OEUK 124 kg Offshore Travel Limit: What Changes on 1 November 2026
As at 18 October 2026, the premise is still current: OEUK’s Safe Weight Limit Policy becomes mandatory on 1 November 2026. For covered UK offshore installations, a worker whose clothed outbound weight is above 124 kg will not be permitted to travel offshore after that date, regardless of an otherwise valid OEUK medical certificate. This is an OEUK industry policy and implementation control, not a new UK-wide statutory weight limit. Read the current OEUK policy page and the latest OEUK industry FAQ (revision 2.2, dated 12 October 2026) together because scope and implementation details matter.
The threshold is not a bare body-weight reading, not a 124.7 kg passenger allowance and not a blanket rule for every vessel, wind project or international offshore job. OEUK defines a practical control for workers on installations within the policy scope, links it to the OEUK medical framework and uses mobilisation and heliport checks as additional barriers. The April 2026 Explanatory Note, Issue 2 is the key document for the current detail.
What does the 124 kg limit actually mean?
124 kg means clothed weight. OEUK’s current FAQ says the reading includes shoes and clothing worn in line with the existing industry travel clothing policy for the relevant season. It is intended to represent how a worker arrives for offshore travel and how weight can be checked consistently at a heliport. A worker should not compare a bathroom-scale reading taken in underwear with the policy threshold or attempt to meet the threshold by removing normal travel clothing.
| Policy element | Current OEUK position |
|---|---|
| Measured condition | Clothed, with footwear, under the applicable seasonal travel clothing policy. |
| Offshore PPE | The October 2026 FAQ (revision 2.2) says the helicopter flight suit, lifejacket and other offshore PPE are not added to the policy weight. |
| Safety margin | The 124 kg figure includes a 0.7 kg margin for normal fluctuation during an offshore trip. |
| Travel direction | The restriction applies to the outbound flight to the installation; OEUK states no equivalent safe-weight restriction for the return flight to shore. |
The 0.7 kg margin explains why the policy is written as 124 kg even though the underlying rescue calculation refers to about 124.7 kg for a patient. OEUK says HM Coastguard and SAR helicopter operators identified the remaining patient capacity after accounting for the winch-paramedic, stretcher and rescue equipment. That is an emergency-rescue configuration, not a general aircraft passenger limit. The OEUK technical note on SAR hoists and stretchers should be read alongside the aviation material, not as a replacement for operator procedures.
The aviation basis is also more specific than a simple cable rating. EASA’s electrical-hoist certification specification sets technical performance requirements for hoist equipment, while the EASA Goodrich-hoist airworthiness directive illustrates how certified hoist loads and operating limits can be constrained by equipment condition and temperature. These sources corroborate the safety-critical aviation context; they do not, by themselves, create OEUK’s 124 kg worker policy.
Why has OEUK introduced the policy?
The policy is built around the requirement to keep evacuation, escape and rescue practicable for everyone on a covered installation. A worker may need help because of illness, injury, a fire or another emergency rather than because of a helicopter accident. In that situation, a helicopter winch, stretcher party, lifeboat, life raft, fast rescue craft, personal descent device or confined-space recovery system can become part of the rescue chain. Each item has a design or handling limit, and the installation’s remoteness reduces the value of an improvised alternative.
OEUK’s explanatory material says the immediate concern is not a judgement about an individual’s character or health. It is the ability of the installation duty holder and rescue services to provide a reliable response under the conditions that may exist offshore. HSE’s overview of offshore helicopter travel likewise separates the responsibilities of helicopter operators, installation operators, HSE and the CAA. The weight policy sits inside that wider safety system.
This does not mean that a person above the figure would never be rescued. OEUK’s FAQ distinguishes routine safe capacity from a life-threatening rescue: SAR crews retain operational discretion, and a water rescue may use a rescue strop rather than a stretcher. That discretion cannot be treated as a routine travel arrangement or a substitute for a planned safe system of work.
What changes on 1 November 2026?
The date has not moved in the OEUK material checked on 18 October 2026. The policy page still shows 1 November 2026, and FAQ revision 2.2 restates it and adds that the policy “does not allow for exemption or dispensation”. The policy has been phased so workers and employers have time to understand the change, arrange support and address weight that is close to or above the threshold.
| Phase | Dates | Practical effect |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction and awareness | 1 November 2025–31 January 2026 | OEUK and employers communicated the policy; the mandatory travel restriction had not started. |
| Transition | 1 February–31 October 2026 | Medical certificates may be shortened for relevant weight bands, and employers are encouraged to provide support. |
| Mandatory implementation | From 1 November 2026 | A clothed outbound reading above 124 kg blocks travel to a covered installation, even with an in-date OEUK medical certificate. |
How many workers are still above the limit? On 2 September 2026, BBC Scotland reported updated OEUK figures based on more than 35,000 offshore traveller records collected between April and August 2026. About 3.4% of offshore workers weighed more than 124 kg, down from an estimated 4.7% in 2022. The BBC said up to 800 workers may still exceed the limit, compared with the more than 2,200 OEUK put above it when the policy was announced in 2025. The Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce summarised the same BBC figures on 3 September 2026. OEUK told the BBC it was working to maintain the downward trend.
The last point is important for planning. Medical certification is one control; operator mobilisation and heliport check-in are separate controls. OEUK’s implementation note describes the heliport as the final barrier and says that a worker at 124.1 kg or more, clothed on the outbound flight, will not be permitted to travel after the mandatory date. Employers and helicopter operators are expected to agree what happens if a worker is turned away.
What changes in practice from 1 November 2026
From the mandatory date the policy stops being a warning and becomes a travel decision. FAQ revision 2.2 sets out what workers and employers should expect at the medical, before mobilisation and at the heliport.
- At the medical: an OEUK examiner will not issue a fitness-to-work certificate to a worker above 124 kg.
- Before mobilisation: workers may be asked to check their weight before travelling to the heliport and should tell the employer if they think they are above 124 kg.
- At check-in: the heliport’s calibrated scales are the authoritative reading. A worker above 124 kg will not travel, even if a home reading a few hours earlier was just below the limit, and may be asked to attend a follow-up weight check.
- Home scales: the FAQ treats them as an indication only and suggests a hard, level floor, fresh batteries, two or three repeat readings and weighing in the clothes worn to the heliport.
- Walk-to-work access: the policy applies to covered installations however workers get there, but walk-to-work practice varies, so the installation operator should explain how the limit is applied.
- Employers: agree with the operator what happens when a worker is turned away, keep offering access to weight-management support, and consider adjustments or alternative roles. The FAQ says employers who have offered support and considered appropriate changes are likely to have discharged their own legal duties.
The FAQ also says OEUK will keep the policy under review in the light of operational experience, legal developments and stakeholder feedback, so check the policy page again before each mobilisation rather than relying on a summary written earlier.
How does the limit relate to medical fitness?
The OEUK medical assesses fitness for offshore work. The safe-weight limit is an additional control, not a BMI calculation or a diagnosis. The 12 October 2026 OEUK FAQ, revision 2.2, describes changes made in medical guidance Issues 8.1a and 8.2.
For many workers in the 115–124 kg range, the updated guidance requires regular weight checks, with longer intervals possible where weight control is good. A weight check and a full medical assessment are different. Ask the OEUK examiner which checks are required, when they are due and how they relate to the certificate expiry date; older certificate-duration tables should not be used to decide this.
From 1 November 2026, workers above 124 kg cannot receive an OEUK fitness-to-work certificate for work within the UK policy scope. Travel restrictions apply even with an existing valid certificate. The examiner applies the current medical guidance to the individual. For background, see our OEUK medical certification guide.
Who is covered, and what is outside the policy?
OEUK’s current policy page says the limit applies to offshore installations operating under accepted Safety Cases as defined in the Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015. FAQ revision 2.2 describes the scope as offshore oil and gas installations under those regulations and the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995. That formal scope should be checked against the installation, operator and role rather than reduced to the phrase “offshore worker”.
| Situation | Current policy reading | Required check |
|---|---|---|
| Marine vessels | Outside this installation policy and governed through different regulatory and medical arrangements. | Confirm the applicable maritime rules and medical process. |
| Walk-to-work access | The October 2026 FAQ says the policy applies to covered installations however workers get there, but its controls focus on helicopter travel. | Ask the installation operator how the limit is applied where walk-to-work is used. |
| International OEUK medical use | The October 2026 FAQ says Issues 8.1a and 8.2 let international workers obtain an OEUK certificate without the UK limit, but more companies and projects are applying weight limits themselves. | Check host-country, employer, operator and project requirements. |
| UK offshore wind | The October 2026 FAQ says the policy is not directly applicable to vessels, SOVs or wind turbines, but wind operators are applying it case by case. | Confirm the project’s current policy with the wind operator rather than assuming inclusion or exclusion. |
| Pilots and technical visitors | The FAQ describes covered workers as people assigned to installation roles who have an OEUK offshore medical. | Check the person’s role, medical scheme and travel arrangement. |
| Covered workers above 124 kg | The October 2026 FAQ says the policy allows no exemption or dispensation and applies regardless of fitness, health or muscle mass. | Do not rely on older summaries of proposed derogations. |
The policy should therefore not be described as UK law. OEUK is setting an industry control for the installations and workers within its stated scope. Operators and employers may implement it through their safety cases, medical acceptance, mobilisation systems and helicopter procedures, while the underlying legal duties and aviation rules remain separate. OEUK’s policy page and the latest FAQ are the right references when a project’s scope is unclear.
What should workers check before mobilisation?
The safest response is early, factual planning with the employer and the medical examiner. The policy is not managed by guessing a target weight, changing clothing at the last minute or waiting to see what happens at the heliport.
- Confirm scope: ask whether the destination is a covered installation, which medical scheme the operator accepts and whether any project-specific travel control is already in force.
- Prepare for the medical: attend in clothing and footwear consistent with the applicable seasonal travel policy, and ask how a weight-only review or shortened certificate will be handled.
- Check the dates: record the medical expiry date, any restricted duration and the next required weight check. An in-date certificate is not a guarantee of outbound travel after 1 November 2026.
- Check before travelling: use a consistent, suitable scale before leaving for the heliport and contact the employer if the result is close to or above 124 kg. The heliport’s calibrated check-in scale is the operative reading under the policy.
- Ask for support early: if weight management is a concern, discuss the employer’s support and appropriate health advice with a qualified professional. Do not treat a short-term crash diet as a safe or reliable compliance plan.
The 124 kg policy does not replace technical competence, offshore survival training, site induction or task-specific rescue arrangements. Rope-access personnel should check the courses needed for offshore rope access work separately from the medical and travel controls.
What should employers and operators put in place?
OEUK’s implementation model uses several layers rather than relying on one medical appointment. Employers and operators should translate the current policy into a process that workers can understand before they commit to a trip or arrive at a heliport.
- Communicate the current phase: explain the 1 February–31 October 2026 transition, the 1 November mandatory date and the support available without presenting the policy as a medical diagnosis or punishment.
- Review mobilisation data: identify workers close to the threshold through the operator’s personnel-on-board or mobilisation process and ask for a pre-travel confirmation where required.
- Align documents: compare medical expiry dates, restricted certificates and planned trips so that a valid certificate is not mistaken for permission to travel under the final rule.
- Agree the heliport process: define who speaks to the worker, employer and helicopter operator when a check-in reading prevents travel, and make the process available before mobilisation.
- Keep the safety case wider than weight: continue to plan rescue, evacuation, equipment handling, supervision and medical response for the actual task and installation.
For workers considering offshore rope access, the weight limit is one mobilisation condition inside a broader control system. Task risk assessment, supervision, equipment checks, communication and a credible rescue plan still matter; Gridinta’s top safety practices in offshore rope access operations guide covers those operational controls.
OEUK 124 kg Limit: Actions Before 1 November 2026
As at 18 October 2026, 1 November 2026 remains the OEUK mandatory implementation date. The rule concerns clothed outbound weight above 124 kg for workers and installations within the current scope. It is applied through medical guidance, employer mobilisation procedures and heliport check-in; it is not overridden by an otherwise valid certificate. With about two weeks to go, workers close to the limit should confirm scope, clothing, certificate dates and support with their employer now, while operators should make the final process clear before the date arrives.
If your training, experience and medical documents match an open role, review Gridinta’s current career opportunities and ask the recruiter or operator to confirm the project-specific medical and travel requirements before mobilisation.