Tragedy On Petrobras’ P-51 Platform: Worker Takes His Own Life Aboard In Campos Basin

Petrobras Confirmed to Click Oil and Gas, This Morning (22), the Death of a Mechanical Technician Aboard Platform P 51, in the Campos Basin

A sad piece of news this morning (04/21): the mechanical technician, identified as Joceil Martins da Fonseca, 41, was found dead on the Petrobras oil platform P-51, in the Campos Basin. Information about the fatality was confirmed to our press office this morning (22) by Petrobras. The state-owned company emphasized to CPG – Click Oil and Gas that the case is under investigation by the competent authorities. Although other portals are spreading information about criminal proceedings, none have been officially disclosed yet. Here is what has been uncovered so far in the course of the article.

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According to information, the oil worker lived in Campos and was an employee of the offshore contractor SOTREQ. Joceli took his own life aboard the Petrobras platform P51 and was found dead under the helipad by coworkers.

“On the morning of Wednesday, April 21, we received information from the oil worker category about the occurrence of a death aboard Platform P-51. After contacting the workers of the unit, the news was confirmed. The mechanic from SOTREQ, who works for Petrobras on platform P-51, Joceil Martins da Fonseca, 41, was found dead on the platform,” informed Sindipetro-NF through a statement.

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Sindipetro-NF Expressed Solidarity to the Family of the Mechanic

“Sindipetro-NF has historically fought for better working conditions aboard that influence mental health. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the situation has worsened, with companies unilaterally altering work schedules, causing the environment to deteriorate. It is worth noting that currently, absences due to mental health issues are the second leading cause of work absenteeism at Petrobras installations. The Sindipetro-NF mourns the death of yet another worker at the workplace and will be available to the family to provide all necessary support.”

For now, the causes of death and other information about the case have not been officially disclosed. This report may be updated.

This is the Second Death Case on a Petrobras Platform This Year

A worker, an employee of the company Sistac, died in January of this year in an accident during an inspection on the FPSO from Petrobras, the Cidade Mangaratiba, currently chartered by the Japanese company Modec. Here is the official statement from Petrobras issued at the time:

Petrobras regrets to inform that, on Sunday (01/31), an industrial climber from the company SISTAC passed away after falling during an inspection of a tank on the FPSO Cidade de Mangaratiba, chartered by MODEC, which operates in the Tupi field, in the Santos Basin. The employee received immediate medical assistance on-site but did not survive. Petrobras is in contact with Sistac and MODEC, who will provide support to the family. The company will monitor the case and, together with MODEC, will create a commission to investigate the occurrence,” concludes Petrobras in an official statement to Click Oil and Gas.

Forced to Spend a Month in Isolation, Oil Workers Say They Have Reached Their Limit

The safety measures implemented by Petrobras to Contain Covid-19 Have Made Numerous Offshore Workers Sick. Labor union representatives and company employees report cases of depression, panic attacks, and other mental illnesses caused by errors in scheduling and excessive isolation.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, oil workers have had to quarantine in hotels before boarding offshore platforms. Depending on the area, they spend between 7 and 14 days locked in a room, with no contact with other people and receiving food through the door. The emotional impact of this routine, which has lasted a year due to the pandemic, has made countless professionals sick.

The Unified Federation of Oil Workers (FUP) pointed out that, recently, Petrobras changed the work schedule without informing workers in advance. As a result, depending on the quarantine period, employees may spend more than 30 days in isolation during a shift. According to the organization, some professionals stay onboard for up to 1 month and have 26 days off.

According to the occupational doctor of Sindipetro – NF, Ricardo Garcia Duarte, this is already an exhausting, long workday that demands a lot from both the physical and mental health of people.

“Oil workers do not have autonomy when they board and must follow strict rules: there is a schedule for everything, they do not choose what they eat and must wear specific safety clothing and gear. Not to mention the work pressure. If an employee is not attentive, it could cost his life and the lives of others,” explains Duarte.

The doctor reports that the pandemic has increased the emotional burden of the work performed by oil workers. They have come to have normal life one month on and one month off. In addition, another factor that has made the workforce even more anxious: “In the pandemic, besides the chemical risks of death, workers now face biological risks of death.”

According to reports from workers, the quarantine time in hotels, added to the time spent on board, has pushed the workforce to its emotional limit. “Friends have turned into alcoholics, others take prescription-free tranquilizers, and spend their isolation time sleeping; they only wake up on the day they leave the room,” said one oil worker.

The Other Side

Contrary to what workers say, Petrobras states that the pre-boarding quarantine of 14 days for the company’s own units is conducted “with monitoring and guidance from health teams.” The state-owned company also asserts that hotel accommodation can occur up to three days before the oil worker boards, to facilitate the collection of the RT-PCR test and wait for the result.

Furthermore, according to the oil company, regarding the emotional issue of oil workers, the company says “that potential emotional effects from stress situations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are not specific to the boarding regime. They are general effects of the pandemic to which anyone is subject.” Additionally, it states that the support is provided by a team of company psychologists, individually and with guaranteed confidentiality.

Concerning the boarding schedule, the company says that due to the pandemic, it adopted the prolonged schedule, in which employees spend 21 days on board and 28 to 35 days at home. “In this way, we reduce turnover and the level of contagion,” it explains. As for outsourcing, it states that the employer company is responsible for the schedule.