Drilling rig innovations: In the line of fire, knowledge is power

ALAN FINLAY, Salunda 

Napoleon Bonaparte wrote: “The only victories which leave no regret are those which are gained over ignorance.” Bonaparte’s sentiment was that success arises from knowing what you need to know, when you need to know it. 

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS “A VICTORY GAINED OVER IGNORANCE” 

Situational awareness is essential to taking calculated risks in the presence of great danger. In that context, hard hats and high-visibility clothing are inadequate, when the risk is standing beneath a falling object of great mass or being in proximity to a hydraulic press. Personnel protective equipment (PPE), while the last line of defense, is useless against a rolling pipe or falling fingerboard latch.  

Indeed, according to the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) Safety Performance Indicators 2023¹ report, 27 fatalities were recorded from 17 separate incidents among the body’s membership last year.There were 750 workdays lost, due to personnel injuries. Four of these fatalities, which took place across three separate incidents, were categorized as being “caught in, under or between (excluding dropped objects),” referring to workers who have been trapped or struck when in the path, or “line of fire,” of energized machinery. Another two were from being struck, while one was the direct result of a dropped object.  

Fatalities in this manner are unacceptable. By increasing the situational awareness of workers who are close to, or in, active Red Zones, we can address knowledge gaps and alert them to dangers they may be unaware of.  

IMMEDIATE ALERTS 

For those who work in safety-critical industries, measures must be put in place that do everything possible to immediately alert crews in the “line of fire” of machines and dropped objects. On a rig, workers can be active in areas containing complex and moving machinery, creating an environment with a myriad of potential hazards to be wary of. These areas are commonly referred to as Red Zones, Fig. 1.  

Fig. 1. On a rig, workers can be active in areas containing complex and moving machinery, creating an environment with a myriad of potential hazards. to be wary of. These areas are commonly referred to as Red Zones

Advances in digital technology have not been used just to enhance the process of extracting, storing and transporting oil, but also to create new and inventive ways of safeguarding the workforce—specifically warning the worker and alerting any supervisor who must be warned.  

RED ZONE MONITORING  

As workers move around dynamic working environments, such as drill floors, there must be a flexible and reactive system that ensures they are notified if they enter a Red Zone. Salunda’s patented HaloGuard Red Zone monitoring system, which encompasses wearable personnel monitoring devices (Fig. 2) and advanced 3D camera technologies, detects and tracks workers in and around these environments. It then immediately warns them if they cross a boundary line. It can also pause or halt moving machinery when a worker is in proximity, ensuring the risk is minimized as much as possible.  

Fig. 2. The patented HaloGuard Red Zone monitoring system includes wearable personnel monitoring devices.

Digitized safety solutions effectively complement the procedures and processes that have been implemented by operators to keep personnel safe. Each area of the worksite that contains a Red Zone should be identified, with the associated risks acknowledged. Logs also should be kept, detailing which personnel are scheduled to be exposed to a Red Zone, and how long they are required to be present there. 

The monitoring system will ensure compliance with these procedures. Making personnel aware of their own Red Zone violations, intentional or otherwise, increases situational awareness and has a substantial effect on safety.  

If a worker was to breach a Red Zone or remain in one longer than scheduled, not only would his/her wearable monitoring device send an alert to him/her, but also to the area authority, signifying that corrective actions must be taken.  

The HaloGuard monitoring solution uses wireless sensor technologies to set up digital perimeters where hazards are present on drilling rigs, and review operations in these designated spots in real-time, sending out notifications, as and when needed. This is achieved by triangulating the positioning of people and infrastructure in areas, based on coordinates fed into the system, mapping out a 3D image of a worksite. The technology then calculates the distance between machinery, entrances and exits and personnel wearing locators instantaneously, flagging any “undesirable” behaviors.  

The system can also be integrated with energized machinery to set up a “fence” that moves with the equipment and notifies the onsite worker if he/she enters a dynamic Red Zone. Drilling floors typically have areas that will be designated as hazardous during the lifetime of operations on a project, meaning that Red Zone monitoring technologies can be set up to watch an area for as long as required.  

The system can also be used more flexibly, by being moved and deployed in different worksite sections to monitor temporary Red Zones. This offers a useful solution to ensuring safety in an area where there is a short-term piece of work being carried out. For example, during short duration well interventions and workover projects. 

Salunda’s monitoring technologies have now been deployed on 100 assets around the world. 

EVERY SECOND COUNTS IN THE LINE OF FIRE 

Line-of-fire incidents occur when workers are caught in, or between, equipment, struck when it’s moving, or when exposed to released energy, i.e. an electric shock or leak of high-pressure fluids.  

IOGP data revealed that, of the 750 lost workdays due to injury among its members, 144 cases related to workers who had been “caught in, under or between equipment.” There were 126 cases, where personnel had been “struck by” machinery. 

To minimize the risks when in or around Red Zones, training is provided that teaches workers to be alert to their surroundings. Additionally, technological innovations in safety can ensure this awareness is bolstered by a system that is designed to, quite literally, watch workers’ backs as they operate. 

Quick decision-making is one of the most crucial elements in ensuring the safety of personnel. If workers enter a Red Zone when they are not scheduled to be in one, their monitoring devices will alert them in real time that they have breached a hazardous area and that they must move away from the line of fire and back into safety. 

The point is to provide a “digital tap on the shoulder” in the line of fire. In the situation where a violation was to occur, workers must be instantly notified. Latency of even a few seconds could result in late delivery of a crucial warning. However, false alarms could lead to fatigue or downtime, meaning that accuracy is also key.  

Many hazardous area monitor tools use GPS for location tracking data, allowing for the positioning of personnel to be marked down to a 5-10-m radius. Salunda’s ranging camera systems can dramatically enhance tracking data, making use of ranging vision technology to achieve accuracy that is up to 100 times greater. This further reduces the margin of error that could lead to a false alarm, preventing delays in project timelines.  

THE ”DIGITAL TRUTH MACHINE” 

Human spotters, often used to keep track of the movements of personnel and energized machinery, can be affected by outside influences and miss critical actions. Lines of sight can be blocked, the spotter may be distracted, or an unauthorized person (Fig. 3) could step across the Red Zone boundary line unnoticed, all of which can result in a serious incident. If movements aren’t tracked, personnel could move directly into the line of fire.  

Fig. 3. An unauthorized person can step across the Red Zone boundary line unnoticed and cause a serious incident.

The HaloGuard Red Zone management system captures all movements in the designated area, becoming a Digital Truth Machine that replaces hearsay and opinion. Personnel are pinpointed in real-time using cameras that identify a 3D set of coordinates, which are then compared with the information coming from the wearable sensors. The system is also programed to discriminate between those who are, and are not, authorized to enter a Red Zone.  

If a match is not found, it means there is an unauthorized person in the designated area. The system will then immediately notify the area authority and allow the necessary actions to be taken, ensuring that only the correct personnel are on site. If an accident does occur, having an accurate record of personnel movements is especially important during incident investigations, as the facts are recorded. 

The playback functions of digitized monitoring tools can be used to establish and clarify an accurate chain of events. The system is then able to provide answers to the most essential questions in an investigation: who, when, where, and what.  

Following data analysis, learnings can then be carried forward and shared throughout the industry to ensure that similar incidents are prevented. 

AN INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) SOLUTION FOR DRILLING RIGS 

Detailed information is vital in situations where the risks are so great, and Red Zone monitoring technology can be used to do more than track people and moving equipment. It also can be used as an Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solution that offers real-time oversight of safety-critical equipment, safeguarding crew wellbeing throughout an asset.  

Wireless sensors can be fitted to safety barriers, gates, doorways, valves and hatch covers, among many other use cases, to detect if the status of the designated equipment has been changed or moved. And when used in tandem with wearable locators, this configuration can be used to set up Red Zones that alert workers, if they open a door or cross a walkway leading into a hazardous area. This is useful when working in close quarters or enclosed environments with other personnel.  

For example, if several people were operating in a confined space, and there was no room for anyone further to enter, a system could be set up so that they are notified if the entrance to the space is opened. They can also be fitted to railings or walkways and enabled to send notifications if they become loose over time.   

Salunda’s sensor technology has been developed to be robust and long-lasting, holding IECEx certification for use in flammable atmospheres and DNV certification for use offshore, alongside making use of ultra-long-life batteries, capable of remaining in place for several years without intervention. 

DIGITIZING THE FUTURE  

The digitization of Red Zone monitoring on drilling rigs and other offshore assets can offer tangible benefits, improving wellbeing standards and enhancing the efficiency of safety management for those who work in proximity to hazardous machinery.  

By implementing safety monitor technology, the level of communication, coordination and reporting available for those in these high-risk areas can be improved. In addition to this, the analyzed data and recordings captured from incidents can be used to improve predictive capabilities, further enhancing the safety standards and culture that protect personnel working offshore.  

As innovation in this area is adopted, safety processes will incrementally digitalize. While we should never assume that technology is a fail-safe, implementing monitoring solutions into everyday operations in these environments can do much to reduce the risk of those exposed to Red Zones. 

By dealing in facts rather than hearsay and relying on a “Digital Truth Machine,” “victory over ignorance” can become commonplace in safety. 

ABOUT SALUNDA 

Founded in 2013, Salunda is a UK-headquartered business serving safety-critical industries. Its innovative team invents, deploys and evolves patented, Red Zone safety monitoring technology that protects people and assets. With more than 100 systems deployed worldwide, Salunda’s technology (notably, its Hawk platform), integrates real-time location and condition data from patented wireless sensors and cameras, to provide the most comprehensive oversight of Red Zone areas.   

Salunda’s proprietary technology is safe, secure and suitable for the harshest environments, with more than 100 issued patents and exclusive licenses in place.  

Importantly, its technology has been market proven and field-tested for more than a decade. 

ALAN FINLAY is the founder and CEO of Salunda Ltd. He has a track record of transforming loss-making, “concept companies” into profitable, globally trading groups through intensive business development, strategic marketing, innovation and commercialization of high technology. Prior to establishing Salunda, Mr. Finlay was co-founder and CEO at Microsaic Systems plc. which was formed by a team from Imperial College, London, and developed the world’s first chip-based mass spectrometer (MS) detectors, including the only miniaturized LC-MS detector on the market. Mr. Finlay trained as a mechanical engineer at the Engineering School at University College, Dublin, and holds over 20 patents. 

REFERENCE 

1. https://www.iogp.org/bookstore/product/iogp-safety-performance-indicators-2023-data/