STV NewsFrom Sunday, hundreds of offshore workers face being told they’re too heavy to fly to installations across the North Sea.
Trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) is introducing guidelines from November 1 that will require all those working offshore to weigh less than 124kg (19.5st).
OEUK said this is required for safety reasons, as it is the maximum a person can weigh when being winched from a platform into a helicopter during an emergency evacuation.
Since announcing the policy in 2025, the body said it has helped operators identify and implement measures to slim down their offshore workforces.
This has seen the number of workers over the 124kg limit fall from about 2,200 in early 2025 to 840 earlier this year. OEUK said it is “delighted” with the number of workers who have achieved the weight goal.
However, an estimated 241-300 workers are projected to still be over the weight limit when the policy comes into effect, meaning they could lose their jobs.
STV NewsSome have been forced to turn to weight-loss jabs, but around 240 are still outside the limit.
Liam Campbell’s incentive to lose weight was to keep his job working in the North Sea.
Since April, the offshore inspector has been forced to lose around two stone or face finding a new career.
He told STV News: “It was quite daunting when I first found out this was going to be a case, but I knew I had to do it myself anyway.
“It was just a kick in the backside that was needed.
“I had a loss in the family last year, so I was doing a lot of comfort eating and ballooned. To go from the weight I was then to where I am now is a total mindset change.
“It’s a better outlook on things.”
For many, it’s been tough to shed the pounds, with some turning to weight loss injections to meet the requirement.
STV NewsHealthcare professionals working in the sector say there can be positive benefits.
“It got to the stage where some of the offshore platforms had to get bigger fridges to hold the weight loss injections,” Dr Stuart Scott said.
“In this instance they have been very positive and have gone a long way to support people to remain in employment.
“There are more and more with type 2 diabetes, so reducing obesity reduces the risk of people developing that.”
OEUK health and safety leader Graham Skinner said it is possible some of these people no longer work offshore in the UK, or that they will be moved to onshore roles by their employers.
He added: “If a worker isn’t under 124kg, they’ll be looking at alternative work. Whether they can work elsewhere in the UK or under different rules, but in some cases the work too won’t be an alternative.
“We’re dealing with a real safety risk here, and we’re mitigating that risk. Other jurisdictions have looked at their own population and realised they had similar challenges.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
