• Notice of the order and the order itself were given on 27 January 2023
  • Beerenberg complied with the order on 30 January 2023. Work can thereby resume

A serious undesirable incident occurred on 18 January 2023 when a person fell from a scaffolding being installed at Mongstad. The PSA has initiated an investigation of this incident, and that work is continuing. Given the causal conditions identified so far, we consider it necessary to halt work related to scaffold-building at Mongstad to protect the life and health of the workers.

Incident of 18 January 2023

During the installation of scaffolding in area 5100 at Mongstad on 18 January 2023, a person fell some 23 metres to the concrete surface and was seriously injured.

Built as a framework to protect against dropped objects during materials handling, the scaffolding was due to reach a height of 30 metres.

The PSA’s investigation has so far revealed that the method used to install the scaffolding was climbing in the scaffolding framework, with safeguards confined to safety harnesses with twin tails.

No work platform/scaffold floor was established for personnel to stand on during installation, and the way the work was carried out presented a risk of falling for both personnel and scaffolding equipment.

Beerenberg Services AS lacks procedures which adequately handle the risk related to installing, dismantling and altering this type of scaffolding.

Order

Pursuant to section 18-8, sentence 2, of the Norwegian Working Environment Act, the PSA may in the event of immediate danger halt those activities which are associated with the dangerous circumstances. The incident which occurred, together with causal conditions identified by the investigation, show that a real and immediate danger to life and health exists with regard to scaffold-building at Mongstad.

Pursuant to section 18-8, sentence 2, of the Norwegian Working Environment Act, see section 18-6 of the Act and section 69 of the framework regulations on administrative decisions, we make the following order.

Beerenberg Services AS halts all installation, disassembly and alteration of scaffolding at Mongstad until the following have been implemented.

  • The procedure for installation, disassembly and alteration of scaffolding is formulated in such a way that the specific risks related to the activity are handled for all types of scaffolding. The procedure must describe how the work is to be conducted and which safety measures must be implemented. See section 45, second paragraph, of the technical and operational regulations on procedures, and section 3-2, paragraph 3, of the Working Environment Act.
  • All personnel involved in planning and constructing scaffolding at Mongstad are familiarised with the accident and health risks which could be associated with the work, and have received training in the procedure for scaffold-building, see the first bullet point above. See section 3-2, paragraph 1, litera a, of the Working Environment Act and section 50 of the technical and operational regulations on competence.

We must be notified when the measures specified in bullet points 1 and 2 above have been implemented, and the procedure mentioned in bullet point 1 must be submitted to us.