Fitness to work: a comparison of European guidelines in the offshore wind industry

Abstract

Occupational medicine must be able to meet the challenges of rapidly changing technologies and innovations, including the implementation of health and safety standards for physically and psychologically demanding work environments. One such challenge is presented by the offshore wind industry. Here, the demand for "Fitness to Work" regulations for potential employees is justified. An appropriate evaluation has to consider the two aspects "fit for task" and "fit for location and conditions". Guidelines for the fitness testing of offshore employees have been created by various national organisations. The guidelines of the industry organisations of the United Kingdom (Oil & Gas UK) and the Netherlands (NOGEPA), as well as the Norwegian Directorate of Health, were developed for employees of offshore oil and gas platforms. In Germany, however, a medical guideline for fitness testing specific to workers in the offshore wind industry has recently been created. Such recommendations should be made on the basis of accident statistics and rescue reports, but there are only limited data available. In this paper, we present, compare and discuss the content and features of the various guidelines, as well as their recommendations for medical assessment.