Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) estimates 241 to 300 workers may still exceed its 124-kilogram limit when the policy begins in November, putting their offshore jobs at risk.
OEUK says the threshold is based on whether a worker can be evacuated by helicopter from an offshore platform. The Independent reported Thursday that the policy is due to take effect in November.
OEUK says the number of workers above the limit fell from about 2,200 early in 2025 to 840 earlier this year. The industry body announced the policy in 2025 and says it has worked with operators to identify ways to bring the number down.
OEUK health and safety leader Graham Skinner cited wider use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and added refrigeration at some employers to store the medication. He said medication was one of several measures workers were using, rather than a universal solution. Skinner said some people in the remaining estimate may have left offshore work in the United Kingdom, while others could move to onshore roles.
The industry previously made changes to safety equipment for larger workers, including building bigger lifeboats and adjusting helicopter seating. Skinner said those changes addressed only part of the safety challenge and that a weight cap could help across offshore life-saving equipment. He also said health-related medical evacuations, including those for heart attacks and strokes, accounted for 78% of all medivacs in 2025, and argued the policy could reduce that risk.
The RMT union says the policy could let employers dismiss workers without following standard redundancy procedures or paying compensation. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said safety rules should be proportionate, evidence-based and developed with workers. He said the union wants OEUK to withdraw the policy and consult trade unions on an approach to offshore safety.
