Hundreds of North Sea workers too heavy for new helicopter rules

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, New weight rules for travel offshore will come into force in NovemberByRebecca Curran, BBC Scotland and Ken Banks, North east Scotland reporter, Reporting fromAberdeenPublished2 September 2026Updated 6 hours agoHundreds of North Sea workers are still too heavy for offshore helicopter travel less than two months before new rules come into force, BBC Scotland has learned. From November they should weigh no more than 19st 7Ib (124.7kg) in their clothing and footwear, so they can be winched to safety in an emergency. When the plans were announced by industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) last year, they said more than 2,200 workers were above that limit. New figures suggest up to 800 still exceed it.Jobs could be lost as a result, and an occupational health expert said some had left the offshore industry rather than lose the weight.However an employment law specialist said alternative onshore roles could also be explored by companies.More stories from North East Scotland, Orkney and ShetlandListen to news from North East Scotland on BBC SoundsThe new safe weight limit policy, external came after the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) warned that rescue winches - which are critical during offshore emergencies - cannot safely lift heavier people.The 39st (249kg) maximum Coastguard rescue helicopter winch load is made up of the maximum clothed weight plus the average 14st (90.3kg) weight of a rescue worker, a 4st 7Ib (29kg) stretcher, and the 7Ib (5kg) kit.OEUK said the average weight of offshore workers had risen by almost 1st 7Ib (10kg) since 2008.Its definition of clothed weight is measured "according to the industry travel clothing policy for the relevant season, including shoes".Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, A lengthy industry review was carried out into the issueThe decision to implement a safe weight limit for offshore workers followed a lengthy review by industry experts.Rules about shoulder size were previously introduced for workers travelling to and from offshore installations by helicopter.Passengers with a shoulder width of 22in (56cm) or more were classed as "extra broad" and had to sit next to a similarly large helicopter window, so they could escape.Updated figures from the industry body show about 3.4% of offshore workers weigh more than 124kg. That is down from the estimated 4.7% in 2022.The latest figures are based on more than 35,000 offshore traveller records collected between April and August.They suggest hundreds have moved below the threshold - but hundreds also still remain above it.OEUK said it was working to maintain the downward trend, but those still over the new guidelines only now have a limited window left.The mandatory implementation of the new policy will be from 1 November.Get in touchAre you affected by the new safe weight limit for travelling offshore? Contact formAberdeen-based occupational health physician Dr Niyi Adeleke assesses the fitness of people for offshore work.The said the new rules had been a "big talking topic" among workers since the announcement last year.Anyone above the weight limit will not get the necessary medical certificate."The reaction has been varied, some people are really stressed, 'what can I do?'," he told BBC Scotland News."We ask them about their eating habits and what they can change."He said some were looking for measures such as weight loss injections.Image caption, Dr Niyi Adeleke said some workers decided to leave their role as a result of the rules"We have others who have decided to walk away, saying this is no longer what they would like to do if they have to lose that amount of weight."There are people who work out in the gym regularly and say they are not going to trade this for a job."However he said that was only a small number in his experience, and others were also transferring abroad, or switching to onshore roles.He said most were working to lose the weight.However he explained some were losing weight too quickly by fasting for long periods which was not sustainable."There are solutions which are sustainable," he said. "There is help, and please do not lose hope."Could jobs be lost?Will Rollinson, an employment specialist with law firm Brodies, said companies were aware of what needed to be done about supporting staff.He said several things would have to be considered before someone was dismissed because of their weight.Employers would need to know what efforts the worker had made to get under the limit, why they did not manage, and what further help could be offered.Rollinson said alternative roles could be explored, rather than having to work offshore."Ultimately though, if an employee whose role is offshore is unable to get below the safe weight limit, and an employer has followed a process, it may be that (job) termination is a possibility," he said.He said some operators would have much more scope for offering alternative roles.He stressed there was still a two-month window for companies and employees to act.Image caption, Graham Skinner said the workforce was trying their bestGraham Skinner, the health, safety and security manager at OEUK, said the affected workforce was trying hard to reach the new limit.He said with eight weeks to go there were "between 500 and 800" workers who still had weight to lose."It's significantly less than when we started and that's a great sign," he said."But we recognise there's going to be some hard work to be done to continue to reduce that number in time."On 1 November, if a worker turns up at the heliport over 124kg, they will not be able to go to work."'It will be hard'Skinner explained of the new policy: "We identified that there's a significant risk due to workers' weight."That affects all aspects of their offshore work from getting on the helicopter and travelling offshore to working around confined space, working at height, but also in terms of how we might rescue them using the winch on helicopters."When we looked at all of the risks, we felt it was important to make sure that we didn't have workers who we wouldn't be able to rescue if the worst thing happened to them."He added: "I think the message here is for people who haven't started yet, who think this isn't going to happen or it's going to go away, you really have to start now because with eight weeks to go it will still be possible."It will be hard, but we'd like to have you as part of our workforce."Related topicsObesityNorth Sea oil and gasWeight lossOil & Gas industryEnergy industryMore on this storyThird of offshore workers above lifeboat max weightPublished11 December 2023