As of July 1, 2025, a renewed offshore medical examination will come into effect: the NL Offshore Medical. This examination is the result of a collaboration between Element NL (the industry association for oil and gas producers in the Netherlands), NedZero (the umbrella organization for the wind sector), and the international wind organization G+. For the first time in Europe, a single medical assessment framework applies to all personnel working in the oil, gas, and wind sectors.
The NL Offshore Medical is the new version of the well-known NOGEPA Offshore Examination, Standard 11, expanded with criteria for Working at Height (WAH). This prevents employees from having to undergo multiple medical exams, for instance when switching between employers, countries, or projects. International recognitions have also been maintained, resulting in near-global acceptance of the NL Offshore Medical. Personnel who frequently cross borders to work in, for example, the UK, Germany, or Norway, can now rely on a single standard.
“This examination symbolizes how gas and wind can complement each other,” says Lodewijk Reuser, driving force behind the development of the new standard and Secretary of Operations, Security, and HSE at Element NL. “Together, we’ve created an enhancement to the trusted NOGEPA Offshore standard that not only provides medical clarity but also fosters trust between sectors. That is essential, because the energy transition requires people to work flexibly. That means we, as sectors, must also collaborate flexibly.”
One standard, clear criteria
The NL Offshore Medical consolidates guidelines including G41 (Germany), G+, and previous input from NedZero. An employee deemed medically fit under this standard automatically meets the requirements of both sectors. The standard includes concrete thresholds and exclusion criteria, for example regarding medication, vision, or cardiovascular profile in relation to working at height.
Jan Vos, Chair of NedZero: “The wind energy sector has long needed a recognized, unified medical examination for technicians. NedZero is pleased that this is now a reality. It’s an important development and a great example of broad collaboration between our sectors. We therefore encourage everyone in our wind sector to adopt this standard.”
Sven Daam, medical advisor to Element NL, presented the approach earlier this month at the international medical ISMH17 conference, where he emphasized that “safe to work” is more important than “as strict as possible.” Thanks to this principle, employees can be deployed safely without unnecessary exclusion or interpretative differences between doctors.
Benefits for both industry and physicians
For the wind industry, the NL Offshore Medical offers above all clarity: one examination valid across all projects, with explicit assessment of working-at-height risks. For medical examiners, there is a clear and testable standard, which will often make exemption requests from clients a thing of the past. Element NL currently recognizes 164 offshore medical examiners, of which 121 are based in the Netherlands and 43 internationally. The full standard can be downloaded via our website.
