Worldwide Improvement in Offshore Risk Levels – Will It Extend to Green Energies?

Worldwide offshore safety statistics are published by the IOGP and IRF, the PSA is publishing extensive statistics for Norway. The components of the fatality risk picture are occupational accidents, major accidents on the installation, and transportation accidents during transfer between shore and offshore installations. While some of these accidents were relatively common in the first 15-20 years, there has been a significant reduction of the number of fatal accidents, and there is now often a few years between fatal accidents in the North Sea and associated waters, even the occupational accidents, which are the least rare occurrences.

These components of risk are considered to be applicable to emerging offshore energy industries, such as offshore wind, sun and waves, as well as offshore mining. Risk exposure for these industries is discussed on the basis of experience from the offshore petroleum industry, making observations about the likely risk exposure and which remedial actions that should be taken.

Keywords: Fatality risk, Major hazards, Occupational accidents, Helicopter accidents, Offshore petroleum, Green energies.

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