Impact of “blue space” as a working condition on the health and wellbeing of offshore windfarm workers

Project Description:

This Research Project is part of the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience’s The wellbeing triad: improving the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive health of workers in the offshore windfarm sector Cluster.

Offshore wind farm working environments are challenging for workers who are exposed to physically and mentally challenging work with impacts for their physical and mental wellbeing despite being exposed to blue space. Offshore wind workers report work stress, fatigue, sleep issues and musculoskeletal problems all related to their work. Evidence suggests that blue spaces such as  coasts and rivers play a direct and indirect role to improving health and well-being. For example, exposure to blue spaces have a restorative effect on stress, depression and anxiety. Yet evidence also shows that working at sea can cause period of seasickness, feelings of confinement and exposure to severe weather conditions. As the combined and potentially juxtaposing impact of working conditions in blue spaces have not been examined, this novel project will delineate how working in blue spaces impact work, health and wellbeing over time.

Methodology

First, to conduct a systematic review to identify the impact of blue spaces on offshore workers, to understand the positive and negative effects of being at sea, and the the positive and negative effects of the working conditions. From the review, the knowledge gaps will be identified. Findings from the systematic review will be used to shape a longitudinal 12- month study ear using objective data (e.g., heart, sleep and activity monitors), physiological measurements, survey questions (e.g. standard wellbeing measures) and interview data to understand the interaction of work and blue spaces on health and wellbeing.

Offshore workers will be first be asked to complete a short questionnaire using validated questions on working conditions, psychological wellbeing, loneliness, fatigue and restoration. Interviews will then take place to explore the impact of working at sea and exposure to ‘blue space’. Participants will then be asked to wear monitors for one week to observe their levels of physical activity, heart rate and sleep. These will be repeated every eight weeks with a short questionnaire given to identify any changes to working at sea and exposure to blue space. Objective data on weather conditions will be recorded.

Data from these five time points collected over 12 months will be analysed using longitudinal methods for quantitative and qualitative data. A model will be developed to understand the juxtaposition of working in blue space. The key findings will be presented to stakeholders in a workshop to identify how the findings can shape workplace policies to support offshore workers to maximise the benefits of working in a blue space.

Training and Skills

The student will receive the following training as part of the PhD project: Systematic literature review, longitudinal design, physiological measurement and health tool use and analyses training, questionnaire and interview design and analyses.
The PhD could lead to careers in academia as well as in public or private sectors (in human resources or health and wellbeing teams), or in consultancy firms specialising in work, health and wellbeing.

References and further reading

Mette, J., Velasco Garrido, M., Harth, V., Preisser, A.M. and Mache, S., 2018. Healthy offshore workforce? A qualitative study on offshore wind employees’ occupational strain, health, and coping. BMC public health, 18(1), pp.1-14.

World Health Organisation. Green and blue spaces and mental health. Evidence and perspectives for action. 2021.

White, M.P.; Elliott, L.R.; Gascon, M.; Roberts, B.; Fleming, L.E. Blue space, health and well-being: A narrative overview and synthesis of potential benefits. Environ. Res. 2020, 191, 110169.

Earle, F., Huddlestone, J., Williams, T., Stock‐Williams, C., van der Mijle‐Meijer, H., de Vries, L., van Heemst, H., Hoogerwerf, E., Koomen, L., de Ridder, E.J. and Serraris, J.J., 2022. SPOWTT: Improving the safety and productivity of offshore wind technician transit. Wind Energy, 25(1), pp.34-51.