Eni and ICS Maugeri have signed an agreement to expand their partnership in toxicological emergency research, prevention and treatment to all the countries where Eni has oil and gas operations including Africa
The expansion will begin in 12 African countries including Algeria, Angola, Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia, where a total of 3,500 Eni employees work. Full coverage in these countries is expected by the end of 2018.
Through this new agreement, Eni and ICS Maugeri are renewing and strengthening a partnership which dates back to 1996, bringing together experience and know-how with the shared goal of applying their respective skills to benefit Eni’s employees and the populations of the countries where the company operates.
Toxicological risks are an important element of preventive medicine and clinical treatment. For this reason, the ICS Maugeri Poison Control Centre and the 200 Eni doctors working at the various Company sites will be given the tools to ensure the highest level of protection to employees and all who live in the vicinity of the Eni facilities.
Dr Carlo Locatelli is the director of the ICS Maugeri Poison Control Centre, which over the years has provided a broad spectrum of toxicological consultancy work for healthcare professionals based at Eni’s plants in Italy. The Centre has offered support ranging from preparing emergency plans to immediate consultation regarding industrial incidents or minor intoxication cases for individuals. To achieve this, the Centre and Eni manage antidotes at the individual industrial sites, ensuring their monitoring and replacement.
As the Centre is a point of reference for the national antidote database, public hospitals have referred individual cases of poisoning to an Eni plant on more than one occasion. In these cases, the Eni plant served as the first source for the supply of antidotes that were impossible to find anywhere else in the country. Also, on multiple occasions, the National Health Service made use of antidotes stored by Eni for emergency situations.
The Poison Control Centre will also provide expertise in toxicology, including for regulatory issues, and routine training activity. Furthermore, the Toxicology department that the Centre manages at IRCCS Maugeri in Pavia can admit personnel that might have been involved in cases of intoxication once the emergency has been dealt with. This service is offered to carry out suitable assessments of the health conditions of those affected.
This will offer staff working in those facilities the best possible protection against toxic products. The centre is creating new dossiers on existing healthcare networks in each new country, as well as on local pharmacopoeia and non-industrial toxicological risks that are typical of the specific area, including animal bites or stings, poisonous plants, accidental contact or ingestion and common causes of food poisoning.
