ABSTRACT
The abuse of substances, both legal and illegal, may influence the human ability to safely operate equipment and perform tasks in a reliable manner due to its effects on human cognition. This may influence the overall safety of offshore structures. This paper uses previous research to describe some of the ways substance abuse influence human reliability. Based on the research described in the paper it seems reasonable that the use of psychoactive substances among offshore workers merits to be investigated further in order to contribute to the continuous improvement of safety and wellbeing of offshore employees. The paper outlines a path for further research to explore these issues.
