Water Well Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/740475
Know what materials the drill can handle to minimize the risk of prema- turely wearing or overheating the drill, which can create safety concerns if it's not monitored. Drill teams might use a mechanical rotary drill to bore shallow wells—as deep as 200 feet—in cohesive and granular soils. Hydraulic drills reach depths of 200 to 400 feet in sand, clay, and rock be- cause of their large drill platform and heavy weight. Some compact, trailer- mounted hydraulic rotary drills weigh 7700 pounds, giving them powerful downforces for drilling through chal- lenging soil. These drills might feature a bypass control that allows operators to tailor the downforce to fit their needs. This contributes to a safe drilling process by making powerful equipment more easily manageable for different operators. A release lever is another safety fea- ture on some hydraulic models that allows the operator to safely react to changing conditions without risking a borehole collapse. If a volunteer starts showing symptoms of heat stroke, for instance, the operator can let go of the release lever, causing the drive head to cease upward or downward movement immediately, so they can help the vol- unteer. And the drive head will continue rotating after the operator releases the lever to prevent borehole cuttings from settling around the drill pipe or the borehole from collapsing. Lastly, when working with hydraulic drills it's important to never use the hands to search for hydraulic oil leaks as the force of pressurized hydraulic oil escaping from couplings and hoses can penetrate skin. Instead, use a piece of cardboard or wood. As a final safety tip throughout the project, keep a careful watch over the borehole or cover it with a piece of ply- wood or a bucket when taking a break. The borehole is open throughout the drilling process, meaning it needs con- stant guarding. While pipe will cover a portion of the borehole, tools or parts could easily slip between the pipe and the wall of the borehole. In the best-case scenario, the operator would stop the machine and re- move the object. But more times than not, it is impossible to pull objects out. Then, the entire process would have to start over in a different location, increas- ing the chance of a safety issue occur- ring, and the old borehole must be backfilled and capped to prevent injuries. After drilling is complete, don't be hasty turning in for the day. Cleaning SAFETY SECURES SUCCESS from page 21 A volunteer crew looks over a drill site in Tanzania. Note the canopy set up to protect the crew from the intense heat. Drill crews overseas are encouraged to set up a job site where tools are organized and set up on dry ground. This is a practiced setup for drilling from Lone Star Drills. waterwelljournal.com 22 November 2016 WWJ SAFETY SECURES SUCCESS continues on page 24