The analysis of diseases and injuries in the workers on an American oil rig, operating in the Mediterranean Sea, was done in the period of one year, from 1 May 1996 to 1 May 1997. In total, 518 medical examinations of sick and injuried workers were conducted. At the first place in morbidity, there were injuries and poisonings (26.7% of all registered cases). Then followed musculo-skeletal (17.5%), respiratory (14.2%), gastrointestinal diseases (12.1%), mental disorders (10.3%), nervous system (9.2%), skin (6.5%), urogenital (2.9%) and circulatory system diseases (0.6%). Out of all cases, the hand ¬¬and finger injuries (48.3%) were most frequent, followed by injuries of the leg (13.4%), eye (11.3%), head and neck (10.1%), arm (7.9%), foot (6.7%) and trunk (2.3%). To reduce the incidence of diseases and injuries, special attention should be paid to the workers’ basic medical education, to protective measures and providing first aid at the work site.

Institute of Public Health Primorsko-Goranska County, Department of Epidemiology, Kresimirova 52 A, Rijeka 51000, Croatia, and University of Rijeka, School of Medicine, Department of Social medicine and Epidemiology, Braće Branchetta 20, Rijeka 51000, Croatia

Private Outpatient Clinic of Occupational Medicine “Prof.dr.Mihovil Vukelić” Riva 16, 51000 Rijeka

Address for correspondence:
Dr Damir Valentić, MD, MSc,
Institute of Public Health Primorsko-Goranska County, Department of Epidemiology,
resimirova 52 A, Rijeka 51000, Croatia,
Phone +385- 51 358 777,
Fax: +385-51 213 948,
E-mail: damir.valentic@ri.htnet.hr

key words: occupational injuries, oil rig