Automation Systems and Work Process Safety: Assessing the Significance of Human and Organizational Factors in Offshore Drilling Automation

摘要

Drilling automation is a rapidly growing area of information technology development. Efforts within automation arebeing undertaken by numerous and diverse organizations in the oil and gas industry, partly due to a desire for exploitation ofmarginal and complex fields, and partly in order to increase safety of high risk operations. As offshore drilling occurs in aunique work environment, organizational factors should be emphasized in technology development (and implementation) projects. This paper reports on a study focusing on integration of human and organizational factors in drilling automation. Simulator tests involving automation systems usage and handling of various challenges during drilling operations were performed,and interviews with the test personnel were conducted. The results highlight several important issues related to the interfacebetween work environment and human factors in drilling automation. Examples are fatigue problems due to offshore workshift arrangements and technology use, and the need for efficient work coordination in an interorganizational environment.Implications for research and practice are discussed.