The UK offshore oil and gas industry — employing approximately 23,000 full-time equivalent workers in the North Sea and beyond — recorded zero fatal injuries in the 2024 calendar year. Only two fatalities have been recorded in the offshore sector in the last decade. By virtually any industrial safety benchmark, this represents an extraordinary safety record for one of the most technically complex and hazardous working environments in the world.
Key facts and figures
- 0 fatal injuries recorded across the UK offshore sector in 2024.
- 2 fatalities in the offshore sector in the last ten years.
- 107 non-fatal injuries reported under RIDDOR in 2024.
- 12 & 95 — of the 107, 12 were specified injuries and 95 were over-7-day injuries.
- 462 per 100,000 FTE workers — the overall offshore injury rate.
- 34% fractures of all injuries, with sprains and strains the next largest category.
- 180 dangerous occurrences reported in 2024.
- 92 hydrocarbon releases (HCRs) in 2024 — 32% of all dangerous occurrences.
- ~23,000 FTE workers offshore in 2023, across approximately 3.9 million Person on Board days.
Zero fatalities in 2024 — and only two in ten years
The UK offshore oil and gas industry — employing approximately 23,000 full-time equivalent workers — achieved exceptional safety outcomes in 2024, with zero fatal injuries recorded across the sector and only two fatalities in the previous ten years.
This achievement did not emerge naturally. It was built — deliberately and often painfully — from the ruins of the Piper Alpha disaster on 6 July 1988, when 167 men died in the worst offshore oil catastrophe in history. The deeper context for today's figures is explored in the Piper Alpha and regulatory framework sections below.
Key statistics (2024)
Personal Safety:
- 0 fatal injuries in 2024
- 2 fatalities in the last ten years
- 107 non-fatal injuries reported under RIDDOR in 2024
- Of the 107: 12 specified injuries and 95 over-7-day injuries
- 462 injuries per 100,000 FTE workers overall injury rate
- Fractures: 34% of all injuries; sprains/strains: next largest category
Dangerous occurrences and hydrocarbon releases (2024)
- 180 dangerous occurrences reported in 2024
- 92 hydrocarbon releases (HCRs) in 2024
- HCRs represent 32% of all dangerous occurrences
- 45% of HCRs were non-process releases
Regulatory activity (2024)
- 125 inspections at 102 offshore installations in 2024
- 20 investigations commenced in 2024
- 25 health and safety concerns followed up
- 78 safety cases assessed in 2024
- 616 non-compliance issues raised
- 21 improvement notices and 2 prohibition notices issued
- 0 prosecutions in 2024 (vs. 3 in 2023)
- 30% of topic inspection scores rated poor or unacceptable
Workforce (2024)
- Approximately 23,000 FTE workers offshore in 2023
- Approximately 3.9 million Person on Board days
Key facts & figures (2024 — HSE Annual Offshore Statistics Report)
All data sourced from the HSE's Official Statistics: Offshore Statistics and Regulatory Activity Report 2024 (September 2024), covering the calendar year 2024.
| Measure (UK offshore, 2024) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fatal injuries | 0 |
| Fatalities in the last ten years | 2 |
| Non-fatal injuries (RIDDOR) | 107 |
| Specified injuries | 12 |
| Over-7-day injuries | 95 |
| Overall injury rate (per 100,000 FTE) | 462 |
| Dangerous occurrences | 180 |
| Hydrocarbon releases (HCRs) | 92 |
| Inspections / installations | 125 / 102 |
| Improvement notices / prohibition notices | 21 / 2 |
| Prosecutions (2024 vs 2023) | 0 vs 3 |
Piper Alpha (1988): the disaster that changed everything
On 6 July 1988, an explosion and fire on the Piper Alpha platform in the North Sea killed 167 men — 165 platform workers and 2 rescuers. Of the 226 people on board, only 61 survived.
The Cullen Inquiry (1990) made 106 recommendations, including:
- Transfer of offshore safety responsibility from the Department of Energy to the Health and Safety Executive in 1991
- Introduction of mandatory Safety Cases under the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 1992
- Shift from prescriptive to goal-setting regulation
Root causes identified included:
- Inadequate permit-to-work systems
- Failure to communicate a maintenance tag during shift handover
- Fire suppression systems in manual mode to protect divers
- Safety culture where production pressure overrode safety concerns
The UK offshore regulatory framework
Principal instruments governing offshore safety today are designed to keep major accident hazards under control. A robust approach to hazard identification and control — the foundation of all of them — is exactly what a workplace risk assessment sets out to deliver.
- Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc) Regulations 2015 (SCR 2015): Requires operators to submit Safety Cases demonstrating all major accident hazards have been identified, measures are in place to prevent major accidents, and suitable safety management systems exist. Safety Cases must be revised following significant changes and completely revised every five years.
- Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire, Explosions and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 (PFEER): Requires duty holders to take appropriate measures to protect persons from fire and explosion, and ensure effective emergency response covering muster arrangements, evacuation, escape and rescue (EER) plans, temporary refuge (TR) integrity, firefighting systems, and detection systems.
- Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction) Regulations 1996 (DCR): Sets requirements for design, construction, and assessment of offshore installations and wells to ensure they can withstand intended loads and environments.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR): Requires reporting of deaths, specified injuries, over-7-day injuries, occupational diseases, and dangerous occurrences, with offshore having separate, broader definitions.
Hydrocarbon releases: the persistent risk
While personal injury statistics in the offshore sector are excellent, hydrocarbon releases remain a significant concern.
A major hydrocarbon release — particularly if accompanied by an ignition source — can rapidly escalate into the kind of catastrophic event that Piper Alpha demonstrated.
In 2024, the HSE recorded 92 hydrocarbon releases — the ongoing demonstration that the potential for a major accident is ever-present. The HSE distinguishes between major, significant, and minor releases.
The North Sea transition
The offshore sector is undergoing fundamental transition as the UK moves toward net zero. Production from existing North Sea fields is declining; decommissioning of older installations is accelerating; and new opportunities in hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage, and offshore wind are creating new working environments with different risk profiles.
Sources & references
- HSE – Annual Offshore Statistics and Regulatory Activity Report 2024 (September 2024)
- HSE – Offshore Statistics (index page)
- HSE – The Public Inquiry into the Piper Alpha Disaster
- FABIG – Industrial Accident at Piper Alpha Platform, North Sea, UK, 06 July 1988
- Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc) Regulations 2015
- PFEER Regulations 1995
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Mark writes about workplace health and safety, compliance and accredited online training for Online CPD Academy.