OEUK basics

OEUK Medical vs Fit to Train (CA-EBS): Which Do You Need?

Booked onto a BOSIET or FOET and been told you need a "Fit to Train"? It is not the same as the standard OEUK offshore medical. Here is the difference, and how to make sure you turn up with the right paperwork.

By Offshore Medicals Near Me · Updated 16 October 2026 · 5 min read

Key facts

The standard OEUK medical is the fitness-to-work certificate for working offshore, valid for up to 2 years.
Fit to Train (often written FTT, CA-EBS or EBS fitness to train) is a separate certificate confirming you are fit to use a compressed-air emergency breathing system (CA-EBS) in the shallow-water part of OPITO survival training such as BOSIET and FOET.
Both are issued by a doctor registered with OEUK, and many clinics can do both at the same appointment.
A valid OEUK medical is often accepted for survival training on its own, but OPITO allows training centres and employers to ask for additional fitness-to-train evidence, and many do.
If your OEUK medical carries a restriction, you may need evidence that it does not relate to a breathing (respiratory) or ear, nose and throat condition before you can do the in-water CA-EBS exercises.
At most clinics Fit to Train is an extra test and certificate with its own fee, typically around £20 to £100 on top of the OEUK medical, or £40 to £100 on its own.
The person who decides whether you need it is your employer or training provider, so check with them before you book.

In short The OEUK medical says you are fit to work offshore. A Fit to Train (CA-EBS) certificate says you are fit to use a compressed-air emergency breathing system underwater during survival training. They are different certificates. A valid OEUK medical is sometimes enough for the training on its own, but many training centres and employers ask for Fit to Train as well, and at most clinics it is a separate test with its own fee. Ask your employer or training provider which you need before you book.

What the standard OEUK medical is

The OEUK medical (still widely called the OGUK medical) is the offshore energy industry's fitness-to-work assessment. An OEUK-registered doctor checks your medical history, BMI and shoulder measurement, blood pressure, vision, hearing, lung function and urine, and confirms you are fit to do the job and to escape in an emergency. It lasts up to two years and is what operators ask for before you mobilise offshore.

What Fit to Train (CA-EBS) is

Offshore survival courses run to OPITO standards, such as BOSIET (the basic induction) and FOET (the refresher), include a helicopter underwater escape exercise in a pool using a CA-EBS: a compressed-air emergency breathing system. Breathing compressed air underwater puts specific demands on your lungs, ears and sinuses, so there is a medical check focused on exactly that.

The Fit to Train certificate is that check. An OEUK-registered doctor looks at your respiratory and ear, nose and throat health, often with a lung-function test and a short questionnaire, and confirms you are safe to use CA-EBS in shallow-water training. You will see it called "Fit to Train", "FTT", "CA-EBS medical", "EBS fitness to train", "fitness to train in water" or simply the "breathing apparatus" medical. They all mean the same certificate.

Side by side

	Standard OEUK medical	Fit to Train (CA-EBS)
What it proves	Fit to work offshore	Fit to use CA-EBS in survival training
Who asks for it	Operators and employers, before you mobilise	Training centres and employers, before BOSIET / FOET
Focus	Whole-body fitness for offshore work and escape	Lungs, ears, nose and throat
Issued by	OEUK-registered doctor	OEUK-registered doctor
Typical price	£130–£270	About £20–£100 extra with the medical, or £40–£100 on its own

Do you actually need Fit to Train?

Not always, which is exactly why it causes confusion. Under OPITO's rules, a valid OEUK medical can be enough to take part in CA-EBS training. But the same rules let training centres and employers ask for additional fitness-to-train evidence, and many do as standard. You are most likely to be asked for it if:

Your training centre or employer lists it on your joining instructions or course booking.
You do not hold an OEUK medical yet, for example you are new to the industry and doing your BOSIET first.
Your OEUK medical has a restriction. OPITO says you then need evidence that the restriction is not related to a breathing or ear, nose and throat condition before you go in the water.

The only people who can tell you for certain are your employer or training provider. Ask them before you book, ideally in writing, so you do not get turned away from the pool on course day.

Getting both at one appointment

Many OEUK clinics can do the OEUK medical and Fit to Train in the same visit, but at most of them it is booked as a separate or combined service with its own price, so it is not automatically included when you book a standard OEUK medical. A handful of clinics include it in their standard OEUK price.

How to book with us

When you choose OEUK Offshore Medical on Offshore Medicals Near Me, you pick one of two options:

Standard OEUK Medical: the offshore fitness-to-work certificate only. No breathing apparatus (CA-EBS) check.
OEUK Medical + Fit to Train (breathing apparatus / CA-EBS): both certificates in one appointment, at clinics that offer it. Choose this if your training centre or employer has mentioned breathing apparatus, CA-EBS, EBS, Fit to Train or FTT.

If there is no combined clinic near you, or you are not sure which you need, call us on 01905 905618 and we will arrange the right appointment for you.

See live OEUK medical availability near you Enter your postcode and compare real, live appointment times at MCA-approved clinics — book online in a couple of minutes. Find a clinic →

Frequently asked questions

Is Fit to Train included in the OEUK medical?

Usually not. At most clinics Fit to Train (CA-EBS) is a separate test and certificate with its own fee, although many clinics can do it at the same appointment and a few include it in their standard OEUK price. Check what is included before you book.

Do I need Fit to Train for BOSIET?

It depends on your training centre and employer. OPITO accepts a valid OEUK medical for CA-EBS training in many cases, but training centres and employers can ask for additional fitness-to-train evidence, and many do. Ask them before you book.

What does CA-EBS stand for?

Compressed Air Emergency Breathing System: a small air supply used to help you breathe underwater while escaping a ditched helicopter. You practise using it in the pool during OPITO survival training.

Can I get Fit to Train without an OEUK medical?

Some clinics offer Fit to Train on its own, typically for £40 to £100. But if you are going to work offshore you will also need the OEUK medical, so it is usually cheaper and quicker to book both together.

My training centre said I need a "breathing apparatus" medical. What do I book?

That is the Fit to Train (CA-EBS) certificate. Choose OEUK Offshore Medical, then pick "OEUK Medical + Fit to Train (breathing apparatus / CA-EBS)" to see clinics that do both in one appointment.

I need Fit to Train. How do I book it through you?

Choose OEUK Offshore Medical, then "OEUK Medical + Fit to Train". If there is no clinic near you that offers it, call us on 01905 905618 and we will arrange the right appointment with an OEUK-registered doctor.