Noise and noise-related harm represent a substantial challenge for our industry. Roughly 200 cases of hearing damage have been reported annually to the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway since 1992. Hearing loss is the most frequently reported injury.
We have a zero philosophy for occupational injuries.
As part of our commitment to eliminating hearing damage, we launched a four-year R&D project in 2007 on offshore safety for hearing and verbal communication (SoHot).
This work is being pursued in collaboration with the Research Council of Norway, the Sintef research foundation in Trondheim and Norwegian hearing protection specialist Nacre.
A key place in the project is occupied by the existing Nacre Parat Quietpro system for hearing protection and communication developed by Sintef and Nacre.
Used by army tank crews, among others, this product automatically adjusts to the correct setting and incorporates two-way radio communication.
It sorts out and eliminates the damaging component in ambient noise, and utilises counternoise to improve sound dampening at low frequencies.
The system uses microphones and modulators incorporated not only in the auditory canal, on the inside of the hearing protection, but also externally.
This technology will be used as a platform for testing improvements and new functionality in the SoHot project. See figure 3.5.
The two principal project goals are to establish:
- new technology and knowledge which help to avoid occupational hearing damage from noise exposure in the offshore industry as a significant further step towards our zero-injury vision
- new technology and methods which will permit verbal communication of satisfactory quality under offshore working and emergency conditions.
SoHot will study hearing and speech in offshore work processes, with the focus on three areas:
- hearing and health
- hearing and speech as safety factors
- hearing and speech in new work processes and integrated operation.
Hearing and health
Occupational hearing damage has been identified as an unsolved problem in the offshore industry, despite substantial efforts being devoted to reducing its scope.
SoHot follows up work done in two user-managed innovation projects headed by Hydro. Functions which will be further studied include:
- dosimeter measurements against the eardrum
- alarms when the recommended noise dosage is exceeded
- hearing control/early detection of hearing damage as an integrated function in ear protectors.
Hearing and speech as safety factors
Hearing and speech also have implications for safety, since comprehensible communication is extremely important during crises. Similarly, good conditions for verbal communication can help to prevent hazards occurring.
A number of areas are known to exist in the offshore industry where the noise level makes verbal communication difficult with existing technology. Solving this problem is a project goal.
Hearing and speech in new work processes and IO
New work processes are likely to call for higher standards of communication between workers in the field and personnel who could potentially be located elsewhere.
Increased use of information and communication technology aids in the field can also be expected.
One objective for SoHot is to identify solutions which can provide better support for this way of working, with a focus on comprehensibility in verbal communication within groups.
Solutions will also be sought for the acoustic user interface which permit hand/eye-free use in noisy surroundings.
