Putting Safety First – New BDA Audit Focus on Pre-Operational Inspections

June 19, 2025

As part of its commitment to continually raise safety standards across the drilling industry, the British Drilling Association (BDA) has announced important updates to its audit process, placing increased emphasis on pre-operational inspections of machinery and equipment.

These inspections, also known as pre-use checks, will play a critical role in demonstrating the Lead Driller’s competence and compliance with safety standards. These checks must be carried out in accordance with PUWER regulations, and clearly documented.

Going forward, auditors will perform spot-checks on up to three pieces of equipment during audits, requiring the Lead Driller to explain how they verified safety. Failure to identify safety-critical defects during pre-use checks may result in audit failure, which is a significant shift designed to embed a stronger culture of safety awareness and accountability at ground level.

This change is part of the BDA’s broader strategy to reinforce the role of plant operators in proactively maintaining safe working conditions and reporting issues as they arise.

All details can be found here: https://www.britishdrillingassociation.co.uk/4837-2/