• Notification of the order was made on 13 November 2025.
  • The order itself was issued on 26 November 2025.

In the years prior to 2021, audits of Equinor-operated facilities and installations made analogous observations concerning the lack of mapping and risk assessments (analyses) of working environment risks. In 2021, Havtil carried out an audit of Equinor's follow-up of working environment risk at company level, whose main finding was that Equinor had not carried out the necessary mapping and assessments of working environment risk.

Equinor's monitoring of working environment risk was further followed up through audits of Equinor’s management of risks related to chemical health hazards at Sleipner A and T and the Sture terminal in 2023.

The audit revealed non-conformities concerning Equinor's operational management of benzene exposure risk (protective equipment regime). Non-conformities were also found in Equinor’s system for and practice of mapping benzene exposure risk.

For example, in the period 2010-2023, only two occupational hygiene surveys of chemical health risks were carried out at Sleipner A/T, one of which was a survey of benzene exposure for different personnel groups (October 2023).

In 2024, Havtil initiated a series of meetings with Equinor to follow up the findings made in the audits at the Sture terminal and Sleipner A and T. In the meetings, we were informed that a new regime to ensure operational management of benzene exposure risk was in the process of being implemented, and that revised mapping plans were being prepared.

In November 2024, Equinor informed us that the new regime had still not been implemented. It also emerged that, in its measurement strategy, Equinor had not arranged for its measurements to be taken regularly and to include the facilities/installations, work tasks and personnel groups where initial risk assessments had shown that the potential for exposure was highest.

After the meeting, Havtil issued Equinor with an order relating to the company’s management of benzene exposure risk.

Read more: Order to Equinor – Management of benzene exposure risk

In item 2 of the order, Equinor was ordered to:

Establish a risk-based monitoring programme for regular measurements of benzene exposure levels that includes all Equinor facilities and installations. Cf. Regulations on the performance of work, Section 3-2 on the measurement of pollutants in the working atmosphere as a basis for risk assessment, first paragraph, and Section 3-11 on specific measures for working with carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic chemicals, first paragraph.

Follow-up of order

Equinor responded to the order within the deadlines we set. We have dealt with the feedback thoroughly, and also had a follow-up meeting with the company to get more detailed information.

Our assessment is that Equinor has not made the necessary changes in its management of benzene exposure risk, and thus has not complied with item 2 of the order. 

Havtil therefore considers it necessary to issue Equinor with a new order.

Pursuant to section 36, first paragraph, of the Activities Regulations and section 48, third paragraph, of the Technical and Operational Regulations, employers must ensure that harmful chemical exposure is avoided when storing, using, handling and disposing of chemicals, and during work operations and processes that produce chemical components.

If an employer is unable to document that levels of pollutants in the working atmosphere are entirely safe, with reference to the Regulations concerning action and limit values, the working environment shall be monitored through the taking of regular measurements; see the Regulations concerning the performance of work, section 3-2, first paragraph, and  section 3-11.

Havtil also notes that the results and knowledge from measurements may also be relevant with regard to the duty to ensure that employees other than its own are guaranteed a thoroughly sound working environment, with reference to section 2-2 of the Working Environment Act.

Order

Accordingly, we have issued Equinor with the following order:

Pursuant to section 18-6 of the Working Environment Act concerning orders and other individual decisions and section 69 of the Framework Regulations concerning administrative decisions, with reference to section 36 of the Activities Regulations concerning chemical health hazards, first paragraph; section 48 of the Technical and Operational Regulations concerning the physical and chemical working environment, third paragraph; section 18 of the Management Regulations concerning working environment analysis, first paragraph; and section 3-2 of the Regulations on the performance of work concerning measurement of pollution in the working atmosphere as a basis for risk assessment, first paragraph, we give notice of the following order:

Equinor is ordered to:

1. Establish a list of all WERisk cases as of 10 November 2025, where the risk associated with benzene exposure is assessed as high (orange or higher) per facility/installation. The list is to be sent to Havtil.

2. Carry out measurements of benzene in the working atmosphere in all cases identified in item 1 of the order. The status of progress per facility/installation must be reported quarterly in writing to Havtil.

3. Establish a binding programme per facility/installation for regular measurements of benzene in the working atmosphere, where it cannot be documented that the risk of benzene exposure is at a fully justifiable level, based on the measurement results in item 2 of the order.

The deadline for item 1 of the order is 15 December 2025

The deadline for item 2 of the order is 15 January 2027

    • Deadlines for quarterly reporting of the status of progress are respectively: 15 April 2026, 15 July 2026, 15 October 2026 and 15 January 2027.

The deadline for item 3 of the order is 15 May 2027