Measurement of Risk Perception in the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

Abstract

This study investigated the views of offshore personnel regarding the relative importance of safety culture when rated against quality of workplace supervision, time and financial pressure to complete a job and worker competency, in controlling accident risk. A discrete choice experiment was conducted in which 354 divers and other offshore workers were randomly allocated to one of four sets of eight pair-wise scenarios. The respondents were asked to indicate in which scenario they thought an accident was more likely to happen. An ordered logit model was used to analyse their responses. A particularly rich data set of respondent characteristics was available including education, accident history and personality comprising measures of dogmatism, deference, team orientation, organization, risk taking, and impulsivity. Thirty-three respondents violated the axiom of dominance. Of the remaining respondents 30% made choices consistent with them regarding a particular attribute as determining the riskiness of the scenario. The four characteristics were highly significant determinants of the perceived risk of an accident. The quality of workplace supervision was the most important single factor. Divers and other offshore workers shared similar views regarding the relative importance of the different factors. The personality of the respondent was a relatively minor determinant of their responses. The hypothesis that the determinants of risk perception had a linear impact was tested and could not be rejected.