ABSTRACT
Drilling contractors usually focus their injury prevention efforts on preventing major accidents and instantaneous events such as slips, trips, and falls. However, injury statistics and loss data indicate that work-related musculoskeletal disorders have been and continue to be a major source of loss for drilling contractors, adversely affecting productivity, work quality, and operating expenses. This entry describes and discusses what a workplace ergonomic program for oil and gas drilling rigs should contain, using the proposed 29 CFR 1910.900 Ergonomics Program Standard (now recalled) as a template, referencing the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health ergonomics program guidelines and providing examples of the technology available to reduce the extent of manual lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing, and pulling activities.
