top of page

OGUK Offshore Medicals (formerly known as UKOOA)

 

You will need to pass an Offshore Medical Examination if you wish to work offshore.

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

An OGUK Offshore Medical consists of the following:

  • Screening:-

  • Completion of Patient Questionnaire - if you wish to fill this in before arrival to save time, you can download it here.

    • 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)

  • Occasionally an ECG (Heart Tracing)

 

Important note: please ensure you bring photo identification with you to your appointment. This will need to be produced at the time of your medical examination.


 

Upon completion of your examination, you will be provided with an Offshore Medical Certificate. The Offshore Medical Certificate is only valid for a limited time, and you need to renew it to continue working offshore. Renewals  are required every 2 years irrespective of your age.

Wind Farm Medicals

 

Wind Farms are an expanding technology and the Standards for Fitness to work on these farms, setting up turbines, is largely being driven by Renewable UK.

 

At the moment, there are no specific requirements for doctors wishing to undertake these medicals. It is acknowledged by Renewable UK that doctors involved in OGUK and Merchant Shipping medicals are likely to be in a good position to know the best way of assessing persons.

 

I have examined the current guidelines, and as an Occupational health Physician, GP and am already registered to undertake a wide variety of occupational health medicals (including OGUK), feel able to undertake these medicals.

 

The Renewable UK Guidelines can be downloaded here

 

Essentially the medical is similar to the OGUK medical with elements of the Confined Space medical. It focuses on areas where incapacity may cause a problem and it does contain a Fitness Test which is obligatory - The Chester Step test - The candidate must be able to make at least .35 mls/min/kg. If this is failed then the candidate will be expected to become fitter before passing. Re-testing will occur once the candidate feels they could achieve this.

 

Details on the Chester Step test can be found here: Please remember to dress appropriately/ wear comfortable footwear.

 

The Chester Step Test

A far more reliable way of gauging your fitness is to measure your heart’s ability to recover from exertion. The step test is a sub maximal test which requires you to step onto, and off a 30 cm/12″ step (a standard gym bench), at a rate set by a metronome disc, sufficient to elicit a heart rate of around 80% max heart rate at a moderate level of exertion. It is a multi-staged test so every 2 minutes there is an increase in the rate of the step. Exercise heart rates are then plotted on a graph and aerobic capacity and fitness rating may be calculated.

 

Procedure for the Test

If you are doing your step test as part of your medical examination or any other part of your recruitment process for the Fire Service, then this will generally be the procedure that you will go through:

  1. Your maximum heart rate will be calculated (220 – Age) and then 80% of your maximum heart rate. These values will be entered in the appropriate box on the Chester Step Test Record sheet and two horizontal lines will be drawn on the graph to represent these values.

  2. You will be told what will be required of you during the test, followed by a brief demonstration of the initial stepping rate (15 steps /min).

  3. When the CD is turned on your will be encouraged to commence stepping at the appropriate stepping rate, and will continue to step for the next 2 minutes.

  4. After the first 2 minutes of stepping (stage 1) your heart rate will be recorded during the last few seconds of stepping. (You may also be asked to indicate your rating of perceived exertion (RPE) from a chart numbered 6 to 20, low scores being very, very light exertion and high scores being very, very hard exertion).

  5. Providing your heart rate is below 80% of your maximum heart rate and the RPE is below 14, you’ll be asked to continue stepping at the slightly faster rate in stage 2 (20 steps/min).

  6. After another 2 minutes of stepping your heart rate will be recorded during the last few seconds of stage 2, and again you may be asked to indicate your RPE from the chart provided.

  7. Providing your heart rate is below 80% of your maximum heart rate and the RPE is below 14, you’ll be asked to continue stepping at the slightly faster rate is stage 3 (25 steps/min).

  8. The test will continue until either you report an RPE greater than 14 and/or an exercise heart rate greater than 80% of your maximum heart rate (stage 4 = 30 steps/min, stage 5 = 35 steps/min).

Your results will then be plotted and a decision will be made by the Occupational Doctor as to whether or not you pass the criteria for the step test.

 

Chaperone Policy

 

Any person of either sex can either bring or ask for provision of a chaperone to be present during the medical examination. If you would like one provided, please mention at time of booking as it might be difficult to provide at short notice.

The medical does not involve any intimate examination other than the undertaking of the ECG which would require access to the chest for the placement of electrodes.

bottom of page