Job description for an offshore roustabout with no experience?

Offshore Roustabout — Entry-Level (No Experience)

Entry-level deck crew supporting crane operations, material handling, housekeeping, and basic maintenance on offshore installations under strict safety and permit-to-work controls.

I. Core Responsibilities (Day-to-Day)

• 1.1 Deck operations: prepare, secure, and stage cargo; use tag lines; fit protectors; maintain clear laydown areas with proper barriers and signage.
• 1.2 Rigging and slinging: select slings/shackles by Safe Working Load (SWL); attach/detach loads; maintain correct sling angles; act as banksman/signaller under supervision.
• 1.3 Crane lifts support: conduct pre-lift checks, lift plans, and toolbox talks; control exclusion zones; spot hazards; manage landing and unhooking.
• 1.4 Housekeeping: washdown, degreasing, chipping, scraping, painting/blasting prep, waste segregation and disposal to approved containers.
• 1.5 Basic maintenance support: assist mechanics/technicians with tools, consumables, scaffolds, temporary deck setups, and equipment moves.
• 1.6 Helideck and boat landing assistance: cargo netting, passenger baggage handling, and deck readiness (under helideck crew direction).
• 1.7 Inspections: daily checks of lifting gear, deck fittings, pad eyes, cargo baskets; report defects; keep logbooks updated.
• 1.8 Permits and JSAs: participate in Job Safety Analyses; follow Permit to Work (PTW), Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), confined space, and hot work controls.
• 1.9 Emergency response: muster, fire team support, oil spill response, man-overboard drills; maintain readiness of life-saving appliances.
• 1.10 Materials management: receive, tally, stow, and secure tubulars, chemicals, and spares per segregation/compatibility rules.
• 1.11 Communications: use radios and standard hand signals; escalate hazards; accurate handover notes between shifts.
• 1.12 Compliance: adhere to HSE policies, stop-work authority, PPE requirements, and area classifications (ATEX/IECEx awareness).

I.A Lifting Math (Applied in Field — Supervised)

• 1.A.1 Sling leg tension (equal 2-leg lift): use sling angle factor. If a is the angle from horizontal per leg and W is total load: \( T = \dfrac{W}{2 \cdot \cos{\theta}} \) where \( \theta = 90^\circ - \alpha \). Many crews use the equivalent: \( T = \dfrac{W}{2 \cdot \sin{\alpha}} \).
• 1.A.2 Hardware selection: ensure \( T \leq \text{WLL}_{\text{sling}} \) and \( \text{WLL}_{\text{shackle}} \geq T \). Reduce ratings for angle, temperature, and condition per lifting plan.
• 1.A.3 Center of gravity: maintain vertical hook over CoG; use trial lifts and tag lines; never exceed SWL of pad eyes/cargo baskets.

II. Required Skills and Physical Demands

II.A Technical Skills (Entry-Level)

• 2.1 Basic rigging/slinging, hand signals, banksman awareness (trained under supervision).
• 2.2 Use of hand/power tools: impact wrenches, grinders, needle scalers, pressure washers, paint sprayers.
• 2.3 PTW/LOTO literacy, gas testing awareness, working at height basics, confined space awareness.
• 2.4 Radio etiquette (UHF/VHF), alarm/muster protocols, H2S awareness and detector use.
• 2.5 Manual handling techniques; load stability; securing and dunnage.
• 2.6 Reading lift plans, cargo manifests, pictogram labels, SDS basics for chemicals.
• 2.7 PPE selection and inspection (harness, fall arrest, lifejacket, gloves, FR clothing).

II.B Soft Skills

• 2.8 Safety mindset and stop-work confidence; strong situational awareness.
• 2.9 Teamwork, following instructions, clear communication under noise and weather.
• 2.10 Reliability, punctuality, good handover discipline; willingness to learn and take feedback.

II.C Physical Demands

• 2.11 Lift/carry typically 20–30 kg with correct techniques; push/pull heavy loads with aids.
• 2.12 Stand/walk/stairs and ladders for 12-hour shifts; work at heights and over water.
• 2.13 Exposure to noise, vibration, heat/cold, wind, spray, and occasional hydrocarbon odors.
• 2.14 Wear full PPE for extended periods (FR coveralls, gloves, boots, harness, goggles, hearing protection, lifejacket).
• 2.15 Hold valid offshore medical fitness and survival/HUET certifications (region-specific equivalents acceptable).

III. Typical Tools, Software, and Equipment

• 3.1 Lifting gear: wire/chain slings, webbing slings, spreader bars, shackles, hooks, chain blocks, come-alongs, tag lines, cargo nets.
• 3.2 Deck equipment: forklifts/telehandlers (operator or spotter, site-dependent), pallet jacks, skid rollers, stanchions, barriers.
• 3.3 Power/hand tools: impact guns, grinders, needle scalers, pressure washers, paint rollers/sprayers, scrapers, brushes.
• 3.4 Safety gear: gas detectors, H2S monitors, fall arrest systems, harnesses, lifelines, rescue kits, fire extinguishers, spill kits.
• 3.5 Comms and control: UHF/VHF radios, loud hailers, signal flags/boards, lift plans, cargo manifests, deck logbooks.
• 3.6 Systems: electronic PTW, digital JSA templates, lifting gear registers, maintenance request/CMMS entries (supervised).

IV. Work Environment

• 4.1 Offshore fixed platforms, jack-ups, semisubs, or drillships; exposed marine environment.
• 4.2 Rotations commonly 14/14, 21/21, or 28/28; 12-hour shifts; day/night swing as required.
• 4.3 Travel by helicopter or crew boat; pre-mobilization safety and medical checks.
• 4.4 Work under crane operator/deck foreman instructions; strict exclusion zones and permit areas.
• 4.5 Shared accommodation, set meal times, zero alcohol/drugs policy, random testing.

V. Reporting Lines and Interfaces

• 5.1 Reports to: Deck Foreman/Roustabout Pusher; functionally directed by Crane Operator for lifting tasks.
• 5.2 Cross-functional interfaces: Marine/Barge team, Drilling (rig floor), Maintenance (mechanical/electrical), HSE, Warehousing/Logistics, Helideck crew, Catering (waste streams).
• 5.3 Escalation: safety or integrity concerns to Deck Foreman and HSE; equipment defects via maintenance request process.

VI. Career Ladder and Progression

• 6.1 Next roles: Roughneck (rig floor), Rigger Level 2/3, Banksman/Slinger, Crane Operator Trainee, Painter/Blaster, Helideck Assistant (path dependent).
• 6.2 What’s needed: strong safety record; competence sign-offs (deck and lifting); additional training (banksman/slinger, working at height, confined space, H2S, first aid, firefighting).
• 6.3 Formal training/certifications (region-dependent): offshore survival with HUET, CA-EBS; Banksman & Slinger (staged levels); Rigging & Lifting; gas testing; flagging/signaller; basic firefighting; first aid. Maintain valid offshore medical.
• 6.4 Lateral development: logistics/storekeeping, scaffolding assistant, deck maintenance technician, spill response team.

VII. Mandatory and Preferred Credentials (Entry-Level)

• 7.1 Mandatory: offshore survival with HUET; H2S awareness; basic firefighting; valid offshore medical; fit-testing for respiratory PPE; site inductions.
• 7.2 Preferred: Banksman/Slinger Stage 1, Working at Height with rescue awareness, manual handling, basic first aid, spill response awareness.
• 7.3 Documentation: government ID, training records, vaccination/fitness confirmations per region; sea-time log (if applicable).