Borehole Drilling Health and Safety

Borehole Drilling Health and Safety

November 28, 2019

This is a basic guide for borehole drilling area and related industry, we do not intended to consider the legislation of any particular country, but to outline some issues and good drilling practices, which will make a safer working environment for blasting drilling and water drilling or Geological drilling

Drilling Safety Issues

  • Safety is an issue for which we are all responsible, we are responsible for our own safety especially working in mine or other drilling field.
  • We are responsible for the safety of our colleagues and those that work alongside us
  • We must co-operate with employers and observe ALL rules issued by our customers when visiting their sites
  • We must make ourselves familiar with any local condition or regulation in effect, such as vehicle parking, footpaths, prohibited areas
  • We must determine where First Aid stations are located around drilling area and who are the qualified first-aiders
  • We must determine if there is likely to be a blast,what are the blasting times and blasting procedures in place
  • At the Drilling place determine the location of emergency stops
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Drilling Health & Safety Risks

  • Mines,Quarries, Foundation drilling and Well drilling are hazardous places full of risks
    • From falling materials
    • From drill rigs movements
    • From drilling noise
    • From dust
    • From blasting explosives
    • From height
    • From chemicals
    • From hot works
    • From drilling in operation
    • From pinch points
    • From confined spaces
    • From high pressure air of compressor
    • From blowing out drilling cuttings
    • From spraying drilling fluid

Borehole Drilling Operator PPE – Personal Protective Equipment

Hardrock PPE

  • Safety helmet. Ensure this is in good condition–replace annually, or before if it has suffered any damage.
  • Safety shoes or boots with protective steel toe-caps, preferably with laces. Rigger boots are not always allowed by  some companies
  • Dust mask or respirator.
  • Gloves.
  • Safety glasses
  • Ear defenders or ear plugs
  • Overalls.
  • Fluorescent over-jacket or vest, both require high visibility reflective stripes
  • Red circles show what you must not do
  • Blue circles show what you must do
  • Blue circles show what you must do
  • Green signs indicate SAFETY

Borehole Drilling Site Signs – Various types with different purposes

Working at Height for Anchoring Drilling and Water Drilling

  • During anchoring drilling for high way or foundation drilling for pit support, it is very normal to drill for above 2 meter off ground
  • For hug drilling machine like gas and oil drilling rig, its platform is high from ground, above 2 meters all walkways and platforms should be fitted with toe boards and handrails If in doubt do not access—seek advice
  • For depth hole water well drilling rig, such as deeper than 300m, there is vertical ladders on drill mast. when rig operator go up for maintain rotary head or adjust drill pipes, only one person should be on a ladder at any time

Health & Safety General after Borehole Drilling

  • For blasting drilling, after drilling and exploding, the material need to be transport away by conveyor. So Beware nip points on conveyor rollers, idlers and drums.
  • Do not stand on or access through a stationary conveyor unless you have carried out the necessary lock-off procedure and are certain it will not start.
  • Do not ride conveyors.
  • Safety Do not lift a load which is likely to cause you injury. If manually lifting—lift correctly. For instance, when do rod changing during drilling or adding casing, it needs to be very careful to carry the drill rod by drum. But if the rod has the automatic rod changing system, it will be safer.
  • Keep drilling operator head erect,back straight,elbows in, knees bent, feet slightly apart
  • Guidance limit:  25kgs for men  16kgs for women, for heavier than 89mm*3m drill pipe, it needs 2 people to carry it
  • KEEP YOUR BACK STRAIGHT & LIFT USING YOUR LEGS
  • THERE ARE NO WORKING MUSCLES BEHIND YOUR SPINE
  • Routine work involved with Drilling and Blasting bring personnel and equipment both near to elevated open crests and immediately below exposed faces and elevated bench tops

Don’t Forget High wall Safety

  • Demarcation of danger zones should be NON NEGOTIABLE in all circumstances. During drilling, the danger area is 6m round away from drill rigs and it is 12m from rig during tramming.
  • Personnel must ALWAYS use proper personal fall arrest or fall restraint systems whenever working closer than 6 feet to the crest of any high-wall, or where there is any danger of falling due to unstable conditions, slopes, etc
  • Take great care when driving/walking near drill faces, there can be occasions when rock is deliberately pushed over the face
  • Water expands when frozen and can loosen rock: “freeze-thaw weathering even the face is anchored with drill cable or drill rod

Never Ever Forget “Blasting Site / Blast Area Security”

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