Order to BP - Ula - Materials handling & Cranes and lifting

Objective

The objective of the audit was to verify compliance with the company's own and the authorities' requirements in respect of operational, administrative and technical factors within the audit area.
We especially wanted to focus on safety- and working environmental challenges in connection with the fact that Ula has several characteristics of a facility in late phase.

Result

The audit identified serious breaches of the regulations.

Non-conformities and improvement points

The audit report contains descriptions of identified non-conformities in addition to those which form the basis for the notice, and the PSA has requested an explanation of how these will be dealt with. We have also asked the company for their assessment of the improvement points we observed.

Based on the findings made during the audit, we have now given BP the following two orders:

1. Pursuant to the Framework Regulations, section 69 concerning administrative decisions, with reference to the Management Regulations, section 22 concerning the handling of nonconformities; the Framework Regulations, section 10 concerning prudent activities, section 11 concerning risk reduction principles and section 17 concerning the duty to establish, follow up and further develop a management system; the Management Regulations, chapter V concerning analyses; the Facilities Regulations, section 13 concerning materials handling and transport routes, access and evacuation routes; and the Activities Regulations, section 33 concerning organisation of work; BP Norge AS is ordered, for all its ageing facilities on the Ula and Valhall fields to:

- systematically review and map all areas and systems in respect of materials handling, and assess fulfilment of the requirements relating to prudent materials handling.- present a binding, time-delimited schedule for corrective measures, setting out their prioritisation, and describing any compensatory measures to be implemented until the non-conformities have been rectified. Reference is made to chapter 5.1.1 of the report.

2. Pursuant to the Framework Regulations, section 69 concerning administrative decisions, with reference to the Management Regulations, section 22 concerning the handling of nonconformities; the Framework Regulations, section 10 concerning prudent activities, section 11 concerning risk reduction principles and section 17 concerning the duty to establish, follow up and further develop a management system; the Management Regulations, chapter V concerning analyses; the Management Regulations, section 6 concerning management of health, safety and the environment, section 21 concerning follow-up, and section 22 concerning handling of nonconformities; and the Activities Regulations, section 33 concerning organisation of work, section 45 concerning maintenance, section 46 concerning classification and section 47 concerning maintenance programme; BP is ordered to:

- review and assess systems for management of the maintenance of offshore cranes.

- ensure that the maintenance programme and its execution are adapted to the age and condition of the facilities and equipment.

- implement measures relating to the follow-up of technical faults and defects revealed by the maintenance history and in notifications from "enterprises of competence" following annual checks of lifting equipment.

- implement measures for defining and coordinating areas of responsibility and authority in respect of crane maintenance.

- implement measures to reduce the risk of ignition of stray gas clouds linked to ignition sources in the engine room for diesel-powered offshore cranes. Reference is made to chapters 5.1.2 and 5.1.3 of the report.

What happens now?

We request that a plan for complying with the orders is submitted to the PSA by 20 May 2016. The deadline for complying with the orders is set at 15 September 2016. The PSA is to be notified when the orders have been carried out.