OSHA Alert: Drill Rigs vs. Cranes

An ADSC delegation, lead by ADSC Safety Committee Chairman, Rick Marshall, Richard Goettle Inc., provided testimony to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at an official hearing held in Washington, D.C., in 2003, to consider proposed new crane regulations. The end result is that, at least for now, dedicated drill rigs will not fall under the proposed new OSHA crane regulations. This, however, could change. This information is provided to you in an effort to assist you in understanding the procedures that you must follow in order for ADSC to be able to continue to make its case that drill rigs are not cranes and, therefore, should not be defined as cranes in whatever new regulations are enacted. Be advised that individual states may have their own regulations that may differ from this interpretation. It is important that you are familiar with these regulations in the states in which you work.

The debate as to whether your dedicated drill rig is or is not a crane most likely will go on for a long time to come, despite any rulemaking (pro or con) that may be in effect in our near future. In either case, here are some simple guidelines we all can understand and adhere to in an effort to demonstrate that we do not need to be policed by someone else.

If your equipment is used solely for drilling and handling of the rig's tooling with the mast in a vertical position, then the unit should be operated, inspected and maintained as recommended by the manufacturer and documented by the user. This is mirrored by the existing crane standard CFR1926.550(a)(1) - "General requirements. The employer shall comply with the manufacturer's specifications and limitations applicable to the operation."

If the drill rig is used beyond the manufacturer's written specifications, then the user must have specific written permission from the manufacturer for such hoisting operations or a hoisting plan created by a registered professional engineer for the specific intended use of the drill rig hoist system. In each case, the maximum parameters of the drill rig's lifting capabilities should be clearly spelled out, and then only operated under those conditions.

In either scenario, you must have a complete, written, operator's manual, specific to the dedicated drill rig, with the unit at all times, and comply with its inspection, maintenance and operation requirements. You also should have documented training of your drill rig operator - again, specific to that particular equipment.

Please, let's not wait for someone else to legislate safety into our day-to-day operations because perhaps, we are not doing a good enough job of it ourselves.

Helical Foundations & Tiebacks

The Deep Foundations Institute is presenting a one-day seminar program addressing helical foundations and tiebacks in Los Angeles on Nov. 7. The event takes place at the University of Southern California, and seminars will center on the proper application and installation of helical foundations, with a focus on the state-of-the-art in design of helical foundations and tiebacks. For complete details, visit www.dfi.org.

Two Seminar Programs in Atlanta

The Southeastern Chapter of ADSC is presenting back-to-back seminar programs at the Holiday Inn Select in Atlanta. On Wednesday, Nov. 19, the drilled shaft seminar will provide the latest on drilled shaft design, specification, construction and testing. The anchored earth retention seminar takes place Thursday, Nov. 20, and covers slope stabilization, hollow core bars, anchor and soil nail testing, and related case histories. For complete details, visit www.adsc-iafd.com.

On the Job

Deep Pier Drilling

Q-Pile Foundations was contracted to drill deep piers for a 10-level building in Brisbane, Australia. Holes up to 20 feet deep and from 24 inches to 40 inches in diameter were drilled into a siltstone material using a continuous flight auger driven by a planetary drive unit mounted on a 30-ton excavator. On hand was Q-Pile's maintenance van with welding facilities for hardfacing the auger flights, and for removing and replacing auger teeth. Support excavators were employed to remove the spoil, and to construct pads for the drilling excavator to work from. Q-Pile is a deep foundations specialist, headquartered in Coolum Beach, Australia.

Coming Soon: IFCEE '09 in Orlando

The International Foundations Congress and Equipment Expo '09 takes place Mar 15-19, in Orlando, Fla. The event combines the International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC), the Geo-Institute of ASCE, and the Pile Driving Contractors Association (PDCA) 2009 annual meetings, and will bring together varied national and worldwide industry organizations.

As part of the technical program, engineers, foundation contractors, equipment manufacturers, suppliers of tools and services, and researchers will discuss the latest technological advances in the foundation and earth retention industry. The extensive outdoor large equipment exposition and indoor displays provide attendees an opportunity to examine the tools of foundation construction, and are an additional incentive for constructors and engineers to attend this mega-event.

For more information, telephone 214-343-2091 or visit www.ifcee09.org.

Featured Product of the Month

Sacrificial Bit Offered

The J-Drive sacrificial bit from Lone Star Bit is designed for applications where a more economical solution is desired for simultaneous drilling and grouting. These bits are suitable for a variety of ground conditions. Applications include secant pile walls, micropiling, soil nailing, ground anchors and rock bolting. These bits are suitable for a wide range of project types, including rail-related work and foundation upgrades, stabilization and underpinning, as well as façade retention, tension piles, tie backs, highway and bridge works. For complete details, visit www.lonestarbit.com.

Check out Site Prep, a sister publication of The Foundations Report. Site Prep focuses on the challenges and opportunities of site preparation, including site clearing, earth moving, utilities and environmental activities. Go to www.siteprepmag.com, where you can subscribe to the magazine as well as its monthly newsletter, Industry Dirt.