“There has been significant damage
to equipment and people severely hurt
in our industry,” said Sharp. “I think
with proper education and guidance
we can get better operators.”
Two years ago, Sharp contacted
the Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology (NAIT), the largest apprenticeship
training education centre in
Canada. It wasn’t long before the ASDC
Western Canadian Chapter and NAIT
were signing a contract to create a
drill rig operator education program.
Ultimately, drill rig operators will
require training and certification in
order to use the machines. There will
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHARP’S CONSTRUCTION
INDUSTRY PROFILE
Some call it a safety blind spot in
the drilling industry. Others accept
the status quo.
Kevin Sharp is more blunt.
“To operate a fork lift, zoom boom
or skid steer, you need a safety ticket.
But when it comes to using a $2-million
drill rig, there’s no ticket required.
The fact that you don’t need a ticket
to run a 200-ton piece of equipment
doesn’t make sense,” he said.
The owner of Sharp’s Construction
and president of the Western Canadian
Chapter of the International Association
of Foundation Drilling (ADSC
– IAFD) is doing something about it.
be a process for grandfathering certification
for experienced operators.
The first step was inviting representatives
from the Alberta Apprenticeship
and Industry Training (AIT) board
and members of the Western Canada
Chapter of the ADSC.
“We had 30 members attend from
our chapter of the ADSC alone. All the
major drilling players were there, as
well as a lot of the drill rig manufacturers
and suppliers,” said Sharp.
If NAIT and AIT needed an indication
that the industry was ready, they had it.
“It showed support for the need for
formalized training,” said Sharp.
PILING CANADA 51