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Oil & Gas UK, along with researchers from Robert Gordon University, is undertaking a study to measure the shape
and size of the offshore workforce with backing and funding from a number of industry providers and the HSE. The
study aims to measure a sample of 600 offshore workers using novel 3D scanning technology, generating a data set
representative of the employees who travel offshore every year. The database generated by this study will be the
largest of its kind within the UK industry and will include volumetric and linear dimensions. It is hoped that the data
will go a long way in improving safety and comfort in a multitude of situations and environments offshore, from
helicopter passenger survival suits to corridor widths on installations. A secondary part of the study is a dry egress
test, which will be used, along with 3D data, to determine the measurement variables that can be used to predict an
individual’s ability to egress through a defined space.
A large proportion of the work conducted in 2013 involved developing a quick and reliable protocol for measurement
collection using the 3D scanner. The study has now moved into its second and final year and offshore workers are
being measured at locations around Aberdeen. Thanks to backing from Apache North Sea and the portable nature
of the 3D scanner, the survey has also been taken offshore, providing the study team with a great opportunity to
gain first-hand experience of the offshore environment. Strong emphasis has been placed on promoting the study
and generating industry and workforce support through a series of presentations to companies, elected safety
representatives, unions, and at the HSE and Step Change in Safety Workforce Engagement Support Team (WEST)
launch event.
Figure 16: Size and Shape Flyer and Poster
