If you have chosen the oil rigging profession, you know that there are many dangers that come with this type of job. You may have been injured in the past, or you may have seen coworkers suffer from work-related injuries, so these types of accidents may be very close to your heart. It is unfortunately common for workers to be injured in transportation accidents, unwanted contact with certain equipment, fires and explosions, exposure to harmful substances, and falling.
No matter how much preventative action that you take to try and avoid these types of mishaps, accidents still happen. Some are due to the negligence of another or unsafe working conditions, but sometimes these accidents happen as a completely unpredictable event. These are the types of the accidents that are the scariest for everyone involved because it may seem unexplainable. This can be hard for people to understand, but if the actual accident is broken down and examined, it may be easier for coworkers to fully grasp the dangers of this line of work.
While falling is one of the most common causes for injury, and often one of the most sudden, this can be one of the areas where employees can begin to further focus on how to be safe moving forward. While many people think that falls are simply just caused by an employee losing their balance, there are actually many more reasons that cause these, sometimes tragic, accidents.
Slip and Fall Accidents on Rigs
With the nature of offshore oil rigs being in the middle of water, it makes sense that many workers are injured by slipping and falling. Not only this, but with the nature of oil itself being very slick, if any oil gets into a place that has some foot traffic, this may cause workers to slip and fall, causing injury or death. They affect the main base of the rig as well as out on catwalks. When on a catwalk, this oil or water could prove to be even more serious, as the fall that could accompany the slip would be even greater.
Unsecured Ladders
If you are used to working on offshore oil rigs, you know that ladders are sometimes the only way to get from one level to the next. While falling off a secure ladder is always a danger, an even more common reason for falling is the fact that the ladder may be unsecure. It may move with your movement or even collapse, leading to falls that can injure, or even kill, the employee.
Dangerous Working Conditions
Sometimes falls are due to the employee not taking the most preventative measure as possible, but sometimes they are due to unsafe working conditions. These conditions could be due to the negligence of the employer.
If you have been injured on the job in an offshore accident, you deserve compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and time off work. The Law Offices of Matt & Allen work with injured oil workers like you every single day. Contact us today to get started; we want to help you.
