The Office of the Auditor General to review the Petroleum Safety Authority after serious incidents
A number of serious incidents have lead to that the Auditor General has decided to conduct a thorough investigation of the Petroleum Safety Authority. The PSA are positive towards the audit.
– I can confirm that we have decided to initiate an investigation of the Petroleum Safety Authorities follow-up regarding HMS in Norwegian petroleum activities and that it will be presented to the Parliament in one year’s time, Stein Morch confirms to Stavanger Aftenblad. CEO Anne Myhrvold states that she is positive to the initiative, and believes that there is room for improvement.
– This is a management audit, not a scrutiny, something we regard as positive because it will contribute to us learning and to improve, she tells NTB.
Serious matters
The trade union, Industrial & Energy, and the environmentalists in Bellona have required a review. In the end it is the Office of the Auditor General who on their own initiative has decided that a review of the PSA is necessary.
After what Aftenbladet experiences, there are a number of grave issues that have led to the review of the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority. The PSA were among other incidents strongly criticized after the examination of the investigation into the fatal accident involving the drilling rig COSL Innovator on December 30, 2015. A person then died after a wave crashed through the window of his cabin.
The cases are handled correctly
Anne Myhrvold says the PSA has not yet been notified of which issues will be investigated and therefore she can not comment on individual cases. She nevertheless emphasizes that she believes the matters mentioned in Aftenbladet have been handled in a proper manner.
– A number of inspections have been carried out and impediments have been issued in many cases. Still, there are learning points and things that can be improved. We have already reviewed this internally, but it is also prudent to have an external instance to verify, she says.
The Auditor General has already had meetings with the Petroleum Safety Authority, and they have been provided with documents related to the preliminary investigations.
– When it is clear which areas or issues that is to be reviewed, we will of course provide staff who can answer questions and deliver the desired documents, says Myhrvold.
Critical Bellona
Frederic Hauge, Leader of the Environmental group Bellona, believes the decision to review the Petroleum Safety Authority is dramatic for management of Norwegian oil. He tells NTB that the Auditor General must have come across serious issues when it makes a review of the Petroleum Safety Authority its CEO, Anne Myhrvold.
He believes the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority as a supervisory body is completely out of control, where the oil industry itself has gained far too much control faced with weak supervision.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
