CWD Safety Standards & Practices 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A driller notices the rotary table is making an unusual grinding noise mid-shift. The correct safety action is to:
- Continue drilling and report at end of shift
- Increase rotary speed to clear the obstruction
- Stop drilling, shut down, and inspect before resuming (Correct answer)
- Add more drilling fluid to lubricate the table
Correct answer: Stop drilling, shut down, and inspect before resuming
Unusual mechanical sounds indicate a potential equipment failure; operations must halt and the source investigated before work continues.
Question 2: What does the ANSI/AWWA A100 standard govern in well drilling safety?
- Water treatment chemical handling
- Water well construction including materials and methods (Correct answer)
- Electrical grounding of pump motors
- Confined space rescue procedures
Correct answer: Water well construction including materials and methods
ANSI/AWWA A100 is the primary standard for water well construction, covering casing, grouting, and construction practices that affect safety and water quality.
Question 3: When using a mobile crane to set casing on a drilling site, the ground bearing capacity must be evaluated because:
- OSHA requires a soil test for all construction projects
- Soft or unstable ground can cause crane outrigger failure and tip-over (Correct answer)
- Cranes cannot operate in clay soils
- Ground bearing affects casing corrosion rates
Correct answer: Soft or unstable ground can cause crane outrigger failure and tip-over
Crane tip-overs are commonly caused by outrigger pads sinking into soft ground, making ground stability assessment critical before lift operations.
Question 4: What is the purpose of a 'toolbox talk' conducted before each drilling shift?
- To review equipment inventory
- To reinforce daily safety topics and address site-specific hazards (Correct answer)
- To assign crew compensation rates
- To document tool calibration records
Correct answer: To reinforce daily safety topics and address site-specific hazards
Toolbox talks are brief daily safety meetings that keep hazard awareness current, reinforce training, and address conditions specific to that day's work.
Question 5: Silica dust exposure during air rotary drilling of sandstone formations is regulated under OSHA's Silica Standard (29 CFR 1926.1153). The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica is:
- 250 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA
- 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA (Correct answer)
- 100 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA
- 10 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA
Correct answer: 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA
OSHA's respirable crystalline silica PEL is 50 µg/m³ averaged over an 8-hour workday under 29 CFR 1926.1153.
Question 6: A blowout of artesian pressure during drilling is best controlled initially by:
- Removing the drill string immediately
- Installing and closing a blowout preventer (BOP) (Correct answer)
- Adding weight to the top of the drill string
- Increasing drilling fluid viscosity and pumping volume
Correct answer: Installing and closing a blowout preventer (BOP)
A BOP is the primary mechanical device designed to seal the wellbore and control uncontrolled pressure releases during drilling.
Question 7: Eye protection for drilling crews must meet which standard for impact resistance?
- ANSI Z87.1 (Correct answer)
- OSHA 1910.132
- NFPA 70E
- ASTM F1506
Correct answer: ANSI Z87.1
ANSI Z87.1 is the American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, specifying impact resistance requirements.
CWD Safety Standards & Practices 3
A driller notices the rotary table is making an unusual grinding noise mid-shift.
The correct safety action is to: