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A company has been ordered to pay a fine totaling £287,025 after an offshore worker tragically died falling through a gap on a North Sea oil rig. The incident involved Jason Thomas, a 50-year-old crew member from Newport, Wales, who went missing in 2023 while aboard the Valaris 121, a jackup rig being towed approximately 100 miles southeast of Aberdeen.
Following his disappearance, it was discovered that a section of grating located outside a door had become dislodged. Ensco, the company responsible for the rig, pleaded guilty to violating health and safety regulations during proceedings at Aberdeen Sheriff Court. The court imposed a £267,000 fine on the company, which, combined with a victim surcharge, brought the total penalty to £287,025. This charge was identified as a breach under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Representing the Crown, Richard Brown described Thomas as an experienced and well-regarded offshore worker known for his professional demeanor and strong commitment to safety. Thomas was last seen leaving a lounge area, after which a colleague heard a loud noise. Investigating the noise, the colleague looked through a door to find a grating resting precariously on top of other gratings, leaving a dangerous void with the sea visible beneath. Despite a search and rescue operation launched immediately and continuing into the following day, Thomas’s body was never found.
The Crown’s submission noted that the failure stemmed from an inadequate number of fastening clips securing the grating, a deficiency that, combined with wave motion during the rig’s tow to Dundee, led to the grating coming loose. Defending Ensco, Barry Smith KC expressed the company’s profound sorrow over the fatal accident. Smith highlighted that Ensco had no prior convictions and acknowledged the failure to properly secure the grating as a regrettable mistake. He emphasized that lessons had been learned in the aftermath. Sheriff Morag McLaughlin, presiding over the case, recognized the company’s previously good safety record and comprehensive response but underscored the severity of the tragic consequences.
Health and Safety Executive principal inspector Steven Hanson Hall commented on the case as a deeply distressing tragedy with a lasting emotional impact on Thomas’s colleagues and community. Hall lamented that Thomas’s body was never recovered, which caused particular anguish to his mother, who has since also passed away. Describing the investigation as thorough and complex, Hall stressed the importance of grating systems being properly designed, installed, and maintained to prevent such risks, especially in harsh offshore environments. He concluded that had Ensco implemented relatively simple precautions to address the underlying hazards during the rig’s move, it is highly probable that this fatal incident could have been avoided
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