Organisational factors, safety attitudes and workload among offshore oil personnel

The aim of this article is to show how job stress, physical working conditions, commitment and involvement in safety work, and attitudes towards safety and accident prevention work among employees on offshore petroleum platforms have changed from 1990 to 1994. In 1990 a self-completion questionnaire survey was carried out among personnel on offshore oil installations in the Norwegian part of the North Sea. The sample consisted of eight installations and five companies. A new study was conducted in 1994, consisting of 12 installations and nine companies. The response rate was 92% in 1990 and 87% in 1994. Results published previously have shown that the personnel felt safer in 1994 compared to 1990 (Rundmo, 1996, Safety Science 21, 205-221). The personnel experienced job stress more often in 1990 than in 1994. The percentage of the personnel who experienced physical workload was also greater in 1990 compared to 1994. Likewise, a greater percentage of the respondents were satisfied with the safety and contingency measures in 1994 compared to 1990. All of these factors seemed to affect risk perception and risk behaviour among the personnel. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.