The Driller
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
  • EDUCATION
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
  • SUBMIT
  • ABOUT
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Water
  • Geothermal
  • Construction
  • Environmental
  • Mining
  • All Industry News
  • EQUIPMENT
  • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
  • Consumables
  • Pumps
  • Featured Products
  • VIDEOS
  • Newscast
  • Drill Talks
  • Ask Brock
  • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
  • Drilling Business Insights
  • Reference Desk
  • Sponsored Insights
  • EVENTS
  • Conferences & Demo Days
  • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
  • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
  • Contact
  • Advertise
The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
MarketsSafetyOpinionsConstruction DrillingWaterGeotechnical InvestigationSafety 365

Drillers, Are you Acting as Safety Mentors?

Crew Leader Buy-In Works to Create a Safety Culture

By Dave Bowers
seating

Have you considered custom seating for your drilling rig platform? Columnist Dave Bowers says it sets a bad safety precedent.

Source: Getty Images

March 24, 2021

The other day, going through my notifications on social media I ran across a photo of a young driller on the step of a drill rig. “At the controls,” the post read, seemingly a rite of passage for this young man, which should be a feel-good for everyone in the industry. We all remember the first job where we were blessed enough to run a rig for the first time, or the first time we took responsibility for getting the bore completed and returning safely to the shop victorious. This was the intent of the person who posted the picture, I believe. However, that was not the message the picture told.

The picture showed a young person being taught to ignore the hazards our chosen profession presents us with every day. The young man sat on a lawn chair on the step of the rig (a failing) with no hard hat, gloves or eye protection, with a cell phone in hand. Now I don’t know if this photo was taken as a lark or not, but some of the comments were telling. Many of the drillers who responded commented about the type of seat they’ve rigged up to sit in while running the controls of their drill. I found this concerning. I believe you should never sit while running the controls of a drill rig. However, it seems many drillers consider a seat mounted on the step an asset that provides them with a more rested day — thereby making their focus sharper. Although this seems like common sense, research shows otherwise. A psychological study published in 2017 found just the opposite: Standing enhances our attention and cognitive control.

As I have written in earlier articles, attention and situational awareness are extremely important in our industry. We should do everything we can to improve situational awareness, which will in turn improve safety. To that end, we must all ask ourselves whether the manufacturers include a seat for the driller when designing the equipment. The overwhelmingly common answer is, no they don’t. Everyone who is using a seat mounted on the driller platform has modified the rig to accept their seat of their choice. The reason manufacturers do not include the seat is the liability the manufacturer could incur if the driller could not move off the seat quickly enough in the event of an accident.

I’ve heard the argument from some drillers that you can move off the step when seated as quickly as you can move off the step when standing. At the same time, I’ve attended industry events and seen the age and physical fitness of many of those working in our industry. We’re not all top-notch athletes — myself included. I know that it takes me a moment to get to a standing position from a seated position. What could happen in that period? A rod could fall, a hose could blow, a winch line could break or a thousand other things — all while I’m in the danger zone and possibly unable to avoid injury or death.

So what message are we sending to future drillers? We are sending the message that we don’t care about their safety and health, and teaching them they shouldn’t care either.

We have a choice to make as professional drillers. Are we going to be mentors to the next generation? Will we teach them how to properly set up a job, drill, set and develop a well, obtain representative samples and all the other things drilling and groundwater professionals do? Will we show them how to finish a career with all our digits and limbs intact, able to retire and enjoy the fruits of their labor to an old age? Or are we going to treat them as an expendable commodity?

Our industry needs to do a better job embracing safety if we ever want to be taken as seriously as, say, a civil engineering construction company, or even the oil and gas sector.

One of the most common complaints in the drilling industry today is that we can’t get good help. So why would we treat the help that we have in a way that will not maximize their productivity over the long term? Teaching a new driller to be safe and efficient requires that we do all of the right things ourselves. One of the most important concepts of a safety culture is management buy-in. If you’re the driller on the job teaching the new guy, you become their management. “Do as I say, not as I do” has rarely worked for any parent or manager.

Thankfully, just as many comments on that photo took umbrage with the safety aspects as wondered what type of seat they should use. I firmly believe our industry needs to do a better job embracing safety if we ever want to be taken as seriously as, say, a civil engineering construction company, or even the oil and gas sector. Much of our industry provides the most precious resource on Earth. Let’s strive to make sure our professionalism matches the importance of our resource.

Sorry this month was a little preachy. Hopefully, next month we can have a little more fun. Stay safe and keep turning to the right.

KEYWORDS: safety training and education

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Body 18 0319nd pic1 nd bowers mug 032019

Dave Bowers is an instructor with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 AFL-CIO, Apprentice and Skill Improvement Program. Email him at dbowers@asiplocal150.org. For more information, visit asiplocal150.org.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • geotechnical drilling rig

    6 Onsite Phrases Environmental Drillers Hate

    Here are six phrases that highlight common frustrations...
    Geotechnical Investigation
    By: Jeff Garby
  • Wayne Nash

    Pipe Stuck? Common Causes and Solutions for Drillers

    If you have drilled for any length of time, sooner or...
    World According to Wayne
    By: Wayne Nash
  • submersible pumps, water well pumps

    Selecting and Sizing Submersible Pump Cable

    This article helps pump installers and servicers decide...
    Pumps
    By: Bob Pelikan
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • Manage My Preferences

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: 21st Century Drillers | Part 1 DEMAND

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: New York Geo Talks 2025 Conference with Hands-on Driller Education

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast: Coiled Tubing Drilling and the Future of Geothermal

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

The Driller Newscast, Episode 147: Global Geothermal Collaboration at NY-GEO 2025

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the The Driller audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of The Driller or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit
    Sponsored byGeoprobe

    Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

Popular Stories

MainPhotoTwoBrothers.jpg

Two Brothers' Journey Through the Drilling Industry

demo of a DM450 drilling rig during a customer factory visit

Built for You: Smarter Drill Rigs, Stronger Support, Bigger Opportunities

AI and Drought Concerns

AI’s Growing Thirst for Water and Power

The Driller Classifieds

COMPRESSORS

EAST WEST MACHINERY & DRILLING IS BUYING AND SELLING AIR COMPRESSORS, AIR BOOSTERS, AIR ENDS & PARTS
Company: East West Machinery

DRILL RIGS

LOOKING FOR LATE MODEL TOPHEADS & DRILLTECH D25'S
Company: Spikes’s Rig Sales

DRILL RIG PARTS

MEETING DRILLERS NEEDS AROUND THE WORLD
Company: East West Machinery

ELEVATORS

SEMCO INC. PIPE ELEVATORS
Company: Semco Inc.

GROUTERS

GROUTING EQUIPMENT - GROUT PUMPS & GROUT HOSE REELS
Company: Geo-Loop Inc.

PUMP HOISTS

SEMCO INC. - BASIC PUMP HOISTS
Company: Semco Inc.

WELL PACKERS

LANSAS PRODUCTS - INFLATABLE WELL PACKERS
Company: Vanderlans Lansas Products

WELL SCREENS

WELL SCREENS & SLOTTED PIPE
Company: Alloy Screen Works

Products

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

Water Quality Engineering: Physical / Chemical Treatment Processes

By carefully explaining both the underlying theory and the underlying mathematics, this text enables readers to fully grasp the fundamentals of physical and chemical treatment processes for water and wastewater.

See More Products

Subscribe to The Driller Newscast

Related Articles

  • drilling safety

    How to Know if You are Overexposed to a Chemical

    See More
  • wire rope

    What Are Wire-Rope Standards for Drillers?

    See More
  • drillers on jobsite

    Are We Teaching the Right Lessons on Drilling Jobs?

    See More
×

Dig deeper into the drilling and water supply industry!

Build your knowledge with The Driller, covering the people, equipment and technologies across drilling markets.

SIGN UP NOW
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Classifieds
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

The Driller
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
The Driller
  • NEWS
    • Water
    • Geothermal
    • Construction
    • Environmental
    • Mining
    • All Industry News
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EQUIPMENT
    • Rigs & Heavy Equipment
    • Consumables
    • Pumps
    • Featured Products
  • SAFETY
  • VIDEOS
    • Newscast
    • Drill Talks
    • Ask Brock
    • Emerging Drillers
  • EDUCATION
    • Drilling Business Insights
    • Reference Desk
    • Sponsored Insights
  • SOURCEBOOK
  • EVENTS
    • Conferences & Demo Days
    • Newscast LIVE
  • SUBMIT
    • Drillers @Work
  • ABOUT
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP