by Oil & Gas UK
Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Oil & Gas UK published its revised medical guidelines which set out good practice for assessing the health of those working or intending to work offshore in the UK.

The guidelines have been completely re-written to reflect a new approach which aims to match a person's medical fitness with their particular work activity. This allows for a far more flexible, risk-based approach.

Chris Allen, HSSE director with Oil & Gas UK, said: "The confirmation of an appropriate level of fitness is essential in our industry because of the nature and location of work on offshore platforms. It is the aim of occupational medicine to allow a person to continue work wherever possible and the revised guidelines consider the interaction between a worker, the environment and medical condition to gain a better understanding of an individuals general health and well-being.

Previous editions of the guidelines did not determine the risks posed by offshore work and the worker's health status on an individual basis, but were based on general rules and assumptions. The new updated guidelines focus on a risk based assessment on a case by case basis and are hence beneficial for both the worker and the employer."

The new guidelines will feature two brand new sections on organ transplants and allergies together with substantially revised sections on psychiatric disorder, endocrine disorders, obesity, alcohol dependence and drug abuse and medication.