The OGP-IPIECA Health Committee (OIHC) has been in existence since 2003 and gives members a forum where they can identify, debate and share best health practices.

The issue

Many oil and gas industry people work in extreme climates and difficult environments where the health risks can range from disease to the presence of potentially hazardous chemicals.

Employers have a duty to protect their workforce and help them to stay healthy. They therefore need to provide employees with a healthy working environment, information and training on the risks they may face, and be ready to take care of them if things go wrong.

The oil and gas industry is often a major employer in local communities. This provides opportunities to improve the health of people beyond the workplace by:

• providing health education
• encouraging employees to adopt healthy lifestyles and follow health guidelines
• supporting self-sustaining improvements to local health infrastructure
• providing information on how to safely manage the side-effects of oil and gas products

IPIECA activities

This Committee, which IPIECA jointly runs with the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP), develops guidance and recommendations on occupational, environmental and public health issues that are relevant to oil and gas industry organizations and the communities where they operate.

The OGP-IPIECA Health Committee is currently working on:

• Tuberculosis
• Substance abuse
• Fitness to work
• Human factors

Past work has included a number of publications, most recently on:

• Health aspects of working in extremes of climates
• Food  and water safety
• Management of drilling fluids

Member action

Below are a number of case studies that provide an example of initiatives undertaken by IPIECA members.

• The prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Congo: Eni and the University of Genoa’s Infectious Diseases Department are developing a project for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS in the Kouilou region of the Republic of Congo.
• The use of insecticide-treated mosquito bednets in malaria prevention in sub-Saharan Africa: In partnership, ExxonMobil and NetMark have distributed affordable insecticide-treated bednets and promoted their use as an effective malaria prevention measure.
• The Bioko Island Malaria Control Project: Marathon Oil and its corporate, university, government and other partners have developed an ambitious plan to eliminate malaria from Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea,West Africa.
• Chevron promotes HIV/AIDS prevention: In an effort to promote HIV/AIDS prevention awareness, Chevron sponsored an on-line workshop for African women journalists.
• Chevron's health care programme in Nigeria: One of Chevron's health care programmes in Nigeria is the River Boat Clinic. Its concept is simple: if you can't get to the hospital, the hospital will come to you.
• The Paraffin Safety Association of Southern Africa (PSASA): Paraffin is a convenient, efficient and clean domestic fuel, which is why more than half of all South Africans rely on it for cooking, lighting, heating and refrigeration. Annual usage is more than 900 million litres.