North Sea Offshore Worker Dies After Falling 80ft Through Crane Cab Floor On Valaris Rig

A North Sea offshore worker lost his life after falling more than 80 feet through fragile flooring inside a crane cab on a jackup drilling rig, according to findings released by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The incident occurred on November 14, 2025, aboard the Valaris 121 drilling rig, which was operating around 140 miles east of Aberdeen in Shell’s Shearwater field.

The victim, 32-year-old Lee Hulse from Aberdeen, stepped onto an unprotected section of the crane cab floor that had been left exposed after a grating was removed during cleaning work.

The HSE said the removed grating exposed a “fragile surface” external to the crane cab floor.

When Mr Hulse stepped onto this area, the flooring failed, causing him to fall more than 80 feet and sustain fatal injuries. He died just one week after celebrating his birthday and was the father of a young daughter.

Following its initial investigation, the HSE issued an improvement notice to Ensco Offshore UK Limited, the operator of the rig. Valaris operates under this trading name.

The regulator stated that the company failed to carry out a “suitable and sufficient” risk assessment for the general cleaning activities taking place inside the crane cab on the day of the incident.

According to the notice, the operator did not adequately assess the risks to employees or others who could have been affected by the removal of the floor grating. The HSE added that this failure contributed to the unsafe condition that led to the fatal fall.

The watchdog confirmed that its investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Valaris has previously stated that the safety and wellbeing of its workforce is its highest priority.

A company spokesperson said the firm was undertaking the actions outlined in the HSE improvement notice and confirmed that the Valaris 121 rig continues to operate safely while corrective measures are implemented.

This is the second death linked to flooring hazards on the same rig in less than three years. In January 2023, another worker, Jason Thomas, went missing while the rig was being towed, and his body was never found.

A later inspection found that a section of deck grating had become dislodged, creating a serious fall risk for personnel.

At the time, union representatives expressed concerns that the missing grating may have been connected to Mr Thomas’ disappearance, though no final conclusion has been formally published.

References: BBC, scottishdailyexpress

Source: Maritime Shipping News