Risk Assessment & Management Flashcards

A well driller discovers H2S gas during drilling. Which action should be taken FIRST?

Answer: Immediately evacuate personnel upwind and monitor air quality

H2S is immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) at 100 ppm; immediate upwind evacuation and air monitoring are the required first responses.

What risk management technique involves transferring financial liability for a drilling project's environmental damage to a third party?

Answer: Risk transfer via insurance

Purchasing environmental liability or contractor's pollution liability insurance transfers the financial risk of environmental damage to the insurer.

When assessing risk from drilling near a septic system, the primary concern is:

Answer: Microbial contamination of the aquifer from wastewater

Septic systems release pathogens and nitrates that can migrate into the aquifer if minimum setback distances are not maintained.

In a risk matrix, a hazard rated as 'high likelihood, high severity' should be:

Answer: Immediately controlled or work halted until controls are in place

High likelihood combined with high severity places a hazard in the unacceptable risk zone, requiring immediate corrective controls before work proceeds.

Which condition on a drilling site most increases the risk of cave-in or borehole instability in unconsolidated formations?

Answer: Presence of saturated fine sand or silt (running sand conditions)

Saturated fine-grained soils lose their structural strength and flow into the borehole, creating running sand conditions that risk borehole collapse.

What is the role of a Site Safety Plan (SSP) during well drilling operations?

Answer: Documents all site-specific hazards and emergency response procedures

An SSP is a living document that identifies site-specific hazards, defines control measures, and outlines emergency procedures for all personnel on site.

A driller is working adjacent to an active agricultural field. Which risk is MOST specific to this setting?

Answer: Pesticide and fertilizer contamination of shallow groundwater

Agricultural chemicals including nitrates, herbicides, and pesticides commonly leach into shallow aquifers and pose contamination risk to new wells drilled nearby.