Energy

Current Projects

Safety managers and safety leadership

Isabella Roger, School of Psychology. E-mail: isabella.roger@abdn.ac.uk

This PhD project is funded by the Energy Institute. (2008-2011). This project is investigating the safety leadership of senior managers in the energy industry. Starting with a competency-based approach to leadership, the research is focusing on the behaviours, skills and attributes which are important for effective safety leadership at the executive level within organizations.

Safety leadership, safety climate and safe behaviour

Completed Projects

Evaluating an advanced safety leadership course

Tanja Pullwitt, School of Psychology, email: t.pullwitt@abdn.ac.uk

This was a PhD project jointly sponsored by BP and Shell, (2003-2006). It evaluated the advanced safety leadership course developed by two major oil operators to improve the safety performance of safety supervisors and their teams. Investigations focussed on changes in attitudes, subjective norms and self-efficacy as an outcome of the course. Furthermore, changes in behaviour that can be traced back to the course were investigated with a focus on the trainer and his/her impact on structural learning outcomes and skill development.

Shama Didla, School of Psychology.

This was a part-time PhD project (2005-2008) sponsored by Expro, Centrica Energy and the University of Aberdeen. This project studied safety climate and safe bahaviour in the company. It was an investigation into the issues relating to safety leadership behaviour at supervisor level and its influence on the workers' perception and motivation to engage in safe versus high-risk behaviours. There was an emphasis on understanding the relationship between leadership style and workers' trust in the leaders in terms of perceptions of their ability, benevolence and integrity.

The role of health promotion and surveillance in the safety and well-being of oil industry employees

Dr Kathryn Mearns, School of Psychology, email: k.mearns@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-273217

This project was sponsored by HSE to uncover the links between good health management and the well-being and safety of offshore workers. In the initial survey, workers on approximately 50 installations across the UK CS were asked about their own health and lifestyle choices, health surveillance on their installation, attitudes towards health promotion schemes and what factors in the offshore workplace they see as affecting their health. Health climate, safety climate and social support in the offshore setting were also measured. In addition, health and safety officers and/or medics were surveyed to gain an objective overview of health provision. This initial phase of the research took place during May-September 2002. Following analyses and feedback, a second phase of study took during 2003 to provide a longitudinal perspective and determine whether changes and improvements in health management have taken place in the interim period. Analysis and reporting are ongoing.

Managing the safety climate

Dr Steven J. Yule, School of Psychology, mail: s.j.yule@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-273214

This was a PhD sponsored by Powergen which ran from 1999 to 2002. The overall goal of this project was to investigate the influences of senior managers on safety performance. A secondary goal was to understand cross-cultural differences in 'safety leadership' between UK and US senior managers. To establish what, if any, influence management has on setting and maintaining workforce safety climate. This involved analysis and structural modelling of safety climate data. To determine what sub-scales of Multifactor Leadership Theory (Bass and Avolio, 1993) are associated with safety performance this involved analysing upward ratings of leadership style on the MLQ (Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire) with safety performance data.

Factoring the human into safety: Translating research into practice - Joint HSE/ Oil Industry Project Phase 3 (1998-2000)

Dr Kathryn Mearns, Prof Rhona Flin, Rachael Gordon, Dr Paul O'Connor & Sean Whitaker, School of Psychology, email: k.mearns@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-273217 or email: r.flin@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 1224-272341

Sponsored by: Agip; AMEC; AOC/Brown and Root; BP; Coflexip Stena; Conoco; Elf; Health and Safety Executive (OSD); Oryx; Salamis; Sedco Forex; Shell; Texaco; Total.The scope of work outlined in his 2 year project had the following components:

Investigating the human factors causes of accidents (HFIT)

Dr Rachael Gordon, School of Psychology, email: k.mearns@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-273217

The contract was funded by the UK Health and Safety Executive and 5 oil service and operating companies and was based on offshore oil installations in the UK sector of the North Sea. The project was divided into two parts, the first assessed the link between leading and lagging safety performance indicators to determine whether or not the same factors are being investigated in accident investigations and safety climate surveys. The second part developed a human factors accident investigation tool (HFIT) which was used to collect accident and incident data by HSE inspectors and the participating companies' accident investigators. This tool was evaluated by comparing the companies' safety climate data with their accident data.

Modelling the relationship between safety climate, leadership and perfomance

Catherine Hetherington, School of Psychology, email: r.flin@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-272341

This PhD project was sponsored by Stasco (Shell Shipping/2003-2006). Shipping is one of the world's most global industries and also one of the most dangerous. A high proportion of shipping incidents every year are attributed to human errors. The aim of the project was to further understand the multifaceted safety system through evaluating safety climate, then leadership in the context of its imapct on safety climate and then finally the relationship of these constructs to safety performance.

Situation awareness: "Keeping the Bubble" in offshore crews

Anne Sneddon, School of Psychology. Tel: 01224-272252

This was a PhD project sponsored by Shell Expro (UK/2002-2005). The main objective was to examine the hypothesised relationship between situation awareness and accident involvement in the oil and gas industry, and to develop a trait measure of awareness

Investigation of decision making in drilling and completion community

Dr Margaret Crichton and Prof Rhona Flin, School of Psychology, email: r.flin@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-272341

The aim of this project, funed by BP was an investigation into decision making and associated non-technical skills, which influence teamwork in Drilling & Completion teams. In particular, decision making during the management of surprises was examined, related to the effects of demands and pressures on individual and team functioning.

The organisational antecedents of individual safety behaviour in the U.K. offshore oil and gas industry

Dr Robin Bryden, School of Psychology, email: R.Bryden@shell.com

This is a PhD project was sponsored by Shell Expro and the University of Aberdeen, based on assessing and managing safety with reference to violations, safety climate and management of ffshore installations.

Accident management at nuclear power stations

Dr Margaret Crichton and Rhona Flin, School of Psychology, email: r.flin@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-272341

Training methods for accident management at nuclear power plants were examined in this study. The investigation is sponsored by British Energy. Emphasis is on training provided for emergency response personnel with plant responsibilities, from control room operators to Access Controllers. A particular focus is on accident management procedures, and their subsequent usage when ncertainty becomes a more significant factor.

The role of implicit attitudes in safety and risk perception

Dr Calvin Burns, School of Psychology, email: k.mearns@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-273217

This was a PhD project sponsored by Shell Expro (UK) and the University of Aberdeen, 2000 to 2003. It examined how trust affects situation awareness and risk assessment by offshore oil workers. It investigated how trust influences selective attention to sources of information, perception of that information and measured how that, in turn, influences the individual's ongoing situation awareness. The effects of workload and norms on situation assessment and behaviour in routine work activities were also examined.

Team skills training for nuclear operations personnel

Prof Rhona Flin and Dr Paul O'Connor, School of Psychology, email:r.flin@abdn.ac.uk - Tel: 01224-272341

The object of this project was to study team skills for the high performing teamwork required by nuclear plant control roompersonnel. This investigation was commissioned by the UK Nuclear industry Management Committee.

Tel: +44 (0)1224 273210

Email: w.booth@abdn.ac.uk

 

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