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Near-miss from a drilling-rig flag prompts DBI awareness and OSHA referral
Summary
A welded flagpole on a drill rig at the Oceanwide Center broke off and nearly struck a pedestrian; DBI inspected the site, referred the incident to OSHA and warned inspectors to be alert for nonstandard attachments on equipment, while noting formal enforcement of rig safety often falls under Cal/OSHA.
Deputy Director Ed Sweeney briefed the commission on a near-miss on Aug. 30, 2017 at the Oceanwide Center project where a roughly 8-foot steel pole with a flag attached to a GB 50 drill rig failed and nearly struck a passerby. DBI staff inspected the site, spoke with the contractor, filed an OSHA complaint and urged its inspectors to watch for nonstandard attachments that could fall.
Sweeney said DBI is limited by code on how it can regulate equipment that is not part of the permanent structure. "These are not standard pieces of equipment to the machinery... they're usually welded on by the operating engineers," he said, and noted that chapter 33 provisions on falling debris could be used if the problem persists.
Public commenter Connor Moore, who was the pedestrian nearly struck, said there had been no wind that day and that the device had not been used for several days. "If you don't know why it failed... can you be sure these flags are safe all around the city?" he asked, urging a citywide look at similar rigs. Moore said some contractors have agreed to remove the flags, but many rigs in the city still display them.
Commissioners discussed jurisdictional limits and agreed DBI should refer workplace-safety enforcement to Cal/OSHA while using its inspection presence and authority to respond to immediate public-safety hazards. DBI will continue to pass complaints to OSHA and instruct downtown inspectors to flag and ask about nonstandard attachments when they visit sites.
