An offshore worker died today after falling into the sea from a North Sea oil platform. 

The employee suffered fatal injuries from the fall at about 4am off the BP Unity rig, which is a pumping station based in the Forties pipeline system almost 100 east of Aberdeen UK.

The incident was reported to police at around 4.40am and the Health and Safety Executive said it was liaising with police, who confirmed they had been 'made aware of a death offshore'.

Unions are calling for tougher safety regulations and enforcement to stop workers falling to their deaths at worksites, saying more people will be killed unless self-regulation is scrapped.

Falls from heights are a major cause of death and injury in Australian workplaces, according to Safe Work Australia.

Of the 800,000 Australians who work at heights, including tradesmen, cleaning, and maintenance workers, on average 26 of them fall to their death each year, and almost 8,000 are injured.