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North Sea offshore helicopter weight rules set tighter limit for workers
The new guidelines, effective in November, cap clothed weight at 124 kg, after regulators warned rescue winches cannot safely lift heavier passengers.
Hundreds of North Sea workers are still too heavy to comply with newly scheduled offshore helicopter guidance, with the stricter clothed weight limit set to begin in November, BBC Scotland reports.
From November, workers are expected to weigh no more than 124 kg in their clothing and footwear so they can be winched to safety during an emergency. When the plans were announced by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), the industry body said more than 2,200 workers were above the limit, and newer figures suggest up to 800 still exceed it, raising the risk of job losses.
The change follows a warning from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency that rescue winches, which are critical in offshore emergencies, cannot safely lift heavier people. BBC reports the Coastguard rescue helicopter winch load is 249 kg maximum, which accounts for the maximum clothed weight plus the average weight of a rescue worker, stretcher, and kit.
OEUK said the average weight of offshore workers has risen by almost 10 kg since 2008, with its updated figures based on more than 35,000 offshore traveller records collected between April and August. The new data indicate about 3.4% of workers weigh more than 124 kg, down from 4.7% in 2022, though hundreds still remain above the threshold.