Work Environment Of Offshore Oil Rigs
Posted on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 3:44 amCategory: Job Related Stress
Oil is one of the very important fossil fuels that man relies on to power up their residences and their industries. This fossil fuel is found in two places on earth. Oil is plentiful underneath land oil fields and underneath the oceans. Oil is derived from the ocean through offshore oil rigs, where oil is suctioned by these towering oil plants in the middle of various oceans. There are a wide variety of oil rig jobs for people of various backgrounds.
Working at an offshore oil rig in the middle of the ocean has been a source of fascination for many people, perhaps because it has been likened to working on a ship out at sea. This type of job is very unlike a job at an office. You will need to be physically fit, have a lot of stamina, and think fast on your feet in this exciting and oftentimes risky job that is usually carried on high metal platforms right smack in the middle of the ocean.
Not all offshore oil rigs are far-off from the shore; some can be found some 300 feet beyond the coast, while others are situated further out to sea. Offshore oil rigs are built with tall metal legs that hold up platforms housing the rig’s essential machinery and equipment.
Since offshore oil rigs are situated at a remote distance from land, the rigs themselves will need to contain all that is necessary to support the day-to-day requirements of all those who work within it. Oil drilling jobs often include personell specifically for electrical needs. They have their own electrical power plants to provide electricity. Some bigger-sized rigs even have their own desalination plants used to convert salt water and purify it for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and washing.
Offshore oil rigs also have treatment plants to safely dispose of all the wastes derived from the rig’s machinery, as well as from its human workers.
Offshore oil rig jobs and other employees know what they are getting into. Workers in offshore oil rigs are faced with a lot of risks everyday, such as fire and rough weather. However, working at an offshore oil rig is also rewarding for its good pay and comfortable living quarters. To compensate for the rough working conditions and risks the workers take, oil companies provide living standards equivalent to most four star hotels on land. Workers who live and work at offshore oil rigs have their quarters a good distance away from the rig’s machinery and equipment to lower the risks of fire.
The oil companies who own and operate these offshore oil rigs make sure that their workers are provided with comfortable living conditions, which include catered food, laundry, and cleaning services. Also on stand-by are medical and safety crews whose job is to oversee the health and safety of all offshore oil rig workers.