The term offshore conjures up images of enormous oil refineries out at sea, where massive pipelines have been laid to transport both oil and gas to the mainline. Contractors will work on these oil rigs for extended periods of time and according to the conditions of their contract.
As well as those who man the site, offshore contractors might also be involved in offshore construction, those responsible for putting together the structures involved with these pipelines. This is in fact a dangerous form of work to undertake which means that often, most of the construction is done on the mainland and then taken out to sea in sections to be fitted together. This is done for pipelines, oil platforms and oil drilling rigs. Because of the nature of construction, there are floating devices referred to as flotels, which house workers when it is taking place.
Safety is very important as a result. Contractors must make sure they do not fall into the sea or become injured in any other way. This can be hampered by the weather as bad conditions can make work treacherous.