Safety While Drilling at Railroad Sites

Drilling at railroad sites and, in particular, on or near "live" railroad tracks and in rail yards, involves unique and serious safety challenges. Incidents involving trains are often deadly. Our environmental, geotechnical, and clean water drilling crews complete rigorous training and work with a "safety first" mindset.

Holt Services, Inc. crews complete special training and steps related to working at railroad sites.

• Training required by railroads which make workers aware of the potential dangers and how to work safely in those conditions.
• Security clearance and safety training for every person working in the vicinity of a rail yard or for a railroad per Homeland Security requirements
• Online classes specifically for railroad site safety
• UPRR, BNSF, and railroad safety orientation training

Specific safety precautions while working near tracks include:

• Providing a flagman to alert approaching trains to maintain a slow speed in that area and alert crew members to move to the side of the drill rig away from the tracks, as pictured at right, above.
• Obtain track time, to ensure trains will not run on the track during specified hours; unfortunately, this is rarely possible because of train schedules.
• Project-specific safety training before drilling begins.
• Periodic site visits by our full-time safety director.
• All of our normal safety precautions to keep people safe while working around heavy equipment.

At Holt Services, Inc., no matter where are crews are drilling, the safety of each and every crew member is priority one. We want to make certain every employee goes home to their family the same way they came to work in the morning (maybe a little more tired).

Whether your drill site is at or near railroad property or not, your drilling project will benefit from the specialized training and added safety awareness that our crews receive for drilling at railroad sites.

Contact us today to talk with a drilling professional about your drilling project.