Document 3:6 (2018–2019) / Published 15.01.2019 Investigation of the PSA’s follow-up of health, safety and environment in the petroleum industry

Key findings

• In the cases that have been investigated, the PSA’s supervisory practices had a limited impact on the companies’ follow-up of health, safety and environment issues.
• In general, the PSA does a good job of following up incidents and reports of concern.
• The PSA granted consent for the commissioning of Goliat, despite the fact that the safety of the platform had not yet been properly guaranteed.
• The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs does not obtain relevant information about the effectiveness of the PSA, nor does it investigate whether the PSA takes suffcient responsibility for cyber security.

Recommendations

The Offce of the Auditor General recommends that the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs:

• ensures that the PSA performs more risk-based verifcation that regulatory nonconformities are rectifed and that orders are complied with 
• ensures that the PSA makes use of the available sanctions against companies for which this is necessary, and escalates the use of more severe sanctions as needed
• develops a more relevant means of measuring the results and effects of the authority’s activities that covers the need for management information
• ensures that the PSA improves its follow-up on cyber security in petroleum activities

Background and objectives of the investigation

Petroleum activities entail a risk of accidents that could have significant consequences for people, the environment and material assets. These activities must therefore be carried out in a prudent manner and in accordance with the applicable regulations. Authorities, industry players and the Standing Committee on Labour and Social Affairs have agreed that a central aim should be for Norwegian petroleum activities to be frst class with regard to health, safety and environment (HSE).

The aim of the investigation was to assess whether the Petroleum Safety Authority’s supervisory practices protect health, safety and environment in connection with petroleum activities in accordance with parliamentary decisions. The investigation primarily covers the period from 2013–2017.