OSHA Cites Companies for West Texas Deaths

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) cited two companies for deaths occurring in West Texas earlier this year.  OSHA proposed fining Robinson Drilling $17,000 for incidents in April and May, 2010 and fining Patterson-UTI Drilling Company $9,500.  William Locke, a Big Spring resident, died in April, 2010 on a rig in Midland County.  He was on a ladder when a union struck and destroyed the ladder.  This caused Mr. Locke to fall and be impaled.  OSHA cited Robinson Drilling for not properly training employees regarding the hazards of using an air winch and a sledgehammer on ball valves under 3,000 pounds of pressure.

Wade Bennett, another Big Spring resident, died in Upton County as a result of an approximate 90 foot fall after disconnecting from his fall protection equipment.  OSHA cited Robinson Drilling for not training employees regarding fall protection and assuring that employees always wore safety equipment.  Here is a link to a related article –

OSHA Cites West Texas Company as Result of Rig Deaths

Written By: Dean Malone

Dean Malone

Dean Malone is the founder of Law Offices of Dean Malone, P.C., a jail neglect civil rights law firm. Mr. Malone earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Texas at Dallas, graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA, and from Baylor University School of Law with a general civil litigation concentration. Mr. Malone served in several staff positions for the Baylor Law Review, including executive editor. Mr. Malone is an experienced trial lawyer, trying a number of cases to jury verdict and also handling arbitrations through final hearing. He heads the jail neglect section of his law firm, in which lawyers litigate cases involving serious injury and death resulting from jail neglect and abuse. Lawyers frequently refer cases to Mr. Malone due to his focus on this very complicated civil rights practice area.