Conducted from 3-6 September 2018, this audit identified serious breach of the regulations, and Esso has now been given notice of an order.

Breaches

Seven nonconformities from the regulations were identified. These covered:

  • the working environment for ISS personnel
  • training of safety delegates
  • missing documentation – procedure for lifting operations
  • lifting personnel with equipment not approved for such work
  • inadequate quality assurance with enterprise of competence
  • inadequate system for maintaining steel wire rope
  • inadequate follow-up of scaffolding contractor.

Four improvement points were also identified, related to:

  • the working environment committee (AMU) at Slagentangen
  • system for marking and storing lifting equipment taken out of use
  • access to and use of documentation for lifting equipment
  • system for training users of scaffolding.

Some of these observations were also identified by the PSA in an audit of 9 March 2016, following a serious lifting incident on 29 January 2016.

Order

On the basis of observations in the audit, the PSA has now given Esso the following order.

Pursuant to section 69 of the framework regulations on administrative decisions, see section 24 of the framework regulations on the use of recognised standards, section 22 of the management regulations on handling of nonconformities and section 62 of the technical and operational regulations on lifting operations, Esso Norge AS, Slagentangen, is ordered to:

  • Document that the chosen solutions for lifting operations comply with the requirements of the regulations
  • Prepare a detailed and scheduled plan for correcting nonconformities from 5.1.3 to 5.1.6 as well as the nonconformities which might be identified when implementing the first part of this order. The plan must also contain compensatory measures to be implemented until the nonconformities are corrected.

See the report’s chapters from 5.1.3 to 5.1.6.

The deadline for compliance with the order is 28 February 2019. We must be informed when the order has been carried out.

The PSA has also requested that the plan for corrective and compensatory measures be submitted to it as soon as possible after 28 February 2019.