An investigation into a man overboard incident by Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority found Saipem responsible for four safety breaches that led to the accident.
The report concerns a man who fell overboard from Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 unit on February 20 while the rig was working at Eni’s Goliat field in the Barents Sea.
According to the report the unnamed worker and another engineer were preparing to bring a blowout preventer (BOP) back online after maintenance when the accident happened.
While working on the BOP carrier one of the engineers climbed down a ladder leading to a small access platform but fell through a grating gap as soon as he stepped off.
The other engineer was able to throw the victim a lifebuoy and sound an alarm.
The victim was promptly rescued by a standby vessel and escaped without serious injury.
The report concluded that missing grating on the BOP carrier platform, possibly caused by high seas encountered before the incident, directly caused the accident.
“Under slightly different circumstances, the senior subsea engineer could have suffered serious injuries or being killed,” the agency said.
The agency identified four noncomformities tied to the accident including issues with grating maintenance and maintenance management, barrier management problems and issues with “expertise” and training.
The PSA said it has asked Saipem to outline how the nonconformities will be addressed.
No fines or penalties have been imposed on Saipem, a subsidiary of Italy’s Eni.
