A Guide to Directional Drilling Job Safety
Did you know that directional drilling market size is expected to grow by 3.28 billion from 2022 to 2026? If you are working in the directional drilling industry, it is imperative to think about job safety to avoid any accidents. We have put together this short guide to share our top safety tips to help you.
Read on to learn more.
Communication
Without effective communication before, during, and after drilling, everyone’s lives are at risk. The person operating the drill has to be in touch at all times with the drill locator and the product side personnel to manage the drilling operation successfully.
In long bores, a two-way radio is a necessity along with spare batteries and backup radios. Everyone on the job needs to have extensive knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of the job at hand. We recommend checking out digitrak for more information.
Proper Equipment
Anytime drilling is involved, the proper equipment has to be used. Also, those using the equipment have to be trained extensively. All the equipment has to be inspected before using. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers recommends that every worker wears electrically insulated footwear all the time.
This includes wearing the appropriate footwear while setting up and during drilling. Wearing the right footwear will reduce the chances of being electrically shocked if there is any contact with an underground electric cable.
Besides shoes, workers also need to wear electrically insulated rubber gloves, eye protection, hearing protection, and highly visible clothing.
Drill Operation
Drill heads have to always be tracked to make sure that it is on course and doing what it’s supposed to do. The tracking equipment uses electromagnetic fields to track and also detect the drill head at all times. Anytime before the drill is used, it is important to check for any source that can interfere with the tracker.
A good rule of thumb is to walk the drill path that you plan on working on with the drill operator. While doing this, turn on the tracking receiver while leaving the transmitter off. Then, look for unusual readings or signal strength variations and mark these exact locations.
Usually, things that will interfere with the tracking device include: electric dog fences, radio or TV transmission facilities, cathodic protection currents, vehicles, towers, steel pipes, cast-iron pipes, salt water, thunderstorms, microwave facilities.
If the reading at any time is not clear, stop drilling to find out why there is a problem. Also, if the readings are inconsistent then you need to find the problem and cross-check all the information. Don’t start drilling again until the tracking device is working correctly.
Feeling Like a Directional Drilling Job Safety Pro?
Now that you learned the ins and outs of staying safe while you’re performing directional drilling, you can make informed decisions to avoid any serious injuries to yourself or your co-workers.
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