A theoretical and practical model that combines the two and its implementation on three mobile drilling installations offshore

Monitoring the health of employees in order to detect possible long-term effects of adverse working environment conditions has been a task for several years and is also a regulatory requirement related to a systematic follow-up of the working environment in the petroleum industry.

To design a model that effectively combines the results of working environment exposure data and possible adverse health effects, and at the same time being the practical tool we have been looking for as an occupational health service team, has been a major challenge for us for a long time.

The theoretic approach we chose has been similar to the safety risk analysis models, but the terms probability of events and the event severity (consequence) are replaced with exposure level and potential health effect severity. We also introduce the term "health-risk score" which is the product of the two above mentioned elements.

This health risk score triggers off different actions. These include the possible need for follow-up exposure measurements in the working environment, an evaluation of the use of personal protective equipment, the need for further education/training among the employers/employees and, of course, -what kind of specific measures are to be chosen and included in the health monitoring programme and at which intervals.

To support our work we have developed a software programme which is of major importance in combining all the results of the actual working environment exposure data and keeping record of the health monitoring programme for the different departments and employee categories in a company.

We strongly believe that this approach benefits both the company in its aim for a systematic follow-up of the working environment, and it gives us, as their partner in the QHSE field, the practical tool we have been looking for.

In 2001 we started the process of implementing this model in a company we have been collaborating with as an occupational health service for several years. This company is an oil drilling company managing three mobile installations in the North Sea.

We will present how the practical implementation took place and the experience so far.

Keywords:
john skegg, health & medicine, risk and uncertainty assessment, environment exposure data, society of petroleum engineers, kokstad occupational health service ltd, health risk assessment, md chief physician, upstream oil & gas, strategic health management
Subjects:
Health, Risk Management and Decision-Making, Strategic health management, Health impact assessment, Noise, chemicals, and other workplace hazards, Risk, uncertainty, and risk assessment

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