Footage of an oil rig during a storm leaves people questioning how they don't topple over

If you thought your job was hard, you should try being an oil rig worker.

For their job, some oil rig workers are based offshore and are found on rigs in the middle of the ocean.

They'll often stay on the rig for up to six weeks at a time and, if you get seasick, then it's definitely not an occupation for you.

In a clip shared to Reddit, a rig can be seen getting battered by huge waves as it sways in the choppy waters, sparking people to ask one thing - how doesn't it topple over?

The clip - shared to r/megalophobia - has sparked a debate on the social media platform, and it's evident some people are very knowledgable on oil rigs and how they work.

"How do those things stop from just toppling over?" someone asked on the thread.

Replying to their reasonable question, a fellow Redditor explained: "Those pylons run deep and are very heavily ballasted.

"They are also anchored in such a way to make it hard for it to achieve the range of motion needed for that to actually happen."

boulevardknight/Reddit

Backing up this person's claims, another wrote: "They're anchored at several points in every direction, and they flood the lower pontoons when they're deployed to help lower the center of mass and stabilize the rig.

"With all that in place they're pretty resilient these days."

As well as anchors, some companies have 'thrusters' on their rigs.

The BOP Products, LLC's (an oilfield equipment manufacturer) website explains: "Some drilling companies hook up the rigs to a stabilizing anchor using wire ropes.

"In other instances, they use computer coordinated thrusters to keep the oil rigs stable. They may also build a series of propellers to add stability. However, stabilizing the rigs needs sophisticated tools."

You learn something new every day.

Tyler Stableford/Getty

But it's not just living on a rig in the middle of the ocean that makes being an oil rig worker difficult, the job itself is extremely laborious - making it one of the hardest jobs in the world.

In Career Addicts roundup of 40 of the world's hardest jobs, an oil rig worker comes in at 21.

The site describes any of the roles available on an oil rig as 'physically and mentally taxing'.

These jobs may range from 'cleaner to painter, right through to driller or tool pusher'.

With it being a high-risk and hardworking job, workers are paid a better salary than other roles may get, with the average salary coming in at $52,100.

$52k or not, it's still a hard pass from me.

Topics: Life, Reddit, Viral, Money

Niamh Shackleton

Niamh Shackleton is an experienced journalist for UNILAD, specialising in topics including mental health and showbiz, as well as anything Henry Cavill and cat related. She has previously worked for OK! Magazine, Caters and Kennedy.

@niamhshackleton