The Psychosocial Factors of Occupational Stress of Oil Exploration Workers

Abstract

Oil and gas industry workers often operate in extreme conditions and are exposed to a variety of physical stressors, including adverse weather conditions, long working hours, shift work, night work, noise, vibration, poor ventilation, etc. [1]. The specific nature of the work of oil and gas industry employees in remote locations and difficult geographical conditions makes them more vulnerable and high risk of danger [2; 3]. In a systematic review of research analysis of psychosocial factors in oil and gas workers that lead to mental health problems worldwide, N.D. Mohd Rani et al found that employees are affected by chemical and physical factors: noise, vibration and excessively high or low temperatures; ergonomic factors: manual work, repetitive movements and awkward postures; and psychosocial factors: fatigue, long working hours, isolated location of objects [3]. These factors can be considered as threats to the physical and mental health of employees [3]. The following psychosocial stressors have been identified for workers: social isolation, lack of family support, high responsibility and work pressure, fatigue and lack of sleep [1]. As a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies conducted by L. Torquati et al. showed, shift work is a serious stress factor [4]. One of the most important characteristics of work on drilling and offshore rigs in the oil and gas industry is the collective team nature of the activity, which requires workers to have good teamwork and compatibility [5]. Long-term exposure to stressors in the oil and gas industry can potentially contribute to the development of psychological disorders and adverse functional conditions of workers, which can lead to occupational accidents and significant material losses. Therefore, increasing awareness of workplace stressors is important to improve and implement safety measures [6]. A number of studies have shown that workers in the oil and gas industry are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders than the general population [6-8]. Austrian researchers have identified key stressors for mining industry personnel: absence or lack of interesting life events, problems in relationships with spouses, financial stress, shift schedules and social isolation [7]. It has been established that those employees who work long, uneven and repetitive shifts are especially at risk of developing anxiety [9; 10] and depression [4;8; 10]. In addition, night shift work is associated with higher levels of irritability, depression and an increased risk of suicide [4; 8; eleven]. Factors of stress and the development of other unfavorable psychological phenomena among oil and gas production personnel include age, length of service, position, shift work and marital status [12].