I was at a meeting of MCA Approved Doctors in London last November, at which the new regulations for the medical examination of seafarers that came into force on 1 September 2002 were discussed.
Still known as the ENG1 Medical there have been some amendments and changes to the medical standards, with more attention being given to certain areas such as vision and hearing. New Categories of Medical Fitness were also introduced. From the feedback received by the MCA on the first 2 months of operation it seems that there have been few problems with implementation of the new regulations.
The ENG1 Medical Examination is a statutory requirement for all seafarers ´employed or engaged in any capacity aboard a seagoing ship´. The requirements do not apply to seafarers working on Red Ensign flagged ´fishing vessels, pleasure vessels (not used commercially) and offshore installations´, which are covered by separate legislation. Only an MCA Approved Doctor can undertake the medical.
It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that both the boat and crew comply with the necessary regulations, and MCA inspectors make checks of boats for compliancy. An MCA inspector was doing just that in Mallorca in December, which led to a sudden increase in enquiries for ENG1 Medicals!
The medical takes about half an hour and involves a questionnaire, comprehensive medical examination, urine testing, colour vision assessment and vision testing (with and without glasses or contact lenses) for distant and near sight. Other areas that may be discussed include diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol consumption, vaccinations and other preventive procedures such as dental care.
Each medical examination is evaluated on an individual basis against a range of standards laid down by the MCA. The Approved Doctor has a certain amount of discretion in categorising fitness to work and may impose restrictions on either the type of work to be undertaken, geographical areas where work may be performed or distance from land restrictions depending on the problems identified. Sometimes investigations and specialist reports are required before a final decision can be made. If restrictions on work are imposed or the seafarer is assessed as unfit for work, the individual has the right of appeal to the MCA and may be referred for review by a medical referee in the UK.
An ENG1 Medical Certificate is issued by the Approved Doctor and is valid for up to two years, at the doctor´s discretion. In certain circumstances the seafarer may be required to attend the doctor at regular intervals for monitoring of symptoms or ongoing assessment of problems identified during the medical examination.
Illness resulting in inability to work for 30 days must be reported to an Approved Doctor, preferably the one who issued the certificate. Further medical assessment may be required before the seafarer is allowed back to work.
Ideally, for continuity, the same Approved Doctor should conduct subsequent ENG1 medicals, but with such a mobile group as seafarers this is not always possible. When attending for further medicals the previous ENG1 Certificate should be presented to the Approved Doctor together with results of any additional tests or specialist reports. Failure to do this could result in them all having to be repeated before another certificate can be issued.
In my experience most people find the requirement to have a regular medical examination a good policy, both from the point of view of fitness for work and also from the individual´s peace of mind about the state of their health.
Dr Ian Marshall, MCA Approved Doctor, can be contacted at Club de Mar Medical Centre, Palma de Mallorca. Tel: (+ 34) 629 818 826.