Offshore Med and blood

[kim wilson]

Hiya, My last employer was in the research side so I did not need a medical or survival cert for 6 years.
Now as I’m looking at offshore again I need both it seems, the talk of a grandfather clause never came to anything as these course are such easy money for many outfits, 30 years offshore and I’m deemed too dumb to remember the drills etc.
Most marine crew only need a survival and fire fighting once as I have been told,
Anyway that I can live with but now I hear the medicals include taking blood, I have nothing to hide but this seems way over the top and leads us to the potential problem of blood reports getting into the wrong hands eventually.
I could work onshore and not be asked for blood so I really feel this is unfair.
I would be paying for the med and course myself without any job in mind.
Can someone advise me about this deal, is this across the board or just up to individual testing centres?
Many thanks,

[Ray Shields]

I’m not sure where you have got your information but I have never had any blood drawn for any of my offshore medicals.

You do not say which area of the world you are wishing to work or nationality.

To work in the North Sea sector, you require an OGUK Medical. To work in the Norwegian sector, you require a separate Norwegian medical (in reality they are done at the same time and you get two pieces of paper).

From Abermed, a company that supplies offshore medicals:-

Offshore Medicals
OGUK Offshore Medicals (formerly known as UKOOA)
You will need to pass an Offshore Medical Examination if you wish to work offshore.

The OKUK Offshore Medical is valid for two years and allows you to work in the UK sector or the North Sea.

An OGUK Offshore Medical at Abermed consists of the following:
Screening:-
Completion of Patient Questionnaire,
Urinalysis – routine urine test with immediate result
BMI – measurement of height, weight and calculation of Body Mass Index
Near Distance and Colour Vision
Pulse and Blood Pressure Measurement
Lung Function Test (peak flow)
Audiogram (hearing test)
Consultation with a doctor

Norwegian Medical
The Norwegian Medical is very similar to the OGUK Offshore Medical and allows you to work in Norwegian waters. The Norwegian Certificate can be issued at the same time as an OGUK.

Netherlands Medical
The NOGEPA (Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Association) Offshore Medical allows you to work in UK, Norwegian or Dutch sectors of the North Sea.

Marine (ships) crew, require an ENG1 medical, they also have to re-do theirs every 2 years. I am sure that they too also require to re-train their survival and firefighting regularly.

[kim wilson]

Cheers Ray, I think our paths have crossed in the past, 80s or 90s somewhere.
Appreciate the feedback, I asked because I was talking to a group in Singapore that does the survival and medicals, on the letter they sent back it mentioned blood tests.
Years ago I was asked by Oceaneering in the US for an interview then later a medical, blood was taken then so I wondered if this was another money making insidious way of getting more dosh out of guys offshore.
Now that I’m an old geezer I was concerned about the medical but not by the usual type that I had had before.
I have been getting so many invites to supervise that I thought I might have one more go offshore in S.E.A or back to the Med.
Thanks again,
Kim Wilson

[James McLauchlan]

….
Years ago I was asked by Oceaneering in the US for an interview then later a medical, blood was taken then so I wondered if this was another money making insidious way of getting more dosh out of guys offshore…

That’ll more than likely be an Oceaneering requirement for it’s employees. I agree with Ray…. blood is not taken for offshore surface medicals. They do a urine sample, but that’s about all on the fluid extraction front!

[openside]

If you are doing a Petronas medical you will have three lots of blood taken. This is tested for allsorts including drugs.
Maybe thats why the group in Singapore said about the blood as they will be working in that area that requires a Petrona medical.

[kim wilson]

Thanks everyone for getting me up to speed on this, I’m afraid I’m one of those guys who don’t trust the motives or reasoning
behind some of what we ROV guys are asked for, mostly it lines
someone’s pockets.
Possibly after 33 years offshore you tend to get that way ;_)

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