New safety rules mean hundreds of North Sea offshore workers could now be too big to be rescued by safety helicopters.
From 1 November 2026, offshore workers covered by new industry policy will have to weigh no more than 124kg when fully clothed, including shoes. The average weight of offshore workers has increased by almost 10kg since 2008.
The limit is based on the 124.7kg maximum patient load that can be safely handled by the search-and-rescue helicopter winches used offshore.
However, the latest figures from the BBC indicate that between 500 and 800 workers exceed the threshold, which is a huge reduction from the 2,200 initially identified last year.
OEUK’s review of the workforce found that increasing worker weight creates challenges across several areas of offshore safety beyond helicopter rescue – including lifeboats and working at height.
This restriction isn’t sudden or unfounded in logic, it’s a response to longer-term change and increased safety standards to keep offshore workers, who work across some of the most dangerous environments in maritime work, safe.
The industry has spent around two and a half years reviewing the issue, involving experts from across aviation, emergency response, equipment manufacturing, unions and more. The decision as then made to put a weight limit in place as the most practical solution.
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