September 2019

September 2019 offshoreequipment.co.uk OFFSHORE ENGINEERING EQUIPMENT 23 Safety  IMCA publishes summary of 2018 safety flashes The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has issued an Information Note showing that in 2018 it published 29 Safety Flashes reporting 136 incidents. Delivered regularly throughout the year, IMCA’s Safety Flash system provides a fast and vital communication channel to help improve safety performance in the offshore industry. The data of reported incidents in 2018 show several trends, which are: 10% were ‘near misses’; 10% were the result of equipment failure; In 7% of cases, people suffered hand or finger injuries; Eight involved fires: two of these were laundry fires, and three fires related to the inappropriate management of Lithium-ion batteries; and In three, injuries were sustained by persons transferring from one vessel to another whilst offshore. 116 of the 136 incidents reported in the Safety Flashes came from IMCA members; the remainder were from government bodies, regulators and trade associations, including the Marine Safety Forum. IMCA works closely with other industry bodies and regulators to ensure that appropriate incidents are passed on and lessons learned are circulated to members. Nick Hough, IMCA’s technical adviser for health, safety, security & environment, said: “The Safety Flash system is an important method to learn from the experience of others. We encourage everyone in the industry to take-part and report incidents. This influences industry safety awareness.” IMCA ensures the strict anonymity and appropriateness of all published Safety Flash material. Nothing is published without clear permission from the contributor. A full list of the Safety Flash incidents of 2018 is available to all in the industry at www.imca-int.com/alerts/ downloads/safety-flash/18. LR receives approval to carry out verification activity on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) has approved Lloyd’s Register (LR) as a recognised classification society for the construction of mobile units in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). This follows a change to section three of the Petroleum Safety Authority’s (PSA) framework HSE regulations, which now permits mobile units employed in petroleum activities on the NCS to be designed in accordance with relevant maritime requirements. The PSA’s decision to list LR in its framework enables LR to perform verification services for facilities within the NCS for mobile drilling, well- intervention, multi-use and certain types of mobile production. This means LR can work with potential and existing international clients in the NCS area. All of whom can be confident that LR will perform verification activities safely and in compliance with the NORSOK regulations.  LR has recently completed a study with the PSA to assess the risk associated with different vessel operations in the petroleum activities on the NCS, finding that some of the activities in this area have the potential for major accidents with fatalities and/or serious injuries, or material damage with significant economic losses. LR’s department manager, Alain Doumit said: “By working closely with the local government in Norway, we have actively built a strong relationship with the PSA and this long-term effort demonstrates that LR is a strategic, trustworthy partner that can deliver effective multi-service support. Our clients, international and local, will benefit from specialist support and greater choice as the market opens, particularly as the Norwegian Government is keen to encourage international players to begin exploration activity in the NCS.” www.lr.org LR receives approval to carry out verification activity Nick Hough, IMCA’s technical adviser for health, safety, security & environment)