Fires on OffShore Oil Rigs

Have you recently been injured in a preventable fire on an offshore oil rig? If so, you need to talk to an attorney about your rights. There’s a lot on the line when you’ve been burned or scarred. You may no longer be able to work and that’s to say nothing of dealing with the psychological aftermath of a disfigurement.

Oil field workers and anyone working in an offshore oil rig faces significant injury risk if the job site is not safe. Dangerous working conditions and physically demanding work make it more difficult for someone working in the offshore oil industry to avoid workplace accidents to begin with. Given that many workers have to conduct their job in the presence of flammable gases and chemicals and use dangerous equipment like blowtorches, it can be extremely dangerous to maintain this equipment and avoid critical injuries.

When you add in the potential difficult weather conditions aligned with an oil rig, the risk for injury can be more severe. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration clearly outlines how any hot tasks including those that may increase the risk of fire should be handled. People who have been trained to put out fires in the workplace are classified as fire watchers. One should always be posted in situations in which potential injury risks are present.

The consequences associated with an oil related fire can be very severe meaning that contractors and operators should be sure that gas detectors are used on a regular basis to monitor the atmosphere in the working environment.  Work should never be started and it must be stopped immediately if a gas detector identifies flammable gas or combustible gas in the area 10% above the lower explosive level. Being injured in an offshore oil accident because the employer did not take the proper safety steps should prompt you to contact an experienced offshore oil injury attorney as soon as possible. You have rights and may be eligible to file a claim to help assist with the payments linked to your injuries. Do not wait to get help because an attorney is a valuable asset in your case.