The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Study now shows the effects of rotational working
DR RODRIGO RODRIGUEZ-FERNANDEZ, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, HEALTH CONSULTING NCD AND WELLNESS AT INTERNATIONAL SOS
Whether on or offshore, the work and lifestyle of a remote rotational worker is unique. While lucrative for some, it has long been associated with a high impact on mental health and wellbeing.
To uncover some of the issues, and benefits, of this mode of working, the International SOS Foundation and Affinity Health at Work carried out a ground-breaking new study, “Mental Health and the Remote Rotational Worker”.
The study brings together global findings from stakeholder interviews, a survey of remote rotational workers and an extensive literature review. The findings highlight a high level of suicidal thoughts, clinical depression and impacts on physical health (such as diet), including:
• 40% of all respondents experienced suicidal thoughts on rotation some or all the time (compared to the average of 4-9% in the general population).
• 29% met the benchmark for clinical depression while on rotation.
• 52% reported a decline in mood and their mental health suffered while on rotation.
• 62% had worse mental health than would be the norm in a population.
Almost a quarter also said they experienced emotional exhaustion, or “burnout”, on a weekly basis. This again compares negatively with the general population, where we would expect this in only 2-13% of the population.
On the flip side, the majority of respondents felt that their health and safety was prioritised.
They report a strong sense of community and support among co-workers and from managers. Respondents also reported feeling that they could share their mental health concerns with colleagues, although 23% reported not having any access to structured emotional support if they needed it.
While organisations operating with remote rotational workers have become increasingly aware of the potential impacts on mental health, this is the first global study of its kind.
It reveals an urgent need for more understanding and increased strategies to mitigate this risk and promote better mental health.
For many organisations, this has become an even greater urgency in the current Covid-19 environment, which has put increased pressure on this working format already recognised as having a high level of stress. It is also important to remember that this mental health (or ill health) can go hand-inhand with physical health.
Following the findings of the study, the International SOS Foundation has designed a new virtual symposium.
The small group sessions enable stakeholders who have a duty of care to their rotational workforce to make evidencebased adjustments and recommendations to their employees to protect and promote mental health for those remote workers on rotation. To register for forthcoming sessions and for a copy of the paper, go to international sosfoundation.org/ mental-health-and-theremote-rotational-workersymposium
The future of the energy system belongs to our children, grandchildren and all subsequent generations. But what we do now regarding climate change will determine the quality of that future.
Change is happening rapidly and the effects are being felt in the north-east of Scotland, with the number of PAYE employees falling by around 11% between December 2014 and December 2020, according to Office for National Statistics figures picked up on by Professor Graeme Roy, director at Fraser of Allander Institute.
That figure doesn’t consider the full impact of Covid-19 or Brexit, but it’s obvious the employment trend in the oil and gas sector is one of decline.
Youngsters who are looking to energy for employment must think carefully. With opportunities in the oil and gas industry falling, can we rely on there being sufficient new ones as a result of energy transition?
Based on the rate of development of a netzero supply chain in Scotland, the answer is “certainly not yet and probably never”, because we are simply not doing enough to build up manufacturing.
Thirteen years ago, I wrote a column titled “Low investment in renewables technology is damaging our education system”.
I said the lack of demand for skills and knowledge within the renewables sector would lead to the younger generation being less enthusiastic about spending time, effort and money in gaining qualifications they’d have little or no use for.
Nothing much has changed in those 13 years. There are more maintenance and support jobs in the wind sector but little high-value manufacturing.
SSE has added 53 apprentices for a range of roles including servicing wind farms and grid maintenance and that’s good news, but we need to do so much more, especially to support exporting.
Tidal has created a modest number of highvalue design, engineering and manufacturing jobs, as have heat storage and heat pumps.
The same applies to hydrogen, where the jobs have been systems engineering related, with some manufacturing of refuelling stations, mainly for delivery outside Scotland.
But there is no largescale manufacturing, nor is it being encouraged.
Recently a consultant involved in the Scottish Government’s hydrogen assessment report was asked during a webinar about the potential for manufacturing hydrogen electrolysers and fuel cells in Scotland and exporting.
They said, “yes, it would be great to attract an electrolyser OEM”, and followed that by saying Scotland has a “services and skills economy” as if it was an excuse. I asked for an explanation but never got one.
Such an astonishing lack of understanding of our capabilities and paucity of vision and ambition is all too common, yet other countries are making rapid progress to develop their supply chains.
Denmark not only manufactures advanced wind turbines, but also produces electrolyser and fuel cells. Norway has been a world leader in electrolysers for a while but is now building a “giga-factory” for fuel cells for marine drive trains with the intention of building a global industry based on net-zero ship design.
In north-east Scotland, nothing new is happening, as far as hydrogen is concerned, unless you want to be a bus driver.
In fact, Yorkshire is now the new Aberdeen because it’s there that most of the UK’s hydrogen-related activity seems to be happening with ITM Power and CPH2 – both electrolyser manufacturers – being based there.
Are we incapable of doing these things? I think not.
The Hydrogen Council said: “As of early 2021, over 30 countries have released hydrogen roadmaps and governments worldwide have committed public funding in support of decarbonisation through hydrogen technologies.
“No less than 228 largescale projects have been announced along the value chain, with 85% located in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
“These include largescale industrial usage, transport applications, integrated hydrogen economy, infrastructure, and giga-scale production projects.
“If all announced projects come to fruition, total investments will reach more than $300 billion in spending through 2030.”
It is obvious hydrogen is gaining global industry status and will provide long-term, well-paid jobs of all types. But it’s really only one example of what could be.
Whilst oil and gas employment falls, wind is already supporting around 20,000 jobs for the Danish company Vestas, and Chinese battery production already employs close to 200,000.
If we want our youngsters to have a meaningful future with a broad range of opportunities to aspire to, then Scotland needs to change its attitude.
We’ve got to make things happen ourselves, instead of hoping someone will come here and do it for us, or limiting our efforts to relatively small industries.
The naysayers and our frankly useless economic development agencies must no longer be allowed to control the agenda.
The needs of future generations must do that but this generation – our generation – needs to make sure it happens.