{"id":{"repo_id":"rgu","oai_identifier":"oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807391"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/rgu/oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807391","repository":{"repo_id":"rgu","name":"Robert Gordon University","base_url":"https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/oaiprovider"},"display":{"title":"Illness and injury in the offshore workforce.","abstract":"A health care system has been established to serve the workforce of the UK offshore oil and gas extraction industry and has been functioning since the mid 1970's. In the current study the pattern of illness and injury in the offshore workforce of the UK Oil and Gas Industry is examined using data collected from 1,538 medical evacuations over a two year period from the offshore installations of ten major offshore operating companies. A questionnaire was developed for this purpose as was a communications system to facilitate its completion by the offshore medics of the installations concerned. This necessitated a review of the ethical issues surrounding the use of personal data in research. The proportion of evacuations due to illness in year one was similar to that due to injury, whilst in year two there was more illness than injury supporting the suggestion of an earlier study that the proportional relationship of illness and injury has reversed since the industry was established in the 1970’s. The distribution of diagnoses is compared for routine and unscheduled flights separately. Fractures were the commonest cause of injury resulting in evacuation by routine flight, whilst disorders of the digestive system were the commonest cause of illness. In turn a significant proportion of those evacuated for disorders of the digestive system related to dental problems. In respect of evacuations by unscheduled flight the commonest cause of injury was again fractures whereas diagnoses in the miscellaneous grouping accounted for the largest category of illness evacuations. Other related factors are discussed including the age and offshore experience of the evacuees and the seasonal distribution of the evacuations. Various associations are suggested hut it is concluded that the validity of the results is limited by the lack of background information on the offshore population. The study also examines certain aspects of the management of the evacuations both offshore and onshore. It is shown, for example, that a higher proportion of the evacuations in year two involved a consultation with an onshore medical adviser than in the first year. The study highlights the need for better dental screening, the relative significance of hand injuries and their management, and the possible value of 'telemedicine' in the offshore environment. It also identifies the potential benefit of further study of a similar nature but longitudinal design, supported by firm background information on the population at risk. The study yields much information concerning the work of the offshore medic and would form a basis for a further examination of the role and training needs of the offshore medic. The information collected would also be of value in relation to the planning of health care resources.","abstract_html":"A health care system has been established to serve the workforce of the UK offshore oil and gas extraction industry and has been functioning since the mid 1970's. In the current study the pattern of illness and injury in the offshore workforce of the UK Oil and Gas Industry is examined using data collected from 1,538 medical evacuations over a two year period from the offshore installations of ten major offshore operating companies. A questionnaire was developed for this purpose as was a communications system to facilitate its completion by the offshore medics of the installations concerned. This necessitated a review of the ethical issues surrounding the use of personal data in research. The proportion of evacuations due to illness in year one was similar to that due to injury, whilst in year two there was more illness than injury supporting the suggestion of an earlier study that the proportional relationship of illness and injury has reversed since the industry was established in the 1970’s. The distribution of diagnoses is compared for routine and unscheduled flights separately. Fractures were the commonest cause of injury resulting in evacuation by routine flight, whilst disorders of the digestive system were the commonest cause of illness. In turn a significant proportion of those evacuated for disorders of the digestive system related to dental problems. In respect of evacuations by unscheduled flight the commonest cause of injury was again fractures whereas diagnoses in the miscellaneous grouping accounted for the largest category of illness evacuations. Other related factors are discussed including the age and offshore experience of the evacuees and the seasonal distribution of the evacuations. Various associations are suggested hut it is concluded that the validity of the results is limited by the lack of background information on the offshore population. The study also examines certain aspects of the management of the evacuations both offshore and onshore. It is shown, for example, that a higher proportion of the evacuations in year two involved a consultation with an onshore medical adviser than in the first year. The study highlights the need for better dental screening, the relative significance of hand injuries and their management, and the possible value of 'telemedicine' in the offshore environment. It also identifies the potential benefit of further study of a similar nature but longitudinal design, supported by firm background information on the population at risk. The study yields much information concerning the work of the offshore medic and would form a basis for a further examination of the role and training needs of the offshore medic. The information collected would also be of value in relation to the planning of health care resources.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gauld, Stuart Johnston"],"institution":"Robert Gordon University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["J.N. Norman and S. Wilcock"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1993,"date_issued":"1993","date_published":"1993","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:10:09Z","subjects":["Oil and gas industry","Offshore healthcare","Telemedicine"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807391","https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807391"],"render_values":[{"text":"oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807391","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807391","href":"https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807391","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/2807391/1/GAULD%201993%20Illness%20and%20injury%20in%20the","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["J.N. Norman and S. 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In the current study the pattern of illness and injury in the offshore workforce of the UK Oil and Gas Industry is examined using data collected from 1,538 medical evacuations over a two year period from the offshore installations of ten major offshore operating companies. A questionnaire was developed for this purpose as was a communications system to facilitate its completion by the offshore medics of the installations concerned. This necessitated a review of the ethical issues surrounding the use of personal data in research. The proportion of evacuations due to illness in year one was similar to that due to injury, whilst in year two there was more illness than injury supporting the suggestion of an earlier study that the proportional relationship of illness and injury has reversed since the industry was established in the 1970’s. The distribution of diagnoses is compared for routine and unscheduled flights separately. Fractures were the commonest cause of injury resulting in evacuation by routine flight, whilst disorders of the digestive system were the commonest cause of illness. In turn a significant proportion of those evacuated for disorders of the digestive system related to dental problems. In respect of evacuations by unscheduled flight the commonest cause of injury was again fractures whereas diagnoses in the miscellaneous grouping accounted for the largest category of illness evacuations. Other related factors are discussed including the age and offshore experience of the evacuees and the seasonal distribution of the evacuations. Various associations are suggested hut it is concluded that the validity of the results is limited by the lack of background information on the offshore population. The study also examines certain aspects of the management of the evacuations both offshore and onshore. It is shown, for example, that a higher proportion of the evacuations in year two involved a consultation with an onshore medical adviser than in the first year. The study highlights the need for better dental screening, the relative significance of hand injuries and their management, and the possible value of 'telemedicine' in the offshore environment. It also identifies the potential benefit of further study of a similar nature but longitudinal design, supported by firm background information on the population at risk. The study yields much information concerning the work of the offshore medic and would form a basis for a further examination of the role and training needs of the offshore medic. The information collected would also be of value in relation to the planning of health care resources."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Illness and injury in the offshore workforce."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["J.N. Norman and S. 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The proportion of evacuations due to illness in year one was similar to that due to injury, whilst in year two there was more illness than injury supporting the suggestion of an earlier study that the proportional relationship of illness and injury has reversed since the industry was established in the 1970’s. The distribution of diagnoses is compared for routine and unscheduled flights separately. Fractures were the commonest cause of injury resulting in evacuation by routine flight, whilst disorders of the digestive system were the commonest cause of illness. In turn a significant proportion of those evacuated for disorders of the digestive system related to dental problems. In respect of evacuations by unscheduled flight the commonest cause of injury was again fractures whereas diagnoses in the miscellaneous grouping accounted for the largest category of illness evacuations. Other related factors are discussed including the age and offshore experience of the evacuees and the seasonal distribution of the evacuations. Various associations are suggested hut it is concluded that the validity of the results is limited by the lack of background information on the offshore population. The study also examines certain aspects of the management of the evacuations both offshore and onshore. It is shown, for example, that a higher proportion of the evacuations in year two involved a consultation with an onshore medical adviser than in the first year. The study highlights the need for better dental screening, the relative significance of hand injuries and their management, and the possible value of 'telemedicine' in the offshore environment. It also identifies the potential benefit of further study of a similar nature but longitudinal design, supported by firm background information on the population at risk. The study yields much information concerning the work of the offshore medic and would form a basis for a further examination of the role and training needs of the offshore medic. The information collected would also be of value in relation to the planning of health care resources."],"dc:identifier":["oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807391","https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807391"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/2807391/1/GAULD%201993%20Illness%20and%20injury%20in%20the"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher.institution":["Robert Gordon University"],"dc:relation.isreferencedby":["https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2807391"],"dc:subject":["Oil and gas industry","Offshore healthcare","Telemedicine"],"dc:title":["Illness and injury in the offshore workforce."],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:10:09Z"}