Hundreds of North Sea workers too heavy for new helicopter rules
Hundreds of North Sea oil and gas workers remain above the new 124.7kg weight limit set for helicopter safety. The policy, mandated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, aims to ensure rescue winches can safely lift passengers during emergencies.
Why it matters
The regulation highlights the tension between occupational safety standards and workforce retention in the offshore energy sector.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, New weight rules for travel offshore will come into force in November
Hundreds of North Sea workers are still too heavy for offshore helicopter travel less than two months before new rules come into force, BBC Scotland has learned.
From November they should weigh no more than 124.7kg (19.5st) in their clothing and footwear, so they can be winched to safety in an emergency.
When the plans were announced by industry body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) last year, they said more than 2,200 workers were above that limit. New figures suggest up to 800 still exceed it.
Jobs could be lost as a result, and an occupational health expert said some had left the offshore industry rather than lose the weight.
However an employment law specialist said alternative onshore roles could also be explored by companies.
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