Oil drilling is a complex process that involves experience, manpower and skill. With so many moving parts and hands on deck, you not only need to perform your job, you need to perform it with safety in mind as the possibility for injury is quite high.
Potential Hazards
There are several hazards that you must be aware of and take into consideration to reduce your risk of injury. Please see below:
- Being struck by tongs, the make-up chain or pipe
- Being caught between collars and tongs or spinning chains and pipes
- Experiencing strains and sprains during lifting or controlling movement of drill collars, bit breakers, pipes and tongs
Injury Avoidance Suggestions
To reduce your risk of injury while drilling, take these safety precautions into consideration:
- Implement an effective pipe handling, make-up and break-out procedure by:
- Standing outside the tong swing radium when breaking pipe
- Using proper tong-latching techniques and proper hand and finger placement on the tong handles
- Standing clear of the rotary table when it is moving
- Use a tall rope on the spinning chain to keep your hands free from the danger area.
- Use proper lifting techniques to avoid strains and hoist slowly to limit pipe momentum. Or, use mechanical lifting aids to assist.
- If you do not understand part of the drilling process, ask your supervisor for clarification before proceeding.
- Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
- Be sure to follow all safety protocols, even if they seem unnecessary or slow you down.
It’s important for you to understand all of the potential hazards and to take the proper safety precautions. Your safety, and the safety of others, depends on it.
At the Larkin Group, we want to partner with you and your team to create a safe working environment. As part of the iGO program, we are able to offer a wide variety of resources and tools that you can access at no additional cost. Contact us today to learn more.
Adam Maas, amaas@larkingrp.com