Mitigation of COVID-19 in Workplaces: When Push Comes to Shove in Offshore Oil Operation

Abstract

As COVID-19 pandemic is a novel disease with no prior antidote or proven preventive measures; global response in occupational settings significantly defaulted to remote working otherwise referred to as ‘Working from Home – WFH’ or ‘Remote Working’. While remote working favoured some industries and businesses, it was impractical for industries with processes requiring physical contact to operate such as in the offshore oil and gas industry. This meant workers in the offshore industry must dare the risk of exposure to access offshore work environment thereby increasing their exposure to the dreaded and incurable virus. The aim of this study was to explore and present effective response strategies to COVID-19 pandemic in offshore work environment when exposure becomes inevitable. The method adopted was an observational descriptive study (ODS) using the ad libitum sampling technique. A Walk-Through Survey (WTS) was conducted to observe and discuss the measures adopted by a representative offshore oil company in the Gulf of Guinea. The result showed significant potentials for increased transmission in the offshore oil industry. Multiple contact points and surfaces in offshore facilities, shared amenities and tools, and constrained proximity of working position constitute significant risk factors in offshore oil and gas facilities.  Mitigation measures could be categories as general measures; pre-embarkation strategies; transit strategies; aboard strategies; and remedial strategies. Combined measures have been found a workable and effective model to mitigate the spread and transmissibility; the eminence of distancing, serial testing, personal and community hygiene, and vaccination was established as a more effective model.