Offshore Worker Dies in Hotel in Rio de Janeiro During Quarantine. Crew Rotation Extended Due to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, offshore workers are required to stay 14 days in quarantine and 28 days on Petrobras platforms and other oil companies

An offshore worker from the company SISTAC was confirmed dead last Monday (12) during pre-boarding, in mandatory isolation at a hotel. This measure aims to prevent the proliferation of COVID-19 on Petrobras platforms and other oil companies operating in Brazil among these oil and gas sector workers.

It is not official yet, but preliminary information indicates that the employee took his own life and according to some colleagues, he experienced a loss a few months ago. For ethical reasons, CPG will not disclose the name and other additional details.

It is known by all that companies had to adopt differentiated and more extensive shifts due to the pandemic, with offshore workers now required to remain in social isolation for 14 days in a hotel and another 28 days on board.

According to the North Fluminense Oil Workers Union, NF has been seeking better shift alternatives with Petrobras to deal with the new coronavirus (COVID-19), as the volume of work and prolonged isolation are affecting the mental health of workers, which is already difficult even without a pandemic.

Next, here is a great reflection from Fernanda Sola, director of CEPEM (Center for Business Psychology), which indeed has many job openings for those who wish to work at the Imbetiba Port in Macaé-RJ. Here it is:

….In an industry where everything must be black or white, managing subjectivities seems truly impossible. But this gentleman must have given signs. To the family, to colleagues, somehow… and it is our duty to pay attention to these signs, especially before and during an unprecedented forced isolation in the market.

When we talk about mental health management, apps can indeed help, but contact must be human and recurrent in order to embrace, map, and transform sensitive issues into constant education and awareness. It is a self-reinforcing cycle that requires a lot of delicacy and dedication so that it is gradually absorbed by the company culture. It is not enough just to provide a toll-free number. Active care is necessary.

I still have much to learn about the subject and each project teaches more. But an episode like this serves to show that we have chosen the right fight and that no matter how rigid and decaying our industry is, it is still time to transform.

Fernanda Sola, CEPEM

The fact is that many workers are suffering with this quarantine before boarding. Ai