Overview
- The Maritime and industry-backed rule — due to start on 1 November 2026 — sets a maximum clothed weight of 124 kg (19st 7lb) for anyone boarding offshore helicopters.
- Regulators and industry say the limit comes from the Coastguard rescue winch's 39st (about 247 kg) safe lift after accounting for an average 14st rescuer, a 29 kg stretcher and rescue kit, leaving roughly 124 kg for the person being winched.
- Industry checks reported the number of offshore staff over the limit has fallen from about 2,200 when the plans were announced to roughly 800 by early September 2026.
- Workers who remain above 124 kg in full kit will be stopped from boarding at heliports and face losing offshore shifts or jobs if they cannot meet the requirement before enforcement.
- Many affected staff are trying to lose weight and some have already left roles, and industry warnings point to wider workforce and emergency-response implications because average offshore weights have risen since 2008.