When a North Sea-located offshore FPSO operated by a major international energy company entered Cease of Production (CoP), an increase in psychological and behavioural risk was inevitable.  

Once livelihoods and futures are thrown into turmoil, workforce uncertainty, a crisis or loss of identity, and a reduction in perceived control are too common. These factors increase the potential for human error in safety-critical operations, challenging the mental health and wellbeing of affected individuals.

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The Challenge

With CoP looming, key psychological risks on the FPSO included:  

• Reduced emotional regulation affecting judgement and communication.

• Heightened anxiety and anticipatory stress.

• Identity loss and grief responses in long-serving personnel.

• Identified high-risk cases of suicidal ideation and self-harm.

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Our Approach

During the CoP journey, the offshore workforce must have visible and accessible support each step of the way. Doing so helps navigate the many uncertainties associated with the process and the additional strain it places on individuals and the team as a collective.  

IntrospeXion worked with the asset by ensuring that individuals felt supported by a psychologist who could communicate effectively in the offshore arena and provide a safe space for the workforce to discuss issues in confidence that they were harbouring within themselves.

In this case, a renewed sense of control was required, with our experienced psychological team providing measures including:  

• Embedded, offshore-certified psychologists onboard the FPSO.

• Delivered Proactive Mental-Health Workshops & Toolkit.

• Confidential 1:1 risk assessments and Drop-In clinics, allowing quick access to support.

• Immediate stabilisation, safety planning and safeguarding.

• Supervisor support and anonymised human performance insight.

The intervention functioned as an ALARP control within the CoP risk framework.  

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The Transformation

Following our intervention and working closely with those on board the asset, key outcomes included:  

• High-risk cases stabilised with no escalation to harm.

• Increased early disclosure of distress.

• Reduced behavioural risk during transition.

• Improved workforce trust and leadership confidence.

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Why This Matters for Organisations

CoP is a psychological risk event, as well as an operational milestone. Unmanaged distress increases the likelihood of behavioural error, presenteeism, and safety incidents offshore. Embedded psychological support reduces risk to ALARP, demonstrates duty of care, and protects people, operations, and your reputation.  

This case study demonstrates that integrating psychological risk controls into CoP planning is essential. IntrospeXion supports organisations to manage the human risks of CoP, decommissioning, and transition with the same rigour applied to technical safety.

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The Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) on board the FPSO:‍

“Having been involved in a recent CoP project that engaged with IntrospeXion as part of the process, I cannot minimise how much value this brought during this journey. People are our no. 1 priority and asset, and we should value their commitment by showing we genuinely care. This in turn creates a team that works more cohesively while allowing minds to focus on keeping themselves and others safer in the workplace.

The early workshops that Shabnum delivered were very tailored, powerful, and made an immediate impact at site. Wellbeing of our crew was no longer a taboo subject, but one that they became more open to discussing. It also armed the crew with the required tools to recognise signs within themselves and recognise when others may be struggling.

The most important element of it all is to ensure that the support is tangible, it is engaging and remains for the duration of the journey. These elements were delivered and executed in a professional manner by Shabnum and her team. The positive feedback that was received is always something I will carry with me into my future roles. What’s more is that the team at IntrospeXion kept the communication channels with the leadership team open even when they were not offshore, allowing for additional support for when situations arose.

Mental health support for offshore workers is something that we should encourage at all sites regularly. I have seen and benefited firsthand from how IntrospeXion can effectively support an offshore workforce, including the management team. They make a very difficult and uncertain journey more manageable for the team by shining a guiding light for people who need it.”

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