Catering and Hygiene

Abstract

In the early days of North Sea exploration, an offshore drilling unit with 50 men aboard was considered a large one, and with the mainland less than 1 hour away, food hygiene was treated with a low priority. With the rapid expansion of platforms and flotels in a hostile environment, and a normal population of 500 men or more, the importance of offshore catering and food hygiene has increased beyond the expectations of some of the major oil companies’ planners and designers. However, to be fair to them, the difficulties of estimating populations 2 years or so before construction and hook-up are quite considerable. No-one could have foreseen the construction problems which have resulted in extended work times and larger work forces. As a result, many platforms have been over-crowded early in their life, with accommodation and catering facilities continually over-stretched, resulting in flooring, catering machinery, and laundry equipment being worn out and broken down before the actual production phase (for which the platform was designed) had commenced its normal routine with the planned population aboard.

‘Eating is one of life’s pleasures — and it outlasts the other!’ (Brillat-Savarin, 1825, Gourmet and Chef)