Technical and supervisory news

Sophisticated and advanced technology is taking over ever more tasks in the petroleum sector. Ensuring that new solutions have a human-centred approach will be significant for safety. Worker participation and integration therefore have a key role.

The International Regulators’ Forum (IRF) highlights digital technology and automated solutions as one of their priority areas.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) is sending out a questionnaire to secure feedback from the industry and information on the effects of its activities.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) is in full swing with developing a new set of safety regulations for producing renewable energy at sea (offshore wind power).

Knowledge and expertise from the petroleum sector are important for work on the energy transition and for building up renewable sources. The PSA has already secured responsibility for new green areas – and has ambitions to acquire more.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has adopted changes to the regulations on limit values for chemical exposure. They came into force on 1 July 2021 and also apply to benzene.

Oil-based drilling fluids have been in use on the Norwegian Continental Shelf since the 1980s, and the working environment risk is well understood. Nevertheless, important improvement work remains to be done.

In the petroleum industry, there has traditionally been a high level of awareness of asbestos risk and good practice for its management, but indications are emerging that the guard has been lowered and that knowledge of asbestos is inadequate.

We are digitalising our form for notifying hazard and accident situations. This new notification/reporting solution is due to be available from 7 June 2021.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has investigated a fire which broke out at the Hammerfest LNG plant on Melkøya on 28 September 2020. A digital presentation has been produced to communicate the findings to the industry.