Intelligent Physical Exercise Training (IPET) in the Offshore Wind Industry: a Feasibility Study With an Adjusted Conceptual Model

Background: Good physical health and capacity is a requirement for offshore wind service technicians (WTs) who have substantial physical work demands and are exposed to numerous health hazards. Workplace physical exercise has shown promising results as a strategy for maintaining and improving physical health and work ability among various types of workers. Therefore, we aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Intelligent Physical Exercise Training (IPET) concept among WTs in the offshore wind industry.Methods: The present study used a within-subject design to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of IPET (one hour/week individualized exercise during working hours). The intervention period was 12 weeks, with the first eight weeks performed on site as supervised or partly supervised exercise during work hours and the last four weeks planned as home-administered exercise after termination of the seasonal offshore service period. Three assessments, T1 (six months prior to intervention start), T2 (start of intervention) and T3 (end of intervention), of physical health and capacity (self-reported and objective measurements) were conducted and the period between T1 and T2 served as a within-subject control period. Primary outcome was feasibility measured as compliance, adherence, adverse events, and participant acceptability. Descriptive statistics were used to present feasibility outcomes and pairwise comparisons were performed to assess for differences in outcomes between T1, T2 and T3. Results: All WTs at the included wind farm (n=24, age: 40 years (SD±8)) participated in the study. No serious adverse events were reported. Compliance and adherence of 95 and 80% respectively, were reached in the eight-week supervised part, but lower when exercise was home-administered (<20%). Acceptability was high for the supervised part, with 83% indicating that the exercise program worked well and 100% that exercise should be implemented as an integrated part of the working structure. Physical capacity and health parameters collected at T1, T2 and T3 increased before and during the intervention period, indicating seasonal fluctuations in addition to possible improvements caused by the intervention.Conclusion: Implementation of Intelligent Physical Exercise Training on site and during working hours seems to be feasible and well received among WTs in the offshore wind industry.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04995718). Retrospectively registered on August 6, 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04995718?term=NCT04995718&draw=2&rank=1