User:Jeansweeboy/sandbox

TrouserFul of Limp Cocks (TFLC) - adjective: humerous North Sea Oil Industry parlance describing, usually jovially deriding, the capability of supervisory to upper management personnel in all things operational. It is not regarded as a nasty, personal or direct insult, merely a part of the colloquial Scottish, North Sea Oil Industry work-force lingo/banter.

It is linked to other common expressions in this particular industry; the following which are currently and still widely used within the North Sea Oil Industry:


 * Tighter than two coats of paint - someone working in the oil industry; i.e. extremely well paid, who would rather talk/boast about their earnings than spend them
 * One Team, NO Direction - a play on one company's rather poorly introduced mantra of 'One Team, One Direction' that failed rather dismally during a significant construction project
 * Back Scratcher (NOTE: Not to be confused with one person helping/doing a favour for another) - Safety feature on high offshore ladders; instead of falling down from the top to the bottom the theory is it catches you part way, saving you from a complete fall
 * Bed Busted - A fortunate occurrence that results in a shorter trip than expected, whereby an individual is flown home early, on full pay. Main reasons usually range from available bed space, weather/flight delays and water/food supply issues.  Normally decided on who is least vital to a current workscope, but widely accepted that it depends on how well you are liked/favoured by management (See TFLC, above)
 * Billy Pugh - Older method of transporting personnel via a crane and carriage to boat / platform and vice versa
 * Black-balled - See NRB
 * Boot Locker - Personnel changing rooms and transit areas to work-sites
 * Bunkering - Taking on fuel/water/drilling fluids from a supply boat from hoses lowered by the platform crane
 * Camp Boss - Responsible for all hotel services on a platform/installation, including catering and stewarding
 * Cat's Head - Part of the derricks mechanical equipment that, historically, would allow roughnecks to tighten and torque up drill pipe using chain and rope
 * Choppers Eve - The day before you fly home
 * Dog House - The steel-sided room adjacent to the rig floor, usually having an access door close to the driller's controls. This general-purpose shelter is a combination tool shed, office, communications center, coffee room, lunchroom and general meeting place for the driller and his crew. It is at the same elevation as the rig floor,
 * DONUT (NOTE: Not to be confused with a baked sugary delicacy) - Abseiling equipment installed as an escape system offshore.
 * Dopes on Ropes (See also RATs) - Rope Access Personnel; those who abseil off and below platforms. A rather offensive term, possibly coined by the Scaffolders
 * Down-manned (Also see Bed Busted) - Early finish on platform; normally due to early workscope completion
 * Fab Shop - Fabrication Workshop
 * Fogged in (See Money Mist) - When Fog descends on an oil/gas platform, preventing helicopters from landing
 * Frog - Modern day version of the Billy Pugh (See above)
 * Galley - Designated offshore restaurant; serves food only at stipulated meal times, the quality of which can vary greatly depending on who owns/runs the platfom and which catering company is awarded the contract
 * Golden Ticket - See Bed Busted
 * Grabbin' B*stard - See Hungry B*stard
 * Half-Height - A short container without a top; i.e open to the elements
 * Ham - Overtime work, extra pay
 * Hard Lie - Having to sleep elsewhere from your normal accommodation offshore; rare occurence and normally when shuttling to remote satellite installations by helicopter
 * Head Steward - Supervisor for offshore hotel/catering operations. reposrt to the Camp Boss
 * Heli-deck Shuffle - Style of walking adopted by Helicopter Deck Assistants (HDA) whilst working on the Heli-deck duinrg sometimes unstable conditions; normally high winds; rough sea state
 * House Mouse - Platform handyman; person who carries out everyday 'fixes' in the accommodation modules; normally some form of trade background (electrician, joiner)
 * Hungry B*stard (See Grabbin' B*stard) - Person who is keen to earn money via working extra hours/shifts on top of their normal, i.e. extra weeks/trips
 * In-betweenee - Samll, unofficial breaks, outside of official tea breaks. Usually unknown to management
 * Mechies - Mechanics; also known as Mechy Fitters
 * Money Mist (See Fogged in) - While fog is around a platform no helicopters can land. Employees therefore get paid for extra days spent on the platform; however they have to continue working.  This being the case, the term is not always viewed as a good thing
 * Nights - Nightshift
 * NRB - Not Required Back - One of the most well known terms in the oil industry. Acronym describing the 'black-balling' of a worker for reasons that can range from 'creative differences' with supervisors up to violent conduct offshore.  This is not something taken lightly and has lasting a serious repercussions for those persons involved; i.e. stigma and financial implications
 * OCS - Offshore Construction Supervisor; the lead for offshore construction operations, resposnible for black trades and electrical perosnnel and usualy reporting to an onshore Construction Manager
 * OIM - Offshore Installation Manager; employed by either the owners or operators of the platform/installation and repsonsible for all operations
 * One-Man-Shutdown - A supervisor, charge-hand or worker who sets out to complete as much of a shutdown as humanly possible using either his workforce or individual drive and skill. As such, they mostly tend to be glory-seekers, but can also be genuine grafters or simply workaholics; they also tend to be loved and loathed in equal measure
 * Pipey's - Pipefitters
 * Policin' the Bridge - Applicable to multi-platform installations with access bridges between accommodation modules and working environments. Supervisors are sometimes known to linger and watch over the bridge in an attempt to catch employees trying to finish early or sneak away for an in-betweenee
 * Policin' the Tea Shack - A supervisor who actively ensures workers are either not allowed in-betweenees and/or reprimands those who are in the tea shack outside official break-times
 * Policin' the job - Phrase used to describe an over-zealous supervisor who directly scrutinizes personnel for a longer duration than is necessary
 * Red Eye - Early morning check-in time (for helicopter)
 * Scaffs - Nickname for Scaffolders
 * Smog Monster - Nickname given to city-dwellers in a certain North-Eastern urban area in England; usually asscoiated with Teeside
 * Smoke Shack - Platform smoking room, usually outside
 * Smoko's - Can mean Smoke Shack or an internal smoking room, the latter being slightly warmer
 * Spider Deck - Lowest level on a platform and normally requiring special access from the OIM
 * Stand-by Boat - A patrolling vessel that acts as a rescue and recovery craft. Man overboard, platform emergencies and over-side work cover can be called upon by these craft
 * Tea Shack - Refreshment and rest area for personnel during break times; often a place for loose talk, banter and animated discussion
 * Paraffin Pigeon (See Whirly Bird)
 * Whirly Bird (See Paraffin Pigeon) - Helicopters that transports oil and gas personnel to and from the platform. It's arrival and departure are much talked about and highly anticipated.  (A favourite thought/feeling amongst offshore personnel is, 'Nothing beats the sound of a chopper coming to take you home'). Types of helicopter can vary