While injury rates in the global offshore contracting industry continue to improve, a more severe safety risk lurks beneath the surface: the number of fatal accidents is on the rise.
The latest Annual Safety Statistics Report from the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) reveals that, despite a continuing decline in injury rates across the global offshore contracting sector, the number of fatalities during offshore operations doubled year-on-year. The report emphasizes the need to shift the focus from traditional injury rate metrics toward preventing serious injuries and fatalities at the source—specifically by identifying high-consequence risks before accidents occur.
This report is based on data covering over 1.02 billion cumulative work hours submitted by 167 IMCA member companies. The data shows a total of seven fatalities in 2025—a significant increase compared to the three recorded in 2024—with four occurring at offshore worksites; consequently, the industry’s Fatal Accident Rate (FAR) rose from 0.30 to 0.69.
IMCA warns: “While LTIFR and TRIR data have improved, the industry still faces various fatal hazards; safety performance should no longer be judged primarily by injury rates, but rather by a company’s ability to effectively identify and control the hazards most likely to result in fatalities or permanent injuries.”
Fatal accidents detailed in the IMCA report include: electrocution (1 incident), falls from height (1 incident), and a mooring-related fatality caused by a snapped cable (1 incident); details regarding the remaining four fatal accidents were not disclosed.
The report also notes that “live-line” incidents (hazards involving energy impact) are the primary cause of lost-time injuries, accounting for approximately 41% of all industry accidents in 2025—a decrease from the roughly 52% recorded the previous year.
IMCA urges offshore contractors not to broadly categorize “line-of-fire” incidents under a single classification, but rather to focus on the specific operational scenarios that expose workers to such risks—primarily lifting and rigging, mooring operations, suspended loads, moving equipment, falling objects, the release of stored energy, and limb-crushing hazards.
Additionally, the report indicates a decline in the number of safety observation reports—a year-on-year drop of approximately 20%—falling from 482.1 observations per 200,000 work hours in 2024 to 387.1 in 2025. IMCA stated that the reason for this decline is currently unclear.
Based on annual statistical data and the association’s safety alerts, IMCA has identified several high-frequency risk areas: lifting and rigging operations; dropped objects; mooring and snap-back zones; working at height; electrical safety; and various routine daily operations.
IMCA places special emphasis on the fact that many of the most serious accidents in the offshore contracting industry occur during routine operations rather than in exceptional operational scenarios; therefore, continuous planning, supervision, and risk management are crucial.