Working at an offshore oil and gas facility can be a dangerous career path. You work with heavy machinery, flammable materials and potentially hazardous chemicals, too. You are at the mercy of the elements if a major storm occurs. You do all of this work while far from shore and possibly hours from the help of paramedics and other emergency specialists.
Knowing your job duties and prioritizing safety will reduce your risk of getting hurt at an offshore facility. However, your biggest risk isn’t while on the clock but rather while you travel to your worksite according to an analysis of offshore oil and gas worker fatality.
Boats and planes are responsible for many offshore worker deaths
You likely already know that as an offshore oil and gas worker, you are at a higher risk of injury and death than people in other professions. What you may not realize is that the likelihood of something catastrophic going wrong while you work offshore is minimal, but the risk of something going wrong while heading to work or back home is much higher.
According to data gathered and analyzed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 51% of offshore oil and gas worker deaths relate to transportation incidents. Boats that capsized or planes that crashed while over water are both examples of how transportation to an offshore facility could prove fatal for workers.
Many others could get hurt on their way to or from an offshore job, and they will need benefits despite being in an offshore location. Knowing your rights can help you recover your losses after a maritime injury or offshore accident.