5,000 UK offshore workers may lose jobs if they exceed 124kg weight limit by 2026, as industry implements helicopter safety requirements.
LONDON: Thousands of UK offshore energy workers risk losing their jobs if they cannot meet a new 124 kilogramme weight limit by November 2026.
Industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) confirmed the guidelines aim to ensure all workers can be safely winched from platforms by helicopter during emergencies.
OEUK health and safety manager Graham Skinner acknowledged approximately 2,500 offshore employees currently exceed the weight threshold.
“We will be working really hard over the next 12 months to ensure affected workers can lose weight,” Skinner told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme.
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He noted another 2,500 workers fall below the limit but might require weight management support.
This brings the total number potentially affected to 5,000 individuals across the offshore sector.
Skinner confirmed job losses could occur “in the very worst cases” where workers fail to meet requirements.
“Employers will have a duty to support their workers through this and try to find reasonable solutions,” he stated.
The industry representative described weight management as “a really important topic” reflecting broader population trends.
“Our population in general is getting heavier, and that is reflected in the offshore population,” Skinner observed.
He explained the industry conducted a comprehensive safety review over two-and-a-half years.
“We’ve really discovered a weight limit is the only solution available to us,” Skinner concluded regarding helicopter rescue capabilities.
Previous measures included upgrading lifeboats and implementing broader passenger categorisations for helicopter transport. – Bernama-PA Media/dpa
