By: Pete Sandel
Nov/Dec 2011

Pete Sandel, AESC Safety and Membership

Each up and down cycle of our industry brings with it the same problems regarding personnel in the workplace. We are either hiring new, inexperienced people or bringing back those who have been away from the patch for a while. In both situations, the problems and issues are constants — how best to indoctrinate, train, monitor and assimilate new personnel into a company workforce while maintaining productivity, safety and efficient service.

Fortunately, the process is simple regardless of company size. The indoctrination phase is simply walking an individual through the procedures that are unique to a company’s operation and specific to the area as well.

The training phase, while more complex, is key because this is where an individual gets the hands-on exposure to the different elements and tools of the trade. It is during this phase that, in my opinion, most potential problems occur. If a new hire is given “green hard hat” status and assigned as a fifth man filling a regular crew position, he is now performing on-the-job training by learning on the fly. He is immediately expected to perform all tasks assigned thereby putting himself and other crew members at risk for safety and operations errors. Instead, it is much safer and cost effective to assign him as a fifth man, identified as a trainee by the “green hard hat” and when the crew chief or safety person gives their approval, only then is he moved to a regular crew position. The week or two of extra crew labor cost is well worth the alterative of the costs associated with an accident or foul up on a customer’s well.

The monitoring phase is simple as this should be an “in place” company policy for all personnel. It consists of safety meetings, tailgate safety meetings and on site visits, etc., by the safety person or supervisor where the actual work activities are observed.

The assimilation phase, again while simple is key to having the new hire feel he is part of the company. The goal here is to have an individual who feels he is a productive and integral part of a team. He should feel that he is contributing and has the opportunity to advance, learn new skills and have a home so to speak.

While the above approach is proven to reduce accidents, operating costs and employee turnover, it is surprising the numbers of companies that still hire a person one day and put him out on a crew the next with the expectation that money is being saved by avoiding a one or two week training program. Too often that expectation is changed to a realization that accidents and operational errors are far more expensive than a few days of extra labor costs

Think safe, work safe, be safe!