A specialist corner of the market
Offshore work sits outside the standard rating many insurers use for onshore jobs. They want to know whether you work on a production platform, a drilling rig, a vessel or a wind farm, what your role is, and how many weeks a year you spend offshore.
Answers to those questions shape the price, any exclusions and whether the insurer offers terms at all. Some insurers on a broker's panel are comfortable with offshore roles and others are not. Applying to the wrong one first wastes time and can leave a record of a decline.
- Type of installation and its location
- Your role, from catering or admin to drilling and rope access
- Rotation pattern and helicopter or vessel travel
- Any diving or hazardous duties
Contractor rates and no sick pay
Plenty of offshore workers are contractors, paid a day rate through their own limited company or an umbrella. Day rates can be high, but they stop the moment you cannot go back out. A failed offshore medical can keep you onshore as surely as an injury.
Staff employed by operators or large service companies may have a sick pay scheme and other benefits. Check what yours includes. Contractors should plan as if no sick pay exists.
Rotation patterns also complicate the earnings picture. You might earn well for a few months, then sit onshore between contracts. Insurers usually look at your average over a year or more, so keep tax returns, company accounts and payslips to hand.
When your offshore certificate is on the line
You need a valid offshore medical certificate and safety training to work out there. A health problem that costs you that certificate might still leave you able to do onshore work. Whether income protection would pay depends on the claim definition, so the wording matters a great deal for offshore staff.
Own occupation cover is not always available for offshore roles. We will set out the definition each insurer offers so you can weigh it against the price.
Special terms for offshore staff can include an exclusion for incidents offshore or an extra premium, while some applicants get standard terms. Read any special terms with care before you accept.
Life insurance for rotation workers
Insurers also ask offshore workers about their duties and travel when pricing life cover. Some apply an extra premium. With a family at home and a mortgage to cover, a personal policy written in trust gives your loved ones a payout that does not depend on your employer.
If you trade through a limited company, relevant life cover lets the company pay the premiums, which can be tax efficient for directors. We can explain how that works for offshore contractors.
How Hi Tomorrow approaches offshore cover
We collect the details insurers will ask about before we approach anyone, then go to the insurers on our panel most likely to offer fair terms. You get an honest view of the options, including any exclusions, and help with the forms while you are on rotation.
Applying from a platform with patchy internet is fiddly. We can arrange calls for your onshore weeks and keep things moving while you are away.