Lose weight or lose your jobs, offshore workers told

Thousands of North Sea oil workers are being told they must lose weight if they want to continue flying overseas or risk losing their jobs.

From November next year, industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) said the maximum weight of a clothed worker going offshore should be 124.7kg (19.5kg) to allow them to be evacuated to safety in the event of an emergency.

The maximum Coast Guard rescue helicopter winch load of 249 kg (39th stage) is the sum of this figure plus the average rescue weight of 90.3 kg (14th stage), 29 kg stretcher (4.5th stage) and 5 kg kit (0.8th stage).

The OEUK said more than 2,200 workers were currently overweight and, in the worst case scenario, jobs could be lost.

One offshore worker, Phil Perry, told BBC Scotland News he was managing to lose weight but was concerned colleagues could lose their jobs when the new rules come into force.

New safe weight limit policy It comes after the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) warned that rescue winches, which are crucial during maritime emergencies, cannot safely lift heavier people.

OEUK said the average weight of offshore workers has increased by almost 10kg (1.5kg) since 2008.

The decision to introduce a safe weight limit for offshore workers follows analysis by industry experts over the past two and a half years.

Shoulder size rules were previously introduced for workers traveling to and from offshore sites by helicopter.

Passengers with a shoulder width of 22 inches (56 cm) or more were classified as “very wide” and they had to sit next to the helicopter's equally large window so they could escape.

Phil Perry, 42, from Aberdeen, weighed 129kg (20th) at one stage, which would have been above the new limit.

He currently weighs 118kg (18.5) and his target weight is 110kg (17th).

Mr Perry said the fear of losing his job was an additional motivation for losing weight.

“Few people are talking about this abroad yet,” he said.

“You have to understand that in the 70s and 80s the average person weighed about 70-plus kilograms, and now this trend is clearly increasing.

“I think you might have to do something about it because you don't want to end up stranded there because you're too heavy to lift.”

Mr Perry said it was possible to be healthy working on a North Sea platform.

“There are a lot of healthy people at sea, there are gyms, you can walk on the helipad, you can get in shape there, I think it’s just the personal attitude of each person.

“There is a wide choice of fruit and healthy options, but there are also crisps and sweets that don't help.

“Anyone can lose weight, but keeping it off is the hardest thing. I was one of those people who went on these crazy diets, but you can't stop yourself from doing it.”

He said he started eating the right foods at the right times, adding, “I started seeing results.”

Mr Perry said he “definitely” fears the new rules will lead to job losses.

“This will affect the pool available to go abroad, there are a lot of us out there, and unfortunately this is what will happen: people will start to lose their jobs, which is not good for anyone,” he said.

Mr Perry added that the responsibility for changing the situation lies with the employees themselves, as well as with employers.

Graham Skinner, health and safety manager at OEUK, said he hoped the new safety policy – as part of a “robust safety culture” – would not lead to job losses, but he could not rule it out.

“That would be the absolute worst-case scenario.

“Employers will have a responsibility to support their workers through this and try to find reasonable solutions, but in the worst cases this could happen to some people.”

Mr Skinner said it was “really important” that it was made clear to workers that the new rules would come into force.

“I hope this will be an incentive for everyone to support this policy and lose weight by November next year,” he said.

“There are those who face a major challenge over the next 12 months to lose weight to reach their weight limit.

“About 2,270 people will have to lose some weight to continue working after November next year.

“At this point, an offshore worker weighing more than 124 kg will not receive medical attention, and this will prevent him from boarding the helicopter.”

However, Mr Skinner said they were “really confident” the “vast majority” of workers would be over the weight limit.

He noted the support they will receive from their employers, offshore operators and the offshore community itself.

“We have already heard of offshore workers offering them circuit training and gym classes,” he added.

“So this is a great opportunity for the community to come together.”

John Boland, regional representative for the Unite union, said: “We hope no one loses their job as a result of this and that support can be provided to prevent this from happening.

“The biggest concerns we face are people who are naturally larger in build and in some cases in excellent physical condition, but who are over the actual weight limit.

“This is a discussion we need to have and how we can support these people.”

Mandatory implementation of the new policy will begin on November 1, 2026.