Working in an offshore oil rig implies being exposed to dangers other jobs don't have. Several oil rig workers have died due to collisions, fires, and even explosions.
Oil rig accidents often come from the negligence of oil companies, but it's not always that way. Human errors can cause accidents too, so workers need to do what they can to keep those things from happening.
Many oil rig workers wonder if they can use their cell phones on an offshore oil rig.
Those workers need to be away from their families for a long period of time, so, understandably, they want to communicate with their family and friends. However, is doing that dangerous for them and the other crew members?
This page has all the answers.
Moreover, victims of an accident because of the negligence of a drilling company or other crew members can hire the professionals at Schuerger and Shunnarah Trial Attorneys to take their case and get them the financial compensation they need.
Can Workers Use Their Cell Phones in an Offshore Oil Rig?
The short answer is that it depends on where they are and the restrictions the company has for cell phones. Some states have a few restrictions on the electronic devices people can use in an offshore oil rig.
Hence, workers should always look for regulations in their state related to the oil and gas industry.
Those laws exist for safety reasons, so people should follow them the best they can. The same happens with the restrictions oil companies have on how much you can use your cell phone while being in the oil rig.
However, oil rig workers often can call their families and friends when they are not working and are far from dangerous equipment. Some companies have even installed communication towers near offshore oil rigs to make sure their workers have access to a decent connection.
Naturally, staff members also use that connection to talk to workers in onshore locations and let them know if they need something or if an emergency happens.
Taking pictures or videos of what happens inside an oil rig is also forbidden in most companies. How the equipment works and what happens inside offshore oil rigs often involves classified information they can't disclose to the public.
Oil rig workers working for those companies can only use their cell phones in specific areas of the offshore oil platform. Using it outside those zones leads to penalties.
Can Workers in Oil Rigs Communicate with Their Friends and Family?
Since offshore oil rig workers are often away from their families for even months, they are allowed to call them in specific areas and places. The cellular towers installed offshore make that communication easier.
However, they can disclose any information related to how the oil rig works or what happens there. That includes sharing pictures or videos of the equipment.
While staff members often video-call workers onshore, they don't always allow offshore workers to do it unless it's strictly necessary. If the company allows it, they can video-call their family when they are not working.
Needless to say, not all oil companies have the same restrictions, so it's up to workers at offshore rigs to ask their staff if they can do something.
Can Offshore Oil Rigs Receive Mails?
Although most people think it's impossible to deliver mail to offshore rigs, offshore workers can easily receive it. Getting mail and sending letters is actually less regulated than using a cell phone to call someone.
The reason for that is people are constantly going in and out of oil rigs by boat or helicopter. Therefore, the drilling company often tells someone to gather all the mail when they go out of the oil rig and give it to the crew when they get in.
There are specific days assigned to sending letters and receiving mail, so offshore workers know when they'll get a letter from their family. However, people need to know the exact delivery address of that specific offshore drilling rig.
It's difficult to get other items apart from just letters or documents inside oil rigs for safety regulations, though.
Is Using Cell Phones in an Oil Rig Dangerous?
Even if workers do everything they need to do properly, oil rig work is dangerous. Accidents can always happen, and companies managing oil rigs are often negligent towards the maintenance of the equipment they use and the training of the people they hire.
Using a cell phone can cause an accident in several ways. The first and most obvious of them is how distracting they are. People need to fully focus on what they are doing when working in oil rigs if they won't want to cause a disaster.
Doing one thing wrong can lead to a fire, so the best thing workers can do is stay as away as they can from distractions in their workplace.
Workers can't use their cell phones when they are close to dangerous equipment, either. In a nutshell, they should only call their family members or family when they are within the living quarters.
If workers are, for example, in a place with flammable gas coming up the oil well, they can't, by any means, use any electronic devices.
Allowing offshore workers to communicate is essential for anyone leading offshore oil platforms, but that doesn't include other mobile apps. Several drilling companies restrict the use of specific apps apart from text messages and calls.
What Should Victims Do After an Oil Rig Accident?
Oil accidents are more common than many people think, which is a constant problem for oil and gas companies.
Why are they common? Because those companies lack proper maintenance of their equipment or avoid training their personnel to save time.
That leads to crew members causing accidents themselves due to the lack of knowledge of how the equipment works, defective equipment getting on fire, or just stopping to work.
Those companies often don't have decent safety protocols to follow in case of an accident, so workers don't have anything to do after a problem happens.
Offshore rig accidents cause severe injuries and even wrongful death, but fortunately, victims can get justice for what happens to them.
How can they do that? With the help of a Dallas oil rig accident lawyer.
After an accident happens in an oil rig, the victim can call a personal injury attorney or law firm to schedule a consultation with them. Once in that consultation, they can tell them what happened and the severity of their injuries.
Lawyers can then file a personal injury claim against the negligent party that caused the accident. Even if everything happened because the victim was using their cell phone aboard, they can still sue the oil company if it didn't teach them the dos and don'ts on the oil platform.
Personal injury lawsuits work similarly to other accidents in oil rigs. In a nutshell, they just have to schedule a consultation, gather evidence of what happened, and file the claim.
Victims will need to wait for the response of the oil company. The person in charge of managing legal matters for their employer will most likely want to negotiate with the victim to get to an agreement and avoid a trial.
Trying to get to a fair settlement is a decent idea if the victim either doesn't want to go through the stress of legal trials or if they aren't that sure they can win it.
However, victims should only take a deal if it's fair for them and gives them enough money for their lost wages and medical bills.
It's important for lawyers to be present in those negotiations because insurance companies and the lawyers representing the defendant will try to offer unfair deals to the victim to free themselves from the problem while spending the least money possible.
Can Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys Help Victims of Oil Rig Accidents?
The people at Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys are the best option for victims of oil rig accidents. The reason for that is the quality and experience of the lawyers who work for the firm.
Most law firms work with decent and professional lawyers, but they don't know the tricks insurance companies and negligent parties use to win the case.
Professionals at Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys, on the other hand, work with former insurance company workers, so they know everything the other party will do to save money. This law firm offers free case evaluations, and as its name suggests, it's proficient when it comes to winning trials.
It will go to war for its clients and win it.
Final Thoughts
Using cell phones has become part of everyone's daily routine, and it's difficult to stop using them, even in offshore oil rigs.
Nonetheless, it's highly difficult to use them near flammable gas or if they distract workers from doing what they need to do. Safety must always be a priority for everyone on the oil platform.
Suffering from an accident in offshore locations can be scary for the victim, but they are not alone in those offshore drilling rigs. They can always count on personal injury lawyers to help them get the financial compensation they deserve. Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys can also answer questions like, "How often do oil rig accidents happen?"
The only thing victims of a drilling rig accident need to do to sue the negligent party is call it and schedule a free consultation.
Victims of personal injury accidents can call Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys now!