Deepwater Horizon brings attention to oil platform dangers

The pictures we’ve seen of the flames engulfing the Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig make obvious the inherent risks of fire and explosions on offshore platform.


But many other less obvious risks to rig workers may not be so quick to come to mind. Some of those dangers include back injury, high falls, isolated burns, limbs trapped in machinery and exposure to toxic gases and chemicals.

There is also what could be called the “trap door” fall. That’s when a floor panel is removed, unattended, unprotected and a worker falls through it, sometimes the very person who removed the panel.

Fatigue is another part of the job with workers pulling 12 hour shifts in 14 day rotations.

In the Gulf of Mexico there is an annual risk of hurricanes while in the North Sea hypothermia and frostbite are lurking.