Offshore industry: management of health hazards in the upstream petroleum industry

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 59; no. 5; pp. 304 - 309
• Main Authors: Niven, Karen, McLeod, Ron
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.08.2009; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biohazards; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Extraction and Processing Industry; Fuels; Health hazards; Health risks; human factors engineering; Humans; Occupational Health; Occupational Health Services; Offshore drilling and production; Offshore engineering; offshore industry; Oil and gas industry; Oil and gas operations; Oil and gas production; Petroleum; Petroleum industry; Prospecting and production of crude oil, natural gas, oil shales and tar sands; Risk; Risk Management; safety management; Upstream; offshore industry; safety management; human factors engineering; occupational health; Health hazards; Human; Gas industry; Review; Offshore drilling platform; Occupational exposure; Human factor; Oil industry; Offshore; Work safety; Danger; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 0962-7480; 1471-8405; 1471-8405
• DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqp076

Background Upstream oil and gas operations involve a range of activities, including exploration and drilling, conventional oil and gas production, extraction and processing of ‘tar sands’, heavy oil processing and pipeline operations. Aims Firstly, to outline the nature of health risks in the offshore oil and gas industry to date. Secondly, to outline the commercial, technical and social challenges that could influence the future context of health management in the industry. Thirdly, to speculate how the health function within the industry needs to respond to these challenges. Methods A review of the published literature was supplemented with industry subject matter and expert opinion. Results There was a relatively light peer-reviewed published literature base in an industry which is perceived as having changed little over three decades, so far as offshore health hazards for physical, chemical, biological hazards are concerned. Recent focus has been on musculoskeletal disorders and stress. Conclusions The relative stability of the knowledge base regarding health hazards offshore may change as more innovative methods are employed to develop hydrocarbon resources in more ‘difficult’ environments. Society's willingness to accept risk is changing. Addressing potential health risks should be done much earlier in the planning process of major projects. This may reveal a skills gap in health professionals as a consequence of needing to employ more anticipatory tools, such as modelling exposure estimations and the skills and willingness to engage effectively with engineers and other HSSE professionals.