Air Hoist Safety On A Drilling Rig

The Basics

Every new hand breaking out on a drilling rig is silently in awe of the Air Hoist when they first see the weight of the the huge loads this small but powerful machine can lift. I can still recall the first time I saw  an 8" Drill Collar hoisted up into the V-Door and thinking  to myself,"Wow!-I got to get me one of theses!" It seems with many Hands the awe soon wears off as we take for granted the work this tool preforms safely and routinely, day after day. When we become complacent  is usually when an accident occurs.So lets start with the basics and outline some general safety practices.

When a crew rigs up the Air Hoist or Tugger during a rig move the Driller should be there.Regardless of what type of fastener is used to secure the wire cable to the drum,It should be checked and double checked If it's a shim, make sure it's properly installed.If Allen Head set screws are used, be there to double check the tightness.

Beginning every Tour it's a good practice to examine the wire cable,chain, hook and fasteners.This is "A MUST" during the rig move.There have been several occasions during rig moves that while examining each individual link of the chain,we have found 1 side of a link broken completely in two! When you think about the loads  lifted overhead in this condition, it will really sober you up to the reality of the serious safety hazards that exist.

  Every operation preformed with the Air Hoist has a varying degree of difficulty. The most difficult tasks should be preformed by the most experienced operator. Instances of this would be

• Operating a lay-down-line or hoisting personnel. When Hoisting Personnel the Operator MUST stay in constant eye contact with the person lifted. He should not be distracted by others.
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• When the Air Hoist operator can't maintain constant eye contact, an experienced observer MUST be used to signal him.
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• The Air Hoist operator MUST make sure that the person lifted is free of obstructions AT ALL TIMES,making sure his hands, feet and harness do not become snagged on anything in the derrick.
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• When Hoisting Personnel, a tag-line should be attached to the harness of the person being lifted and guided by the people below. Once the man lifted is in position to do his work, everyone below him should now be out from under him.
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• All tools have to be tethered to the person being lifted WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
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• When  a Sala or other anti-fall device is present in the derrick it should be attached and used by the person being lifted.
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• Hoisting personnel above the Board should be prohibited.
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• The "Boatswain Chair" should be the only harness used when lifting personnel, other harnesses like climbing belts and derrick belts should not be used.
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• THE ROTARY MUST BE STOPPED WHEN LIFTING ANYONE

Another important practice often overlooked -"Every person on the rig needs to know where the Emergency Shut-Off to the hoist is located and know how to operate it"

Lets take this scenario as an example,"Your lifting a man up to service the rig, He signals you to stop,you release the control, but the hoist keeps running!" The control lever has malfunctioned!" How are you going to shut it off before you run this guy through the shieve and kill him?"

All Air Hoist I have seen have an air cut-off valve located on the air supply at the hoist. You need to be familiar with this and make sure all other employees are also.

In the case of a Hydraulic Hoist, the Emergency Cut-Off is  often located at the drillers console. You need to make everyone familiar with it.

If this were to happen, you would only have seconds to react. Something to think about.

Most companies policies state that the Rig Manager must be present during every personnel lift. That the Boatswain Chair will be kept in his possession,brought to the rig floor by him prior to the lift and returned to his house when the lift is completed.
I think this policy has become common place practice on most all rigs.Most also have a "LIFT PERMIT" that has to be filled out and signed prior to each lift of personnel. This lift permit details much of what we have listed here
Any "third party" personnel,(eg. casing crews and Halliburton crews) must read,abide by and sign the lift permit before they can be hoisted.

As you can see, The policy for lifting personnel is very detailed,which is why ONLY THE MOST EXPERIENCED HOIST OPERATORS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO LIFT PERSONNEL.

It is the responsibility of the Air Hoist operator to make sure ALL of the above safety practices are met. If not in compliance he most stop the lift until everyone understands the issue.

As you can see, its a grave responsibility to lift another man 90 feet into the air,his life becomes entirely your responsibility from the moment his feet leave the rig floor. To often we take this for granted.

It is the operators responsibility to make sure loads are fastened properly and securely. Every time you make a lift of tools, the operator needs to check that the hook is fastened to the chain properly. Sometimes you may need to stop operations and calmly explain to the less experienced or new workers the dangers involved in lifting a load when improperly hooked.

• Know when a Hook needs to be taped  and explain this to other workers.

• All workers need to understand that when your lifting a load, they need to be clear of it. If workers are standing under a load, you need to stop & clear them out of the way.

•  If a worker remains on or in the catwalk area when lifting tools or pipe in the V-Door you need to stop the lift, and get the workers clear before continuing then explain the dangers to them.

• It is our responsibility as safe experienced hands to educate those just starting out as roughnecks and to get them "Broke Out" safely. What you teach them now hopefully will become the practices they use throughout their employment and what you fail to teach them will be their unsafe practices of the future.

• Make sure they stay clear of the V-door area when hoisting loads in, explain to them to move in to tail loads at the last moment. Nothing good can come from standing under or in the way of loads.

• Always use a Tail Rope at the V-Door when handling heavy or difficult to balance loads.

• Keep workers away from any area where they can be trapped in a "pinch point" between objects. Stress the dangers in the stump area.This common sense practice seems to often be overlooked by new workers.

 Slings are great tools for safely lifting equipment when used properly. Used improperly, they present a danger to everyones safety.

I was recently reading an accident report that resulted in a fatality when a sling was used picking up a Whipstock Tool. While being hoisted,the sharp edge of the Whipstock Tool cut the sling. A worker under the load was crushed & killed.

Obviously this was the wrong application for a sling & the fact that the worker was under the load just reinforces what we have talking about here.

 It's sad this tragedy could have been easily avoided by just staying out  from under loads.

Here are some things to consider when using a sling as  posted by SeaBright Insurance

All slings, fastenings and attachments must be inspected for damage or defects daily, before beginning work. You should also be alert for damage that may occur with use throughout the work-shift. Any damaged or defective sling must be immediately removed from service, tagged for repair or disposed of.

Here are some safe operating practices to consider for slings of all types

•  Slings, which are damaged or defective, must not be used.

•  Knots, bolts or other makeshift devices must not be used to shorten slings.

•  Slings must be used as designed - avoid kinking or using a kinked sling.

•  Slings must not be loaded in excess of their rated capacities.

•  Slings used in a basket hitch must have the load balanced to prevent slippage.

•  Slings must be securely attached to their loads. Tighten the basket hitch; attach the sling to the load with shackles; etc.

•  Slings must be padded or protected from all sharp edges of their loads. This is especially critical for nylon slings.

•  Suspended loads must be kept clear of all obstructions.

•  Keep all persons clear of suspended loads, including loads that are ready to be lifted.

•  Use tag lines whenever possible.

•  Don’t place your hands or fingers in harms way, such as between the sling and its load while the sling is being tightened.

•  Never shock load a sling.

•  Don’t pull a sling out from under its load when the load is resting directly on the sling.

Synthetic Web Slings

Synthetic web slings have several additional safety operating practices. Remember that these must be removed from service if one or more of the following conditions are found. All of the hazards below can damage individual strands of the sling, which can ultimately result in the full failure of the entire sling.

•  Chemical burns. A variety of chemicals can damage synthetic slings and include acids, caustics, and in some cases petroleum based products.

•  Heat burns or material melting. Welding and cutting can burn, melt or char synthetic sling material. The process of burning or melting severs the synthetic strands, which weakens the sling and lowers its capacity.

•  Snags, punctures, tears or cuts.

•  Broken or worn stitching.

•  Distortion of fittings usually indicates individual strand failure. Inspect these carefully.

• You should have an inspection process for slings and related equipment. Daily documented inspections and observations throughout the work-shift helps to eliminate the use of unsafe slings.