Safety and Situation Awareness: "Keeping the Bubble" in Offshore Drilling Crews

Abstract

Abstract Research into human factors causes of accidents in the oil and gas industry has indicated lack of care and attention as a main cause1. One particular factor that may contribute is reduced situation awareness (SA) of those concerned. Despite the importance of SA in accident prevention, little research has investigated the effects of work factors upon awareness levels. This paper examines how the quality of drilling crews' SA can be affected by several job characteristics inherent to the offshore oil and gas industry, and the relationship with accident and near-miss rates. A questionnaire developed to measure workload, stress and fatigue, and their impact upon SA, was distributed to offshore drilling crew personnel. Results indicated that those with increased stress and fatigue levels had poorer quality SA; however, SA was unaffected by workload. In addition, individuals who had experienced an accident during their offshore working history had significantly lower SA levels than those who had never experienced an accident. A second study examined in more detail fatigue and shift pattern issues and their impact on SA. Here, increased fatigue was associated with poorer SA. However, while individuals working on split-shift and rotating shift patterns experienced more fatigue than individuals working all day shift, they did not experience significantly poorer SA, nor were any differences found between SA levels of individuals working shifts compatible with their circadian rhythms and individuals working incompatible shift schedules. This paper clarifies with empirical evidence the theorised but previously untested impact of work factors such as fatigue and stress on SA. The SA questionnaire can also be used as a tool to highlight issues requiring organisational attention (e.g. sources of fatigue), and when deciding upon training programmes for individuals, targeting areas that may require additional focus (as highlighted by the scores).