British Drilling Association Audit Announcement

July 29, 2020

The British Drilling Association (BDA) is delighted to confirm the new procedure for the application and submission to its BDA Audit, as well as confirmation of the new BDA Audit Management structure.

Following a thorough consultation process involving the BDA Chair, BDA Committees, its currently approved Auditors and other involved parties, it was decided that administration and Quality Assurance of the BDA Audit needed urgently addressing. After an extensive selection process, the BDA can now confirm that these services will be provided by leading geotechnical training company, Equipe Group. Whilst Equipe’s Director and BDA stalwart Keith Spires will head up the administration process team and provide Quality Assurance for all Audits, the Audit content and development will be handled by the BDA Health & Safety Committee, along with the BDA’s currently approved Auditors, Lee Allardyce, Philip Dainton and Andrew Frogley. This will be a concerted, collaborative team effort to increase the quality, consistency, and robustness of the BDA Audit. It is also intended that the entire Audit become third-party externally verified and accredited by a prominent UK awarding body within the near future.

The BDA Audit itself will follow the existing procedure, with Pre-Audit, Audit and Post-Audit steps, and full details can be found in the BDA Audit Handbook which will be provided to all Auditees and employers and will soon be available for download from the BDA website.

The key difference is how a company will now apply for Audit; specifically, once a company decides that they would like their drilling crews to be Audited, they will simply fill out an online Audit application form, via the BDA website, ensuring that all the required documents and certificates are included. Upon receipt of the Audit application form, one of the BDA’s Auditors will contact the company directly to schedule the Audit.

The new online form will streamline the Audit application process, a development which will be welcomed by companies looking to undertake BDA Audits.

For more information about the BDA Audit and the changes to the process, please email – audit@britishdrillingassociation.co.uk – or phone the dedicated BDA Audit telephone number – 08000 385969.