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Dr Raymond Ruthvin, regional medical director at International SOS, on the HSE considerations.
HSE CONSIDERATIONS FOR OIL AND GAS SECTOR’S ‘NEW NORMAL’
Dr Raymond Ruthvin, regional medical director at International SOS has highlighted the importance of health and safety considerations for the oil and gas industry, and how International SOS is helping oil and gas operators in Africa combat foreseeable risks and ensure stringent measures to enforce safety systems at the facilities. Deblina Roy reports.
SPEAKING ON HOW COVID-19 will continue to affect the oil and gas industry – both operationally and financially, Dr Ruthvin said that the pandemic has definitely had a negative impact on the oil and gas industry as well as the entire value chain. However, the industry has adapted to the situation quite quickly and quite well. In fact today, the industry is facing very little risk in terms of COVID-19. Additionally, authorities are enforcing many initiatives to contain the spread.
African governments are taking proper measures to curb the disease, while oil and gas operators are also putting in place a number of initiatives to keep the facilities and the employees safe such as the setting up of vaccination and screening programmes and proper quarantine facilities for infected workers.
International SOS is also helping several major organisations look after the health and safety of employees, as well as personal travellers and their families. “Our clients span a range of industries including energy, mining and large-scale construction, aviation and maritime, banking and finance, government and non-governmental organisations,” says Ruthvin.
“In Nigeria, International SOS has been operating since 1994. Today we support and assist our clients across the country on close to 30 remote sites and we have established clinics in Lagos and Port Harcourt. Through this investment in medical care, corporations, individuals and their families are able to receive preferred access to our clinics through our clinic plan programmes. Our medical personnel also have specialised expertise in fields including tropical medicine, trauma and emergency medicine. Available 24/7, they are able to respond rapidly to any medical situation that may arise.”
International SOS seeks to provide timely and quality health care to the employees, which has a direct impact on improving productivity and reducing lost time injury (LTI). Furthermore, by improving on-site diagnostics and care, International SOS also helps companies reduce the number of expensive failed assignments and limit costly employee replacements.
To promote the enhancement of the HSE performance of oil and gas companies, Ruthvin explains that International SOS has developed a stringent injury and illness case management methodology and support system, in line with industry standards such as IADC and OSHA.
While the world recovers from the effects of the pandemic, continuous and rigorous health management has become ever so important – especially in hazardous sectors. “At International SOS, we are committed toproviding quality health services to companies in the oil and gas sector to improve efficiency and productivity,” concluded Ruthvin.
ISOS Image Credit:
Dr Raymond Ruthvin, regional medical director at International SOS.
