Digital feature: Enhancing oil and gas worker safety: The evolution of technology for heat stress protection

(WO) – The climate crisis is intensifying, with rising global temperatures posing a threat to worker safety across industries, notably within the oil and gas sector. Particularly affected are regions like the Middle East, Australia, and Africa, where the combination of inherent occupational hazards and escalating heat levels due to climate change exacerbates the risks of heat-related illnesses.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is warming at almost twice the global average. Historical data underscores an alarming trend — temperatures across these regions are not just climbing — they're shattering records, leading to extended periods of extreme heat throughout the year.

Average global temperatures are projected to rise ~4 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050. The impact is concrete: a projected 2.2% reduction in total working hours worldwide global GDP by $2,400 billion in 2030.

The consequences of rising temperatures extend beyond the physical strain experienced by workers; they signal a broader challenge and shift in how we think about occupational health and safety standards, which were not designed to accommodate these new extreme conditions. The pressing need for innovative remote health monitoring solutions and cooling strategies has never been greater against the backdrop of the climate crisis.

These health and safety challenges represent new opportunities to create novel safety measures, standards, and technology-driven strategies capable of providing continuous, seamless, and effective protection against the growing challenges of occupational heat exposure.

Understanding the risks. In recent years, there has been a surge in extreme heat events and workplace incidents. A recent U.S. study found that heat injuries and deaths may be underpredicted by as much as 40-50x. Particularly alarming are new international reports, indicating that the Middle East, Australia, and Africa are experiencing dramatic increases in temperature extremes.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the past decade has witnessed global temperatures hitting their highest levels in recorded history, a trend that has direct implications on the rise in heat-related illnesses among workers.

For every 1-degree Celsius increase in temperature, there is a corresponding 1% increase in workplace injuries and a 2.6% decrease in productivity highlighting the impact of heat on occupational safety and labor. The rising frequency and severity of “super” and “ultra” heat waves, a direct fallout of climate change, is  also transforming heat risks from a seasonal challenge to a constant threat spanning 8-12 months per year.

Within the critical energy hubs across the globe, the oil and gas sector is facing a balancing act to sustain energy production while safeguarding the health and safety of its workforce. The work environments across both upstream and downstream require physical labor in settings where cooling options may be scarce. These conditions intensify the risks of heat exposure, and could give rise to long-term chronic health issues, including cardiovascular diseases and renal disorders.

Additionally, the demographic and geographic diversity of the oil and gas workforce introduces further complexities, with factors like acclimatization and pre-existing health conditions influencing individual heat tolerance levels.

These physiological variables, coupled with the diverse global scale of operations, highlight the inadequacies of existing one-size-fits all interventions for heat stress and underscore the need for more personalized approaches.

Conventional methods for heat stress management. Historically, the oil and gas industry has relied on a set of standard practices to manage the risks associated with heat stress. Standard practices include scheduled hydration breaks, the provision of shaded or air-conditioned rest areas, and manual monitoring for signs of heat-induced illness among workers which can be difficult to spot. These strategies, while foundational to heat stress management, are critical but increasingly inadequate in the face of enhanced risks brought on by global warming.

The primary limitation of these methods lies in their reactive nature. Scheduled breaks and shaded areas provide necessary relief but do not always prevent the onset of heat stress or dehydration.

Manual monitoring, reliant on the observation of symptoms by supervisors or self-reporting by workers, is susceptible to human error and delay, factors that can be critical in preventing heat-related illnesses from escalating into more serious conditions.

Other approaches include establishing protocols using wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and metabolic rate to set Threshold Limit Values (TLVs). While effective in focusing on the workload, these new protocols do not account for the individual’s heat tolerance, physiological status, job functions, and specific rehydration needs.

In the diverse and dynamic environment of oil fields, where conditions could change rapidly, and workers are often engaged in tasks that vary greatly in terms of physical exertion and exposure to heat, a more personalized approach to heat risk management is needed.

Compounding these challenges are the issues of compliance and enforcement. In regions where regulatory oversight is limited and safety standards are not rigorously enforced, reliance on population-based methods could lead to inconsistent gaps in worker protection.

Additionally, the global nature of the oil and gas industry, with operations spanning across countries with varying climates and regulatory frameworks, necessitates a more adaptive solution to heat stress management.

Technological innovations in environmental monitoring. The limitations of conventional heat stress management strategies have catalyzed a wave of technological innovations designed to offer more effective protection against the hazards of extreme heat. At the forefront of these advancements is the deployment of environmental monitoring tools that leverage the latest in sensor technology to provide real-time data on workplace conditions, enabling proactive measures to mitigate heat exposure risks.

Wearable environmental monitors, equipped with sensors capable of tracking a broad range of conditions including ambient temperature, humidity, and UV radiation levels, represent a significant leap forward in the field of occupational health and safety.

These devices are worn by workers or integrated into personal protective equipment (PPE). They offer continuous monitoring of environmental conditions and provide immediate feedback when predefined safety thresholds are exceeded.

The application of these technologies in the oil and gas industry has helped to reshape our approach to heat stress management by shifting from a reactive to a proactive strategy. For example, heat stress monitors can alert workers and supervisors in real time about unsafe conditions, triggering predetermined response protocols such as additional hydration breaks, rotation of tasks to reduce exposure, or temporary suspension of work in extreme conditions.

Furthermore, data collected by these sensors can be analyzed longitudinally to detect patterns and trends in environmental conditions, informing long-term strategies for heat stress management. This can include optimization of work schedules to avoid peak heat periods, redesigns of workspaces to enhance natural ventilation, and modifications of work practices to minimize heat exposure.

Integration of environmental monitoring technologies also supports a more informed and adaptive safety culture within the oil and gas industry. By providing workers and supervisors with real-time data on environmental conditions, these tools empower individuals to take an active role in managing their own safety, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and commitment to health and safety protocols.

Moreover, the scalability and flexibility of these technologies make them suitable for deployment across the diverse operational landscapes in the oil and gas industry, from offshore platforms to remote drilling sites. This versatility is key in addressing the heterogeneous work environments of the industry and the wide range of ambient conditions.

Although widely deployed and effective, a key challenge of environmental monitors is around their limitations in addressing the underlying physiological response of individuals, which is crucial to understanding how to take preventative action to ensure safety, productivity, and efficiency.

Wearable technology. Advances in the development and miniaturization of wearable biosensor technologies have introduced new possibilities for individualized heat stress management.

These innovations, which include wearable sweat sensors, skin and core temperature sensors, and heart rate monitoring devices are redefining the boundaries of occupational safety, offering hyper-personalized solutions to circumvent the challenges of work in extreme heat.

Wearable sweat sensors represent a breakthrough in the direct monitoring of physiological responses to heat exposure. The devices are capable of measuring sweat rate and electrolyte balance and provide direct insights into a worker's hydration status and individual risk of heat stress and dehydration.

By continuously tracking these parameters, wearable sweat sensors enable proactive interventions, such as prompting the wearer to increase fluid intake or take a cooling break, before the onset of more serious symptoms. Tracking sweat dynamics is thus crucial, as sweat rates for individual workers can exceed 3 liters per hour in occupational settings.

The value of biosensors extends beyond their monitoring capabilities. By generating personalized data around each worker's physiological response to heat, wearable sweat sensors could achieve customized and precise hydration strategies.

This level of quantified personalization is critical in addressing the individual variability observed among workers, ensuring that interventions are specifically tailored to the needs and risk profiles of each worker.

Moreover, the integration of wearable sweat sensors with integrated contextual data around motion and skin temperature, in tandem with environmental monitoring systems offers a holistic approach to heat stress management.

This comprehensive approach enables a more nuanced understanding of the key factors contributing to heat stress, supporting the implementation of targeted rest, rehydration, and recovery feedback to reduce risk.

The customization and adaptability of wearable biosensor technology (particularly those that are intrinsically safe) make this class of device well suited for the diverse operational environments in the oil and gas industry.

Whether it is work on an offshore rig, remote drilling, or within confined spaces at a refinery, workers can benefit from the personalized feedback offered by these devices. This adaptability is key to addressing the complex and diverse array of heat related challenges facing the oil and gas sector.

As the industry moves towards a more proactive and personalized approach to worker safety, wearable biosensor technologies stand at the forefront of this transformation. By providing real-time, individualized data on the risk factors for heat exposure, these devices offer a powerful preventative tool, ensuring that workers are not only protected from the immediate dangers of heat exposure but are also equipped with the knowledge and resources to manage their own risk in the face of rising temperatures.

Software solutions and predictive analytics. The broadscale adoption of environmental sensors and wearable biosensors has driven adoption of software solutions and data analytics tools, thereby creating a data-driven and proactive ecosystem around worker safety.

By leveraging the insights provided by analytical tools, industrial sectors can create a dynamic and adaptive workplace that can respond to evolving challenges due to heat exposure. This capability not only enhances the precision of interventions but also supports a culture of safety that prioritizes the well-being of workers as a fundamental pillar of operational success.

As the oil and gas industry continues to navigate the complexities of a warming climate, the adoption of software solutions and emerging data tools offers a powerful and complementary path forward. These analytical tools and the supporting cloud infrastructure, in conjunction with wearable biosensors and environmental monitoring solutions, provide the comprehensive framework needed to manage heat stress.

Conclusion. The integration of wearable technologies, environmental monitoring tools, software/analytical solutions, and cloud tools serve as a beacon of innovation in advancing worker safety within the oil and gas sector.

As the realities of the climate crisis unfold, bringing with them increased temperatures and the heightened risk of heat stress, the imperative for cutting-edge solutions has never been clearer.

Novel wearable biosensor technologies (i.e. sweat sensors and other physiological monitoring solutions) are emerging as a cornerstone in this new era of occupational safety, offering the dual benefits of real-time monitoring and personalized heat risk management.

The journey towards this future is not without its challenges, which span across technological validation, data privacy, and the need for industry-wide standards. The collective pursuit to overcome these obstacles underscores a commitment to not just responding to the challenges posed by heat exposure but also preemptively addressing them.

In this quest, the oil and gas industry is not merely adapting to the changing climate — it's leading the charge in ensuring that workers remain safe, healthy, and productive, no matter what the thermometer reads.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Marrapode IS Vice President of Strategy at Epicore Biosystems, a digital health solutions company developing advanced sweat-sensing wearables.