Two workers are tragically dead after an accident on an offshore platform operating for the Shell Oil Company.
The platform, per reports, is technically called the Shell Auger Tension Leg Platform. It is out in the Gulf of Mexico, about 214 miles away from New Orleans to the south.
When the company was asked what had happened, a spokesperson claimed that the workers were testing the lifeboat launching system. They were also working with lifeboat retrieval devices. It was said to be a routine test, and it happened at about 9:00 a.m.
While the two workers were killed, a third worker was seriously injured. They had to be taken to a hospital for treatment, which is no small feat when the platform is more than 200 miles from shore. That’s one of the huge dangers of working on an oil platform.
The exact specifics of the accident or how the victims passed away were not detailed in the reports. The company also did not give out the names of the workers who died. They did clarify that this is not an environmental issue, so the accident should have “no impact” in that regard.
Offshore work is incredibly dangerous for a multitude of reasons. As noted, being so far from shore really raises the stakes with an injury. Additionally, even routine jobs can have incredible risks in such an extreme, remote environment.
As such, it is very important for those who get injured in this line of work, or the family members of loved ones who pass away, to know what legal options they have.