Maritime Medical FAQ

 Is a medical examination required for seafaring or offshore working?

ILO Convention concerning medical examination (Seafarers) No. 73/1946 Article 3.1 and ILO Convention concerning medical examination (Fishermen) No. 113 / 1959 Article 2, state that everyone must pass a medical fitness assessment before embarking on a seafaring or fishermen career, or before return to sea. There are no exceptions for age, job, or length of stay. Then this health requirement is adopted in MLC 2006 Regulation 1.2 Paragraph 1: Seafarers shall not work on a ship unless they are certified as medically fit to perform their duties.

Most oil & gas authorities such as Oil and Gas UK / UK Offshore Operators Association, Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Association, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Norwegian Directorate of Health, also made same policy for offshore worker.

Why?

Because, a ship or offshore platform is a unique workplace:
• Absence from home for prolonged periods; isolation from family and friends and, in some cases, from persons of their own cultural background.
• The potentially hazardous nature of seafaring or offshore working, which calls for a high standard of health and continuing fitness.
• The potential need for the crewmembers to play important role in an emergency which may involve strenuous activity in adverse conditions (smoke, fume, heat or cold exposure).
• The physical structure of a ship or offshore platform with numerous stairways, vertical steel ladders, rope ladders, small hatchways, up and down gangways – all requires a reasonable degree of physical stamina and agility. Some emergency escape routes involve climbing up vertical ladders through comparatively small exits.
• Routine movement on wet, slippery, uneven and unstable surfaces.
• Irregular shift work with long hours.
• Adverse weather conditions.
• The limited crew complement which mean that the illness of one crew member may place a burden on others.
• The requirement to join and leave ship or offshore platform by air that they should be free from any condition which preclude air travel.  
• Operate far offshore or in inaccessible areas, it is often difficult to replace seafarers who become injured or ill.
• The restricted medical facility likely to be available on board ship.
• Remote from shore-based medical services.

What are the types of seafarer / offshore crew’ medical fitness assessment?
• Pre-sea Medical Fitness (new entrant)
• Periodic Medical Fitness
• Post Sickness-Injury Medical Fitness

What are the difference between Pre-sea Medical Fitness and Periodic Medical Fitness?

Pre-sea medical fitness provides an opportunity to prevent a person from embarking on a seafaring / offshore working career for health reasons apparent at that time. Important factors to be taken into account at pre-sea medical fitness are INFECTIOUS DISEASES, EYESIGHT, HEARING and PHYSICAL ABILITY. For Periodic Medical Fitness, basically, the same assessments are carried out as at pre-sea medical fitness but with some modifications. Besides infectious diseases, eyesight, hearing and physical ability, additional factors to be taken into account are AGEING and SEA-SERVICES HISTORY of injury, physical & chemical exposures.

How frequency of medical examinations?

ILO Convention concerning medical examination of young persons (Sea) No. 16/1921 article 2 and 3, ILO Convention concerning medical examination (Seafarers) No. 73/1946 article 5.1., and ILO Convention concerning medical examination (Fishermen) No. 113/1959 article 4.1. state that the fitness medical certificate is to be revalidated every 2 years; for seafarers less than 18 years old and fishermen less than 21 years, every year. Then this period of validity of the medical certificate be contained in The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention 1978, Regulation I/9) and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006, Standard A1.2, paragraph 7).

Most oil & gas authorities such as Oil and Gas UK / UK Offshore Operators Association, Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Association, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and Norwegian Directorate of Health, also determine 2 years period of validity of the medical fitness certificate.

If the validity of the certificate expires while the vessel is at the sea, the certificate remains in force until the end of the voyage at which a replacement certificate can be obtained, or for up to three months from the date of expiry of the certificate – whichever is the sooner. The validity of the certificate cannot be extended.

What are the purpose and mean of post sickness-injury medical examination?

A seafarer / offshore crew should be medically re-assessed prior to allowed resume duty, if he/she has been: (1) Incapacitated by sickness or injury for ≥ 30 days.(2) Discharged or evacuated from workplace for health reasons, or (3) Required by the employer / ship-owner / ship-master to obtain a new certificate where, as a result of illness, injury or reasonable cause it is believed the seafarer / offshore crew may no longer meet appropriate minimum standards.

What are the results of medical fitness assessment in terms of the medical – eyesight - hearing standards?

• FIT for sea services or offshore work with no restrictions
• FIT for sea services or offshore work but with restriction
• TEMPORARY UNFIT for sea services or offshore work
• PERMANENTLY UNFIT for sea services or offshore work

If I have pre-existing medical conditions that can be controlled by long-terms medication, will I be fit for work?

Yes, your doctor will give a letter of pre-existing medical conditions detailing name of medications and dosage, and confirmation that permission has been granted to use the medications when on duty at sea and that the medications will not interfere or affect your abilities to perform duties. Besides, you should follow the doctor's advices and arrange for a reserve stock of the prescribed medications for the duration of the contract plus one month, and should inform the ship-master / ship medical staff about your pre-existing medical condition(s) upon boarding. But any permanent or progressing debilitating pathology without recovery will be a cause for unfitness.