Crane accidents are just one of many threats that workers on offshore oil and gas platforms face every day. That is what killed a Katy, Texas worker on Aug. 16. The accident took place during a crane lift of large equipment from the platform to a work boat about 75 miles south of Port Arthur, Tx, when a crane collapsed from an apparent boom hoist failure. This triggered a chain of events ending in the crane harness fatally striking the employee.
A Time Magazine article written after the Deepwater Horizon explosion which killed 11 workers last year highlighted some of the difficult conditions offshore energy workers face.
For example, workers normally pull 12 hour shifts a day in an atmosphere of extremely combustible materials while cranes are constantly swinging heavy equipment over their heads.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 alone 120 people died in the oil and gas industry. Of that number, 21 were working in the oil and gas extraction industry, which includes offshore platforms. In the first five months of 2009 alone, there were 39 fires or explosions were reported on offshore drilling platforms, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.
Our maritime lawyers realize that maritime work can be dangerous when companies cut corners on safety. That's why we've dedicated our time to putting out free information for workers.
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