Interview with Carlos Vega, Head of Health & Safety, Environment & Quality, on safety and occupational risk prevention in drilling and underground works projects.
“No deadline or project objective can be placed above people’s safety”
In the drilling and underground construction sector, safety is not only a legal obligation, but also an essential value that ensures project continuity, protects people, and guarantees the quality of results.
In a context defined by technical complexity, the presence of multiple risks, and the need to meet demanding deadlines, integrating prevention in a cross-cutting manner becomes essential.
This month, we speak with Carlos Vega, Head of Health & Safety, Environment & Quality, to understand how safety is approached in drilling within technically demanding environments and what the key factors are to effectively integrate it into the day-to-day management of projects.
¿Por qué la seguridad y la PRL son tan importantes en proyectos de perforación?
Drilling takes place in environments where multiple critical factors converge: heavy machinery, load handling, interference with existing services, and changing conditions. In this context, safety is not a complement, but the foundation that enables work to be carried out with control, rigor, and reliability.
At Catalana de Perforacions, we integrate prevention from the very beginning of each project. This allows us to protect the team, reduce incidents, avoid downtime, and contribute to more efficient and higher-quality execution.
Ultimately, working safely means working professionally.
How is risk identification and assessment approached?
Risk identification begins long before drilling work starts: we analyze the environment, study the subsurface using ground-penetrating radar and drones, design access routes, assess interference with existing services, and evaluate geological conditions. At the same time, we establish clear and fluid communication channels with all teams involved.
This preliminary phase is essential to anticipate issues and make the right decisions. However, in drilling, risk assessment is a dynamic process: it evolves with the project and requires continuous review and adaptation.
Effective prevention is about being able to identify in advance what may happen.
What role do people play in safety?
People are at the core of any safety system. We may have the best technology and procedures, but without awareness, training, and a strong safety culture, all of this loses effectiveness.
Safety is built day by day: in task preparation, in reporting incidents, in correcting deviations, and in the ability to stop an operation if a risk is detected. This is where a true safety culture emerges, based on shared responsibility.
How do machinery and technology contribute?
Their contribution is key, provided they are properly selected, maintained, and operated by qualified professionals. Having the right equipment reduces risks, improves operational control, and increases the precision of the work.
Technology also makes it possible to monitor parameters, detect deviations, and support decision-making. Even so, it does not replace technical judgment or experience: it is a support tool that must be accompanied by knowledge and good practices.
What is the importance of procedures and work protocols?
They are essential because they turn prevention into an organized and consistent way of working. In a sector with as much variability as ours, they allow key processes to be standardized without losing the ability to adapt.
Protocols define how to act at each stage, establish clear controls and criteria, and help manage incidents. This reduces errors, improves coordination, and reinforces a culture based on rigor and continuous improvement.
How are safety, quality, and the environment interconnected?
They cannot be understood separately. They are part of the same working model based on planning, control, and responsibility.
When working with preventive criteria, people are protected, errors are reduced, and improvisation is avoided, thereby improving the quality of the final result. At the same time, well-planned execution optimizes resources, improves waste management, and reduces environmental impact.
Therefore, integrating safety, quality, and sustainability from the outset is essential to ensure robust, safe projects aligned with the current demands of the sector.
To conclude, what message would you send to all those working in the drilling and underground construction sector to promote greater awareness of safety on site?
The message is clear: no deadline or objective can be placed above people’s safety.
Safety is demonstrated in every decision, in every operation, and in every daily action. It is not an external obligation, but a conviction. It is the way to care for the people who make projects possible.
Safety and occupational risk prevention in drilling are much more than a requirement: they are a structural element for the success of projects. Rigorous planning, people’s involvement, the proper use of technology, and the implementation of robust procedures make it possible to tackle complex environments with confidence.
In such a demanding sector as drilling and underground construction, working safely is synonymous with professionalism, quality, and responsibility. A comprehensive approach that places people at the center and makes it possible to deliver efficient, sustainable projects prepared for current and future challenges.