Medical and Offshore Training course, Who Pays?

[NotAllThere]

I have never invoiced any client for medical or BOSEIT courses nor have I ever heard of an offshore contractor doing so.
I consider it part of maintaining the ability of my company to continue providing its services.

I understand you are normally office based, but in offering services offshore, you should expect to incur the necessary expenses required to offer this service or simply not offer it.

Assuming you are UK based, there are BOSEIT training centres in middlesbrough, Glasgow, Aberdeen & possibly more. There are many private GPs and medical services providers who will do you an OPITO medical, shoulder measurement and fit to train for less than £150 - check the OPITO website.

I will accept client provided training courses which are specific to a particular offshore asset. Everything else I pay for through the company as a business expense.

As others have said, I think your have misunderstood your accountant's IR35/24 month rule guidance.

Allowing your client to pay for BOSEIT and medicals would surely be a red flag in any IR35 investigation in my opinion. It's permie behaviour. Plus, your medical lasts 2 years and your BOSEIT 4 years all for a cost of around £1300 - hardly worth the hassel & risk of using a clients provider.

Advice from some who knows. Thanks.

[sludgesurfer]

If you have any lingering health concerns which might raise eyebrows with some of the main OPITO medical providers, PM me. I know of a doc that would've signed off Jocky Wilson and George Best for a NASA space mission.

Last time I was in, he "tested my hearing" by covering one ear, whispering a number (loudly) and asking me what the number was. I'm no great lip reader but even if I hadn't heard him, when someone mouths the number "fifty-five" you don't have to be a great lip reader to get it right.

[cabletvguy2]

Allowing your client to pay for BOSEIT and medicals would surely be a red flag in any IR35 investigation in my opinion. It's permie behaviour. Plus, your medical lasts 2 years and your BOSEIT 4 years all for a cost of around £1300 - hardly worth the hassel & risk of using a clients provider.

Hi, this is good advice. Thanks

[dl8860]

I work in the offshore industry, I have a BOSIET myself (obtained as staff), and have also procured sub contractors who need to have a BOSIET as defined by our onward clients' requirements, and industry best practice. It would be unheard of for one of them to ask us to pay for their BOSIET and or medical. I know different parts of the industry and different companies work differently, but IMO it is very firmly down to a 'self-employed' contractor to sort their own safety and medical certificates for a whole load of reasons, a good one of those being IR35 status.