“Long working days and overtime increase the risk of health issues,” says Morten Lunde from Havtil’s working environment unit.
A normal working day in the offshore petroleum industry lasts twelve hours. However, audits conducted by Havtil and figures from RNNP show an excessive use of overtime beyond twelve hours and work periods lasting in excess of fourteen days.
A survey of working hours in the petroleum industry conducted by SINTEF Digital in 2022 confirms that there has been an increase in the use of overtime and extended working periods offshore over the past ten years. During audits, Havtil has also observed breaches of the working hours provisions.
“Overtime is in itself an exposure factor that can have consequences for both health and safety. In addition, overtime will increase the risk of exposure to many other factors, such as noise,” says Lunde.
“As working hours increase, the duration of exposure also increases, thus leading to an increase in the risk of developing illnesses and injuries.
In practice, this may mean that some work teams or individuals cannot work for more than twelve hours per day.
“For some groups, restrictions on exposure relating to noise, for example, mean that they cannot even work twelve hours without special working arrangements.
What do the regulations say about overtime?
According to the Working Environment Act, Section 10-6 on overtime, work in excess of agreed working hours must not take place except in cases where there is an exceptional and time-limited need for it.
Noise
Experience gained through audits shows that extensive use is being made of overtime and that risks associated with increased exposure time are not being adequately assessed.
“We know of one case where a company investigated the causes of occupational injuries caused by high noise levels. They found that a contributory factor in three out of eleven cases was a lack of checks on exposure time and high workload.
Since 2017, the number of reported occupational noise-related injuries has remained stable between 180 and 200 cases per year. This is despite the fact that regimes and tools for managing exposure are widespread within the industry.
Lunde wonders whether inadequate checks on noise exposure during overtime may be part of the reason why the industry is not seeing the much sought-after and expected decline in occupational noise-related injuries:
“The rules that companies have established to manage exposure risk are largely adapted to a twelve-hour working day. But have they taken into account shifts lasting up to 16 hours and reductions in exposure-free periods?
Exposure limits
The regulations stipulate limits for environmental factors such as noise levels and chemical exposure based on an eight-hour working day and a five-day working week. Rest time between exposures and the number of exposure days per week are also assessed.
To adapt the exposure limits to offshore working hours, a correction factor is used that takes account of 12-hour working days.
In the regulations, the noise level is stipulated as being an equivalent (average) level of 83 dBA over a twelve-hour period. This exposure limit is set as a dose, and the impact of changes in working hours can therefore be calculated mathematically. This means that, if the working hours and exposure time are increased from 12 to 16 hours (30%), the exposure limit will be reduced accordingly.
As working hours increase, the duration of exposure also increases, thus leading to an increase in the risk of developing illnesses and injuries.
Assessment of noise as a factor in connection with overtime
“The companies themselves are responsible for recording and following up on working hours in order to avoid breaches of the overtime regulations. The companies are also responsible for ensuring that the working environment is healthy, including in the case of work in excess of normal working hours,” Lunde stresses.
When assessing the appropriateness of overtime and extended working periods offshore as regards noise levels, the following factors must be taken into account to safeguard the health of workers:
- Is noise exposure a risk factor for the personnel who will work overtime?
- Is there an adequate overview of the noise levels that the personnel who will be working overtime were exposed to on the working day before the overtime is to be worked?
If the answer is yes:
- How will overtime, with increased exposure time and a possible reduction in recovery time, affect noise exposure risk and the risk of developing noise-related injuries?
- How are the longer working hours assessed with regard to the exposure limits and what adjustments must be made?
- Are the tools used in the operational management of noise exposure (calculator, offshore time limits, operating times, noise maps, etc.) adapted to the use of overtime?
- Are there preventive and exposure-limiting measures in place to ensure the necessary level of safety and/or can such measures be implemented?
- Will it be possible to work overtime in a safe and appropriate manner without increasing the risk of noise-related injuries?
In connection with the use of overtime, similar assessments must be made for all relevant risk factors, such as ergonomic strain and chemical exposure
What do the regulations say about working hours and health?
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Working Environment Act, Section 10-2(1): Working hours shall be arranged in such a way that employees are not exposed to adverse physical or mental strain, and that they shall be able to observe safety considerations.
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Working Environment Act, Section 4-1(1): The working environment in the undertaking shall be fully satisfactory when the factors in the working environment that may influence the employees' physical and mental health and welfare are assessed separately and collectively. The standard of safety, health and working environment shall be continuously developed and improved in accordance with developments in society.