A major heat wave across the Gulf Coast has created a new hazard for offshore O&G workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Water temperatures along the Texas-Louisiana coastlines are approaching 90 degrees. The heat index has risen as high as 110 degrees.
These conditions are common in the Persian Gulf offshore oil industry, but less often found on the Gulf Coast, and the industry's safety regulator says it will have to adapt.
In "multiple recent instances," workers in the U.S. offshore oil industry have been so affected by the heat that they had to be evacuated to shore for medical evaluation, according to BSEE.
Warming conditions will likely accelerate over the next year as the current El Nino gains strength.
Elevated temperatures may affect offshore oil producers in the Gulf of Mexico, and BSEE advises operators to manage the effects of high heat on their workforce. (Maritime Executive 08/24/23)
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