Karajic, Scott Meho
Deceased
Scott Meho Karajic
Demographics
male
Date of death
2003-02-28
Finding date
2006-04-26
Cause of death
Multiple crush injuries to the upper chest and neck sustained in a drilling rig accident
AI-generated summary
Scott Karajic died when a stand of drill collars fell through a stabbing mat and crushed him against a mouse hole on a gas drilling rig at Berwyndale South on 28 February 2003. Despite comprehensive safety policies and audits at multiple organizational levels (QGC, Thiess, Century Resources), the rig had fundamental deficiencies: the stabbing mat lacked structural integrity, the ground was poorly prepared with inadequately positioned drains, crew had no shared understanding of safe racking back procedures, and workers received no formal training. A similar mat failure occurred days earlier but was not investigated. The coroner found this death preventable, resulting from systemic safety management failures and inadequate supervision of inexperienced workers. The coroner recommended developing a formal education package for drilling supervisors and workers, including tertiary education requirements, to replace traditional on-the-job training.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Stabbing mat lacked structural integrity
- Inadequate ground preparation with drain dug under mat instead of around it
- Crew had no shared understanding of safe racking back procedures
- No formal training or standard operating procedures for racking back drill pipe
- Risk register failed to accurately reflect actual rig operations
- Management of change policy not applied during rig refurbishment
- First mat failure not investigated or documented as learning opportunity
- Equipment configuration unsuitable for supporting heavy drill collars on ground level
Coroner's recommendations
- Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate to consult with gas drilling industry participants to design a comprehensive education package
- Mandate the education package by regulation under the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act
- Package should address training needs of rig workers, supervisors, and senior drilling company personnel
- For rig managers and supervisors, mandate a tertiary education course as a component of required qualifications
- Move away from on-the-job training paradigm towards formal credentialing and qualifications recognised at least Australia-wide
Full text
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