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Roustabout
The maritime lawyers at Schechter McElwee Shaffer and Harris represent roustabouts who have been injured on the job, and help them get back on the road to medical and financial recovery.
A roustabout position is an entry-level job on an oil rig. Basically, a roustabout performs manual jobs on the rig. A roustabout's responsibilities will include
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Hauling heavy machinery and equipment around the rig
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Cleaning equipment and machinery
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Assembling oilfield equipment using power tools
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Performing minor repairs of oilfield equipment
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Welding activities
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Mixing and testing of drilling fluids
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Operating certain oil field equipment
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Painting things on the rig
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Cleaning activities
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Any other manual jobs on the rig
The job is incredibly hectic, and will require you to be on your feet and at work, seven days a week. The single biggest requirement for the job of a roustabout on an oil rig is the capacity and the willingness to perform heavy, strenuous labor, continuously and constantly.
Roustabouts are probably some of the most at-risk people on a rig. They constantly come into contact with complicated and dangerous machinery, and work with corrosive and toxic chemicals. The fact that they are constantly on their feet and doing hard physical labor puts them at a high risk for repetitive stress injuries, back injuries, neck sprains, and fall accidents. There may be accidents involving sharp tools. It's not for nothing that Forbes magazine named the roustabout's job as the "Worst Job in America" in 2009.
While a roustabout may expect a salary package that includes airfare, medical insurance, meals and free boarding, he may find that the attractive salary package that lured him to the rig in the first place, is insufficient to cover his needs in case of a serious and debilitating injury.
If you have been injured in an oil rig accident, contact the experienced maritime lawyers at Schechter McElwee Shaffer and Harris. Our maritime attorneys combine decades of expertise in helping injured roustabouts and families of roustabouts killed on the job, recover their rightful compensation and benefits. We accept cases on a contingency basis. You do not have to pay us anything until we recover a settlement or verdict for you.
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