Parker Drilling takes safety into its own hands. The Houston-based drilling contractor has developed a number of programs in-house to further its safety efforts.
One such program is the company's copyrighted behavior-based safety program, which is called COACH – conscious observation and action to control hazards. Employees use COACH cards to identify safe and unsafe conditions. The cards are then used as talking points during toolbox discussions.
"We take a proactive approach to safety to ensure employees are able to work in a safe workplace, identify and mitigate hazards and become intolerable of unsafe work conditions," says Christine Lederer, the former HSE Specialist at Parker.
With its hazard communication program, Parker goes beyond the OSHA hazcom standard. The company labels all chemicals – hazardous or not – and makes sure there are safety data sheets for every chemical on site.
Parker also has a new competency program in which the company can track employee competencies. Through the program, the company can keep track of employees' training needs, hiring managers can search for eligible employees based on specified criteria and employees can track their progress in the company and determine what steps they need to move on to the next level or to a new position.
"Because the crux of our operations depends on the competencies of our employees, it is imperative that our employees are properly trained and there is a program in place to measure demonstrated competencies," Lederer says.
To ensure employees develop the necessary competencies, Parker has a short-service employee mentoring program. The program is designed to help people employed for at least six months who haven't demonstrated basic competencies.
Parker Drilling
Houston, Texas
3,000 employees/
90 EHS professionals
Drilling contractor services
and drilling rental tools and equipment