Management of Fatigue, Safety Challenges Encountered by Technicians and Engineers and enhancing their performance at Offshore Wind Farms.

Transporting and transferring the technicians to offshore wind farms, which are located in varying distances from shore, and returning them to the base, create different human factors challenges. Fatigue, experienced by the offshore O&M technicians, who are exposed to challenging environmental and working conditions, is one of the most important topics which requires further studies because the current knowledge is very limited.

G+ Global Offshore Wind Health & Safety Organisation indicated in their 2019 Offshore Wind Accident data report that as installed capacity increases around the world, and the global workforce grows, the potential exposure of the offshore wind farmworkers to the risk has been increasing. The same report highlighted a significant increase in 'Total recordable injury rate (TRIR)' and 'Lost time injury frequency (LTIF)' among the offshore wind workers. This is significantly worrying as LTIRF in Offshore Wind Industry is 2.77 compared to 0.52 in the whole offshore industry (including oil and gas). Similarly, TRIR for Offshore Wind industry is 2.77 compared to 1.69 in whole offshore industry (incl. oil & gas).

Technicians and engineers who have been transported to the offshore wind farms to perform installation and O&M activities are exposed to different hazards, such as:
-Lifting operations
-Access/egress
-Manual handling
-Routine maintenance
-Hand tools/power
-tools (working with)
-Working at heights
-Vessel operation (including jackups and barges)
-Operating plant and machinery
-Transit by Crew Transfer Vessels

In a recent workshop organised by UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE), it was highlighted that there is an established link between fatigue and reduced cognitive functions such as slower reactions, ability to process information, memory lapses, absent-minded slips and lack of attention. This can result in adverse consequences such as accidents and injuries as well as having an impact on health. Furthermore, this may also significantly influence productivity.
It also highlighted that currently, the offshore sector does not have established guidelines, unlike other sectors (e.g. aviation, rail etc) to measure, record or assess cognitive or physical fatigue. In the same workshop, the knowledge gaps to support the policies were identified as:
-Fatigue & mental health
-Pre and post-shift influences
-Shift patterns
-Accommodation offshore
-Mode of transfer
-Type of work

In the offshore wind sector, the knowledge gap is even wider as the industry has only recently started experiencing real operational challenges that will risk worker's safety while preventing electricity production from offshore turbines.

The main aim of this PhD study is to develop an integrated safety, fatigue and performance management strategy for offshore wind farm workers by taking into account the whole stages of the operations.

Specific objectives
-To determine including the underlying reasons whether offshore wind farm technicians experience fatigue and whether it affects their performance as well as their health and wellbeing.
-To investigate how adverse environmental conditions affect technicians during transportation to the offshore wind farms; performing their tasks; post-work transportation to the shore or onshore base, and in addition the effect of these adverse conditions on their safety, health and wellbeing.
-To determine the effect of work shifts in terms of starting time, length and overtime on technicians' performance, including the decision making process for engineers.
-To collate data about any work-related injuries, near misses or accidents the technicians experienced.
-To develop integrated fatigue, safety and performance management model for offshore wind farm workers by taking varying environmental, task and transport and accommodation factors to identify the most optimum O&M strategies by taking into account, safety, fatigue wellbeing of workers and performance.