PISTA BLOG#13 (Aug 2022) : FATIGUE IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

FATIGUE IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY

The Offshore oil & gas industry workers often face dangers every single day, and when extreme fatigue is bought into this mix, the results can be quite serious and sometimes even catastrophic!!!. 

The meaning of fatigue can vary between industries, regions, and also according to professional perspectives. It may be identified as reduced mental and physical functioning. This could be a direct result of Sleep deprivation and/or being awake during normal sleep hours. Fatigue may be hard to avoid on an offshore oil & gas platform. Many reports suggest that in our industry employees often work 8 or 12-hour shifts, for 14-28 days in a row. A shortage of trained workers also leads to employees working continuously and rigorously, sometimes without a day off. 

WHAT IS FATIGUE?

Fatigue is generally defined as a physiological state of reduced mental or physical performance capability resulting from:

SLEEP LOSS (Insufficient opportunities for sleep, failure to use available sleep opportunities)

CIRCADIAN PHASE (Sleep disorders, medical conditions, or pharmaceuticals)

EXTENDED WORK HOURS (Long shifts and working hours, coupled with the intense physical and mental workload, are particularly problematic for workers in the offshore oil and gas industries (esp. in drilling, construction, and production related).

Indeed, fatigue has been associated with a majority of incidents and accidents related to worker safety.

FATIGUE LEADS TO:…… 

Many general regular monotonous tasks in the Offshore O&G Industry can lead to things like:

• LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL
• IMPAIRED ALERTNESS
• MEMORY PROBLEMS
• SLOWED REFLEXES

THE CONSEQUENCES OF FATIGUE:

ACCIDENTS:

It is globally accepted that the fatigue associated with shift work and overtime is one of the 'TOP 10' human factors facing the Offshore O&G industry. This is based on research, consultation with industry and intermediaries, and inspection experience. Managing human fatigue has gained primary importance in recent decades. Furthermore, awareness of the safety risk posed by human fatigue has been elevated by some earlier industrial disasters such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 ,where 40,000 tons of Crude Oil was spilled out in the Alaskan Southern Shore Region.. Research has also identified and proved links between fatigue and accidents across various other related industries.

PERFORMANCE DECREMENTS:

Fatigue can contribute to the risk of accidents by impairing performance in many different ways:

·         DIMINISHED ABILITY TO PERFORM CERTAIN TASKS (e.g. slowed reaction times; periods of delayed response or no response (lapses) during vigilance-based tasks; 

·         INCREASED ERRORS OF OMISSION (forgetting to do something);

·         IMPAIRED SELECTIVE ATTENTION

·         REDUCED ACCURACY OF SHORT-TERM MEMORY 

·         CHANGES IN EMOTIONAL STATE & REDUCTION IN WILLINGNESS TO APPLY EFFORT (e.g. being quieter or withdrawn than usual, lacking in energy, lacking in motivation, and being irritable and grumpy). 

·         CHANGES IN THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE (e.g. diminished ability to communicate effectively).

THE OBSERVABLE SIGNS OF FATIGUE MAY INCLUDE:

The most common signs usually include but are not limited to:

 • FIDGETING,

• RUBBING EYES,

• YAWNING, 

• FREQUENT BLINKING, 

• STARING BLANKLY,

• LONG BLINKS, 

• DIFFICULTY KEEPING EYES OPEN & HEAD NODDING.  

When the brain ceases to process visual information and sounds, we slip uncontrollably into a light sleep for a short time. These instances are called 'micro-sleeps': short periods (seconds) when the brain disengages from the environment and we experience fatigue. Micro-sleeps are characterized by head nodding, which occurs when the muscles in the neck relax. 

HEALTH ISSUES LEADING TO FATIGUE:

There is a complex relationship between fatigue and health. Whilst the causal mechanisms are not clear and evidence for causal associations is limited, recent systematic reviews suggest that shift work (and specifically, working at night over a long period) may increase the risk of diseases.

MANAGING FATIGUE IN THE O&G OPERATIONS

Effective mitigation methods and techniques are often very unique and originate from both the organization and the contributions of the offshore workers. Some of these practices and recommendations include:

1. Improving sleep quality through effective sleep-cabin arrangements, 
2. Reducing physical and cognitive workload through improved work/tool/environment designs, and
3. Facilitating periodic fatigue monitoring.

 

THE WAY FORWARD:

To gain insight into the day-to-day experience and mitigation of fatigue among workers in our industry many interviews have been conducted with offshore personnel working on rigs, platforms, and other O&G Installations. Qualitative data analyses have revealed some themes that-

• Highlight the dimensions of fatigue, such as physical and cognitive aspects, 
• Highlight the commonly recognized source of fatigue, namely shift work.

 Such reports and analyses provide companies and industry workers with a better understanding of worker perceptions of fatigue sources, reporting challenges, and the adoption of personal mitigation strategies. This has helped many employers to better facilitate the oil and gas workers offshore to overcome the accidents caused by fatigue.

Both the employers and the employees in Offshore O& G Industry are responsible to identify and mitigate the problems arising due to Fatigue. This is vital as we strive to manage the safety of the Personnel, the Environment, the Assets, and the Reputation of the one of the most demanding and challenging industries in the world.

PISTA is actively participating and contribution towards the qualitative basic 'safety training' for all  personnel entering afresh or returning to the Offshore O& G Industry since 2018.This BLOG reflect PISTA's COMMITMET towards a developing  safer workforce Offshore.