Alf Magne Horneland

Decision aid for the use of additional tests during the pre-employment medical examination (PEME) of seafarers

No laboratory tests and imaging techniques are recommended for routine use in the ILO/IMO Guidelines on the Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) of Seafarers that form the basis for statutory certification. However, they are widely used as components of the PEME protocols developed by insurers, employers and national maritime authorities in an attempt to predict and reduce the risks from illness whilst working at sea. This may be justified on scientific, safety, economic or professional grounds. We propose a rational approach for deciding if and when tests can be justified for routine use in assessing a seafarers fitness for work at sea. This is based on well-established methods for determining the validity of screening tests in public health as well as the seafarer demographics. We do not address the well-established use of similar tests where illness is suspected but only when they are used for routine PEME screening of all seafarers.

A Medical Support in Offshore Racing Workshop on Learning Competences/Outcomes, 4–5 November 2016, Barcelona, Spain

1Workshop Chairman, World Sailing Medical Commission, Croatia 2Norwegian Centre for Maritime Medicine, Norway 3International Maritime Health Association, President, Russia 4Volvo RWR, United Kingdom 5Volvo Ocean Race and Trophy Jules Verne, Sweden 6United States Sailing Safety at Sea Committee, Wilderness Medical Society, United States 7French Society of Maritime Medicine, France 8Spanish Olympic Sailing Team, World Sailing Medical Commission, Spain 9Medical Trainer MARCDOC, Philippines 10World Sailing, Technical and Offshore Manager, United Kingdom