Motion sickness among offshore wind farm workers - a scoping review of current research

The transfer of offshore wind farm workers (WFWs) between transport vessels and wind turbines is a hazardous operation with a disproportionately high occurrence of “high potential” incidents. Motion sickness (MS) has been reported to affect offshore wind farm workers’ well-being and has been identified as a job demand, especially during crew transfer and ladder-climbing operations. This scoping review sought to determine the extent to which current research defines, describes, and quantifies MS among offshore WFWs and to identify relevant research gaps.

Using terms related to MS and offshore wind farm operations, searches were conducted of the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Studies published in English between 1990 and 2024 were included.

Of 795 articles retrieved, 11 met the inclusion criteria. The included articles describe MS as a job demand but do not clearly define it in the research context. Consequently, it remains unclear which symptoms of MS constitute a job demand and how workers are affected. Additionally, indications of MS prevalence are required, using a clear definition that accounts for the wide range of subjective symptoms other than vomiting. No research appears to have been carried out in which MS among WFWs was studied as a broad occupational health issue within the offshore wind energy sector.

This review identifies research gaps concerning MS among offshore WFWs. Motion sickness-re-lated issues have either been overlooked, studied in isolation, or insufficiently addressed. These issues constitute empirical, methodological, and knowledge gaps, necessitating a need for systematic studies that address these research gaps in the context of the offshore wind energy sector.