From 7 to 14 June 2018, the PSA carried out an audit of Equinor’s operations within materials handling, use and maintenance of lifting equipment and scaffolding/access techniques. We also assessed Equinor’s and its contractors’ practices within regular working environment mapping and follow-up of working environment risk, especially for SIP personnel, catering personnel and process operators.

Objective

The objective of the activity within logistics and work at height was to:

  • Audit the company’s management of materials handling, lifting operations and the technical condition of lifting equipment at Kristin
  • Monitor that Equinor’s management of the maintenance of lifting equipment and scaffolding material complies with the company’s and the authorities’ requirements within the scope of the audit
  • Monitor tasks performed by the scaffolding division, as well as access techniques and work at height.

The objective for the working environment was to:

  • Assess whether Equinor’s and its contractors’ management systems and practices in respect of regular working environment mapping and follow-up of working environment risk comply with the regulations
  • Monitor that Equinor, in collaboration with its contractors, is ensuring that framework conditions included in contracts do not have negative HSE consequences
  • Assess how Equinor and its contractors facilitate genuine employee participation.

Result

The audit identified regulatory non-conformities in the following areas:

  • Follow-up of findings after controls performed by an enterprise of competence for lifting equipment
  • Compliance measurement of the offshore cranes and management system for safe use of lifting equipment
  • Lifting equipment and loading areas
  • Scaffolding
  • Access techniques
  • Mapping of workload and assessment of the risk of work-related musculo-skeletal disorders
  • Noise and vibration
  • Management of the organisational and psycho-social working environment
  • Cooperation between the occupational health services

In addition, improvement points were observed in the following areas:

  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Competence in the repair and maintenance of lifting equipment
  • Unsecured lifting equipment
  • Cargo deck
  • Marking of the cargo deck
  • Safety marking

We have asked Equinor to report to us by 31 October 2018 on how they intend to address the non-conformities identified. We have also requested the company’s assessment of the improvement points observed.