In just a few years, major changes have taken place on the Norwegian continental shelf. A recent report shows several trends that worry the Petroleum Safety Authority. Contracts are entered into in different ways than before, work is organized in new ways and new technology is continuously introduced. – The results are lower staffing, increased use of hiring and pressure on expertise, says press contact Øyvind Midtun at the Petroleum Safety Authority. Press contact Øyvind Midttun in the Petroleum Safety Authority says that major changes have taken place on the Norwegian continental shelf in recent years. Photo: Eirik Gjesdal / news Fears that incidents are hidden for the sake of bonuses The researchers behind the report have reviewed a number of supervisory reports, reports of concern and interviews with employees and managers in the oil industry. A number of bonus schemes and incentive systems (KPI) are among the ingredients in the oil workers’ new everyday life. Several describe it as a “self” that can work against its purpose. The risk of losing a bonus can act as an incentive not to report dangerous incidents. There are several stories circulating about people trying to hide minor personal injuries in order for the company to get a bonus, according to the report. Several of the oil workers believe it is unreasonable that operating companies such as Equinor can save money when HSE incidents occur. Here are some examples of quotes from the report: Some informants state that certain operators are “looking” for conditions that can legitimize the loss of bonus. Photo: Carina Johansen / NTB Hilde-Marit Rysst is union leader of the oil union Safe. She fears that performance-based incentives on the NCS contribute to under-reporting and an increased risk to safety. – This is saving up for nothing. Suddenly the elastic breaks. We cannot afford to lose people, material and the industry’s reputation, says Rysst. Hilde-Marit Rysst is the union leader in Safe. Photo: Mathias Oppedal / news Bonus and incentive schemes on the NCS When suppliers deliver products and services to operators, payment depends on, among other things, speed, quality, personal injuries and well incidents. The operator companies operate with both carrot and stick: The suppliers can get an extra bonus if what is delivered is in accordance with or more efficient than agreed. At the same time, the supplier can get paid less if things do not go as planned. In the report, informants say that there is an increasing focus on the use of incentive schemes and bonuses. However, there are big differences in how the various operating companies use the tools on a daily basis, according to the informants. The report Changed framework conditions and consequences for the working environment and safety in the petroleum industry has been written by Safetec on order from the Petroleum Safety Authority. Increased use of hiring worries Work offshore seems to have become less attractive for skilled workers in Scandinavia, according to several informants in the report, who point to several reasons: The pay is relatively worse than for those who work onshore The workload is high The working hours are less attractive The development has resulted in personnel from outside Scandinavia being hired. This worries managers at operational level, who point to challenges with language, culture and lack of experience from offshore operations. The report points out that several hired workers are associated with various staffing agencies, and that it is difficult to know how much the hired workers actually work. In several reports of concern and interviews, it emerges that hired ISO workers have part-time positions in several staffing companies. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad The informants in the report claim that hired workers are concerned with working as much as possible, and that they therefore keep hidden how much they have actually worked before leaving. – Increased use of letting has come as a result of changed framework conditions. Hiring can be useful for the companies to use, but you must ensure that it happens within the framework of the regulations – and they are clear, says the Petroleum Safety Authority’s press contact Øyvind Midtun. The ISO industry, which deals with surface treatment and maintenance, is among those struggling with recruitment to the profession in Norway. Oil worker at Statfjord B. Photo: Mathias Oppedal / news Aftenbladet and E24 revealed earlier this year that a Polish staffing agency has supplied workers who should never have been offshore to several Equinor projects. – Nothing is sacred anymore The collaborative climate is also highlighted as problematic, and one operator in particular is singled out by the informants. A drilling contractor tells the researchers about a difficult collaborative climate with the operator: “There is no flexibility anymore. It is lawyer against lawyer at the first meeting”. Among the changes that have occurred over the years is that several tasks offshore are being moved to operations centers on land. Several informants say that the development leads to higher stress, poorer security and more difficult communication. An assistant drilling manager states that “everything is under pressure”. He points to a development with poorer contracts and the use of consultants who have to assert themselves in order to get a new contract. “Nothing is sacred anymore, everything can be challenged”, the person is quoted as saying in the report. Offshore Norway: – We are listening Communications manager Kolbjørn Andreassen in Offshore Norway emphasizes that health, environment and safety have the highest priority for the petroleum industry. – We listen when there are suggestions for further improvements. So far, we have not gone into the report, and have only seen the headlines. Now we want to do a thorough review, says Andreassen. Equinor also informs news that they will now take time to familiarize themselves with the report. Communications manager Kolbjørn Andreassen in Offshore Norway emphasizes that the level of security is and must be high. Photo: Kristoffer Apall / news Oljeforbundet Industri Energi welcomes the report, and believes that the development is completely in line with what union representatives and safety representatives have been pointing out for many years without being heard. First deputy leader Lill-Heidi Bakkerud believes the report is a clear feedback to the Norwegian continental shelf’s largest operator, Equinor. – I will be very surprised if Equinor does not tackle this. That would be sensational, says Bakkerud.
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– Nothing is sacred anymore – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
