Page 340 - Drilling Technology in Nontechnical Language

Chapter 14 – SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 331

drilling contractor) will be represented at this meeting, which is generally
chaired by the senior drilling engineer responsible for planning and
supervising the operation from the office. The well design and drilling

program will be discussed, and as part of this, any potential hazards will

be flagged up. Potential risks must be managed, preferably by avoiding
them altogether. If a problem does occur, procedures must be in place with
a preplanned strategy to minimize its impact and to allow recovery from

its effects as safely and efficiently as possible. Recognizing and managing
risks is one of the primary responsibilities of everybody involved in the
operation, and the prespud meeting is probably the earliest forum where
all concerned can come together to discuss these risks.
On the rig, before the well is spudded, a similar prespud meeting will
be held with the drill crews and rig supervisors, chaired by the drilling
supervisor. This ensures that everybody is aware of the potential risks and
how they will be addressed. The meeting is also a forum for feedback—a
lot of practical experience will be represented in the room, and good
suggestions often result.

Weekly safety meeting

Every rig operated by a responsible company has weekly safety meetings
that all personnel are expected to attend. These meetings generally take
between 30 and 60 minutes. Items to be discussed will typically include
the following:

▫ Any incidents or accidents that have taken place on the rig.
▫ Any incidents or accidents on other rigs that may be
particularly relevant to the rig.

▫ Suggestions from the participants to improve safety on the rig.
▫ Status of any ongoing work that has a bearing on safety.
▫ Any STOP cards that have been handed in can be discussed
and the lessons learned emphasized. (STOP cards are
discussed later in this chapter.)
▫ Rig safety statistics.

Minutes of these meetings are recorded and sent to the office, as well
as being posted on the rig notice board.

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