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Last Tuesday, an oil and gas platform worker died in a horrific crane collapse 75 miles south of Galveston, Texas. The Coast Guard is investigating precisely how and why a boom hoist cable failed, precipitating the massive engineering failure that led to the death of the platform worker. Obviously, it is much too early in the investigative process to start pointing fingers or even suggest what should be done better in the future.
The news story does, however, highlight some inherent, fundamental challenges that oil and gas platform workers face. These challenges make their jobs riskier; there may not be "easy fixes":
Human beings evolved from "hunter-gatherers," and we developed cognitive and physical tools to deal with hunter-gatherer environments. Although many of our Paleolithic ancestors no doubt lived and worked on the seas, few of them spent significant time on massive barges and platforms scouting for deep reserves of oil or gas. In other words, we are not evolved to live and work out in the middle of the ocean.
Although companies and regulatory agencies work hard to maximize the safety of offshore technologies, beta testing is difficult to do. Auto engineers can study a lot of data on automobile crashes to minimize safety hazards, since millions of people drive automobiles. However, since far fewer people use advanced maritime technologies (like the crane that collapsed), the challenge for safety experts is far greater.
No one is building hospitals 75 miles south of Texas in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, injured workers must make a scary, fraught journey to land before they can get state-of-the-art medical care. This distance creates great hazards, engineering challenges, and other frustrations.
As advocates for rights of maritime injury victims, the team at Vujasinovic & Beckcom wants you to be educated and informed about your options, rights, and opportunities to get compensation. Learn more at www.maritimeaccidentattorney.com, or dial our team now for assistance at 1-877-724-7800.
