Medical certification

NOGEPA seeks optimal medical conditions for all those working on offshore installations. Weather, time of day, and distance between offshore installation and a hospital onshore all affect the time required  to evacuate someone  to a hospital. A valid medical certification for working offshore is essential. 

This medical check-up is valid for a period of two years and must be undertaken by a doctor approved by NOGEPA and according to standards applicable to working offshore. These standards are presented in NOGEPA Guideline number 15 Medical Aspects of Fitness for Work Offshore: Guidance for Examining. If an employee fails to pass his offshore medical an appeal is possible. The appeal procedure is provided in NOGEPA Guideline number 8 (NL).

Recognised doctors

NOGEPA has set up a system in which doctors may request NOGEPA-recognition. This recognition or approval  to perform NOGEPA offshore medical examinations is issued for periods of three years to medical doctors who can demonstrate that  they possess the proper facilities to perform medical check-ups and knowledge of the offshore oil and gas industry. An application for recognition is evaluated by a NOGEPA medical advisor. NOGEPA keeps a list of recognised doctors on the NOGEPA website.

The countries around the North Sea mutually recognise and accept their offshore medical certificates (Hardanger agreement). However, Norway only recognises doctors who are formally registered in Norway. For Dutch and foreign doctors this means:

• letting a doctor registered in Norway co-sign the certification approved by them, or
• becoming registered in Norway.