Incident during rig decommissioning leads to fatality

Description of Incident

Two men were working as demolition operatives, also known as “Top Men”, undertaking the decommissioning and dismantlement of offshore structures which had been brought ashore. The two workers were removing an overhanging piece of metal pipework (known as a skirt pile), weighing in excess of 27 tonnes, from a gas rig jacket when it gave way. The pile struck the mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) containing the men, throwing them to the ground about 12 metres below. One worker died at the scene and the other suffered serious lifechanging injuries.

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