Thousands of offshore workers may lose jobs over helicopter rescue rule. Photo / 123rf
Thousands of offshore workers may lose jobs over helicopter rescue rule. Photo / 123rf
Thousands of oil and gas workers risk losing their jobs if they fail to lose weight, as they would be too heavy to be evacuated by helicopter in an emergency.
Trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) is preparing to bring in new guidelines next November that will require workers toweigh less than 124kg.
The lobby group said the change was necessary to ensure people can be winched off oil and gas platforms in emergency situations.
Graham Skinner, the health and safety manager at OEUK, said many people “will definitely have to lose weight” as a result – with about 2500 offshore workers thought to be beyond the limit.
A further 2500 offshore workers are “below the weight limit but might need some additional support and weight management”.
This means 5000 i “might be affected to some lesser or greater extent” by the policy change.
Obesity challenge
The average male in the UK weighs about 86kg according to the NHS, while the average woman weighs about 73kg. For an average man to be classed as obese, he would need to weigh about 93kg, implying a body mass index of 30 or higher.
Speaking on BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Skinner said OEUK would work with offshore workers to help them lose weight.
He said: “Those people will be really supported by the offshore community and their employers during that time.
“We have got quite a comprehensive plan to manage people’s weight, so we will work really hard over the next year to make sure people above the limit can lose weight.”
Overweight oil rig workers could lose their jobs if they fail to lose weight. Photo / Getty Images
Asked if people could lose their jobs if they fail to shed the kilos, Skinner said this could happen in “the very worst cases”.
He said: “Employers will have a duty to support their workers through this and try to find reasonable solutions for it.”
Skinner insisted obesity was a “really important topic”, adding that “our population in general is getting heavier, and that is reflected in the offshore population”.
He said: “We have been addressing this over the years, but unfortunately weight has continued to rise.
“It increases year on year and it begins to create some challenges across all the safety systems we have in place offshore to bring workers home if the worst happens, whether it’s illness or injury.
“We’ve had a comprehensive review of those safety systems, and individuals’ weight is a real challenge.
“We’ve worked together for the last two and a half years as an industry to find solutions across things like lifeboats, stretchers, helicopter rescue, and we’ve really discovered a weight limit is the only solution available to us.
“We have addressed these issues in the past, we have perhaps dealt with symptoms rather than the cause, we have upgraded lifeboats in the past, we have brought in the extra broad categorisation for helicopter passengers.”
Andy Prendergast, national secretary at the GMB, which represents oil and gas workers, said: “The idea that workers could be sacked for the size of their bodies is completely absurd”.
“OEUK really need to withdraw this offensive proposal immediately.
“Considering the workers spend weeks at a time on their premises, the oil companies need to recognise their own role in this and actively help employees manage their health, not threaten them with destitution. “
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