Background: Human factors have been identified as the most common causes of catastrophic accidents in the oil and gas industry. Therefore, this study aims to analyze human causal factors of accidents in the oil and gas industry using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System for the Oil and Gas Industry (HFACS-OGI) framework. Methods: This study involved a quantitative data collection of 184 accident cases in the oil and gas industry that occurred from 2013 to 2017 from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) database. The causal factors of these accidents were coded using the HFACS-OGI framework. Accident data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and χ² test. Results: Study findings reveal that 23% of all accidents was recorded in 2013. 32% of accidents occurred in Asia, while 69% of accidents were recorded in onshore locations. Contractors were involved in 86% of accidents, while 28% of accidents occurred during drilling, workover and well services. Contractor’s work environment was the main human factor in 90% of accident cases. Conclusion: The HFACS-OGI framework proves to be a vital tool for robust accident analysis of human factors in the oil and gas industry.

Globally, the construction industry is confronted by many challenges, especially iterative cost and time overrun; exacerbated by variations that occur during construction phases. Variation is one of the most controversial issues in construction contracts. Modernising the industry through emerging technologies will minimise variations, including other benefits. This study aims to examine the effects of emerging technologies in minimising the occurrence of variations in construction projects. The study used mixed methods with participants limited to those that have effectively implemented some emerging technologies in their recent construction projects. Findings reveal how the combinations of emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), drones, 3 D Laser Scanning, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and others are proving to be useful tools in preventing the occurrence of variation when implemented correctly. The study findings established some potentials of emerging technologies in the construction industry.

Introduction: Despite improvements in occupational health and safety due to technological advancements and the adoption of management systems, accidents continue to occur in the oil and gas (O&G) industry. These accidents are often linked to human factors. The emotional intelligence (EI) of workers, however, has the potential to influence some of the human factors that predispose to accidents. Methods: In this study, we investigated how the EI factors of workers influence their health and safety performance in the work place. A total of 124 O&G industry workers completed a web-based questionnaire. Five and 14 key success factors of EI and effective occupational health and safety management systems were respectively identified through a systematic evaluation of the literature. Results: EI success factors of ‘being able to rule one’s own emotions to facilitate thinking’, ‘being able to deal with the emotions of others’ and ‘being able to discuss one’s own emotions accurately’ were found to have a relationship with health and safety performance of workers. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that certain success factors of EI are vital for improving the health and safety performance of workers and that the development of these competencies should be part of the workers’ professional development.

The culture of an organisation is a vital element of business competency that must align with its strategic goals, and enhance peoples’ perceptions, feelings and behaviour in adapting to the world around them. Organisational culture may also bring about negative practices such as dishonesty and unethical behaviours. Recently the culture of some construction organisations has been called into question. For example, major construction projects around the globe have become involved in allegations of fraud and corruption. The cost is currently estimated at US$860 billion globally; with forecasts that it may rise to US$1.5 trillion by 2025. Hitherto the role of the culture of construction organisations in fraud and corruption activities has been largely hidden. The study aim is to establish whether the culture of construction organisations promotes corrupt practices in the UK construction and infrastructure sector. The study employed mixed research methods with interviews supported by a questionnaire and an examination of five case studies in different countries. Findings show that the culture of construction organisations together with the nature of the industry promotes fraud and corruption. The study subsequently highlights key cultural factors that support fraud and corruption in a way that is almost institutionalised.