Compass Group launches offshore health and wellbeing programme
Offshore foodservice provider ESS Support Services Worldwide has launched a health and wellbeing programme on board a North Sea rig belonging to energy group TAQA.
This is the first rollout of the Intelligent Health scheme by Compass Group's ESS, which has been working with TAQA to help employees working offshore maintain healthier lifestyles. Initiatives include promoting healthier food, recipes, improved nutrition labelling, tips for weight loss and information on "getting the most out of exercise".
The advice on the Cormorant Alpha platform will be tailored to life on an oil rig, which is said to be unpredictable and can lead to unusual eating patterns and routines. The programme comes in response to the rising obesity levels reported among North Sea Oil workers in a 2008 survey by business insight firm IHS.
Nicky Martin, head of nutrition for Compass, commented: "Currently over 65% of offshore workers are overweight or obese, and with this figure set to rise further in the coming years, we felt it was vital for ESS to step up to the plate and help our customers learn more about how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet in an engaging and interactive way.
"It has been great to work with the TAQA Intelligent Health team to create a health and wellbeing programme tailor-made for offshore employees and I look forward to developing this programme further in the coming months."
TAQA's health, safety, security, safeguards and quality director Donald Taylor added: "Intelligent Health is the TAQA way of supporting and promoting health. It recognises that each of us plays a central role in our own health and seeks to help people make informed choices to improve their own wellbeing. It is primarily about enjoying life. We are pleased to have ESS support delivery of the message."
ESS, which currently works on all four TAQA rigs, plans to launch the wellbeing programme officially at oil and gas industry conference SPE Offshore Europe (3-6 September), with cookery demonstrations, nutritional leaflets, and free exercise tools such as pedometers.
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