CHAPTER-13

HEALTH SAFETY and ENVIRONMENT

The topic is the health and safety in the drilling and the engineering
sciences. It is designed to give idea about practical measures taken to
protect health and prevent accidents in the drilling industry. Its major is to
provide better understanding of the complexities in the field of labor
protection, present day social and industrial life.
The drilling accident is an undesired event that result in a certain length
of disability of stoppage of the work time loss due to the effect of a
productions-related dangerous factor or a combination of such factors.
Accidents may cause death, injury and loss of material. In addition to that,
the injury is an external damage to the human body resulted from an
accident.
Labor protection, that is prevention of disabilities and reduction in the
frequency of accident, has always been in a matter of major concern of
drilling industry and the workers.
Management and the government should take in the lead in promoting
and maintaining high safety standards through practical measures intended

to reduce frequency of industrial and the drilling accidents. This can be

achieved by:

Reducing hand labor and heavy job

Providing working clothes, protective shoes and other personnel

protective equipment

Carrying and the comprehensive programs to improve working condition,

safety and drilling hygiene

Using the achievements of the science and technology for the working
condition and the protection of labor and environment

Extending research programs in the field of safety and hygiene

The industrial changes have greatly improved the working conditions in

the drilling industry and thus make them safer. Furthermore, huge capital
investment on labor protection and promotion of safety and hygiene has
reduced the frequency of accidents and the occupational disease in the
drilling sections of the developed countries.
The duties of the management
In addition to all of them, before the causes and the results of the
accidents in the drilling and also the protection of them, evaluation of the
precautions, the duties of the management and the safety engineer in the

drilling zone should be given. The need for good management to reach high
safety and health should be discussed. Accordingly,
The management concern for safety must be approved to:

Provision and maintenance of safe working conditions

Carry out in a good time practical measures to promote safety and

hygiene

Provision and the maintenance of the normal conditions such as

temperature, humidity, noise, chemical and toxic substances and also
other natural conditions in the working place

Provision of workers, operating engineers and other technical staff the

correct working habits and safe working methods by adequate vocational
training, regular instruction courses, briefings and through other means,

Provision for the workers with the necessary working clothes and
personnel protective equipment.

Duties of the safety engineer

The duties of them or the head of the accident prevention department

about drilling are eliminating hazards and include followings:

Formulating and supervising the implementation of the drillings general

accident prevention policy,

Recommending measures to improve and make safer working conditions,

arranging and supervising safety training in courses of instruction
concerning safety precautions and safe working methods

Serving on the safety committee to check the knowledge of the safety

law regulations

Investigating accidents

Reporting to and advising management on all safety matters

Drawing up safety instruction, guides, notices, and other kinds of safety

literature, setting up safety study rooms, directing safety activities
completions, exhibitions, safety propaganda campaigns,

Keeping accident recording and statistics by causes and types of the

accident.

ERGONOMICS APPROACH TO HEALTH AND SAFETY

Ergonomics is defined as the scientific study o f the relationship
between man, machine and environment. It covers ambient environment but
also tools, materials, methods of work, organization of the work. All these
are related to nature of the man himself; to his abilities, capabilities and
limitations.

The general purpose of the ergonomics:

Doing the task more efficiently

Having safety and healthy working environment,

Providing

suitable

work

to

workers

according

to

their

physical

capabilities, strength and characteristics,

Designing tools, equipment, machine or systems in a ways that they could

be used easily and comfortably by the workers,

Creating suitable psycho-social environment

The expected results by the application of ergonomics be:

Achieving high level of drilling safety and health,

Minimizing drilling accidents and professional illnesses,

Minimizing workday losses,

Minimizing work stress,

Increasing efficiency.
Furthermore, there is other factors affect the drilling ergonomics.

Effectiveness of a machine depends on its design, reliability and the ability

of the operator. When one of these conditions is missing, the efficiency
problem arises. It can be obviously seen the ability is greatly influenced by
the design of the machine. For instance, the control system (electric cut

off, starter, remote control) used in the drilling operations should be easily
reached so that the operator can maintain suitable and comfortable working
conditions.
In the drilling ergonomics is also concerned with general working
conditions such as vibration, radiation, and temperature, lightening during
night drilling operations.
Moreover, the importance of maintaining safety standards to ensure the
health and safety of workers are realized. It is a known fact that healthy
and safe working environment increases the overall efficiency and minimizes
drilling accident, professional illnesses and workday losses.
Any type of the machine or equipment used in the drilling operation
should be designed to make the operators task easily reducing the physical
and mental strain to let him free to devote his attention to his work.

FACTORS OF THE ACCIDENTS IN THE DRILLING OPERATION

In the accident investigations to find out the causes, ergonomics is
applied to human, machine, environment combination. The effect of this
combination on accidents in the drilling operations should be investigated in
detail.

Human factors
In the investigation of the human factor the followings should be
considered:

Physical and mental tiredness of the workers,

Type of the work, heavy, homogenous, brings high responsibility,

Physical fitness of the work, have enough energy to the work, be

nourished well,

The capability and the level of the education,

Workers like their jobs,

Existence of the individual problems or inconvenience,

Any physical faults and health defects,

Hearing sense and others are all right or not,

Any problem with the character of the worker,

Cleverness-understanding, attention-concentration.

Machine equipment factor

The followings should be investigated in this section,

Machine protectors are enough and reliable or not,

All measuring equipment, pointers are all right or not,

Any control system, working or not periodical maintenance is all right,

Machines and equipment are overloaded or not.

Environmental factor

Vapor, dust exist or not

Any poisonous material exist or not

Noise, vibration, radiation exist or not and any ionization,

Heat, high temperature and the moisture exist or not.

INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT
Environment is an aggregate of the physical, regional and circumstantial
conditions that surround and influence the operational area.
-

physical environment ,

process environment ,

regulatory environment,

Social environment.
Physical environment is determined by the natural state of the

surrounding of the area where any industrial operation is performed such as

well- drilling. The other are derived from the specific mechanical, chemical,
and energy systems involving in the unit operation.

In the interactions between these environments especially, process

environment whit the others, some elements play important role.

VIBRATION
It is mechanical oscillation of the elastic bodies or system capable of
the vibration. The types of the oscillation are:

Natural oscillation : no resistance to the motion , free oscillation

Damp oscillation: there is resistance to the motion

Forced oscillation: there is a external force to the motion

And also vibration may be divided into three main areas as:

Low frequency vibration : 1to 6 c/s

Medium frequency vibration: 6 to 60 c/s

High frequency vibration higher than 60 c/s

Furthermore, vibration is characterized by the three parameters:

amplitude of displacement, oscillary velocity and acceleration.

The effect of the vibration in the drilling operation
Vibration may have effect of producing a placement of the internal
organs of the body and under extreme conditions damage may occur. The
effect of the vibration on human body various depending on whether the

whole body ( general vibration ) or part of its involved ( local vibration ).

General vibration from the jolting of the floor or operating platform or the
operators seat affects the whole body. The other is the local vibration,
which is from the operation of hand tools, drills affects mostly the hand of
the operators.
The internal organs and other separate parts of the body may be
considered as oscillary systems with various concentrated masses and
connected via elastic elements.
The effect of the oscillation of the internal systems of the human body
is as follows:

Frequency up to 6-8 Hz can be considered as natural oscillation,

Frequency up to 25 Hz are perceived as separate jolts and cause

osteoarticular changes,

Frequencies up to 250 Hz affect the nervous system and cause vascular

reactions (spasms) and vibration sickness.
Moreover, local vibration may interrupt blood supply to the blood vessels

in the hands and arms and may cause loss of sensitivity of the skin and lead
to deformation and articulator immobilization.

A prolonged effect on the body of a local or general vibration or both

may cause on occupational disease known as vibration sickness which
develops gradually and for a long time does not effect the ability of the
work.
The main indications are pain, weakness, increased sensitivity to chilling,
cramps and whitening of the fingers, decrease in skin sensitivity. Functional
disorders of the nervous system such as rapid fatigue, headaches and
dizziness are seen.
If the vibration sickness progresses, disruption of the cardiovascular
activity and of internal secretion, disturbance of metabolic processes and so
on are unavoidable.
Prevention against vibration sickness consists of:

Careful occupational screening for job

Constant supervision by physicians,

Strict observance of protective measures for workers.

Max permissible limits of vibration

The standardized parameter of general vibration is

The rootmean-square oscillary velocities measured in the octave

bands of frequencies or,

Displacement amplitudes induced during the operation of equipment

(drilling machine, tools) and transferred to work places (floor,
operating deck, and seat) in the working area.

The prevention of the illnesses from coming out the vibration depends on
some factors, which are personnel protective devices and injury prevention
strategies.
Personnel protective devices

Suitable footwear with shock absorbing soles affords protection to

worker from general vibration,

Safety boats made of leather, artificial and synthetic materials are

meant for the protection of persons against general vertical vibration and
shock,

Safety standard include also requirements for the protection of hands

from harmful vibration, which include use of gloves with elastic, shock
absorbing and special elastic devices to tack the vibration.
The effectiveness of such protective means is determined by the

reduction in the level of the vibration transferred to the hands and is equal
to the difference in the oscillary velocities (or the ratio of absolute values)
measured with and without the application of the protective devices.

Injury prevention strategies

Modern safety health and professionals in the drilling operations should
know how to prevent vibration related injuries. Prevention is especially
important with hand arm vibration syndrome because the disease is thought
to be irreversible. This does not mean HAV cannot be treated.
Following are prevention strategies that can be used by safety and
health professionals in all drilling operations and also other systems.

Purchase low-vibration tools

Limit employee exposure

Change employee work habits

When the last item is evaluated in its specifications, the followings are

obtained:

Wearing properly fitting thick gloves that can partially absorb vibration,

Taking periodic breaks( at least ten minutes every hour),

Using a loose grip on the tool and holding it away from the body,

Keeping tools properly maintained( replacing vibration-absorbing pats

regularly),

Keeping warm and using vibration absorbing floor mats and seat covers
and appropriate.

EFFECT OF THE TEMPRATURE AND HUMIDITY

The effect of temperature on human being should be considered
together with relative humidity, air velocity and barometric pressure.
Environmental comfort is one of the important production factors. Any
discomfort about the work decreases efficiency causes carelessness or
inattentiveness which lead to accidents, injury, infirmity or occupational
disease.
The relationship between accidents and high or low temperature show
an increase in accidents both with decrease and increase of temperature
from the optimum of 19 to 20.5 0C.
In a warm-moist environment work becomes difficult because of the
high humidity, which reduces the evaporation of sweat. The body attempts
to maintain heat balance and a constant body temperature. If the rate at
which heat is lost to the atmosphere is equal to metabolic heat generation
(MHG), then a heat balance will exist to maintain the body in equilibrium.
At equilibrium;

Metabolic heat generation = heat loss to surrounding

If equilibrium isnt achieved, there are two possibilities;
A) MHG < HEAT LOSS
Due to the excessive heat loss, body temperature decreases. Heart rate
decreases, capillary blood vessels contract, involuntary muscular action
occurs.
B) MHG > HEAT LOSS
The body regulatory mechanism adjusts to the give higher skin
temperature and evaporative cooling by sweating increase. Heart rate and
rate of sweating increase.
The rate of evaporation depends on the sweating mechanism of the body
and upon the relative humidity of the environment. Therefore, comfort
criterias can be defined as wet, dry temperatures and air velocity. The
optimum values are;
t (dry bulb) = 250C
t (wet bulb) = 300C
Velocity of the air = 2 m/s

EFFECT OF THE NOISE IN THE DRILLING OPERATION

Noise, which can best be described as unwanted sound, is one of the

main disturbing elements in drilling operation. The intensity of sound
depends on the amplitude of its constituent waves. The greater the
amplitude, the greater sound pressure will be transmitted.
The tone of a sound is determined by its frequency in cycles per second
(c/s). Audible range is between 20-19000 c/s. The risk of damage to the
ear is greatest for sounds between 2400-4800 c/s.

Effect of noise
It has been long recognized that individuals who have been exposed to
high noise level over a long period of time will suffer a hearing loss. However
how much damage occur is not clear yet.
The effect of the noise depends on the its type.
i-continues : broad-band or narrow band
Continues noise (broad band) may have an effect, which is related to its
intensity, it may cause deafness and may reduce working efficiency. if
frequencies are near the top the spectrum It is defined as a Continues noise
(narrow band), it may cause irritation.
ii-intermittent : regular or irregular (expected or unexpected)

Intermittent noise (regular) has effects, which differ little from those
of continuous noise. Irregular, unexpected intermittent it may cause a
startle reaction, which can be most disturbing.
i-meaningful noise
The influence will be related to large extent to particular circumstances
and is likely to depend on the nature of the noise and what it means to the
hearer.
Hearing loss due to the noise is called Presbycusis.
Noise protection
Hearing may be conserved by two methods namely:
i-personal protection
If individuals must work in irreducible noise levels which exceeds
damage risk level, they should wear some form of personal hearing
protection devices which are:
-

Ear plugs: used in all frequencies up 110 dB.

Helmet (headpiece) up to 120 dB.

Noise stopper: same as the earplugs. It is a kind of ear defenders.

Ear muffs: used up to 125 dB above 600 c/s and used up to 115 dB below
600c/s.

ii-noise control
-

the reduction of the noise at the source

the isolation of the equipment

from the surrounding structure to

prevent the noise spreading

-

The absorption of the noise to prevent either direct transmission or

reflection from surrounding objects.

Noise standards
If noise level changes, the following equation is used:
TL1/ T1 + TL2 / T2 < 1
where TL: time passed at limit value (min) and, T: exposure time for specific
noise level

ILLUMINATION FACTORS IN DRILLING OPERATIONS

Lighting is the illumination of the surfaces of object I order to make
the objects visible. Lighting play important part in determining the
efficiency white which tasks are carried out. The contrast between the
surroundings and the task such as drilling operation, which may be influenced
by color and the presence or absence of glare are the other important
factors.

It is still undecided exactly how much light is required for particular

job. At normal levels of illumination the ability to see increases as the log of
the illumination.

Increase in illumination (cm/ft2 )

From

to

Increase

in

visual

performance

10

10 %

10

20

10 %

20

50

12 %

Good illumination generally improves the working conditions and raises

the productivity of labor. It is also beneficial to a persons general
physiology.
Factors influencing the amount of lights required for a task
The amount of light required for the performance of a visual task is
influenced by four independent factors. These are:
-

size of the object,

the contrast between the object and its immediate surround,

the reflectivity o the immediate surround,

The allowed for seeing.

The standards require:

-

A uniform illumination of work surfaces,

absence of fluctuations and abrupt changes of illumination,

minimizing or eliminating of any usual discomfort,

Eliminate of any undesirable glare from illuminated surfaces in the

direction of the eye.
Illumination should be sufficient to provide safe working condition and

provided in and on all surface structure walkways, stairways, and panel

normal field of vision of areas in working place that are required to be
lightened shall not be less than 0.06 foot Lambert.

ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION
All industrial process and plants generate contaminants that range from
common municipal trash to hazardous waste. The treatment and disposal of
these wastes result in the release of some of these contaminates into
environment in gas, liquid, or solid form.
Gas releases usually result from stack gas or fugitive process emission.
These may include combustion product like water and carbon dioxide,

products of incomplete carbon monoxide and complex organic, and vaporized

hydrocarbons.
Liquid release may come from wastewater, wastewater treatment
discharges, or from nonpoint sources, like runoff.
Solid releases might include bulk trash, drummed wastes, and suspended
solids in wastewater, and airborne dust and particulate. The solid releases
are either hauled away or released in combination with gases or liquids.
Air pollution
Point sources of air emissions are emitted from well-defined locations,
such as exhaust stacks and vents. Fugitive emissions may come from surface
impoundment, storage tanks, process lumps and roadways. Often these air
pollution releases involve both gases and solid phases of contaminants.
The petroleum industry produces enormous quantities of crude oil and
natural gas, which are vital to the economy. During the exploration and
production of these hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds are emitted,
including benzene, toluene, xylenes and butadiene.
Much of the oil and gas is stored in various types of storage tanks
prior to and after further processing into products for the marketplace.
Emissions from these volatile organic compounds and petroleum-product

sources are significant contribution to air quality. Gasoline is the largest

petroleum product that must be transferred from petroleum refineries to
the consumer. During the transfer and storage of gasoline, volatile organic
compounds escape into the atmosphere. Gasoline is a complex mixture of
hydrocarbons. It includes paraffins, naphthenes, olefins, and aromatics,
among them benzene, xylenes, toluene, hexane, ethyl benzene, cumune,
methyltertiary-butyl ether, and naphthalene. When these volatile compounds
are emitted to the air, they contribute to air pollution.

Water pollution
Like that all the other sciences, the drilling engineering destroys some
parts of the nature such as air pollution, water pollution, and also land
pollution. First of all, the reasons of them are explained and then the
precautions are performed to prevent these kinds of problems.
From the beginning of the time pollutants have been degrading water
quality. For many centuries these pollutants were not great enough to
adversely affect the use of the surface water. As population and the
industrial growth increased, these same pollutants reach a level to make
some waters no longer suitable for waste disposal.

Water pollutants include dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, solid

particles, and heavy metals and thermal energy.
Land pollution
Releases of contaminates to the soil may occur from many sources.
Transportation of the material and the hazardous are fairly common
occurrences that pollute the land. All these items take place during
preparation of the drilling operations. The transportation and storage of the
hazardous materials and wastes is a major source of potential pollutants to
the land, as well as to the air and the water during the drilling operations. In
addition to this, the remaining inorganic, organic contaminants, toxic
materials may be harmful to human health and the environment when they
are discharged to the land.

Pollution prevention
Ideally, pollution should be prevented at the source throughout:
-Product reformulation,
-Product substitution,
-Process modification,
-Equipment redesign

-Improved housekeeping,
Segregation of incompatible toxic wastes
Wastes can be also recycled and reclaimed either at the source or off
side at another facility. Industrial pollution prevention efforts should
concentrate on those solutions that are obvious, simple, and low cost such as
housekeeping improvements and direct recycling of process materials.
Equipment redesign and process modifications are generally more complex
and expensive and are generally implemented later in the pollution prevention
program. The reformulation or substitution of products to prevent pollution
must overcome many marketing and operational obstacles before becoming
successful. Process and plant designers need to work closely with research
and development, operations, and marketing personnel in order to achieve an
optimal process and plant that addresses these environmental options.

CAUSES OF ACCIDENT
An accident is any unplanned event that results in personnel injury
and/or in property damage. The personnel injury may be considered minor
when it requires no treatment or only first aid. The personnel injury is
considered serious if it results in a fatality or permanent.

Direct causes of the accidents in respect of energy sources

A- Energy sources

Mechanical: machinery tools, compressed gases and explosions

Electrical: uninstalled conductors and high voltage sources

Chemical: acids, fuels, bases, reactive materials

Thermal: flammable and nonflammable

Radiation: noise, x-rays, lasers, microwave and radioactive materials.

B- Hazardous material

Compressed or liquefied gas: flames and hot surfaces

Corrosive materials, oxidizing material

Flammable material: solid, liquid, gas

Poison radioactive material, dust.

Indirect causes of the accidents

A-Unsafe acts

Failing to use personnel protective equipment,

Failing to warn co-workers,

Engaging in horseplay, lifting improperly

Loading or placing equipment or supplies improperly

Making safety decides inoperable

Operating machine without authority or not used to them desired

conditions or reasonable limitations,

Serving equipment in motion or taking an improper working position,

Using drugs and alcoholic drinks,

Using defective equipment or using equipment improperly.

B-Unsafe conditions

Defective tools, equipment and supplies,

Fire and explosion hazard,

Excessive noise and radiation exposure

Hazardous atmospheric conditions: gases, fumes

Inadequate warning systems, poor illumination.

Basic causes
A- Management safety policies and decisions:

Health and safety policy is not: written signed by the top management,
distributed to each employee, and reviewed periodically.

Health and safety procedures do not provide for: written manual, safety
meeting,

preventive

maintenance,

safety

inspection,

accident

investigations, job safety analysis, medical surveillance and report.

Health and safety is not considered in the procumbent of: supplies,

equipment and services.

Inadequate personal practices regarding are employee selection, training,

and assignment, job observation, communication, assigned responsibility
and accountability.

B- Personal factors

Behavior

factors: accident repeater, risk taking, lack of hazard

awareness,

Experience factors: insufficient knowledge, accident record, inadequate

skills, unsafe practices,

Physical factors: size and strength

Mental factors: emotional instability, depression

Motivational factors: needs, capabilities

Attitude factors: people, company, job

C- Environmental factors

Unsafe facility designs: mechanical layouts, electrical systems, hydraulic

systems, material handling,

Unsafe operating procedures: normal and emergency,

Unsafe projections: physical plants, equipment, supplies, procedures,

Unsafe location factors: geographical area, terrain, and surrounding,

weather, access roads.

THE

ELECTRICAL

INJURIES

IN

INDUSTRIAL

AND

DRILLING

OPERATION
The severity of the electric shock current flow amount and duration.
All of them are ranged and some limitations are used to prevent injuries in
the drilling operations so these results are fulfilled in every operation.
The electrical shock can cause a person to lose control of all muscles.
Prolonged exposure is usually more serious than a brief momentary shock. As
a result of this, all the currents and all electrical devices should be
controlled and also the maintenance of them should be carried out
continuously. Although some precautions are taken, the injury occurrence
can be unavoidable. Accordingly, the injuries, which are directly proportional
to the current, destroy to human body.

In industrial accidents, people are usually electrocuted because they are

careless near live conductors. Energized overhead electrical lines, enclosures
with high voltage equipment, shutdown electrical system and circuit with
capacitors are hazardous and should be treated with care.
Normally electrical lines are insulated to protect people from coming in
contact with bare conductors and from operating considerations. When the
insulation become defective from damage or deterioration, a person could
receive a shock. Any all of the factors are listed the table 6 Appendix A,
could create a hazardous electrical situation.
Since most insulating compounds are plastic, rubber, fabrics, or paper
the factor is given in the below may affect the specific type of the
insulation in vastly different ways. It is advisable to avoid these
environmental factors by whatever practical means in order to avoid in an
electrical hazard.
-Environmental causes of electrical insulation degradation
-Elevated temperature from current flow or ambient conditions accelerates
degradation.
-Moisture from humidity and operating conditions reduces resistance.
-Oxygen or ozone causes oxidation.

-Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight accelerates degradation.

-Acids, bases, salt, and hydrocarbons cause chemical degradation.
-Mechanical abrasion, crushing, bending and cutting destroys insulation.
-High voltage causes arcs, sparks or the corona effect.
-Rodents or other animals eat insulation.
-Non-uniformity of the applied insulation can cause temperature differential
in the insulation.

Fire and explosion hazards and protection in the industrial and drilling
operations
The majority of the industrial fires involve hydrocarbons, usually in the
gaseous or liquid state. For alkane compounds with only carbon and hydrogen,
the number of carbon and hydrogen, the number of carbons in the
hydrocarbon molecule determines its burning characteristics.

Ignition sources

 electrical sparks, smoking and matches

frictional heat, hot surfaces
overheat materials, open flames
spontaneous heating
welding and cutting
combustion particles
At industrial operating facilities there are likely to be some fire hazard
locations under normal conditions. The equipment that will be in this
hazardous environment should be selected to avoid potential fire explosions.
Any equipment that normally produces sparks or arcs, like ordinary electric
light switches, should not be placed at areas where flammable vapors or
gases are present under normal conditions. If flammable vapors will only be
present because of a leak, spill or rupture, the elevation, vapor density and
quantity released should be considered for each location. Motors that
create sparks or arcs should not be placed in a fire hazard area.
Liquefied petroleum gases like propane and butane are heavier than the
air. They have a tendency to travel long distances and still be within their
flammable range. Kerosene and other higher flash point hydrocarbons
produce vapors that travel much shorter distances from the liquid source.

Fundamentals of fire prevention

Industrial facilities that produces hydrocarbons have an inherent
potential for fire from materials being handled, the process used, and the
chemical reactions taking place. Usually the flammable materials are so
necessary and play such an integral role in the operations and products they
cannot be eliminated or substituted. As a result, the facility design and
operating procedures should reduce the probability of a fire occurrence and
minimize the consequences of the fire.
Effective fire prevention must consider all possible potential fire
causes and provide design and operating features to reduce and eliminate
the causes. It is usually impractical to anticipate all potential fire situations.
In addition, human error, random mechanical or electrical failures, and acts
of nature cannot be totally controlled.
An explosion produces an outward pressure wave, ranging up to several
atmospheres. This pressure waves causes most of the initial damage. The
pressure waves may be the result of a flammable vapor cloud, the sudden
rapture of a vessel or an enclosure, the failure of the equipment, valves of
fitting, or human error.

COST OF ACCIDENTS AND EFFECT ON PRODUCTIVITY IN DRILLING

OPERATIONS
In the modern time, in the industries including drilling operations, cost
plays an important role. Safety in relation to the cost stands in a special
position because for every industrial operation some element of safety is
essential. If this is lacing, operation does not remain under control.
Breakdown

involving

costs,

and

sometimes-substantial

costs

become

frequent. Occurrence of the accident causes to rise of compensation

amount, difficulty in supplying skilled people with right attitudes and
motivation, and creates strain in labor relationship. All these results
decrease efficiency and productivity.
To the employer, an accident cost can be serious. Loss of a key worker
for a long period or even permanently, damage given to machine, waste of
materials, or interruptions of the work, disorganization and the other events
that resulted from accidents may decrease efficiency and add substantially
to production costs.

Cost elements
There are two major categories of cost resulting from accidents, usually
referred as direct and indirect costs. The direct cost of accident consists
of cash expenses payable under the related laws, medical benefits,
disablement expenses payable under the social insurance scheme, other
benefits payable under the companies own scheme.
The indirect cost of accidents during the drilling operations can be
outlined as follows:
-Cost of lost time of injured employee,
-Cost of time spent by the first aid attendant and hospital department
staff,
-Cost owing to the damage to the machine, tools, other property or to the
spoilage of the material,
-Cast due to loss of profit or injured workers efficiency and production,
-Cost of the subsequent injuries that occur in consequence of the
excitement or weakened morale because of the original accident,
-Incidental cost owing to interference with production, failure to fulfill
orders in time, payments perfects, and other similar causes,

-Investigating the cause of the accident,

-Arranging for the injured employees production to be continued by some
other worker, selecting, training and preparing accident report required by
law, or attending hearings related to compensation claims.

The relationship between safety expenses and costs

The cost analysis of accidents constitutes one of the important parts of
the accident-preventing program. The economic or financial approach for
preventing accidents presupposes that accidents and occupational diseases
represent financial losses to the employing organization. It must be well
understood that if accidents are reduced, money can be saved, profits and
productivity increased.
Accident costs should be calculated in order to see the effectiveness of
the accident-preventing program. On the other hand, better knowledge of
accident cost may contribute towards more informed decision-making if cost
analysis helps to the reduction of accident