HeliOffshore Outlines Early Results from Fatigue Management Surveys

At the Solakonferansen conference in Sola, Stavanger last month, we outlined some of the early results from our Fatigue Management Surveys. Over 29 operators and 152 engineers from around the globe were asked to share their perspectives on how fatigue management is currently handled. 

Results of the surveys demonstrated a significant disparity between reporting incidents and perceiving incidents as fatigue-induced. Despite half of surveyed organizations reporting no fatigue-related incidents last year, 38.8% of engineers reported that they, or a colleague, were involved in an incident or near miss where fatigue was a perceived factor in the last three months alone. 

The disparity can be largely accounted for by a reluctance amongst employees to report fatigue as a possible cause of incidents. This is especially prevalent amongst contracted workers, concerned with job security. 

Moreover, and consistent with the findings in HeliOffshore’s Maintenance Resilience White Paper, the surveys confirmed a range of key factors are perceived to contribute to fatigue, both at the organisational and personal level. They include regulation, workload, personal behaviours, and commercial requirements. These are often interconnected, creating new fatigue drivers, underscoring the complexity of fatigue management. 

Scott Allan, Technical Director at HeliOffshore, said: ‘Fatigue management is a safety concern I am extremely passionate about. The survey results, which we will release in greater detail in the coming weeks, highlight the complexity of the issue. Addressing one or two causal factors in isolation will not solve the impact fatigue can have on safety performance. It requires input and buy-in from all parties at all levels’. 

HeliOffshore has set up a fatigue management workgroup with industry experts, academics and stakeholders to facilitate the safety conversation that emerges from our surveys’ results. The workgroup aims to investigate and research this subject, using the data from these surveys and our Annual Safety Survey, with a view to publishing a white paper. 

‘Change is not always welcome and there is likely to be resistance from some areas of the industry. The question is whether there is an appetite to resolve this, are the added risks worth the rewards? I am confident that through collaboration and open and honest discussions, our workgroup will help facilitate meaningful change in fatigue management practices’. 

Please share your insights and questions with Scott Allan via his email, scott.allan@helioffshore.org. Your feedback is valuable to us and shaping the future of safety best practices in our industry.