The drilling profession comes with its fair share of dangerous situations and potential for injuries on the job site. But what about in common work areas? When your shop is cluttered, it becomes a minefield of potential accidents and leads customers to wonder how you’ll treat their property. Keeping a tidy work space – be it your work shop, drilling rig, or service vehicle – will help protect your workers, your equipment, and your business.
Follow these recommendations to shape up your shop:
- Keep disposal and storage areas well-organized and clean.
- Maintain appropriate and designated shelves, bins, racks, and containers for storing materials and tools.
- Label all chemicals and keep them in a safe area to avoid accidental spills.
- Clean personal work areas and remove potential tripping hazards each day.
- Keep only essential tools on equipment surfaces, putting them away when no longer needed.
- Designate and clear space for new equipment or tools before they arrive.
- Never leave electrical cords, air hoses, or other debris on the floor, in walkways, or on platforms.
- Utilize storage space appropriately and never use aisles and work spaces for storage.
- Maintain adequate lighting in all work areas, replacing bulbs, fixtures, or tubes immediately.
- Keep first aid kits and emergency facilities where they can be easily reached and never block access to them with materials or equipment.
“Remember, in our industry, your rig is your workstation,” said Richard Clarke, Sales and Marketing Manager for SIMCO Drilling Equipment. “Keeping it clean means you’re keeping it safe.”
It’s important to keep work areas safe and uncluttered once they’re shaped up, and the best way to do that is by enlisting all workers. Make sure everyone knows where things belong, acknowledge efforts to keep things clean, and hold employees responsible when they don’t tidy up after themselves. Customers might assume the quality of your service by observing the state of your shop. By maintaining an uncluttered work space, you can build your reputation and customer satisfaction while keeping your employees safe from avoidable accidents and injuries.
If you have questions or would like to discuss your drilling operation’s needs, contact us at [email protected], call 800-338-9925 to talk to one of our knowledgeable sales and support team members, or request a free quote through our Contact page.
A version of this safety feature was originally seen in Worldwide Drilling Resource Magazine.
