Work on the was conducted from 13 to 22 September 2023.

Purpose

The purpose of the audit was to verify that changes on Åsgard B which related to forthcoming field tie-ins and ongoing upgrade projects were being implemented in line with the health, safety and environmental (HSE) regulations.

It also aimed to ensure that Equinor’s management and follow-up appreciate that HSE issues are diverse, ensure that they are adequately elucidated, and contribute to improvements in this area.

Results

In its audit, the PSA identified four nonconformities as well as four conditions which it has chosen to categorise as improvement points.

The nonconformities covered

  • health risk associated with noise
  • inadequate barrier management
  • inadequate decision support in the risk matrices
  • deficiencies in employee participation.

The improvement points concerned

  • the decision basis
  • planning
  • use of lessons learnt from the company’s own operations
  • information.

Order

The audit identified serious breaches of the regulations concerning health risk related to noise (item 5.1.1 in the audit report). Equinor has now been given the following order.

Pursuant to section 69 of the framework regulations on administrative decisions, Equinor is ordered to do the following.

  1. Clarify the causes of the 12 cases of work-related noise injury identified among Equinor workers on Åsgard B in 2020-23, pursuant to section 22, paragraph 2 of the management regulations on handling of nonconformities, see section 38, paragraph 1 of the activities regulations on noise.
  2. Establish an overview of noise injuries among contractor personnel who have worked on Åsgard B in 2020-23, and clarify why these occurred, pursuant to section 22, paragraph 5, point 2, and paragraph 2 of the management regulations on handling of nonconformities, see section 38, paragraph 1 of the activities regulations on noise, see section 2.2, paragraph 1, litera a of the Working Environment Act on the duties of the employer towards persons other than own employees.
  3. Review and assess the effect of existing compensatory measures related to noise exposure on Åsgard B, and identify, assess and initiate further necessary compensatory measures to maintain an acceptable health, safety and environmental level until the nonconformity is corrected, pursuant to section 22, paragraph 3 of the management regulations on handling of nonconformities, see section 38, paragraph 1 of the activities regulations on noise, see section 2.2, paragraph 1, litera a of the Working Environment Act on the duties of the employer towards persons other than own employees.
  4. Identify and assess preventive and corrective measures for preventing new noise damage on Åsgard B, pursuant to section 22, paragraphs 2 and 4 of the management regulations on handling of nonconformities see section 38, paragraph 1 of the activities regulations on noise, see section 2.2, paragraph 1, litera a of the Working Environment Act on the duties of the employer towards persons other than own employees.
  5. Initiate and execute preventive and corrective measures to prevent new noise damage on Åsgard B, pursuant to section 22, paragraphs 2 and 4 of the management regulations on handling of nonconformities, see section 38, paragraph 1 of the activities regulations on noise, see section 2.2, paragraph 1, litera a of the Working Environment Act on the duties of the employer towards persons other than own employees.

The deadline for complying with parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the order is 15 June 2024.

The deadline for complying with part 5 of the order is 10 January 2027.

We must be notified when the various points in the order have been complied with.