Effort-Reward Imbalance, Mental Health and Accidents in Offshore PetroleumWorkers

Background: Occupational accidents are an aspect of concern in every industrial sector, including the offshore petroleum industry. Little is known about the associations between psychosocial distress and the prevalence of incidents in this sector. Aim: To evaluate the association between effort-reward imbalance (ERI), psychological distress, and the prevalence of occupational incidents (accidents and near misses) in offshore petroleum workers in Peru. Methods: This cross sectional study included 242 (response rate of 67%) male offshore petroleum workers in a gas and oil petroleum company in Peru. Workers answered the short version of the European Working Condition Survey, the Effort-Reward-Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire; Goldbergs general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) and prevalence of occupational accidents or near-miss were reported. After imputation, the association between psychological distress, working activity and working stability and occupational incidents (accidents or near misses) was assessed. Result: The prevalence of effort-reward imbalance was 30%, fourteen percent reported distress based on GHQ-12. The 12-month prevalence of occupational incidents was 9%. Adjusted odds ratio for incidents was 4.3 (95% CI, 1.3-14.0) for those with psychological distress compared to those without it. Conclusion: Psychological distress was related to the prevalence of occupational incidents in this offshore petroleum population. Actions on employment and working conditions to prevent psychosocial distress and the incidence of mental health problems should be implemented for the prevention of occupational accidents in this industry.