H E A LT H , S A F E T Y, E N V I R O N M E N T & T R A I N I N G
their thoughts,” Mr Bruce said. “They go there for an open ear.

That’s a big way their job has changed.”
The pandemic, Mr Bruce continued, has been an ongoing learn-
ing experience for ISOS, especially with government regulations,
local mandates and company protocols being innately compli-
cated and changing frequently. Along the way, the company has
improved how it adapts to changing situations, as well as kept
tabs on lessons learned that can be used in case another highly
contagious virus emerges in the future.

Although he hopes that day never comes, Mr Bruce remarked
that the company is more prepared than ever. “We’ve had two
years to get good at this,” he said. “One of the important things
we’ve done is establish documentation that we didn’t have previ-
ously, like isolation plans specific to a rig. In the past, there might
have been focus on dealing with catastrophic events, having
things like triage systems. Now, plans include testing, isolation
and how to get an individual off a rig. Those core documents
never existed in such detail before.”
If there has been an upside to the pandemic, Mr Bruce noted,
it was that it changed the perception of health across industries.

“Our clients are realizing the importance of health. While medics
used to focus on patching someone up or dealing with an emer-
gency, we’ve now seen several added layers because of COVID,”
he said. “People can now see the true value of what an offshore
medic brings to the table, especially in this remote environment.”
Many medics remain fatigued, yet many have persisted because
they feel called to the profession. “There is an element of selfless-
ness in the work, which is a reminder that these are individuals
who willingly place themselves in harm’s way for the greater
good,” Mr Bruce explained. “These are people who just get things
done. They understand what’s at stake, and they know what they
signed up for.”
View from the rig – an offshore doctor’s
perspective Dr Fabian Vicente Castañeda Romero is an emergency doc-
tor and physician onboard Seadrill’s West Titania jackup. On
any given day, his job pulls him in two distinctly different, but
ultimately connected, directions. One is the obvious — the medi-
cal portion — which involves treatment of patients, whether for
illness, minor injuries or, in the worst case, major sickness or
injury requiring escalation and removal from the rig. The other
part is the administrative side, which includes medical equip-
ment inspections, documentation and record-keeping, inventory
of supplies and medication, and so on. Some days pass with the
medic only involved in office procedures, while on other days
there may be a nonstop line of patients.

While there is basic medical equipment on a rig, there is not
anything for advanced procedures, nor is there medication for
more serious issues. The doctor, then, is also responsible for
WELL CONTROL
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