Working offshore brings different challenges from working on land. These jobs provide important services to the economy, but they also expose workers to daily risks and dangers. This article will tackle what can cause you to get injured while on the job and the compensation options available to you if it happens.
Dangers in tight and closed spaces
Offshore platforms and vessels contain countless enclosed areas that you must enter to perform maintenance. As such, these spaces contain hazards such as:
- Lack of oxygen that makes breathing difficult
- Toxic fumes from cargo or fuel
- Excessive heat in hot, poorly ventilated rooms
- Falls or entrapment in dark, narrow passages
Personnel exposed to these hazards risk asphyxiation, chemical burns to the lungs and airways and traumatic brain injuries from falls. The confined nature of these spaces makes rescue attempts extremely dangerous and can increase the likelihood of additional injuries.
Risk of fires and explosions
In 2022, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) reported 149 fires on offshore facilities, making fires one of the most common types of incidents that year. Common causes of these incidents include:
- Equipment that overheats or breaks down near fuel
- Welding or cutting near flammable vapors
- Corroded wires and overloaded circuits
- Improper storage of reactive chemicals
- Gas leaks from pipelines or tanks
Crew members caught in these incidents can suffer severe burns over large parts of their bodies, lung damage from inhaling smoke and injuries from explosions. They may also develop post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health challenges that make it difficult for them to return to work.
Repetitive motion and ergonomic injuries
Offshore work often involves strenuous activities such as:
- Lifting heavy loads on unstable, moving platforms
- Working overhead for extended periods
- Operating vibrating tools and machinery
- Standing on hard surfaces during 12-hour shifts
- Repeating the same gripping and pulling motions
The physical toll of the job can lead to herniated discs, chronic back pain, rotator cuff tears and severe joint inflammation. Unlike sudden accidents, these conditions develop gradually over months or years of work.
Compensation options after an injury
Maritime workers generally do not qualify for traditional state workers’ compensation benefits. Instead, federal maritime law provides specific protections for those who work on vessels and offshore platforms.
The Jones Act applies to seamen who work on vessels and spend at least 30 percent of their time aboard. It allows injured workers to file claims against employers whose negligence contributed to their injuries.
To have a valid claim, you must show that your employer’s carelessness or the vessel’s unseaworthiness caused your injury. Benefits include compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Employers must also provide maintenance (which covers basic living costs) and cure (which covers medical treatment) until you reach maximum medical improvement.
Workers who do not qualify as seamen may still have options under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA). This law covers dock workers, shipyard employees and others working on navigable waters or adjoining areas. It is similar to workers’ comp, meaning you do not need to prove employer negligence.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act extends LHWCA protections to offshore platform workers. Coverage under OCSLA depends on location and whether the injury happened while you were working on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Each of these laws has specific eligibility requirements and filing deadlines. If you are unsure which of these laws applies to your situation, consulting an attorney familiar with maritime law can be beneficial. An attorney can answer questions about your claim and guide you through the entire process.
