WorldWide Drilling Resource

WorldWide Drilling Resource ® is a proud member of this association. National Drilling Association Tel: 877-632-4748 Fax: 216-803-9900 www.nda4u.com 11 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® OCTOBER 2014 Drill Operator and Crew Teamwork by Scott Cosby The topic this month will focus on teamwork between the drill operator and crew member(s). A team consists of two or more individuals involved with an activ- ity to reach a common goal. Teamwork is associated with completing a task or a job together. In the drilling industry, teamwork is essential. It will also main- tain a high safety factor for the crew as well. During my time on a drilling crew, most of the communication was non- verbal, and it was known what to do next at a drill site. We were so in tune with each other, if help was needed, it was given. Studies have shown the effective- ness of a team increases with the social familiarity of the team members. Skills, capabilities, and weaknesses of the team become known. A team which continues to work together will eventually develop an increased level of bonding. The key to working together effec- tively and efficiently is to offset weakness- es wi th crew m e m b e r s ’ strengths. One person may be able to reach h i gher or l i f t more; another may be more agile or faster with numbers. Whatever these differences may be, compatible individ- uals will invariably find ways to work together which are mutually beneficial. Two factors to keep in mind to fos- ter teamwork: (1) Define the common goal. The team must work together toward a common goal, which in this case is a safe and efficient drilling opera- tion. The drill operator must be able to clearly define the goal and how the team will achieve the goal. (2) Defined roles. Each member of the team needs a defined role, such as drill operator, supervisor, logger, and so on. Each member needs to know their responsibilities and what is expected. Defined roles reduce ambiguity. Reduced ambi- guity means enhanced teamwork. Another positive benefit of teamwork is a healthy sense of competition among coworkers. This helps in several ways by keeping everyone on their game, eas- ing tensions, and creating a sense of community. Consult online search engines for more information on this topic. There are many teamwork professionals avail- able who can provide additional good information through lectures or exercis- es on this topic, as well. Provide in-house sessions on this topic for drill operators and crews. Scott Scott Cosby may be contacted via e-mail at admin@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Focus on bauma China The 7 th International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Construction Vehicles, and Equipment - bauma China 2014 - is set for November 25-28, at the Shanghai New Internat ional Expo Centre in Shanghai, China. Covering an area comparable to 42 football fields, bauma China expects close to 3000 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries to showcase their latest prod- ucts to about 200,000 attendees. The event endeavors to provide efficient plat- forms for information exchange, prob- lem solving, and growth of the Chinese construction machinery market. WWDR magazines will be available at this impressive event. For more information, visit www.bauma-china.com