Federal Representative of Offshore Industry Employees

Jason Riggs began his career in the oil and gas industry in Alberta 20 years ago and has held various positions since then, in both drilling and well servicing contexts. Since returning to Newfoundland in 2009, he has worked on the Hibernia and Hebron platforms as well as on the Henry Goodrich, West Aquarius and GSF Grands Banks Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODU). Mr. Riggs is currently employed as a senior health, safety and environment advisor on the Hibernia platform.

During his time working as Lead Floorhand on the Hebron platform, Mr. Riggs began studying occupational health and safety (OSH) at the University of New Brunswick, where he obtained a certificate in OSH. Since then, he has continued to work in the field of OSH and has transformed his certificate into a graduate diploma. Most recently he has obtained his CRSP Designation from the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals.

During his stay in Alberta, Mr. Riggs was the victim of a serious accident while working on a well. Saved by one of his colleagues, he spent several weeks in the hospital, including seven days in a coma. This experience deeply impacted him. Mr. Riggs never takes safety lightly, nor how lucky he was to have survived the event. In addition to being grateful for how things turned out, he also feels a personal obligation to do everything he can in the industry to help improve safety with the goal of preventing others from having a similar experience.

Mr. Riggs currently lives in Conception Bay South with his wife, their three children, and their Black Lab, Ace.