RIASSUNTO
Abstract
This paper describes a project sponsored by 13 companies and the HSE (OSD) to apply a form of human factors training called Crew Resource Management (CRM), which is widely used in aviation, to the training of offshore platform teams. The aim of the project was to design, deliver and evaluate the training. 104 offshore workers from five different production platforms have participated in the course. Their feedback was generally positive. However, it also indicated a need to incorporate more offshore case studies and to place emphasis on the skills, rather than the theoretical concepts of the topics covered in the training.
Introduction
The project to develop Crew Resource Management training for the offshore oil industry extends previous human factors research with the offshore oil industry carried out by Mearns, Flin, Fleming and Gordon (1997). They recommended that ""training programmes are developed for teaching human factors skills...Crew Resource Management (CRM) provides a framework for such training because it essentially teaches skills such as leadership, team-working, decision making, assertiveness and communication with the aim of reducing human error"" (p138-139).
The CRM research package is a component of a larger two year HSE joint industry project sponsored by: Agip UK Ltd; AMEC Process & Energy Ltd.; BP-AMOCO; Coflexip Stena Offshore; Conoco; Elf Exploration UK PLC; Halliburton Brown & Root; Health & Safety Executive (OSD); Kerr-McGee North Sea Ltd.; Salamis; Sedco Forex; Shell UK; Texaco North Sea Ltd; and Total Oil Marine PLC.
The aviation industry recognised the significance of human error in accidents almost 30 years ago, and has been instrumental in the development of effective training programmes, designed to reduce error and increase the effectiveness of flight crews, known as Crew Resource Management (CRM; Wiener, Kanki & Helmreich, 1993). Due to the success of CRM in aviation, it has been adopted by a number of other professions including anaesthetists (Howard, Gaba, Fish, Yang & Sarnquist, 1992), air traffic control, the merchant navy (Byrdorf, 1998), the nuclear power industry (Harrington & Kello, 1991), and aviation maintenance (Marx & Graeber, 1994).
The Human Factors Group of the Royal Aeronautical Society define the objectives of CRM to be:
""To enhance crew and management awareness of human factors which could cause or exacerbate incidents which affect flight safety.
To enhance knowledge of human factors and develop CRM skills and attitudes which when appropriately applied could extricate an aircraft operation from incipient accidents and incidents whether perpetrated by technical or human factors failings.
To use CRM knowledge, skills and attitudes to conduct and manage aircraft operations, and fully integrate these techniques throughout every facet of the organisation culture, so as to prevent the onset of incidents and potential accidents.
To use these skills to integrate commercially efficient aircraft operations with safety.
To improve the working environment for crews and all those associated with aircraft operations"". (RAeS, 1996: 2)