A New Health Care System For The Offshore Oil Industry
Authors: Hall T.M. , Woolf S.H. 
Published: October 2008

Description: This paper describes a 19 month study of illnesses and injuries in a defined population of offshore oil workers. Twenty-eight central facilities and their satellite installations were entered into the study. The first responders and safety officers assigned to these rigs were given a one day orientation to the study design. A group of physicians at a response center near Washington, D.C., plus communications and support personnel provided the medical services. First responders were instructed to call the physician group by WATS line or VHF radio patch as soon as possible after a medical problem was identified. A physician was immediately available at all times to take the call, do an in-depth analysis of the patient's symptoms and physical exam findings, recommends initial treatment or evacuation and document the case for company management.

Application: This health care system allows for improved medical supervision of first responders, determination of worker duty status, elimination of unscheduled helicopter evacuations for minor medical problems and generation of an accurate report for each offshore medical incident. The immediate availability of a physician consultant makes it feasible for the first responder to dispense recommended pharmaceuticals. Thus initial or complete treatment for many conditions can be given on the rig. The efficiency of safety programs can be monitored by analyzing the rig distribution of work related problems.

Results: A total of III cases was documented. A statistical analysis is provided regarding the percentage of unscheduled evacuations, distribution of physician diagnoses, job related injuries, and rig distribution of cases. Recommended pharmaceuticals for each case are provided allowing development of an appropriate offshore medicine chest.

Significance of Subject Matter: only 46.8% of the incidents were work-related problems. Medical illnesses that could not have been prevented by traditional safety programs totaled 51.4%. There is a need for health care and safety programs that address all potential medical problems of offshore workers.

Introduction

Medical care for offshore petroleum workers is a challenging concern for both occupational medicine and the oil industry. This population group is predisposed to unique industrial hazards as well as routine illnesses, and workers are isolated from physicians and health care facilities, often when immediate professional attention is necessary.

The health of offshore workers has been supported by the presence of trained "first-responders" and the capability of emergent helicopter evacuation of the worker to a land-based hospital. Despite these noteworthy interventions, the quality of medical care for the offshore worker can be optimized by more immediate evaluation by a physician while transportation to a medical facility is being considered or arranged. Although first-responders are trained in emergency first-aid, most offshore medical problems are not, in fact, emergencies. The first-responder's weaker background in non-emergent illnesses means that the evaluation of the patient and the treatment that is instituted may be inappropriate for the circumstances. This can result in inadequate care, unnecessary delays in treatment or inappropriate triage, despite the best intentions of the responder.