BDA Highlights Key Advice in “Working in the Wind” Guide

November 17, 2025

The British Drilling Association (BDA) is encouraging all drilling crews, supervisors and site managers to make themselves familiar with its “Working in the Wind” guide, a practical resource designed to help teams recognise when windy conditions become unsafe.

With gusty, changeable weather increasingly common across the UK, wind is now one of the most overlooked hazards on ground investigation sites. Even moderate increases can affect balance, destabilise rigs, lift debris, and make outdoor work unpredictable, particularly when working at height or handling materials.

The guide offers clear, force-by-force indicators of what to look for on site, from early signs such as rustling leaves or dust lift, through to conditions where tasks must pause entirely. It also sets out:

• When different rig types should cease operations
• Practical housekeeping and PPE measures
• The visual cues every site worker should recognise
• Unambiguous stop-work thresholds for outdoor tasks and work at height

Designed as both a quick-reference tool and a training aid, the guide helps teams make confident decisions and reinforces a strong, safety-first culture across the ground engineering sector.

BDA members can access the to guide here: https://www.britishdrillingassociation.co.uk/health-and-safety/guidance/