Perenco Hit With Improvement Notices Over North Sea Fatality
Private operator Perenco has been served with warnings by the UK safety regulator following the death of a worker on a platform in the southern North Sea in December.
The Indefatigable 23A (Inde 23A) platform was shut in and gas supplies halted following the death of Tyron Jones, 43, from Lowestoft, in a still-unspecified incident on Monday 4 December.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) served an Improvement Notice in relation to “injuries from crushing” and a failure to make “appropriate arrangements for the preventive and protective measures required for the unpacking and movement of equipment”.
HSE also issued a Prohibition Notice against Perenco for failing to provide a safe system of work and not identifying and controlling the risks arising from unpacking equipment.
The notices, both served on 15 December, did not elaborate further on the events surrounding the death.
Norfolk police were called at 12.55pm on 4 December following reports that a man had been flown to the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital with serious injuries but died later.
No other information has been revealed by the operator or the authorities.
A spokesman for HSE said its investigation is continuing.
An inquest into Jones’ death was opened on 5 December and a hearing is due to take place on 4 December 2017.
Upstream understands the deceased was employed directly by Perenco and not by a contract company.
A spokesman for Perenco on Wednesday declined to comment.
The company has not provided any statement other than one it issued immediately after the death.
Perenco said at the time the company was “working closely with the HSE and other relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances of the incident”.
“We are doing all we can to support the man’s family in these difficult times,” the statement said.
The Inde 23A platform is situated around 112 kilometres offshore in Block 49/23 and is one of seven manned platforms Perenco operates in the UK southern sector.
The others are Indefatigable 23C, Thames 28A, Leman 27A, Cleeton, Ravenspurn North CPP and West Sole Alpha.
The private company also operates 38 normally unattended installations and 14 subsea installations producing gas and liquids that are tied-back through pipelines to onshore gas terminals at Dimlington, Theddlethorpe and Bacton.
Source: Upstream Online
