AI answer written only from the numbered passages below
The OEUK medical (still often called the 'OGUK medical') takes roughly an hour and covers a health questionnaire, physical examination, urinalysis, BMI, lung-function, hearing and vision testing 1. It is meant to confirm fitness for the physical demands and evacuation requirements of an offshore installation, not just fitness for ordinary work 1. A certificate is normally valid for two years, or shorter if a doctor recommends it 2. Issue 8 of the OEUK Medical Standard took effect on 1 November 2025 with updated examination requirements 2. The Dutch sector does not use an identical certificate, but North Sea operators commonly expect an equivalent standard, increasingly the IMHF 'Medical Fitness for Offshore Work' guideline, 7th edition of May 2024 2.
Not in the sources: The passages do not set out what the Issue 8 changes are, nor the detailed pass criteria or the Dutch sector's own certificate requirements.
Cited passages
Passage 1: What the medical checks
Anyone working offshore in the UK North Sea sector needs a valid medical certificate issued against the OEUK Medical Standard (still widely called the 'OGUK medical' after the body's former name, Oil & Gas UK). The examination — roughly an hour — covers a health questionnaire, physical examination, urinalysis, BMI, lung-function, hearing and vision testing, and is meant to confirm someone is fit for the physical demands and evacuation requirements of an offshore installation, not just fit for ordinary work.
Offshore medical fitness examination (OEUK/OGUK Medical Standard)Offshore Energies UK (OEUK, formerly Oil & Gas UK / OGUK) · oeuk.org.uk · retrieved 18 Sep 2026
Passage 2: Validity and 2025 update
An OEUK medical certificate is normally valid for two years, shorter if a doctor recommends it. Issue 8 of the OEUK Medical Standard took effect on 1 November 2025 with updated examination requirements. The Netherlands sector does not use an identical certificate, but North Sea operators commonly expect an equivalent medical fitness standard (increasingly the international IMHF 'Medical Fitness for Offshore Work' guideline, 7th edition, May 2024) before allowing anyone offshore or in a helicopter to an installation.
Offshore medical fitness examination (OEUK/OGUK Medical Standard)Offshore Energies UK (OEUK, formerly Oil & Gas UK / OGUK) · oeuk.org.uk · retrieved 18 Sep 2026
Sources consulted
- Offshore medical fitness examination (OEUK/OGUK Medical Standard)Offshore Energies UK (OEUK, formerly Oil & Gas UK / OGUK) · oeuk.org.uk · retrieved 18 Sep 2026 · cited
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