WorldWide Drilling Resource

63 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® AUGUST 2013 Prevent Gas Ignitions While Drilling Boreholes Adapted from Information by the Mine Safety and Health Administration Proper ventilation in underground mines is crucial. This was especially true on the surface of an underground coal mine recently, when explosive gas from the borehole was ignited during the drilling/casing process. The borehole, drilled from the surface to the coal seam, was being cased with steel pipe welded at each joint. The lower end of the first pipe was capped and partially filled with water to prevent sparks from falling inside and entering the mine. An unexpected ignition occurred when welding sparks ignited gas from the space between the casing and the borehole. When welding or cutting the casing is required, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration recommends: 1. Continuous monitoring for explo- sive gases should be carried out by qualified persons trained in the oper- ation of gas detection instruments. 2. Measures must be taken to pre- vent ignition sources from traveling down a borehole and igniting meth- ane gas. This can be accomplished by sealing the outside of the casing to the borehole with mud, and cap- ping the bottom of the first pipe. 3. Using methane detection instru- ments equipped with an alarm to indicate when to cease welding or cutting operations. 4. Drill rig operators should ensure positive ventilation from the surface is used to remove explosive or nox- ious mixtures of gases from the strata. This can be accomplished by building a noncombustible tent around the casing and using a fan to create positive pressure. Following these simple steps could prevent an unexpected ignition and a potential disaster on your jobsite. PII Pipeline Solutions Celebrates Safety Adapted from Information by the GE News Center Congratulations to the PII Pipeline Solutions team in Canada for reaching one million work hours without a lost time injury (LTI)! An LTI is defined as any work-relat- ed injury or illness resulting in an employ- ee being unable to perform their assigned duties. So, reaching onemillionwork hours without an LTI is a great accomplishment. This momentous triumph is due to the combined efforts of the team and the environmental health and safety (EHS) culture PII Canada has adopted as one of its main pillars. Michael Bellamy, general manager of PII said, “Safety has to be embedded in the culture of the organization. It be- comes an integral part of the way we work... We have a system for rewarding the right behavior, and we drive contin- uous improvement in environmental health and safety performance by track- ing even small issues raised through the EHS concern process, and eliminating them as potential contributors to future incidents.” Every employee should return safely to their families at the end of each work- ing day. The annual online training cycle ensures PII’s staff has the opportunity to regularly refresh their EHS knowledge. At the beginning of every meeting involving five or more attendees, whether internal or external, a safety moment is included to remind everyone of the importance of EHS. Employees are also encouraged to take two minutes before they start work to identify and address potential safety issues. Staff is empowered to use the STOP (safety training observation pro- gram) work initiative when identifying potential for unsafe work environment, whether in the office or in the field. The company’s commitment to health and safety in pipeline operations was also recognized by a leading operator in Canada. Following a safety audit report on an inline inspection run issued on May 15, TransCanada Pipelines’ Jon Sadler, manager program implementation and David Coker, pipe integrity engineer, had this to say, The coordination between the groups was excellent and all work was conducted in a safe and efficient manner. Good result, please pass along our thanks to the team that was involved. Safety is one of our core values, and we appreci- ate when a project is performed in a safe manner. PII Pipeline Solutions provides in- spection and integrity services for gas and liquid pipelines in every environment and operating condition. With more than 35 years of experience and 620,000 miles of pipelines inspected, the compa- ny’s dedication to safety is commendable. Jimmy Reynolds, field supervisor for PII Canada; Holly Lam, regional EHS manager for PII Canada; and Roland Hosein, vice president of EHS for GE Canada. "0",-" - 0 &' '" &) (*-. -&2"- )! )/( ", *# ' !"- "1 -"! &.- *'" +")",- , $ &.- &)$- ((",- ((", &.- &0",.",- " .&++&)$ . &'&2",- ' 1 &.- &+" &+"- *'. *) "".% / - * &'" &. *&) ,*! %*.( &' *( 111 &. *&) *(