In recent years, the use of wood for transporting and storing drill cores has come under increasing scrutiny, mainly due to increasingly stringent environmental and occupational safety laws and after QA/QC -related good practices became more widely known and were required in audits in the mining industry.
As we have covered in our blog, drilling is drilling holes in soil or rock and provides valuable information about a mineral deposit.
Any undertaking, be it in the mining, geotechnical, or hydrogeological sector, has a duty to ensure the quality and reliability of these materials. It is from them that various geological characteristics are evaluated with respect to a project.
The correct storage of these materials is required according to the mineral legislation, and is a fundamental requirement for a company to remain competitive in the market.
Having said this, let’s list some points that can make you evaluate the use of boxes made of wood for the storage of core samples. Check it out
Origin of the raw material
Assessing the origin of the material/product used in your company is very important, and with wood it can be no different.
Native wood of legal origin comes from a cut authorized by the competent environmental agency and has a transport and storage license document.
Have you already certified that the wood used in the core sample boxes you use in your project is in fact legalized?
Durability
A very important topic to be considered when purchasing a product is the material’s useful life.
And here we highlight this topic not only because of the financial costs, but also because of the excessive disposal of materials that we cannot reuse, which directly harms the environment.
Wooden boxes are not very efficient in contact with insects and when they are subjected to sun and weather, which can lead to high product turnover, improper disposal and high costs with the storage of core samples.
Ergonomics and work safety
Boxes made of wood are usually very heavy. To its original weight we must add the weight of the core samples that will be stored inside, which can jeopardize the health and safety of the employees that handle these materials.
The norms related to ergonomics were created so that the collaborators are subjected to fewer risks in the work environment and are comfortable to perform their activities.
In addition, we should point out that some dangerous animals such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions can “hide” in wood, posing great risk to the staff.
In the content “Drilling Record: Wooden boxes versus plastic boxes” you can consult some more information on this topic.
Paying attention to the health and safety of employees, cost reduction, and legality of your enterprise can be the key to develop a serious and consolidated company in the market.
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