Gautam Kumar,EE(Cmtg)

ONGC,Jorhat, India

Mental Health & Illness- Oil & Gas industry

Poor work environment, stress, work pressure, bullying etc. can cause health issues
such as psychological injury. Psychological health is an important part of work
health and safety. So, it is very important to manage risks associated with exposure
to hazards arising from any work that could result in physical or psychological harm.

What is mental illness?

Mental illness is a health issue that can significantly affect how a person feels,
thinks, behaves and interacts with other people. It is a real problem and is treatable.

Types of mental illness- It is a general term that refers to a group of

illness including but not limited to:
1. Mood disorders such as depression.
2. Anxiety disorders i.e. sudden surge of overwhelming anxiety and fear.
3. Psychotic disorders i.e. severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking
and perceptions. Psychoses can lose touch with reality.
Mental health is a problem which affects many of the employees- a fact that is
usually overlooked because these disorders tend to be hidden at work. In India
working in Oil and Gas industry is regarded as stressful in its impact on the health
and life style as compared to other industries as manufacturing, IT etc. Potential
sources of stress include the remote and isolated location of many Oil and Gas
installations, the adverse physical environment, the confined work and living
condition, the lack of privacy, perceived hazards of work, demanding shift pattern,
fluctuating work load, separation from family and local community etc. Although Oil
and Gas sector employment also has some favorable aspects, such as enhanced
pay rates, relatively long period of leave and facilities. In spite of these potential
benefits, the demand and constraints inherent for these work are considered to be a
significant source of psychological stress.
The concept of stress at work comprises changes consequential to stressors present
at the work place over longer periods of time. Stressful job may lead to the burn out
syndrome which not only increases the risk of getting ill, but also affects private and
social life, reduces the sense of self-esteem and the quality of work, as well as safe
performance of work. Taking into consideration that the number of stressors in the
working environment is in continuous rise, stress at work seems to be unavoidable.
External stressors are relatively easy to identify, partly or completely eliminate, or
at least mitigate. These include unfavorable macro and micro climatic conditions,
such as high and low temperatures, humidity or dry air, chemical evaporations,
noise and poor ergonomic conditions. Psychological stressors are more difficult to
discover and define. These stress at work involves the action and interaction of a
number of factors, including conflicts between workers and their working
environment, genetic factors, culture, tradition, as well as social and economic
circumstances in a particular environment. There are some diseases and disorders
related to stress:
o Musculoskeletal pain is a low back pain and one of the most common
occupational health problem. It is believed that occupational
musculoskeletal pain is caused by multiple factors, generally categorized
into mechanical and psychological ones. Heavy psychical work, heavy or
frequent manual operations, whole body vibrations, and prolonged sitting
may positively associated with low back pain. Working with hands at or
over shoulder level, flexion of the neck, static contraction, monotonous or
repetitive work with arms, high working pace, unsuitable work place may
responsible for neck and shoulder pain.
o Cardiovascular

o Endo chronological diseases

o psychic and emotional disorders

o a series of psychosomatic diseases

o infectious diseases

o carcinoma

Apart of this workers on oil fields, drilling rigs, and other production installations are
exposed to various chemical hazards, hazardous work materials/substances, gases,
vapours, fumes, fire, explosives, electricity, falls, and wrecks. Work outdoors and in
unfavorable microclimate is affected by atmospheric influences throughout the
year, by major physical strain, and high noise levels. It involves a high risk of
accidents that may lead to wrecking of drilling rigs.

Preventing and minimizing work place stress

Good management can minimize or prevent stress. It is important to be aware of
any pressures that might have a negative impact on any individual, and to
intervene before anybody comes to harm. There are some good management
practices which are given below:
o Learning about what causes stress in the work place, and working actively to
improve the working environment and minimize stressors within our control.
o Finding out whether stress could be a problem for individuals in our work
group by implementing a systematic assessment.
o Working to eliminate or manage internal issues that are affecting staffs.

o Understanding ones own psychological response to stressors, and working to

adopt a proactive stance.
o Work is to be scheduled sensibly so that there is enough time to carry out the
allocated tasks and individuals are not expected to work excessively long
hours.
o Staff feel in control when the amount of control they have is balanced against
the demands placed upon them.
o Good relationship exists when supervisors and employees know and
understand each other on personal level. There should be good
communication between them.
o Supervisors ensure that rewards (Salary, promotion and allocation of tasks)
are perceived as fair and in proportion to competence and effort.
o Good change management exists when supervisors communicate to
employees the reason why change is essential.