A showdown over safety is currently dividing North Sea workers and management at TotalEnergies Denmark. The disagreement is due, among other things, to the company's decision to remove nurses with emergency and pre-hospital experience – so-called A-medicians – from the key ship Esvagt Dana and replace them with B-medicians, who are ship's officers trained in disease treatment with training in, among other things, injections and suturing. This is reported by JydskeVestkysten, which has recently told several stories about problems in the North Sea.
In an internal document, which the media has gained insight into, the crew warns that the decision could cost lives. “Lives could be lost by this decision,” the document reads. It describes episodes of “chaotic treatment” of injured people and concerns about whether the new structure can handle acute events such as heart attacks and serious injuries. Fears have grown after a serious accident on the ship Norwind Helm, where an employee was badly injured with his foot during a transfer between ship and platform. Employees point out that B-medicators lack the experience that A-medicators have with complex situations, and that this affects the safety on board.
– TotalEnergies reminds us daily that safety is the first priority – but with the removal of medics, they are downgrading the safety of the most vulnerable and isolated employees in TEPDK, says an anonymous offshore employee who JydskeVestkysten has spoken to.
TotalEnergies emphasizes in a 13-page response to employees that the decision is based on a thorough risk assessment and follows international practice. The company emphasizes that there is access to medicine, equipment and radio consultations with health experts. Total also indicates to JydskeVestkysten that it complies with all regulations. Despite the assurances, several employees are considering quitting, and according to the newspaper, this has already happened in several cases.
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