RE: Offshore Fireteam Fitness Assessments?

[Guest guest]

BT,

A further development in the long-running saga of ERT medicals. As the

need for 'Form B' for training purposes is now abandoned, ERT members

should be able to get on a training course without further ado.

Note the third last paragraph of the attached UKOOA communication:

" The key outcomes from the workshop include the need to re-examine the

traditional role of emergency response teams in the light of safety case

scenarios, automatic fire fighting systems and intervention risk

assessment. The outcome of this review will determine both the training

and competence requirements and the medical fitness levels for ERT

members "

Following a workshop earlier last month the whole topic will be

revisited and new guidance produced in due course.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Buchanan

Janice Alpha Medic

janmed@...

Tel +44 (0) 1224 856761 Direct Dial

Tel +44 (0) 1224 856703 Control Room

Offshore Fireteam Fitness

Assessments?

Hi all,

Those of you in the UK offshore oil industry may be aware of

this

situation and may wish to comment.

In the past few months some oil operators have decided to invoke

an

existing UKOOA recommendation where fire team members are

assessed

for fitness to participate in firefighting activities. In a

nutshell, there are two levels of fitness standards. Level 2

allows

participation for up to 30 minutes, Level 1 allows up to one

hour.

No real guidance on what happens if the fire is still burning

after

one hour!

Predictably, when the assessments were carried, many failed to

achieve even the Level 2 standard - and were therefore relieved

from

firefighting duties! This was hardly surprising! The UK oil

industry

is almost thirty years older - and so are the workers! The

average

offshore age in the northern sector is now over fifty, a time

when

professional fire service personnel are considering retirement

from

active duty! It's rather like asking Graeme Souness to play 90

minutes of football this week - He'd probably do it but it would

be

fairly hazardous!

The result has been short-handed fireteams and lots of anxious

personnel. UKOOA have gone back to the drawing board -or have

they??

Would appreciate some comments.

Cheers

BT

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________________________________

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

UKOOA have just advised they are suspending their pre fire team fitness to

attend fire team training cert. And yes they are going back to the drawing

board. I am currently working on the Beryl Alpha where we have been testing

our Emergency response teams Vo2 (35 Vo2 the pass standard) with a good

result and commitment and will continue to do so until UKOOA develop an

alternative.

I will be back offshore on the 18 Jan and will send out the findings from

the one day workshop on Medical and fitness standards for emergency response

team members held on the 24 November 2004, sponsored by UKOOA.

In the meantime if you want any feedback let me know.

Regards

Clive

Medic

-- Offshore Fireteam Fitness Assessments?

Hi all,

Those of you in the UK offshore oil industry may be aware of this

situation and may wish to comment.

In the past few months some oil operators have decided to invoke an

existing UKOOA recommendation where fire team members are assessed

for fitness to participate in firefighting activities. In a

nutshell, there are two levels of fitness standards. Level 2 allows

participation for up to 30 minutes, Level 1 allows up to one hour.

No real guidance on what happens if the fire is still burning after

one hour!

Predictably, when the assessments were carried, many failed to

achieve even the Level 2 standard - and were therefore relieved from

firefighting duties! This was hardly surprising! The UK oil industry

is almost thirty years older - and so are the workers! The average

offshore age in the northern sector is now over fifty, a time when

professional fire service personnel are considering retirement from

active duty! It's rather like asking Graeme Souness to play 90

minutes of football this week - He'd probably do it but it would be

fairly hazardous!

The result has been short-handed fireteams and lots of anxious

personnel. UKOOA have gone back to the drawing board -or have they??

Would appreciate some comments.

Cheers

BT

[Guest guest]

A quick web search brings up a link to papers from this conference at

http://www.oilandgas.org.uk/issues/health/medicalworkshop.htm

It looks like it was an interesting event.

Does anyone have a link to the current medical and fitness standards?

Cheers,

(not in the oil industry, but involved in discussions about fitness

standards for using breathing apparatus in other circumstances)

At 19:31 09/01/2005 +0000, you wrote:

>Hi ,

>UKOOA have just advised they are suspending their pre fire team fitness to

>attend fire team training cert. And yes they are going back to the drawing

>board. I am currently working on the Beryl Alpha where we have been testing

>our Emergency response teams Vo2 (35 Vo2 the pass standard) with a good

>result and commitment and will continue to do so until UKOOA develop an

>alternative.

>I will be back offshore on the 18 Jan and will send out the findings from

>the one day workshop on Medical and fitness standards for emergency response

>team members held on the 24 November 2004, sponsored by UKOOA.

>In the meantime if you want any feedback let me know.

>Regards

>Clive

>Medic

>

>-- Offshore Fireteam Fitness Assessments?

>

>

>

>Hi all,

>

>Those of you in the UK offshore oil industry may be aware of this

>situation and may wish to comment.

>

>In the past few months some oil operators have decided to invoke an

>existing UKOOA recommendation where fire team members are assessed

>for fitness to participate in firefighting activities. In a

>nutshell, there are two levels of fitness standards. Level 2 allows

>participation for up to 30 minutes, Level 1 allows up to one hour.

>No real guidance on what happens if the fire is still burning after

>one hour!

>

>Predictably, when the assessments were carried, many failed to

>achieve even the Level 2 standard - and were therefore relieved from

>firefighting duties! This was hardly surprising! The UK oil industry

>is almost thirty years older - and so are the workers! The average

>offshore age in the northern sector is now over fifty, a time when

>professional fire service personnel are considering retirement from

>active duty! It's rather like asking Graeme Souness to play 90

>minutes of football this week - He'd probably do it but it would be

>fairly hazardous!

>

>The result has been short-handed fireteams and lots of anxious

>personnel. UKOOA have gone back to the drawing board -or have they??

>

>Would appreciate some comments.

>

>Cheers

>

>BT

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>Member Information:

>

>List owner: Ian Sharpe Owner@...

>Editor: Ross Boardman Editor@...

>

>ALL list admin messages (subscriptions & unsubscriptions) should be sent to

>the list owner.

>

>Post message: egroups

>

>Please visit our website http://www.remotemedics.co.uk

>

>Regards

>

>The Remote Medics Team

>