iStockAn oil and gas operator has been fined £300,000 after crew members became submerged in a water-filled lift shaft on a floating platform in the North Sea.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found three men were carrying out inspection work at the base of a sub-sea column during a night shift on December 10, 2020.
The Ithaca Energy workers had been descending in a lift located in one of the platform legs on the FPF-1 facility when water started to flood into the lift before they reached the bottom of the shaft.
As the three men descended, they experienced a “rush of air” before the base of the lift made contact with the water.
The trio were knee-deep in water when the workers stopped the lift via the emergency button, and the three men returned safely to the main deck.
None of them sustained any injuries.
During preparations to clear the inspection site of standing water beforehand, hardware failures and incorrect operating procedures caused the bottom of the lift shaft to commence filling with water.
Due to a lack of water alarms in the bottom of the lift shaft, the control room was unaware that water was filling the shaft.
The HSE investigation found that water marks on the lift door revealed it had reached a level of just under 1.5 metres before the lift was stopped and returned to the surface.
An investigation by Ithaca determined that the water level could have actually reached more than three metres, meaning the men would have found it difficult to escape through the top hatch of the lift if the workers had used the lift later and/or had not been successful in bringing the lift to a halt immediately.
Ithaca Energy (UK) Limited pleaded guilty to safety failings at a hearing at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on Thursday, June 12.
HSE issued Ithaca with an improvement notice and work in confined spaces was stopped by the company until February 2021 to allow for a full review.
HSE inspector Ian Chilley said: “This was a terrifying incident for the workers involved, we are just thankful that no physical harm came to them.
“This fine should send a message and reminder to those operating offshore facilities for them to be extra vigilant.
“It was only a matter of good fortune that this incident didn’t result in serious injury, or worse.”
When passing sentence, the sheriff observed the case marked “another reminder of the need for rigorous adherence to health and safety in the oil and gas industry”.
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