Is everyone on your crew outfitted with the appropriate personal protective equipment for the job site? As important, are they actually wearing it?

On horizontal directional drilling job sites, OSHA and Vermeer guidelines dictate that every crew member must wear the following PPE:

• Eye protection
• Hard hats
• Hearing protection
• Safety shoes (steel-toe or composite-toe boots)
• Safety vests when working around roadways
• Leather gloves when changing out tooling or handling heavy materials

For crew members working near the bore path, electrically insulated boots need to be worn since the ground may become electrically charged if a strike occurs. Also, electrically insulated boots and electrically insulated gloves should be worn by anyone placing the voltage sensor in the ground, or standing on the ground while touching the directional drill. This includes any crew members manually loading rods into the rod box.                                                                                                   

Crew members should not wear the following items because they can catch on rotating equipment and cause an injury.

• Loose clothing
• Rings
• Wristwatches
• Necklaces
• Bracelets
• Long hair (should be tied back) 

Keep in mind, the only way PPE can protect you is if you’re wearing it. It’s not enough to simply have it sitting in the truck. Every member of your crew must wear it every day, because you never know when an accident could occur.

It is important to remember that PPE will eventually wear out. Make sure everyone’s PPE is in good shape and replace items when needed.

And finally, always consult your HDD operator’s manual for PPE guidelines pertaining to that specific machine.