On October 30th, 2024, the first-ever Mental Health in Energy (MHIE) breakfast seminar for the charter members was held at the ONE BioHub, marking a fundamental moment in the energy sector's journey toward prioritising mental wellbeing.
As the proud sponsor of the event, Dolphin Drilling is delighted to have facilitated and made this event possible to gather like-minded businesses, eager to make mental health a key focus within their organisations. Alongside the message of the MHIE group and messaging, we strongly believe that by having companies unite to address these issues, we can create meaningful change across the industry as a whole.
The breakfast seminar provided an invaluable opportunity for industry professionals to come together, collaborate, and network, all while sharing good practices for addressing mental health challenges within the energy sector. In a demanding industry where high-pressure environments are the norm, ensuring the wellbeing of employees is crucial.
Key Takeaways from the Speakers
Rev. Michael Mair, Minister at Church of Scotland and Chaplain to the UK Offshore Energy Industry, opened the conversation by sharing his personal experiences working closely with offshore energy workers. He talked of his transition into the oil & gas industry and how after just his second trip offshore, he knew that he had made the right decision to be in a position to offer help where there may not have been any before.
Simon Lee Maryan, a Psychologist and Founder at Simon Lee Maryan Ltd, focused on the urgent mental health challenges offshore workers face, with suicide rates 15 times higher than those onshore due to isolation, hazardous work, and long separations from family. Nearly one-third of offshore employees meet clinical depression criteria, while over one-third suffer from poor sleep. He emphasised the role of deep-rooted "tough" cultures, organisational pressures, and generational gaps in preventing workers from seeking help. To address these issues, Simon encouraged proactive cultural shifts, industry-standard mental health care, and leadership-led initiatives like resilience training, peer support networks, and accessible mental health resources.
Darren Sutherland, VP Europe Africa at Borr Drilling, gave an overview of the charter, discussing the origins and growth of the Mental Health in Energy Charter, sparked by a speech he gave at an IADC awards night where he shared a personal story on mental health and suicide. Challenged to act, he convened industry leaders, leading to a whitepaper, a launch event, and now a dedicated task force and a rebrand in 2024. The Charter sets a framework, not regulation, for supporting mental health, encouraging a culture of acceptance and equipping employers with guidance on how to signpost individuals to the correct professional help.
Speaking about the future, Darren states: “It was great to see the charter really coming to life today with member companies sharing lessons learned and a lot of rich discussion on what needs to be done to continue to drive cultural change on mental health in our industry. In November we look forward to sharing the results of the first survey in the North Sea on Mental Health and Wellbeing which should help guide our next steps. Into 2025, we are planning on holding these member events on a quarterly basis to help support charter signatories in their efforts to improve mental health in the energy sector.”
Ann McCreath, HSSES Services Delivery Manager Operations EMEA at Wood Plc, shared Wood’s journey in implementing mental health support. She discussed the concrete steps her organisation has taken to integrate mental health into their safety and wellbeing protocols and provided tips for others looking to start similar initiatives within their companies. One key point was to start small, and not to try to do it all at once. Every organisation is different, and what might work for one, might not fit for the other.
The event concluded with a Q&A session, where audience members engaged directly with the speakers, which provided a space for an even deeper exploration into the challenges and opportunities of promoting mental health in the energy sector. It also allowed charter members to share some of their experiences and starting points with other members.
Driving Positive Change for the Future
The energy industry faces many challenges, and the mental health of its employees should not be overlooked. The seminar was just the beginning of a long-term effort to integrate mental health as a core priority in our industry.
At Dolphin Drilling, we are proud to be involved in this vital initiative and have started our journey in actively implementing mental health strategies. Our first step was creating a Wellbeing Committee consisting of Michelle Crawford – CHRO, Graeme Christie – VP HSEEQ, Lynn Birse – HR Manager, Sharon Stein – Tax Manager, Sarah Gardyne – Marketing Coordinator, Roddy Gillies – Rig HSE Advisor, Paul B Loyd Jr., Olaug Sirevag – Radio Operator, Paul B Loyd Jr. and Paul Nuernberg – SSL, Blackford Dolphin. Most of the committee members were present at the event, with those on the rigs unable to attend.
