Oil and gas companies often participate in offshore drilling activities in order to tap rich oil and shale gas wells deep in the ocean. As a result, oil rigs are situated out at sea for the majority of the year. Cranes are an essential component to the functioning of offshore oil rigs. Cranes are large and cumbersome pieces of machinery and can lead to accidents offshore if not operated correctly. This articles outlines some key aspects to preventing offshore crane accidents and injuries.
Due to the sheer size and height of an oil rig, all items and even personnel that are brought onto a rig while it is offshore have to be loaded on by a crane. Cranes are used to load food, casings, equipment, pipes and drilling pipes, to name but a few elements that are critical to the operation of an oil rig. The cranes that are used in the drilling industries can weigh over 100 tons. As a result, accidents involving a crane have the potential to cause significant loss of life, injury and damage to property.
One of the key aspects to preventing crane accidents involves the responsibilities of the crane operators. Operators must ensure that the cranes are well maintained at all times in order to prevent accidents due to poorly functioning machinery. Cranes should be regularly, thoroughly and appropriately inspected before being dispatched to an offshore site. As part of this inspection, the crane weight load should be tested to ensure that the crane can handle the weights that it will be required to lift on the oil rig.
It is critical to remind operators of the importance of communication and planning between individuals involved in the assembly and operations of cranes, as well as with supervisory controls. Once the loads are rigged to the crane, the load should be checked to ensure that the load is secure and minimise the risk of load falls that can cause death and injury.
Finally, the most important aspect to prevent crane accidents is to ensure that crane operators and oil riggers are adequately trained in the operation of heavy machinery in the often hostile offshore environment.
By keeping to these standards, offshore operators can effectively reduce the risk of a serious crane accident while working on an offshore site. If an oil rig worker is injured in a crane accident, they should contact a qualified law firm who has experience working with offshore injury litigation.
