Mental Health in the Offshore Industry

For an industry that’s expert at getting beneath the surface of things, turns out we could do a whole lot better at drilling down into mental health.

Three-week (often longer), equal-time rotas, high-pressure environments, isolation yet limited privacy and confined spaces all combine to create an environment which can take its toll on mental health. Yet it’s one that appears to be off-topic, or in Steve Beedie’s words: “Taboo.” The former soldier turned derrickman offshore spoke up last year to call out the industry’s inability to face up to depression. He said there were many comparisons between the army and working offshore, particularly a culture where people don’t ask for help: “The biggest conversation in oil and gas, and it has been for the last ten years, is health and safety. But when you step onto a platform, the only part of that which is brought out is safety – hand and fingers injuries, slips, trips and falls. Am I the only person who realises that nobody is talking about health? How are things at home? How are you feeling? Mental health is the game-changer. That’s the difference between someone having a good day and having a disaster.”

The switch to a longer rota pattern in a bid to reduce costs has been contentious, with the union Unite warning it could increase problems for the people who were away from home for longer, in conditions that were already stressful. This is backed up by a report from Dr Stevie Smith, a senior lecturer in mental health and wellbeing at Robert Gordon University, which said people on a three-on, three-off rota, rather than a two-on, two-off, were almost twice as likely to experience ill health as a result.

Dr Smith said: “Tragically, we have seen the catastrophic consequences of unmanaged problems in the oil and gas industry several times over the past four decades. That there haven’t been more of these disasters over the years is something that the industry can rightly be proud of and the focus on prevention of accidents and negative events has become a central part of its culture.

“However, the consequences of unmanaged stress can be just as catastrophic; catastrophic for the individual, for their families, for the people and the organisations they work for and for the industry as a whole.”

Unite had been locked in a protracted battle with Total over its introduction of the longer pattern, but in the second half of 2018 members accepted a deal whereby they’re compensated with increased basic pay and “substantial” bonuses. Total stand by the rota, arguing that it’s “necessary for the long-term future of our business in the UK.” Unite says it continues to have serious concerns and will monitor the workforce.

By contrast last year, Shell ended the three-on, four-off rota pattern, following a leaked report written by a safety representative on its Shearwater platform in the North Sea. It said that morale was “at an all-time low”, teams were becoming more argumentative, and withdrawn, and noted instances of “being foul-tempered” with families once they returned to shore. Some had been diagnosed with depression.