drive connection during my instruction class. After making the connection, we pulled up about 18 inches and the 20foot, 2⅞-inch pipe (200 pounds) fell straight down, missing my hard-toe shoe by less than 1 inch! After that, all threads were inspected and about 25 percent of the drill pipe was kicked out. When it is time to load up all equipment, the driller should check off each item as it is loaded. This is a good time to check all threads for proper size. ●
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Truck check: Check truck requirements such as lights, brakes, tires and spare, lug wrench and flare kit, jack and logbook. Assure that all loose items are properly stored and chained down. If more than one crew operates the unit, it is wise to operate the machine in the yard prior to leaving. Drill check: Check the oil levels and coolant in the radiator. Raise the mast and briefly engage the major components. Fix all air, hydraulic, and mud hose leaks before you go out. Know your equipment travel height before pulling under canopies at the filling station or driving into a shop.
A stacking hoop on an auger machine ripped out an electrically operated 14foot door at the Anaheim Convention Center after the author asked the driver to check and fold the hoop down. Famous last words: “John, we be okay.” After those words were spoken: rip, cut, crash, boom! Damage to the rig: $50. Damage to the convention center: $10,000-plus. I assured my boss that I was not part of the “We be okay” statement. When fueling up, make sure to put diesel in diesel tanks, gasoline in gas tanks, and hydraulic fluid in hydraulic tanks. My old Ford F-150 doesn’t like diesel. Did it smoke and cough? Yes! Did it run? No. (The cause of the mixup: eyeballs focused on long legs topped by miniskirts.) Always pay attention to the job at hand. Diesel in hydraulic fluid is very nasty and quite a mess to get out. Please mark all tanks clearly in large letters.
Training
The driller is the ultimate man in charge on the drill site. He must put all visitors in their place at a safe distance. He must make sure all safety gear is in NGWA.org
Figure 5. This cemetery goes on and on! All of the “residents” died at a young age as they were victims of World War II. All of them had plans to go home. Some of these people fought in my hometown at the German border when it was set free from Nazi occupation in September 1944. This American WWII memorial is well maintained by the United States. It is located in Margraten, Limburg, The Netherlands. This picture was taken in June 1999. Please work safely every day and go home at night to your family. Thank you, USA, for your providing freedom to my hometown and my family.
place on the machine and on personnel. Newcomers must be trained on the job with a clear explanation of rig components. Newcomers must realize our type of business operates dangerous, powerful machines. Bodies will get mangled. Heads, fingers, and arms will get ripped off and none of the stickers and caution plates can actually reach out and save us. Never insist that anyone climb a mast or derrick. They may freeze at some point and then it becomes very dangerous to get this person back on the ground. Always wear a fall-protection device when going up in the mast.
Repairs
Before crawling under the truck, turn the engine off and keep the key in your pocket or give it to your helper. Do not ever touch rotating, moving, or hot parts. Our rigs have all of the above. Replace guards over drivelines, belts, and chain drives before finishing the hole. When guards cover a rotating part on top and on both sides, be aware that many a time the bottom is open and a rotating shaft will grab your pants and pull them down. My mother yelled at me many a time to wear clean underwear. She would say, “in case of an
accident.” How was it she knew about these drivelines? When checking hot spots, stop before you grab it with your hand. Red is very hot, but blue will still fry your skin and flesh in a millisecond. Spit at it, and if it fries spit, it is way too hot to handle. Burnt paint is too hot as well. A temperature of 225°F is acceptable for gearboxes, transmissions, and PTOs. 250°F is too hot. Most of our equipment should run below 200°F, including the hydraulic systems. Find the heat source and fix it. When smelling a different than usual fragrance, first ask your helper if he did it. When his answer is no, stop the drill and check for hot brakes or clutches and oil dripping on exhaust pipes. Again, find the source of the smell and fix it. While vibration can certainly be relaxing in a motel bed, it has no business on our drilling machines unless you happen to operate a vibratory type drill. Worn bearings and drivelines that are bent or worn or that have “thrown” their balance weights are all causes of vibration. Vibration, like shock loads (remember the hammer test?), will destroy
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