Workers in an offshore environment have to deal with numerous safety challenges. Offshore oil rigs have petroleum products that could cause fires and explosions. Workers may have to handle dangerous materials or products, such as those that contain asbestos. There is also the possibility of transportation incidents as workers travel via boat or aircraft to their offshore work location.
In addition to all of those well-known job risks, workers may also need to keep an eye out for warning signs of impending workplace violence, which could leave them unable to work for weeks or longer.
Offshore work is mentally taxing
When looking at the job hazards for offshore employment, the focus is often on immediate physical risks. However, there is little question that working in such a remote location, possibly while cut off from friends or family for weeks at a time, can do damage to someone’s overall mental health.
Workers struggling with depression and other mental health challenges worsened by an offshore environment may sometimes become volatile and lash out at their co-workers. Scenarios involving an unstable employee who becomes violent may give rise to litigation, as businesses can often offer services that would prevent the vast majority of such scenarios.
Maritime compensation claims against employers typically require that injured workers demonstrate negligence on the part of the company. A failure to observe worker behavior and offer proper support for those isolated from their loved ones could constitute negligence, particularly if that worker has a history of volatility.
Filing a claim under the Jones Act could be a reasonable response from a worker injured by violence in the workplace that an employer could have prevented with better scheduling or mental health practices.