1. Body-weight, body height and skinfold measurements were taken in 419 adult males working in the UK offshsore oil industry. Percentage body fat was estimated from skinfold thicknesses and the Quetelet index (weight: height2) determined.2. The prevalence of overweightness, assessed from the Quetelet index, in the age groups 20-29,30-39 and 4 W 9 years was 31.6, 50.0 and 66.2% respectively. The Office of Population Census and Surveys (1981) showed that for age-matched groups, the incidence of overweightness in an onshore population was 26,40 and 50% respectively.3. The percentage body fat for each respective age group was greater than that reported for an age-matched onshore population. 4.The Quetelet index was significantly related to body fat (r 0.765, P < 0.0001) and poorly correlated with height, thus this weight: height relation may be utilized in the assessment of overweightness in offshore personnel.5. In conclusion it appears that the offshore population had a higher percentage body fat than their onshore peers and that the prevalence of overweightness was also greater.

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Two types of helicopter passenger immersion suit constructed from either a vapour permeable or vapour impermeable material were assessed in terms of their wearers' comfort, their vapour transmission and the moisture accumulation in undergarments. Environmental air temperatures of 21°C and 30°C were compared to simulate dimerent helicopter operating temperatures, and the effects of wearing each type of suit. At 21°C the suits' performance were comparable in terms of increase in undergarment weight, sweat loss, percentage sweat evaporated, effect on rectal temperature and increase in mean skin temperature. At the higher temperature the permeable suit performed significantly better. There was less body weight loss, less sweat uptake into the undergarments and a greater amount of sweat being evaporated. Rectal temperatures and thermal comfort, however, were similar. At higher levels of thermal stress there may be an advantage in user acceptance and minimal decrement in reduction in cold water survival time from dampening if an immersion suit fabricated from a vapour permeable material is worn.

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