BERGEN, Norway and LONDON, February 25, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Concateno, Europe's most experienced chemical, drug and alcohol testing provider with 20 years' experience in the maritime industry, has been selected by Norwegian shipping company, Seatrans AS, to monitor the potential exposure of its seafaring crew to benzene.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100225/379289-a )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100225/379289-b )

Concateno provides a unique service for monitoring personnel for benzene, and its maritime test service was runner up in the 'Safety at Sea' Seatrade Awards last year.

Appointed by Seatrans, Concateno will establish and implement an effective programme to test and monitor benzene levels among crew members and assess the risk of exposure onboard Seatrans vessels.

Erik Mohn, crew manager at Seatrans, said: The health and safety of our employees is paramount and we must ensure that every sensible precaution is taken to avoid risks. Without the services of Concateno's biomonitoring testing, risks of benzene exposure are invisible and impossible to identify. This new procedure allows us to rapidly screen at-risk individuals to ensure our operations are safe.

Benzene monitoring onboard our vessels will enhance our strict health and safety procedures and help to confirm the effectiveness of our safety procedures.

Benzene is a chemical that is commonly used in industrial and manufacturing processes, but it is highly toxic and can cause a range of diseases including cancer, and can affect human DNA. Long-term low level exposure can lead to serious health problems such as leukaemia, however, even short-term exposure to low levels can be irritating to eyes, cause drowsiness, dizziness, rapid heart rate, headaches, tremors, confusion and in some cases unconsciousness. Exposure to high concentrations can result in death. It is mostly ingested into the body by inhalation, but can also be absorbed through the skin.

The recent tightening of international regulations relating to benzene exposure and seafarer welfare has lead to increased adoption of chemical testing and monitoring programmes in the shipping industry.

Changes to SOLAS regulation VI/ 5-1 regarding Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provision for the shipment of MARPOL Annex 1 cargoes came into effect in January 2010. This information highlights the presence of benzene in crude oil, bunker oil and a number of other cargoes. It then details the actions required to reduce attendant risks from exposure to this substance.

In addition, the new Maritime Labour Convention, which was adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in February 2006, has been designed to ensure the highest standards of healthcare, safety and welfare for seafarers. This is expected to come into effect in 2011.

Graham Birch, head of sales for Concateno's Maritime sector, said: Since we have added a low-cost, sensitive benzene specific test to our range of services, the self-test kits have been quickly taken up by shipping companies across the world. Many vessels keep a stock of the kits on board in case an accident or collision occurs that might involve exposure to benzene. Test kits are not just required after accidents and emergencies, however, but can also be used to monitor crew members after normal work duties, such as tank cleaning.

The advantage of this test is its simplicity - all you need is in one easy-to-use plastic container. A small amount of urine is required in the vials provided, with all the necessary bio-packaging for ready dispatch to the laboratory. Analysis takes a few hours and the results can be faxed or emailed within two days of receipt.

Our network of staff across all the major shipping routes and international petrochemical locations, along with the self-test kits, allows companies to benefit from easy access to this top-rated benzene exposure biomonitoring service.

As the largest and most experienced provider to the global maritime industry, Concateno runs fleet-wide drug testing programmes for many international shipping companies. The company also retains an international network of sample collection officers to ensure that testing can be carried out in many ports around the globe.

Images: Courtesy of Seatrans

Caption 1: Concateno will monitor benzene levels among crew members and assess the risk of exposure onboard Seatrans vessels.

Caption 2: Benzene monitoring onboard Seatrans vessels will enhance its strict health and safety procedures.

About Concateno

Concateno (http://www.concateno.com) is built upon the consolidation of Europe's strongest and most expert drug testing companies. Combined, the organisation's services, products and facilities form a global first in the field: a service provider with the capability to deliver test programmes to meet any requirement - from point-of-care instant tests, through to state-of-the-art laboratory analysis for any biological specimen including urine, oral fluids, hair and sweat.

Concateno's 370 employees perform and deliver more than 10 million tests annually. Additionally an integrated network of 600 sample collection officers, trained in-house in chain-of-custody procedures, supports approximately 8,500 clients around the world.

Committed to the highest levels of accreditation and quality assurance, Concateno works actively within the industry to improve existing best practice. This includes ISO 17025 (independently audited by UKAS), ISO9001:2000, Link-Up, and ISO13485:2003. In addition, the company is subject to a range of external and internal quality assurance programmes.

In August 2009, Concateno became a subsidiary of Inverness Medical Innovations Inc.

About Inverness Medical Innovations

By developing new capabilities in near-patient diagnosis, monitoring and health management, Inverness Medical Innovations enables individuals to take charge of improving their health and quality of life. Inverness' global leading products and services, as well as its new product development efforts, focus on infectious disease, cardiology, oncology, drugs of abuse and women's health. Inverness is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information about Inverness Medical Innovations, please visit our website at http://www.invernessmedical.com.

For more information regarding Concateno and for details about research into the effects of benzene exposure, please contact:

Carrie Lowe or Matt Trace Telephone: +44(0)1962-893-893 Mobile: +44(0)7554-014-188 / +44(0)7828-663-988 Email: carrie.lowe@concateno.com / matthew.trace@concateno.com

SOURCE: Concateno plc

CONTACT: Carrie Lowe or Matt Trace, Telephone: +44(0)1962-893-893, Mobile:+44(0)7554-014-188 / +44(0)7828-663-988, Email: carrie.lowe@concateno.com /matthew.trace@concateno.com