 in 2012.

South America land had a static LTI rate of 0.17 from 2011 to 2012, and their recordables rate improved by 43%, from 0.74 in 2011 to 0.42 in 2012. South America offshore reported a similarly static LTI rate, at 0.31, from 2011 to 2012. The recordable incident rate also remained steady at 0.88.

Other findings included:

• Similar to previous year findings, the floorman position saw the largest percentage of lost-time and recordable injuries.

• Fingers remain the most vulnerable part of the body and the most likely to be injured.

• “Caught-between” accounted for the most lost-time and recordable injuries, closely followed by “struck-by” injuries.

•By equipment, it was the “other” category that was responsible for the most LTIs and recordables.

• Tripping in and out is the operation that involved the most lost-time incidents, and for recordables it was rig up/down activities.

• Most lost-time and recordable injuries occur on the rig floor during drilling operations.

• By time of day, most LTIs and recordable incidents occurred between 09:00 and 16:00 hours.

• By month, January and April accounted for the most LTIs while April accounted for the most recordables.

While activity in the industry increased in 2012, the lost-time and recordable incident rates improved over 2011. The industry’s fatalities increased from 18 to 22, but the overall incident and frequency rates are still trending downward as manhours continue to trend upwards.