The company is reducing hazards with rotating equipment, work at height, pinch points, noise, dust, hot equipment, poor ergonomics and fatigue with new equipment designs.
Swick managing director Kent Swick set about designing a drill rig with features that would eliminate many of the hazards with Surface Reverse Circulation Drilling.
The company’s solutions eliminate the need for offsiders to manually handle drill rods during drilling operations, hence, reducing risk of injury to body parts.
Swick has designed a hands-free hydraulically-operated rod handling system to both load and unload drill rods in and out of the drill mast.
The entire operation is automated. Operation is conducted by the driller from a remote control panel.
Whilst automated rod handlers are not new, the Swick design is said to be different because the drill mast has been rotated 90 degrees. The drill head and spindle are at the side of the mast.
This allows the rod handling arm to swing through to drill under the spindle, in line with the bottom tool joint.
The design reduces the risk of fall injury to workers.
Safety harness attachment points are included along the length of drill rig mast.
Fixed access steps and ladders provide working and servicing platforms, and safety railings surround all platforms.