Fatigue Risk Management: Effective Solution to Workplace Stress in the Petroleum Industry

Abstract

The nature of operations in the petroleum industry involves a significant amount of process and personal safety risks. Industry operators and service providers desire to achieve the safety goal of no fatalities or harm to personnel, and no damage to assets and environment. Most operating companies and service providers have over time developed well-structured frameworks for Process Safety Risk Management. Aspects of personal safety especially operations-related are also well managed. A significant number of incidents have resulted from human factors related to stress and fatigue. Fatigue is a state of sleepiness with the associated lack of mental alertness caused by sleep deprivation. It is imperative that the industry recognizes the threat posed by fatigue and put the right measures in place to minimize the associated risks. This paper intends to raise awareness on the impact of fatigue in the petroleum industry and recommend a framework for Fatigue Risk Management (FRM). A structured framework entails embedding of FRM Systems, which include studies, gap analysis, closure plans, and development of FRM plans, implementation, audits, and reviews. The FRM system will ensure a safe working environment using a risk model to review outcomes and recommend actions. The embedment of this system which is based on Safety Management System (SMS) in the workplace ensures appropriate mitigations, effective controls, timely implementation, periodic audits and reviews. This system may be deployed in all areas of petroleum industry operations spanning Exploration and Production to the downstream sector. Similar models have been deployed in other industries with success.

US research needs related to fatigue, sleep, and working hours among oil and gas extraction workers

“…Workers reported taking numerous risks to get home after working 12‐hour shifts for 14 consecutive days with frequent overtime; nearly all workers reported driving fatigued after completing the most recent 2‐week work block 103 After implementation of one company's FRMS, percentage of offshore workers reporting a fatigue‐related incident or near miss in the past 6 months decreased from 92% to 6% 104 Offshore oil workers who reported usually getting <5 h sleep had significantly higher incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in six of nine body regions 105 …”

“…After implementation of one company's FRMS, percentage of offshore workers reporting a fatigue‐related incident or near miss in the past 6 months decreased from 92% to 6% 104 …”

“…8 Two non-US intervention evaluations reported that FRMS was effective in reducing crashes, but neither was peer-reviewed and both lacked detail about methodology or analysis. 102,104 The long driving and air commutes typical of OGE work are also largely unexamined in the scientific literature as a risk factor for fatigue-related crashes. The US definition of a work-related crash excludes those that occur while commuting, 106 so no national data on commuting-related crashes exist.…”

“…In addition, few studies focused on the relationships of shiftwork and fatigue with motor vehicle crashes, which in the US are the leading cause of work‐related fatalities for OGE workers 8 . Two non‐US intervention evaluations reported that FRMS was effective in reducing crashes, but neither was peer‐reviewed and both lacked detail about methodology or analysis 102,104 . The long driving and air commutes typical of OGE work are also largely unexamined in the scientific literature as a risk factor for fatigue‐related crashes.…”

“…103 • After implementation of one company's FRMS, percentage of offshore workers reporting a fatigue-related incident or near miss in the past 6 months decreased from 92% to 6%. 104 • Offshore oil workers who reported usually getting <5 h sleep had significantly higher incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in six of nine body regions. 105 • Emotional exhaustion, conceptualized as a component of fatigue, was significantly associated with higher levels of self-reported action errors and safety rule violations by offshore oil workers.…”