Technology Helps Combat Driver Fatigue: Case Study From the Middle East

Abstract

This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 203350, “How Technology Can Support Tackling Drivers’ Fatigue: Case From Petroleum Development Oman,” by Demir Hadzic and Hamed Al Esry, Petroleum Development Oman, and David Marsh, Sheida International, prepared for the 2020 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Abu Dhabi, held virtually 9–12 November. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Petroleum Development Oman operates in harsh environments over which their drivers cover more than 320 million km annually. Driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle incidents (MVIs) associated with operations. The objective of the complete paper is to understand further how technology can support the prevention of driver fatigue and to explore driver beliefs related to fatigue and the technology designed to assist in fatigue avoidance. This study helped the operator’s safety specialists understand driver fatigue and develop mechanisms to prevent it. Introduction Previous research has found that motor vehicle crash fatalities in the oil and gas industry are up to 8.5 times more com-mon than in other occupations. A qualitative study by the operator indicated that participants commonly perceived fatigue as a main factor in MVIs. However, understanding of the nature and role of fatigue in MVIs was revealed to be relatively limited. Among the driver group interviewed, a common view existed that the responsibility for managing driver fatigue lay with the employer and not with drivers. In addition, among the driver group, there appeared to be little understanding of the effects that lifestyle outside of work has on driver fatigue. The pilot study showed that driver fatigue occurred once every three journeys on average, whereas driver distractions could occur more than four times in a single journey. Equipment and Processes Technology used in the study consists of in-cabin hardware units, analytical software integration with in-vehicle monitoring systems (IVMS), and participation of a monitoring team. In addition, event verification is performed by human monitors and feedback. Driver fatigue is part of a comprehensive integrated journey-management system developed by the operator, including standard operating procedures with regard to monitoring and event classification, verification, and response.