When Dr. Ervin M. San Román was a young boy in Lima he was inspired by his family doctor to pursue a career in medicine. The doctor was a frequent visitor to the busy San Román household, attending to Ervin and his three brothers and sisters as they grew up.

In the 50 years that followed, Dr. San Román has blazed his own path as a medical doctor in some of the most remote areas of Peru. Working in the Amazon jungle since 1974, he has seen first-hand the evolution of the oil industry.

“When I arrived to my first muddy job in the jungle with my shoes shining and my pants well ironed, I realized I was in the Wild, Wild West,” recalls Dr. San Román. Incidents and accidents happened all the time. People worked in sneakers, T-shirts and shorts; no gloves, helmets or eye glasses were used.”

Health and safety was a foreign concept that was not introduced until the 1990s.

Working in the Talisman Sargento Puno base camp, Dr. San Román works in a clean, organized medical office with two hospital beds, medicine, equipment and enough first aid supplies to deal with any emergency or acute sickness. He provides health and medical services to Talisman employees and contractors as well as residents of indigenous communities in the area. Since 2008 there have been more than 5,000 medical consultations provided to community members. For many of his indigenous patients, it is their first visit to a medical doctor. The closest medical center is 12 hours away by river, the only means of transportation in the area.

Dr. San Román also plays a role in implementing Talisman’s occupational health and safety program for the workers and contractors employed by the company. Health and safety education meetings, protective equipment checks, water testing, food storage and preparation, and facility inspections are all conducted under his supervision.

“Clearly Talisman has a culture of safety, it is a big difference from when I first started working,” says Dr. San Román. “Early in my career I would treat as many as 300 to 400 workers hurt as a result of accidents in a given year. I can count on one hand the number of workers who had minor accidents on the job last year; the approach of the industry has completely changed.”