North Sea Oil Rig Workers

I'm no expert on Oil Rig workers, but does the story take place in the early to mid 1980s?

A 'worker' of what sort?

What's he talking about or claiming to know about?

Is he seeking employment?

I'm going to guess a cook isn't going to be technically savvy about the operations of the rig, but would be expected to know safety and evacuation procedures and will participate in regular drills.

You look for what is common job knowledge. In the case of a cook, he might not even know how many barrels the rig produces. What he will know:

-- How does he get to and from the rig? Copter, boat, point of departure? Complications like weather?

-- What's his schedule? For example, two months on and one month off?

-- How many meals does he prepare a day? Does he cover the entire 24 hours shift or are there two cooks?

-- How do supplies arrive and how frequently? What's the cover plan for bad weather when transport can't make it on schedule?

-- Equipment? Size and capacity of refrigerator/freezer?

-- Workers access to kitchen and food?

-- Life saving station and procedure? Drills? Training courses?

-- Unusual sites and sounds on a rig? How large are the windows, sound of the doors, how many stairs?

-- How is his pay structured? Does he have direct deposit? His time off -- how is that paid for?

I would expect complete knowledge from any cook from an oil rig on the above. These are the things that the cook will deal with on a daily basis. Usual way to trick people into thinking you were doing something is master a portion of the above, steer the conversation into where you can have credible stories about this stuff. For example, complaining about Jake constantly going into the kitchen scrounging food, which he knows he's not supposed to do, and how your character has to allow extra food to cover Jake's forays into the kitchen, during those periods when Jake is on the rig.

Way to trip him up would be casual conversations about the above. For instance, my guess is anyone on an oil rig has to have X number of hours of training in fire suppression each year. Your cook has to know this sort of stuff and able to answer it.

Jim Clark-Dawe

I'd suggest adding smells - like does it smell of crude. Do the workers clean up before a meal or come in pongy. What it's like in a storm or high seas. The boss - who does the cook report to, who is the big boss, who is a noted personality.
What is the budget for food like.
What is the menu and how often does it repeat - as in weekly menu, fortnightly.
Does he have any supplies that allows for making birthday cakes, do they do that kind of thing.
Is he dumped on or sucked up to.
What is his sleeping quarters like
What are the bathrooms like - as in hot showers, decent toilets or ghastly hole with cold saltwater.
Pay - do the cooks earn as much as the riggers out on the deck. Is it a really well paid job for a cook or a bit naff.

Friend of mine was an engineer on the north slope many years back and talked about the sweetness of the crude varying from one time of the year to another.

Depending on the background of your imposter, it might be something he'd not know.

If he's faking it, a basic question to trip him up is: where did you work last? Specifically, what rig/ship/factory/institution have you worked on/in?

Also, unless someone has it in for him, or is looking for him, if he can cook, who would care? If he's a really good cook, the guys might even cover for minor slips.

In the bad weather, three men have to link arms to walk round the platform and not be blown away, the wind is so savage. Personal washing is put in a net bag and several bags are then put in the washing machine at once. Some bunk beds are shared as various shifts change day or night.