Bits ‘n Pieces – The Driller’s Blog

As we say often in the blog, choosing the right equipment is one of the most important parts of the drilling process. Whether it’s choosing the right core bit, a reaming shell or some other part, there are always many factors to consider before making a choice. When it comes to overshots, there are regular overshots and safety overshots. Let’s look at four good reasons to consider a safety overshot.

As in any industry, new employees have a lot to learn about their new jobs and responsibilities. In the drilling industry however, there are safety issues that newcomers must also be aware of and learn about in order to be safe and avoid accidents. With proper training and supervision, most accidents can be prevented.

Sometimes in diamond drilling the drilling operation takes you to far away lands that are high up…really high up. Drilling that is performed at altitudes that are higher than 15,000 feet is considered high altitude drilling. The problem with high altitude drilling is the adverse conditions that drillers will encounter. These adverse conditions will affect the health of drillers and how drilling equipment performs. When you start getting higher than 10,000 feet, getting enough oxygen becomes a challenge not just for drillers but for your engine and hydraulics as well.

One issue that is top of mind for drillers, operations managers and mining companies is safety on the drill site. We’ve written about heat, cold, moving machinery and more, so now I want to talk about safety gear. Specifically, safety gear every driller should know about, have and use.

The requirements change in order to better protect workers and new products and procedures have been developed since the old days of diamond drilling. Here now is a look at some of the safety gear you should be using

Regardless of what part of the world you are in, when the seasons change, you need to make sure safety considerations also change. In North America, spring is around the corner, and in the southern hemisphere, autumn is coming. Regardless of the temperature, let’s review some basic security guidelines.

As people who work outdoors for long periods of time, mosquitoes can be a nuisance for diamond drillers, but with outbreaks of West Nile virus infection which can lead to serious disease and Zika virus, which has been linked to serious birth defects, protection against mosquitoes is more important, and this applies to both men and women.

Diamond drillers often spend a lot of time outdoors, and in the summer, this means a lot of time will be spent in the sun. How many will regularly apply sunscreen? Not everyone - and everyone should be using sunscreen to protect against sunburn and skin cancer.

Recent studies show that men are significantly more likely to develop skin cancer than women, and it’s a trend that has persisted since 1975. Studies show that when planning to spend 2-4 hours in the sun, 48 percent of women versus only 27 percent of men are likely to apply sunscreen. The sun's rays can prematurely age the skin and lead to wrinkles which may explain why women are more likely to wear it. The issue goes beyond avoiding wrinkles and becomes one of gender stereotypes: soft, supple skin is feminine and tough, rugged skin is masculine. Most would agree that applying a lotion of any kind is alien to most men. What we need to remember is that the ozone layer is depleting and skin needs to be protected from harmful UV rays. Sunscreen has been proven to prevent both sunburn and skin cancer, and skin cancer rates have been on the rise.

Workers in drilling industries often work in extreme weather conditions. During the summer months, they may be required to work for long periods of time in intense heat. Often the impact of extreme heat on the body is minimized or ignored.  Heat-related illnesses are realities that occur when your body temperature increases to dangerous levels.

Employees working on drill sites can be exposed to hazards associated with drilling equipment as well as risks that are related to climate and terrain in general. No one wants to deal with accidents on a drill site so education as well as precautionary measures can go a long way in reducing the number of accidents and the severity of the accidents. Yes, we know you may have heard this all before, but we believe it is worth repeating.

Workers in drilling industries work in extreme weather conditions, from extreme heat in summer to brutal cold in the winter. Working in extremely cold conditions can be difficult as you deal with bulky clothing, numb fingers, shivering and icy air that is hard to breathe.