Product Overview

Summary: This Drilling Site Safety Safe Operating Procedure provides a clear, step-by-step framework for planning and conducting drilling activities safely on Australian worksites. It helps your business control high-risk hazards such as ground instability, rotating equipment, pressurised fluids and mobile plant interactions, while supporting compliance with WHS legislation and industry best practice.

Drilling operations – whether for mining, exploration, geotechnical investigation, construction or groundwater – involve some of the highest-risk activities on a worksite. Workers are exposed to rotating equipment, high torque and pressure, unstable ground conditions, noise, vibration, dust, and constant interaction with heavy vehicles and mobile plant. Without a robust, documented procedure, even experienced crews can fall into unsafe shortcuts, leading to serious injuries, equipment damage, environmental incidents and regulatory scrutiny.

This Drilling Site Safety Safe Operating Procedure sets out a practical, end‑to‑end process for managing drilling activities in line with Australian WHS expectations. It covers pre-start planning, site establishment, equipment inspection, safe operating techniques, exclusion zones, communication protocols, management of drilling fluids and cuttings, and emergency response. By implementing this SOP, you create a consistent, defensible system of work that supervisors can enforce, new workers can be trained against, and management can rely on to demonstrate due diligence. The document is designed to be easily adapted to different drilling contexts, from remote exploration pads to urban construction sites, while still providing the structure needed to meet regulator and client requirements.

Key Benefits

• Ensure drilling operations are carried out in accordance with Australian WHS legislation, industry standards and client requirements.
• Reduce the likelihood of serious injuries from rotating equipment, entanglement, falling objects and interactions with mobile plant.
• Standardise safe work practices across sites, crews and contractors, improving consistency and supervision.
• Minimise downtime, rework and equipment damage through clear pre-start checks, housekeeping and maintenance expectations.
• Support faster onboarding and competency development for new drilling personnel with a clear, step-by-step reference.

Who is this for?

• Drilling Supervisors
• Rig Managers
• Site Supervisors
• WHS Managers
• HSE Advisors
• Project Managers
• Drill Rig Operators
• Offsiders and Drilling Assistants
• Mine and Quarry Managers
• Civil Construction Managers
• Geotechnical Engineers
• Exploration Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Entanglement in rotating drill rods, augers and other moving parts
• Caught-between and crush injuries from rig movement and mast positioning
• Struck-by injuries from falling tools, drill rods and overhead loads
• Ground instability, subsidence and slips around drill pads and sumps
• Exposure to pressurised fluids, hydraulic failures and hose whip
• Noise-induced hearing loss from continuous drilling operations
• Hand-arm vibration and whole-body vibration from prolonged equipment use
• Manual handling injuries from handling rods, casing and equipment
• Exposure to dust, fumes and potentially contaminated groundwater or soil
• Vehicle and mobile plant collisions in and around the drilling site
• Environmental contamination from spills, drilling fluids and cuttings
• Heat stress, dehydration and adverse weather exposure on remote sites

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 References, Definitions and Abbreviations
• 3.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 4.0 Pre-Planning and Site Risk Assessment
• 5.0 Mobilisation, Site Access and Traffic Management
• 6.0 Drill Site Layout, Pad Preparation and Ground Stability Controls
• 7.0 Plant, Equipment and Pre-Start Inspection Requirements
• 8.0 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Safety Devices
• 9.0 Safe Operating Procedure – Step-by-Step Drilling Activities
• 10.0 Management of Drill Rods, Casing, Tools and Lifting Operations
• 11.0 Control of Rotating Equipment, Entanglement and Exclusion Zones
• 12.0 Management of Drilling Fluids, Cuttings, Dust and Environmental Controls
• 13.0 Manual Handling, Ergonomics and Fatigue Management
• 14.0 Communication, Permit-to-Work and Isolation Procedures
• 15.0 Adverse Weather, Remote and After-Hours Work Controls
• 16.0 Emergency Preparedness and Response (e.g. entanglement, spill, fire, medical)
• 17.0 Incident, Hazard and Near-Miss Reporting Requirements
• 18.0 Training, Induction and Competency Verification
• 19.0 Monitoring, Audit and Continuous Improvement
• 20.0 Document Control and Review

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and equivalent state/territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and equivalent state/territory WHS Regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Noise and Preventing Hearing Loss at Work
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Confined Spaces (where applicable to sumps, pits or bore access)
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks
• AS/NZS 4024 series: Safety of machinery
• AS/NZS 4801: Occupational health and safety management systems (superseded but still commonly referenced)
• AS/NZS ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• Relevant state-based Mining or Petroleum and Gas safety legislation where drilling is conducted on mining or petroleum leases