AN Aberdeen oil and gas firm has been fined £535,000 after a worker sustained life-changing injuries following the uncontrolled collapse of a crane.
Greig Philip Harwood and John Divers, contracted employees of Enermech Limited, were injured while working on the Fulmer Alpha North Sea oil platform on September 11, 2017.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that the 13-tonne, 45-metre long crane boom fell to the deck without warning, with flying parts hitting both men.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said both men were lucky to be alive following the harrowing incident.
Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited was issued the fine.
Harwood – who has now stopped working in the offshore industry after being diagnosed with anxiety, trauma and depression – could not eat solid food for around four months after sustaining a fractured jaw which had to be wired together with titanium plates.
READ MORE: To See Ourselves: Tickets for indyref documentary on sale now
He continues to have physical symptoms where he cannot open his mouth fully and has no feeling in his lower jaw due to nerve damage.
Divers also suffered physiologically and required counselling sessions. He could not face working offshore for a year.
By less than half a metre, the crane boom missed a high pressure flare line, a fuel gas line and the main oil line.
HSE said if any of these had been hit it could have resulted in a serious hydrocarbon release.
An investigation by the HSE found that the company had failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks of the work and had failed to maintain the crane braking systems and equipment in a safe condition before work commenced.
Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited of Holburn Street, Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) and Section 2(1) of the of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was subsequently fined £535,000.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE principal inspector Dr Stephen Hargreaves said: "Greig Harwood and John Divers are lucky to be alive. This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out suitable control measures and safe working practices.
“A North Sea oil platform is a hazardous environment, and it was again pure luck that the crane boom, which crashed to the deck, narrowly missed high pressure gas and oil processing equipment.
“This incident could have been avoided had the company properly planned and risk assessed the work and adequately maintained their cranes.
“It is very disappointing that we are seeing failings of this nature bringing those working on North Sea installations perilously close to disaster.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here