Norway: Petroleum Safety Authority Releases Report on Diving-Related Incidents

In 2011, eight minor personal injuries and one near-miss were reported in saturation diving in connection with petroleum activities, according to the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway’s report from the diving database system DSYS.

This year’s report contains statistics and analyses based on data from the period 1985-2011.

Activity level

In 2011, the activity level for saturation diving* was 48.106 man-hours in saturation, which represents a small reduction in activity level compared with 2010.

There was no surface-oriented diving on the Norwegian shelf in 2011.The activity level for surface-oriented* diving is generally significantly lower than for saturation diving.

*Definitions:

Saturation diving: The diver operates from a diving bell (which transports the diver under pressure from a chamber onboard the ship to the work site), and remains under pressure in a chamber onboard the diving vessel between the work sessions (bell runs).

Surface diving: The diver enters the water from the surface, carries out the job at the relevant work depth (less than 50 metres of water), and returns to the surface. Extra compression/decompression in a chamber on the surface may be part of such a diving operation.

Few personal injuries

The DSYS overview shows that there have been relatively few personal injuries related to saturation diving in the last 25 years.

In 2011, eight incidents involving minor injuries were reported:

* Wounds to the hands (4)

* Excess strain on wrists or backs through monotonous work(2)

* Infections in fingers and elbows (2)

In addition, one near-miss was reported, involving a lifting wire which snapped during lifting of a protective cover.

Credible statistics

It is the PSA’s impression that the reports provide a real picture of the number of personal injuries in connection with this type of diving in recent years.

Statistics show that there were few serious incidents such as fatalities and decompression sickness in the period 1985 to 2011. The last fatality in connection with saturation diving took place in 1987.

Reporting to DSYS takes place through:

* Reports on NAV forms with appendices (Section 31 of the Management Regulations)

* notification forms in Appendix NORSOK U-100, A3

* via activity reports from the operating companies (electronic link in guide to Section 35 of the Management Regulations).

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Subsea World News Staff , February 27, 2012