HSE issues top sanction after workers put at risk of ‘ionising radiation’ on North Sea platform

Offshore inspectors have issued their toughest sanction after a risk of radioactive contamination was found on a North Sea platform.

Oceaneering has been hit with a prohibition notice by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to restrict exposure to “ionising radiation” on TotalEnergies’ (PARIS: TTE) Alwyn North asset.

In response, the company says the issue was “rectified”, and “at no time” was any worker exposed to harmful rays.

According to the World Health Organisation, contact with even low doses of “ionising radiation” can “increase the risk of longer term effects such as cancer”.

A prohibition notice is the “highest form of health and safety sanction”, and is a “warning to stop work immediately where there is an imminent threat of injury or death”.

Aberdeen-headquartered oilfield services group Oceaneering was served with the prohibition notice on February 22.

During an inspection, the safety watchdog found the company “failed to, so far as is reasonably practicable, achieve the restriction of exposure to ionising radiation by means of engineering controls, design features, and by the provision and use of safety features and warning devices” on the North Sea platform.

A spokeswoman for Oceaneering said: “We can confirm that Oceaneering received a prohibition notice for work being performed on Alwyn North, but the situation was rectified and radiography inspection work resumed. At no time was there exposure to ionizing radiation.”

Alwyn North

Facilities at Alwyn North consist of two bridge-linked platforms: North Alwyn Alpha (NAA) and North Alwyn Bravo (NAB).

Operated by French supermajor TotalEnergies, the installation is some 100 miles east of Shetland, and around 5 miles from the UK/Norwegian median line, in water depth of 130 metres.

At the start of the year, a new well was spudded on Alwyn East, which sits around 4 miles north-east of the main facility.

Drilling at the field is part of a wider life extension strategy in the Alwyn Area, which is 100% owned by TotalEnergies.

© Supplied by TotalEnergies

After processing at the production hub, gas from the region is exported into the Frigg UK Association pipeline (FUKA) and onwards to Aberdeenshire’s St Fergus terminal.

Oil meanwhile, is sent into the Brent System via Cormorant Alpha and onwards to the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal in Shetland.

A TotalEnergies spokeswoman said: “We were made aware of a Notice relating to radiography works on Alwyn North and ensured Oceaneering responded quickly to the HSE’s concerns. The situation was rectified and radiography inspection works resumed within the short time it took to resolve the particular issues raised by the HSE. There was no impact to other inspection activities.

“As with all events that occur on TotalEnergies sites, we carried out reviews to ensure similar issues were not observed on any other applicable inspection works. We’ve also launched our own internal investigation to ensure lessons are learned.”