What equipment do you need to start work!

When you start on an oil rig, a few items are a neccesity when going to work. Most of the locations that you will be sent to go work will be in the middle of nowhere with little or no stores to buy equipment that is required, so before you go out the first time, make sure that you have the required equipment.
First of all, a good pair of work boots, they MUST be SA approved steel toe boots. My recomendation from past experience is that you get a pair of Rubber boots that have a removable insulation for the winter. You are going to want to have a pair that are rated for -100 degrees. It sounds crazy but you will appreciate them. The nice thing about these boots in particular is you can remove the insulation lining for the summer and then place it back in in the winter. All year round you are going to be around lots and lots of water and walking thorugh it. So trust me on this one... A good pair of insulated rubber steel toed boots go for around $200 at any Marks Work Warehouse in Alberta.
You will also need a few pairs of coveralls, now some employers will arrange for you to have compnay ones, other companies will require you to go buy your own. If the company offers ones at a cost, I recommend purchasing those ones. Either way, they are required to be flame resistant, and have reflective stripes on them. It is not recommended to get the "winter" ones, as they restrict your movement considerably. It is more recomended to get a fall or summer pair, so that they can be worn year-round and in the winter all that is required is a One-piece piar of Helly Hansen LongJohns for underneath they cost approximately $150 but are worth there weight in Gold.
The next valuable peice of equipment is a rain suit, specially for the summer, spring, and fall. It rains quite a bit and even when it isn't there is still alot of water being thrown around (trust me on this one, tons of water).
Now for your hard-hat, make sure you get one of the FULL-BRIMED hard-hats... It kind of looks like a firemans hard hat, if you don't want to be called duck or be put through more agony then neccessary just buy this one!