HSE issue safety notice over offshore installations collision risk

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued a safety notice relating to the risk of collision with offshore installations from attendant vessels.

Following a rise in the number of incidents of attendant ships colliding with offshore oil and gas and renewable energy structures, the HSE have identified that workers on attendant vessels and offshore installations are being put at risk due to a failure of navigational watch processes and systems.

Processes and systems should be in place, as part of a wider safe system of work, to ensure that vessels are operated in a way that ensures, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of people on nearby installations.

However the HSE have found that incidents are occurring due to:

• personnel who are responsible for watchkeeping and the safe navigation of a vessel are being distracted with non-navigational tasks;
• situational awareness not being maintained at all times; and
• insufficient communication between all members of a bridge team.

The HSE's safety notice cites five example cases where a collision has occurred between a vessel and an offshore installation, within the last five years, due to various factors, including:

• loss of situational awareness;
• failure to keep a proper lookout;
• personnel distracted by administrative tasks;
• failure to assess environmental conditions; and
• a lack of communication between bridge team.

Duty holders and vessel operators responsible for marine activities connected with offshore oil and gas installations and windfarms should review operating procedures and take actions relevant to your operation.

Actions required to minimise the risk of such collisions are cited in the safety notice and include:

• the provision of clear watchkeeping instructions;
• reviewing bridge resource management;
• reviewing the use of bridge alarms;
• monitoring attendant vessels; and
• consideration of sailing audits for marine assurance.

Full details of the safety notice can be found here - Risk of collision with offshore installations from attendant vessels.