A- Occupational Health: Occupational health is an integral part of the health management system. It is concerned with the interrelationship between work and health, i.e. the effects of work on health and the effects of people's health on their capacity to work. The purpose of an occupational health service is to: (a) protect, promote and maintain the health, safety and welfare of people at work; (b) advise on the provision of safe and healthy conditions by informed assessment of the physical and psychological aspects of the working environment; (c) identify and advise management on the causes of occupational disease and injury and the means of their prevention; (d) advise on the rehabilitation and placement in suitable work of those temporarily or permanently incapacitated by illness or injury; and (e) assist in the planning and preparedness of emergency response plans. To achieve these aims, a team approach should be taken by occupational physicians, occupational nurses, industrial hygienists, other occupational health professionals, and administrative and other staff. The Business Case: Field operations present unique challenges, and the people involved are an important asset. To protect that asset, an occupational health service integrated into the operation can yield important benefits: (a) Leaner company profiles mean that there are now fewer employees in organizations: it is therefore crucial that employees are not incapacitated or lost through preventable ill health. (b) Taking positive steps to improve employees health will help to increase productivity, recruit and retain staff, reduce staff turnover and enhance company standing. (c) Sound advice on compliance with legislation will reduce the risk of costly litigation and loss of image. (d) Increasingly, employees and former employees claim compensation for work-related illness and injury, whether or not a particular hazard is covered by legislation; these losses are preventable. (e) Employers liability insurers insist that employers demonstrate adequate protection of employee health; involvement of an occupational health service can help to control the premiums. The occupational health aspects of a health management system, which should be applied to field operations in oil and gas activities, include activity in all of the following: (a) health risk assessment and planning; (b) industrial hygiene and control of workplace exposures; (c) medical emergency management; (d) management of ill-health in the workplace; (e) fitness for task assessment and health surveillance; (f) health impact assessment; (g) health reporting and record management; (h) public health interface and promotion of good health; and (i) control of food, water and sanitation issues. The requirements of each of these activities are discussed in the following sections. B- Health Risk Assessment and Planning: The aim of a health risk assessment is to identify health hazards, evaluate their risks to health and determine appropriate mitigation, control and recovery measures. A guidance document entitled A roadmap to health risk assessment in the oil and gas industry was published by OGP and IPIECA in 2006 (See right). This document covers all the basic activities required for a successful health risk assessment process, and includes a CD-ROM with detailed information for those who need a deeper understanding.