Opinion ID: 616547
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Explosion

Text: At the time of the explosion, Robbie Griffin was employed as an independent subcontractor for S&W Transports, Inc. S&W had entered into a Master Work or Service Contract (“MWSC”) to perform work for Noble Energy, Inc.1 Noble operated the worksite in Stephens County, Oklahoma where Mr. Griffin was working when the explosion occurred. The parties rely on Mr. Griffin’s deposition testimony to recount the events leading to the explosion. On December 8, 2008, Mr. Griffin was tasked with cleaning an electrostatic heater treater, a machine that treats oil to remove water. He was wearing his usual work clothes: a long-sleeved shirt, a t-shirt, and jeans. 1 S&W initially entered into the MWSC with Samedan Oil Company in 1982. Noble subsequently merged with Samedan and took on its obligations under the MWSC. 2 To clean the treater, Mr. Griffin first pulled up the bull plug so that the treater could be vacuumed. Next he used his impact wrench to unhook and remove the treater’s south plate. He then removed the hatch on the east side of the treater. This required removing the bolts off the hatch and using a screwdriver to pry the access plate off the gasket. After the plate was separated from the treater, he signaled to the operator of a nearby backhoe to swing its boom. As soon as the plate had been removed, Mr. Griffin heard a “big boing, just . . . like a gigantic spring going off.” ROA at 146. The treater exploded. Mr. Griffin recalls seeing “gray stuff” floating through the air. Id. His next memory was standing, somewhere east of the treater, trying to “get something burning out of [his] skin.” Id. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for severe burn injuries.