Closed-circuit-television (CCTV) cameras are becoming more and more common on both land-based and offshore drilling rigs. Video footage from these cameras can often be found on online video-hosting sites such as YouTube. Also, Internet Protocol (IP)-based digital cameras have become more popular than the older analog-type CCTVs because digital surveillance data can be easily encrypted and then securely sent over a wider communications network in real time or stored locally on various recordable media (such as hard drives, DVD or Blue-ray discs, and solid-state flash drives) for future reference. For many remote locations, satellite-based Internet access services are available. Some areas that are not too remote may still be within the coverage of cellular-network-based Internet access services. For extremely remote areas that have neither cellular- nor satellite-based Internet access, surveillance data can be routed through a (wired or wireless) private LAN system and then stored locally. Note that with IP-based cameras, private LANs (centralized surveillance systems) can exist side by side with Internet-based (distributed) systems.

The benefits of surveillance cameras as part of safety/security systems are quite obvious. Incidences of negligence, workplace harassment, criminal activities, and so on can be mitigated simply by the presence of surveillance cameras. And if such types of events do occur and are recorded, surveillance data can facilitate prompt and fair disciplinary and/or legal measures. Surveillance cameras can also record mishaps and errors that lead to minor or serious consequences. Recorded footage of accidents can have valuable instructional/educational utility for workers, managers, and planners. Therefore, surveillance cameras can improve the health and safety conditions on drilling rigs.

Since safety/surveillance cameras have become commonplace in public places (and not just on drilling rigs), most people have grown accustomed to them, but some consider their presence as an invasion of privacy. But a balance between privacy and safety can be negotiated and in many jurisdictions, specific laws are in place that safeguard privacy while allowing the presence of camera-based surveillance systems. At any rate, most drill rigs are outdoor work areas that are easily observable by the public, therefore reasonable expectations of privacy are applicable only for sleeping areas, living quarters, common and private restrooms, and other similar locations on a drill site.

The trend on the use of safety/surveillance cameras seems to be moving towards increasing the number of vantage points or increasing coverage areas, increasing the use of wireless camera equipment with advanced features, and combining camera-based surveillance with other recently developed technologies such as radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices.

The acronym RFID may sound ominously Orwellian, but these devices are often deployed merely as location-information verification devices (whether something is within or beyond a certain boundary/territory). Department stores and supermarkets, for example, often utilize RFID tags to minimize incidents of theft. On drill rigs, RFID tags can be used to locate or track the movement of equipment. People can also be tracked using RFID tags for every individual and RFID sensors placed in multiple locations on the drill rig. An RFID tag can be affixed or attached onto a piece of clothing or equipment (such as a safety helmet or an ID card).

Interoperability standards for these devices have already been introduced by industry-initiated standards specification organizations. Generally, system implementation expenses are lower and installation time frames are shorter for products that utilize open-source control, recording, and display software compared with systems that use proprietary, closed-source-code software.

1. http://www.epmag.com/Production-Drilling/Operators-a-rig-a-view_55044
2. https://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=113906
3. http://www.onvif.org/ConformantProducts/ProductList.aspx
4. http://www.atexshop.com/atex-cctv-c-5.html?zenid=5595fbd1871ffd866087d622717f3e08                                                                             5. http://www.security-technologynews.com/article/drilling-rig-video-surveillance.html