Real-Life Communication
There's a lot of heavy equipment on an oil derrick. In addition,
you're drilling for a volatile liquid that ignites. That's a dangerous
combination.
Because it is so dangerous, Jim Chenoweth, an instructor
at Well Control School in Hardey, Louisiana, says that there's one thing
every drilling team must have: strong communication.
Harris LaFluer
of the Randy Smith Drilling School in Lafayette, Louisiana, agrees, saying
that everyone on a derrick must be the eyes and ears for everyone else.
"What
one guy sees may not be so bad to him, but part of a disastrous pattern from
where someone else is sitting," he says.
The most dangerous situation
a drilling crew faces is a "kick," which is unwanted leakage of petroleum
and natural gas into the well hole while you're still drilling. A kick
can cause a derrick to catch fire or possibly explode.
But there are
other dangers of drilling. Chenoweth says there's welding on derricks
that can strike fires, too.
"It all takes a team effort," says LaFluer.
"Everybody needs to keep in touch with each other and get that information
back to the driller."
LaFluer adds that there's another reason
why communication on a derrick is important. "If a driller sees things change
on his instruments, he contacts other people, because you don't
trust one set of gauges."
He says it's rare for any member of
a drilling crew to go more than 10 minutes without communicating something
to another person or having another communicate to them. Because of this,
Chenoweth says many derricks have hands-free radios that crews use to stay
in constant contact with each other.
LaFluer says there is no room
for egoism on a derrick and that communication is the most important element
to insure a crew's safety.
"If you have a breakdown in communication
anywhere, the results could be disastrous," he says.
If you were in
charge of an oil derrick, how would you ensure that everyone knew the lines
of communication in case of emergency?
Write a list of five ways you
would get crewmembers communicating with each other about safety.