1 Introduction

The transfer of people in offshore operations consists of the movement of personnel between the vessel and the deck of the maritime drilling and/or oil production unit. Marine installations include fixed and mobile platforms, as well as floating production units and support facilities [1]. In the petroleum sector, there are different methods of transferring people in maritime environments, such as the personal transfer basket and the berth for the surfer type of boat, commonly used by oil companies [2].

In these personnel transfer activities, worker movement processes are of high risk, since the procedures performed expose crew members to injuries and damage to physical integrity. Besides the risks inherent to these procedures, it was also observed problems related to the breaking of crane cables, falls of people at sea and collisions between the transfer basket and the platform structure [3].

In the oil industry, risk management in a wide range of industry activities is important. In maritime transfer operations, the implementation of projects aimed at the safety of workers is crucial for the prevention of accidents that affect their health and physical integrity. The activities related to personnel transfer baskets and the berth for the Surfer boat involve physical, ergonomic and accident risks. Chemical and biological risks are not considered in this study. For the real success of these operations, it is necessary to adopt control measures that minimize the exposure of workers to the risks peculiar to these processes.

According to ABNT NBR ISO 31010 [4], the risk management structure will be responsible for defining procedures, policies and organizational arrangements that will ensure that risk management is incorporated at all levels of the organization. In this way, the organization should present pertinent policies and strategies regarding decision-making related to the risks present in the activities carried out. Thus, a good adoption of methods in risk assessment will imply an efficient risk management project.

In view of the above study, this research aimed to propose a risk management using the Preliminary Risk Analysis tool in the activities of transferring personnel in offshore units, as well as propose measures of control of the existing risks in order to collaborate so that the activities could be carried out more efficiently and safely.

2 Transportation of Personnel in Offshore Units

In the oil industry, operations in marine environments require constant transfer of workers. According to Botelho [3], in the phases of installation and start of operations, it is possible to observe that these activities occur more frequently. In this sense, since the establishment of these operations, the transportation becomes characteristic for the activities of embarkation and disembarkation in situations of exchange of shift, periodic maintenance, rescue operations, etc.

Personnel transfer activities are related to direct accident hazards. The types of transport to be used, according to Botelho [3], may be: small boats or boats, crew or support boats, bridges and ladders of accommodations, personal baskets and helicopters.

2.1 Ocean Structures—Staff Transport Basket

The personnel transportation basket consists of a form of transfer of workers using a specific basket driven by a crane that is present in offshore units to move people from a vessel to the deck of a platform and vice versa. In some situations, this method of transport is quite used, especially when there is a significant difference in height between the vessel and the platform. The personnel transport basket should be used when the transfer is strictly necessary and in cases where safer means such as helicopters are not available for use [5].

According to NBR 10876 [6], the personnel transport basket is “a device moved by means of compatible lifting, capable of transporting people from a maritime unit to a vessel and vice versa”. In relation to the types of baskets available on the market and most commonly used in the oil industry, Billy Pugh, Esvagt and Personnel Transfer Capsule baskets may be listed.

The Billy Pugh transfer basket is considered to be the most traditional as well as the most widely used. In this type of basket, workers are positioned outside the structure, which consists, from a general analysis, of a floating circular plate together with a mooring that serves as support for the workers [3].

The Esvagt-type transfer basket resembles the Billy Pugh-type basket, but presents as a difference the fact that the crew is positioned within the structure, which is advantageous, since it reduces the risk of accidents. This basket model features a metal structure that protects crew members against falling at sea [5].

The Personnel Transfer Capsule transfer basket is considered to be the safest and most modern. In this type of basket, the crew member is seated and secured with a seat belt. However, due to its high manufacturing and maintenance costs, this structure is not widely used as a form of transportation of workers [3].

The preliminary text of a regulatory standard on health and safety in oil platforms, published in the Official Gazette of the Union on 05/22/2013, SIT Ordinance No. 382, points out in its item 13.4, which refers to access to the platform by transport basket, the aerial transport should be carried out only under appropriate meteorological and oceanographic conditions such as visibility greater than 3 km, mild sea and wind conditions.

2.2 Ocean Structures—Surfer Boat

The transfer of personnel using the Surfer boat is carried out from the process in which the crew, transported by this type of boat, approaches and makes contact between the bow and the berth of this structure [8]. Through this connection, workers gain access to the platform exposed to fewer risks of accidents [5].

According to the preliminary text of the regulatory standard on health and safety in oil platforms, published in the Official Gazette on May 22, 2013, SIT Ordinance No. 382, points out in item 13.5, which refers to access to platform by boat of the Surfer type, the transfer of people by means of this boat should be made by the fulfillment of the following requirements: the berth should be designed by a suitable expert according to the legal terms of the process, besides being accepted by the Maritime Authority; sea, wind and visibility conditions should be conducive to carrying out the operation, whereas they will be checked and recorded in a specific document by the person in charge of the vessel.

3 Methodological Aspects

3.1 Research Characterization

Regarding the methodological aspects adopted in this study, bibliographical research was used, such as journals, scientific articles, books and official documents dealing with the subject matter.

The data of this research were obtained in two different ways. Initially, observations were made using photos and videos provided by the work team composed of petroleum and work safety engineers, an occupational safety technician and a supervisor. Then, once the risks intrinsic to the activity were observed, an informal interview was conducted with a work safety engineer and a petroleum engineering expert.

3.2 Application of the PRA (Preliminary Risk Analysis)

Once the data were collected, an analysis of the risks present in the transfer activities via basket and Surfer boat was carried out. These risks were listed according to cause, effect, frequency, and severity.

According to the ABNT NBR ISO 31010 standard, the preliminary analysis identifies the most significant risks and ensures that the resources will be focused on the most important risks. Thus, the preliminary analysis determines one or more modes of action, to assist in a more detailed risk assessment process.

In this work, the PRA application was based on risk classification tables. The frequency categories are shown in Table 1. Once the hazards, their causes and their implications are identified, the frequency categories are defined and provide qualitative information on the frequency of occurrence of accidents based on the type of operation performed.

Table 1 Frequency categories [7]
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Table 2 shows the severity categories through a qualitative analysis of the degree of severity related to the consequences of possible accident scenarios.

Table 2 Categories of severity [7]
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A summary description of each risk category is presented in Table 3.

Table 3 Description of risk levels [7]
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4 Results and Discussion

In this study, risks were observed in personnel transfer activities in offshore environments. The identification, classification and preventive measures associated with these risks can be illustrated in Table 4.

Table 4 Preliminary risk analysis in personnel transfer operations
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The categories under study are frequency, severity and level of risk. The frequency category (F) qualitatively classifies the different risk scenarios according to the frequency of occurrence of accidents. The severity category, however, provides a classification of the scenarios according to the degree of severity (S).

Finally, there is the classification of the level of risk, which is performed from the analysis of the frequency and severity of the different scenarios, categorized as tolerable (T), moderate (M) or non-tolerable (NT).

MP1:

Use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as ear protection devices.

MP2:

Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as sunglasses with dark filters and skin protection cream.

MP3:

Crane inspection and cargo handling accessories must be carried out. The flag shall be clearly identified during transport. Use personal protective equipment (PPE), such as safety boots with non-slip soles, lifejackets and a parachute-type safety harness that allows your anchorage to the basket.

MP4:

Inspection of the crane and cargo handling accessories shall be carried out. Constantly signal to the crane during the transfer operation, especially in difficult crew viewing area. The crane operator and the signalman should be trained and thus have specific knowledge about the equipment and the type of activity performed. Use PPE’s, such as a helmet, safety boots with non-slip soles and a safety harness.

MP5:

Visual inspection of the steel cables used during the transfer during corrosion and kneading. If necessary, substitutions should be made. Check that load lifting accessories such as slings, shackles and/or grommet are intact and consistent with the weight of the load and make sure that cables or chains are properly connected before subjecting them to stress.

MP6:

Investigation of the general recommendations during the operation. Use of safety boots with non-slip soles and in good condition. Check that the destination is unimpeded, isolated and ready to receive the transport basket.

MP7:

The flag must be clearly identified, performing constant signals during operation. The operator must have specific knowledge about the equipment and type of activity. A survey of the crane and load handling accessories should be carried out. Assess weather conditions.

MP8:

Training of a support team and assistance to the crew that are being transferred, from training to this end, should be carried out. Verify equipment and structures that allow the proper attachment of the boat to the berth. Use PPE’s as a helmet, life jacket and safety boots with anti-slip flooring.

MP9:

Use of appropriate clothing to avoid twisting it due to the use of large garments. The parachute-type safety belt should be fastened close to the body, avoiding entanglement. Training of crew members should be carried out before being exposed to personnel transfer operations via the basket.

MP10:

Inspection of the crane, checking if the equipment is ready to be used. Find out if the wind and wave height conditions are favorable to crane operation

5 Conclusions

From the proposition of a risk management in the activities of transferring personnel in offshore units, it was possible to observe some of the main occupational risks present in these operations, which are physical and accident risks. Therefore, the application of a Preliminary Risk Analysis contributed to the determination of measures to be taken in order to eliminate or at least mitigate the environmental risks presented.

Since workers are exposed to risks during the transport operation, actions aimed at controlling these risks must be put into practice constantly. The risks of accidents related to falls, mechanical collisions and operational problems were preponderant in the activities. It was observed that 73% of the risks mentioned were classified as not tolerable. Thus, the proposed risk management should prioritize control actions for these risk agents. Thus, in relation to the transportation of workers, an advance study of the environmental conditions for transportation should be carried out, training the crew and crane operators and checking the conditions of the equipment involved in the operation. This way, it is possible to avoid accidents that bring negative consequences to workers such as personal injury or even damage to physical integrity.