Oil Workers Research Articles

DEFORMATİON DURABİLİTY - ADJUSTABLE BUFFERİNG BARRİER OF THE BOTTOM HOLE AREA

DEFORMATİON DURABİLİTY - ADJUSTABLE BUFFERİNG BARRİER OF THE BOTTOM HOLE AREA

Prevalence, pattern and predictors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among oil workers in Nigeria.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) account for a loss of GDP in most countries. The oil sector is the largest and most economically relevant industry in Nigeria, yet the impact of WMSD on workers in this industry is unknown. To assess the prevalence, pattern and predictors of WMSD among oil workers in Nigeria. This exploratory study was conducted in oil producing companies in Nigeria. Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to assess WMSD, while risk factors and demographic variables were obtained through an interview. Obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and logistic regression at α=0.05RESULTS:A total of 198 (138 male, 60 female) oil workers aged 40.3±10.1 years participated in this study. The prevalence of WMSD was 88.8%, and was most common around the low-back (51.5%), and neck (44.4%) regions. There was a significant association between WMSD and each of duration of service (X2 = 45.44, p = 0.020), awkward neck postures at work (X2 = 12.46, p = 0.006), inadequate training on injury prevention (X2 = 11.98, p = 0.007), and continuing to work while feeling discomfort (X2 = 10.83, p = 0.013). Post-hoc analysis revealed that being a male oil worker (OR = 1.17, p = 0.037) and continuing to work while feeling discomfort or pain (OR = 2.23, p = 0.048) were the significant predictors of WMSD. Approximately nine in every ten oil workers in Nigeria have a WMSD. Male gender and work persistence amidst discomfort or pain are the predictors of WMSD among oil workers in Nigeria. Ergonomics training and evaluation programme is recommended for workers in this industry.

Anxiety & Depressive Symptoms among Oil & Gas Field Workers Amid COVID-19 Outbreak in Indonesia

Anxiety & Depressive Symptoms among Oil & Gas Field Workers Amid COVID-19 Outbreak in Indonesia

Projects of Mobilization of Oil Resources for the Needs of Forced Industrialization

Using on published and unpublished documents, the problem of “searches” at the turn of the 1920s and 1930s is investigated. Mechanisms to achieve growth of oil production and oil exports to meet the needs of forced industrialization in the USSR are a central theme. The documents studied suggest that there were projects in this period that provided various options for the reorganization of the management of the oil industry and the use of mechanisms to ensure the implementation of five-year plans. While the management of Grozneft proposed strengthening cost accounting, expanding independence, and expanding the rights of each business unit and to increase the pace of technical reconstruction, representatives of the most important Azerbaijani oil region at that time insisted on the need to send significant financial resources to the government, complained about staff shortages and equipment. However, for central authorities, deficiencies in trust management seemed to be a preferable explanation for the failure to fulfill plans. The documents also indicate a very difficult situation for the Soviet oil trusts that developed on the world energy market during this period. The study concludes that projects that assumed greater independence of oil regions and an increase in government funding could not be arranged by the central government. The stake was placed on an ever-increasing centralization of management, strict submission to dictated from above plans. Their failure was accompanied by the arrests of a cohort of brilliant oil workers. Despite the repressions, a very difficult geopolitical situation, thanks to experienced specialists and previously gained positions in the world energy market, it was possible to force production and oil export of Soviet oil products. Moreover, the share of crude oil export in the late 1930s was very minor.

SECURITY WITHOUT JUSTICE: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF DISARMAMENT, DEMOBILISATION AND REINTEGRATION PROCESSES IN THE NIGER DELTA, NIGERIA

The Niger Delta inhabitants became radicalised after Kaima Declaration under the auspices of Ijaw Youth Movement. The conference extensively considered the activities of the multinational oil companies as related to oil exploration and exploitation, and underdevelopment of the Niger Delta region. The decisions reached at the conference included positive and negative consequences towards peace and security in the region. Following this conference, militant groups were formed by various communities that represented at the conference. The militant groups involved in nefarious activities such as kidnapping and killing of oil workers, government officials and foreigners; they also involved in destruction of oil installations. Nigerian Government deployed military to enforce law and order in the region. The presence of military in the region led to confrontation with the militant groups. To resolve the conflict, government began de-radicalisation processes. Amnesty was given to the militant groups, Ministry of Niger Delta was created; this was followed by disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) process. It was discovered in this study that radicalisation was a result of neglect, divide and rule, inequality, lack of development. The paper therefore suggested a long process of de-radicalisation programme to sustain fragile peace in the region; this is expected to be combined with transitional justice processes in order to serve the interest of victims of the conflict.

Assessment of occupational intoxication with aromatic hydrocarbons of the blood of oil and gas industry workers in modern conditions

The oil and gas sector is an essential part of the technical and economic complex of the Russian Federation. The most significant hygienic significance in the oil and gas processing industry is the chemical factor, represented by a complicated complex of harmful substances of hazard class 1-4 with different effects on the body. The study aims to assess the content of benzene and its homologs in the blood of workers of the oil and gas processing industry due to the industrial exposure of chemical factors for five and more than 20 years. Materials and methods. Researchers carried out whole blood samples of 380 oil and gas processing industry workers. They selected two groups for comparison: the main groups of professions (observation group, n=290) and workers not employed in the technological process (comparison group, n=90). During the survey, the scientists have found that with an increase in work experience in the industry up to 10 years, the average group content of toluene, o-xylene, and p,-m-xylene in the blood of workers of the main groups of professions increased from 0.00075 mcg/cm3, 0.00028 mcg/cm3, and 0.00006 mcg/cm3, respectively, to 0.00083 mcg/cm3, 0.00039 mcg/cm3 and 0.00013 mcg/cm3 with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. Those working in the industry in contact with arenas for five and more than 20 years have an increase in the content of cyclic organic compounds in the blood up to 2 times, with an increase in the percentage of blood samples from workers of the primary professions with the content of toluene, o-xylene, and p,-m-xylene up to 83%, 26%, and 13%, respectively. This position confirms the established linear relationships and indicators of the correlation between the content of benzene and o-xylene in the blood of workers of the leading professions and work experience. Workers interacting with risk factors for more than 20 years may get occupational diseases (R2=0.82). With a work experience of more than 20 years, the concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons in workers' blood is 1.5-2 times higher relative to the group of workers not engaged in the technological process. Under experimental studies, we established a correlation between the level of aromatic hydrocarbons (hazard class 1-3 with unidirectional effects on the body) in the blood and work experience in the industry. It is pretty apparent the need to introduce biomonitoring in production to assess the complex intake of substances into the body of workers.

Does fatigue mediate the relation between physical isolation and safety behaviour among isolated oil and gas workers?

Fatigue is lethargy and seen as unpleasant experience that occurs from physical labour or mental exertion. Fatigue can be either physical or mental. This paper examines the role of physical fatigue and mental fatigue in the relationship between physical isolation variables (social isolation and loneliness) and safety behaviour (safety compliance and safety participation). A cross-sectional study with data were collected by means of a questionnaire among oil and gas workers (foreign employees working at a remote oil and gas field site located in Kuwait), during a 3-month period (from October 2018 to December 2018). Regression analyses (bivariate and hierarchical), carried out on 387 responses, were employed to test the hypothesized model relating physical isolation variables, fatigue levels, and safety behaviour. The results provide support for the role of mental fatigue in mediating the relationship between loneliness and both types of safety behaviour (compliance and participation). Results indicate that mental fatigue is associated with feeling lonely and has negative effect on safety behaviour, which indicated a greater risk of injury incident rates. The study findings should facilitate the improvement of employee safe behaviour through monitoring workers’ fatigue levels. Moreover, they may enable prompt intervention and help to contribute to the development of recommendations that broaden our understanding of the effects of isolation and remote work in the context of workplace safety. The implications of these results for physical isolation, fatigue and/or safety behaviour interventions in the industry are discussed.

Management and Development of an Assessment Tool in Predicting Competencies of Oil and Gas On-Shore Contractor Workers in Sarawak

Management and Development of an Assessment Tool in Predicting Competencies of Oil and Gas On-Shore Contractor Workers in Sarawak

Assessment of Some Haematological, Coagulation and Immune Parameters among Male Oil Refinery Workers in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the levels of some hematological, coagulation and immune parameters among male oil refinery workers in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
 Study Design: This study is a cross-sectional study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), Port Harcourt, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and Modular Oil Refinery, Rivers State, between January 2021 and September 2021.
 Methodology: A total of one hundred (100) subjects (50 oil and gas workers as test subjects and 50 non-oil and gas workers as control subjects), were enrolled in the study. The convenient sampling technique was employed in the study. Venous blood samples were collected from all subjects and tested for Prothrombin Time (PT), Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT), Fibrinogen concentration, Full Blood Count (FBC) (Haemoglobin (Hb), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Total White Blood Cell (WBC) count, Lymphocyte, Neutrophils, monocytes and Platelet Count), CD4 cell count, CD3 cell count and CD8 cell count. Data generated were analyzed statistically using Graph-Pad Prism, Version 8.0.2.
 Results: There was statistically significant decrease (P<.001) in Prothrombin time (PT) (11.55±0.73s), International Normalized Ratio (INR) (0.85±0.05), Fibrinogen (202.4±27.4mg/dl), Platelet count (185.6±37.1(103/μl)) and Neutrophils (46.6±6.4%) in oil refinery workers exposed to gas flare, while there was a statistical significant increase in APTT (31.8±4.15s), Hb (13.7±1.0g/dl), PCV (41.1±3.2%), Monocytes (8.4±3.0%) in subjects exposed to gas flare over control subjects with Prothrombin time(12.23±0.82s), INR(0.90±0.06), Fibrinogen(252.0±57.0mg/dl), platelet count(213.3±49.5(103/μl)) and Neutrophils(52.6±11.7%). Other parameters showed no statistical significant difference at P<.05 in both test and control subjects. Comparison of the mean ± standard deviation of the studied parameters in test subjects based on age using Analysis of Variance showed no statistically significant difference in all parameters at P<.05. Also, Comparison of the mean ± standard deviation of the studied parameters in test subjects based on duration of Exposure using Analysis of Variance showed a significant decrease in CD8 cells as the years of exposure increase (2-5years exposure = 865±319, 6-10years exposure = 579±288, 11-20 years exposure = 591± 286, F- Value = 3.869, P- Value = 0.0278).
 Conclusion: In conclusion, based on the findings, some haematogical, coagulation and immune parameters increased while others decreased in male oil refinery workers and duration of exposure can also be considered as a risk factor and age was considered not a risk factor as to cause any aberrations in the studied parameters.

Project Review: SwampScapes

Project Review: <i>SwampScapes</i>

Situation in Oil Industry on Eve of World War II: Achievements and Miscalculations

The question of the reasons for the failure to fulfill the oil production plans on the eve of the Great Patriotic War is considered. The relevance of study is determined by the topicality of discussions concerning various aspects of the country’s history in the pre-war years, the importance of learning lessons from historical experience in developing a further strategy for the country’s socioeconomic development. Particular attention is paid to identifying the factors that determined the slow development of the Ural-Volga oil region in the 1930s, and the circumstances that led to the change in the government course. It was concluded that the recommendations of I. M. Gubkin and his supporters were considered, but by the beginning of the war, the second oil base had not been created. It has been proven that invaluable experience in production and oil refining in the climatic conditions of the Volga region led to the discovery of new deposits during the war years, an increase in the importance of the region in providing fuel to the front. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that, on the basis of a significant array of previously unpublished archival documents, other reasons for the very difficult situation that developed in the oil industry in the pre-war years are more accurately identified. It has been proven that among them: insufficiently effective management of the industry, poorly organized geological exploration, weak material and technical base, shortage of personnel, repression of prominent oil workers.

Physical isolation and safety behaviour among oil and gas workers in Kuwait: The mediating role of mental health

PurposeThis paper examines direct and mediation relations among physical isolation variables (social isolation and loneliness), mental health (anxiety and depression), and safety behaviour (safety compliance and safety participation). MethodA cross-sectional study with data were collected by means of a questionnaire among oil and gas workers (foreign employees working at a remote oil and gas field site located in Kuwait), during a 3-month period (from October 2018 to December 2018). Regression analyses (bivariate and hierarchical), carried out on 387 responses, were employed to test the hypothesised model relating physical isolation variables, mental health, and safety behaviour. ResultsThe results provide support for the direct relations for the model, in that both social isolation and loneliness predicted both types of safety behaviour (compliance and participation). Further, the results provide partial support for the mediation relations for the model, as mental health was found to be a mediator of the relationship between loneliness and safety behaviour. DiscussionPhysical isolation variables have negative effect on safety behaviour, while mental health can operate as risk factors. The implications of these results for physical isolation, mental health issues and/or safety behaviour interventions in the industry are discussed.

Heroes of the Day After Tomorrow: “The Oil Worker” in Norwegian Climate Coverage 2017–2021

ABSTRACT In 2019, mentions of “oil worker” in Norwegian newspaper coverage of climate change more than quadrupled, mostly reflecting a rise in politicians vying for the support of this critical constituency. This article explores the rise of the oil worker in newspaper coverage in the period 2017–2021, identifying the main agents of change in the dominant narratives and demonstrating that agency tends to be ascribed to politicians rather than to the oil workers themselves, despite an outpouring of “thank-yous” to those workers for their contribution to society. We also distinguish between the various ways in which oil workers have been framed as heroes and find that newspapers in the Western part of the country portrayed oil workers as “national income heroes”, while left-wing papers attached a sense of pride to the social democratic history of the oil industry. Opinions were more polarized on the potential for oil workers to become climate heroes. While some suggested a conditional form of heroism, the “heroes of tomorrow”, based on the willingness of the workers to transition, others focused on the bravery of oil workers in seeking dialogue with their counterparts in the climate debate and thus becoming the “heroes of couples therapy”.

Finding a Balance between Mood and Energy Level in a Rotational Work System

The impact of rotational work system on the mood and energy level among Oil and Gas workers was evaluated. The design was set in Port Harcourt metropolis Nigeria and questionnaire, cohort session and interviews were the instruments deployed. Questionnaires were administered to randomly selected workers from international Oil and Gas Companies located in Port Harcourt, Questions that bothered on the effect of rotational work on the mood and energy level of Oil and Gas workers were posed. It was observed that 38.8% and 41.2% agree and strongly agree that their mood is affected on site while 13.8% remained neutral. Interestingly, over 80% of Oil and Gas workers agreed to feeling of anxiety from the interview and cohort sessions. 40% and 43.8% of workers agree and strongly agree respectively that rotational work does affect their energy on site. Obtained median of 4 means that over 50% of the response belongs to the category that agree strongly agree while a mode of 5 has more responses in the category of strongly agree which is in agreement with results from the percentage frequency. Rotational workers were affected by absence from family and loved ones, social isolation and constant reminder of hazard and working in hazardous environment with work pressures and unrealistic deadlines. These cause depression and general dissatisfaction with life. Results from interviews revealed neglect of mental wellness of workers. The Oil and Gas workers are willing to face these hazards because of the economic gains arising from their work, however provision of recreational amenities and making policies that bring the Oil and Gas workers back home every seven days forbidding the schedule of trainings and workshops during time off duty will make rotational work more bearable.

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

During 2003-2013, 1189 US oil and gas extraction (OGE) workers died while working, resulting in an average annual workplace fatality rate seven times that for all US workers. OGE work commonly involves long hours, shiftwork, irregular schedules, and long commutes, but effects of these factors on fatigue, occupational injury, and illness in OGE are largely unknown. A scoping review of relevant OGE research during 2000-2019 was completed and supplemented by input from a NIOSH-sponsored Forum. Seventy-eight papers were identified; 76% reported only offshore research. Five themes for research needs emerged: build knowledge about the impacts of fatigue; explore interactions between on- and off-the-job risk factors; identify and evaluate interventions; assess effectiveness of technology; and increase the diffusion of fatigue risk management information. Further collaboration between researchers and OGE operators and contractors can lead to action-oriented recommendations to mitigate the effects of fatigue, inadequate sleep, and shiftwork.

Occupational Stressors and Safety Behaviour among Oil and Gas Workers in Kuwait: The Mediating Role of Mental Health and Fatigue.

This paper provides an examination of direct and mediated relationships among occupational stressors (responsibilities towards family and living environment), mental health (anxiety and depression), fatigue (physical and mental fatigue), and safety behaviour (safety compliance and safety participation). In this cross-sectional study, data were collected by means of a questionnaire among oil and gas workers (foreign employees working at a remote oil and gas field site located in Kuwait), during a two-month period (November–December 2018). Regression analyses (bivariate and hierarchical), carried out on 387 responses, were employed to test the links between occupational stressors, mental health, fatigue, and safety behaviour in the hypothesised model. The results provide support for the direct relationship in the model, in that both responsibilities towards family and living environment predicted safety behaviour participation. Further, the results provide partial support for the mediated relationships in the model, as mental health and fatigue were found to mediate the relationship of responsibilities towards family and living environment with safety participation behaviour. It is concluded that occupational stressors have a negative effect on safety behaviour, while mental health and fatigue can operate as risk factors. Given this, it is recommended that organisations need to enhance remote oil and gas workers’ safety behaviour by encouraging them to effectively balance their stress, mental health, and level of fatigue. This can be achieved by actions such as promoting spirituality, boosting workers’ resilience, providing recreational facilities and encouraging communications.

On the prevention of the harmful effect of the noise of centrifugal pumps on the nervous system and hearing in oil workers

The level of noise intensity in the pumping rooms, where centrifugal pumps of the 8-ND, 10-MS, etc. types worked, ranges from 88 to PO dB.

Conceptualization of Workers’ Safe Behavioral Profile for the Management of Accident Risk at Local Oil and Gas Construction Sites

Workers’ behavior at sites and its associated accident risk are universally recognized as vital to the sustainability of oil and gas industry globally. Recent oil and gas related accidents occurred in Sarawak and various behavioral studies by academical, and industrial fraternities clearly manifested the urgency and necessity to address industry-wide unsafe behavior to protect safety, health, and environmental wellbeing of local communities. The purpose of this study is to conceptualize the research model for future study to address the seriousness of oil and gas related accidents particularly in Bintulu, Sarawak. To that end, the authors had identified personal attributes of oil and gas construction workers that presumably influence their perception of safety climate and safe behavioral potential while at work through literature review. Theory of planned behavior (TPB) was also adopted to provide initial theoretical explanations as to the possible psychological precursors to perform certain types of unsafe behavior while at work, that might well instigate the occurrence of occupational accidents. Combining the conceptualization of personal attributes, perception of safety climate and safe behavioral potentials; and TPB, a research model was therefore being proposed to provide the conceptual framework for future study, including the development of measure instruments and detailed statistical analysis, into the profile of workers’ safe behavioral potentials at oil and gas construction sites in Bintulu, Sarawak. To enhance the validity and reliability of research model in future study, it is necessary to explore the appropriateness to adopt the theoretical framework of integrative behavior model (IBM) for the prediction of a behavioral performance and change of behavior by taking into account of a person’s skills and abilities required to perform the behavior, environmental constraints stopping such behavioral performance, and the intention to perform such behavior.

Rotational Work and Negative Impact on Mental Wellness: A Study on Sleep and Endurance among Oil and Gas Workers

The impact of mental wellness on the work performance and wellbeing of workers has generated much academic and corporate debates. Most recently, due to some high-profile cases involving the performance and wellness of sports people, conversations around the impact of mental wellness on work performance have dominated public discourse, yet the nature and degree of this impact has not been sufficiently studied and analysed and many questions remain unanswered. Indeed, there has been a growing awareness of the centrality of the role of mental wellness in the productivity of workers, especially in the Oil and Gas industry. Thus, this research sought to investigate how rotational work, its impact on sleep and endurance, affect workers in the Oil and Gas industry, using as methodology a simple random sampling of workers from the Port Harcourt metropolis, in the oil-rich delta area of Nigeria. To obtain data, this research used questionnaires, telephone interviews and cohort discussion session. Questions posed during this research focused on sleep and its perceived effect on endurance. The questionnaires were administered to the workers from selected international Oil and Gas companies located in Port Harcourt. Findings revealed that both sleep and the circadian cycle were negatively affected and impacting the self-reported well-being and productivity of the workers. From the data collected, 27.5% and 66.2%, which represented a total of 93.7% of the respondents, agreed and strongly agreed that their sleep was affected. 100% of the participants in the cohort session agreed that their sleep was affected. Furthermore, the interview sessions revealed specific details as more than 50% of the interview respondents indicated that the sleep distortion affected them even up to the first week of their time off. 48.8% and 37.5% agreed and strongly agreed to the fact that rotational work had effect on their endurance on site. This represented a total of 86.2% of the participants whose endurance level was affected due to rotational work. Over 60% of the participants in the cohort session admitted to feeling of extreme tiredness towards the end of their rotation period and prior to departure from site. The participants unanimously submitted that shorter rotation would give room for adequate recuperation and make work more productive and enhance the sense of mental wellness for rotational Oil and Gas workers.

The impact of the boom and slump of oil prices on the housing market in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana's oil city

This paper investigates the impact of the boom and slump of oil prices on Sekondi-Takoradi's housing market. Interviews were carried out with key informants including estate agents, a major property developer, planning officials, officials of oil and gas and oil service companies, officials of recruitment agencies, and owners of eating establishments. Questionnaires and interviews were also used to collect data from oil workers. The findings show that discovery and production of oil during higher oil prices period led to refurbishment and construction of housing to suit the taste of oil workers with increases in rents. For the less well-paid, it caused evictions as property owners looked to upgrade their houses for a higher income group. Recent decline in oil prices and the redundancy of oil workers led to empty property, significant falls in rental values, decreasing estate agency business and profit, and it halted housing and hotel construction. Some eating establishments also experienced reduction in patronage after oil prices fell. This research adds to existing knowledge of effects of the oil industry during the boom in oil prices on Sekondi-Takoradi's housing market, and sheds new light on the impact of the slump in oil prices on housing in the city.