Published: Friday, 2nd May, 2008 16:30
Consult offshore experts
By Frank Maguire
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THE employment situation for offshore workers is complex.
Most are agency workers working for a foreign oil company on a platform owned by a third party.
Adding to the mix is the fact they are then governed dually by UK laws, together with entirely different laws affecting work at sea.
With so many different parties involved it can be hard to work out who is responsible for an accident occurring offshore.
The company contracting the workers, the employment agency and the offshore workers themselves, can all have responsibilities, so there should always be cover in the event of an accident.
These complications make it all the more vital to contact a personal injury lawyer with experience in offshore accidents.
Although there have been improvements in health and safety offshore since the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988, the risks are ever-present — fire, explosion, release of gas and structural failure all have the potential to cause major loss of life, as well as other less serious injuries.
The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for the regulation of almost all the risks to health and safety arising from work activity in Britain.
There are also many duties on the employer to ensure the chances of an accident are minimised.
If the employer fails to follow these strict guidelines they may be liable to pay damages for an injury sustained by a worker under their care.
But, if an offshore incident is treated as an accident at sea, the time limits for raising cases at court vary, so it is important to consult an expert in offshore accidents to avoid losing out on compensation you are owed simply due to a mistake in timing.
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