Offshore oil and gas safety action call

Tuesday 21st December 2010

The Maritime Union is calling on the Government to boost its monitoring and enforcement of safety regulations for the offshore oil and gas industry.

A Government review released last week found the Department of Labour inspectorate responsible for the sector was significantly under-resourced, the union said today.

"One inspector covers offshore and onshore oil exploration for the entire country, a much lower level of coverage than in countries such as Australia, the UK and Norway," said union general secretary Joe Fleetwood.

The high risk industry was a major part of the New Zealand economy and would become bigger, he said.

"We want effective compliance that works, and if doing it right costs more money, slows things down and is inconvenient to the Government or any employer, then too bad. The cost of getting it wrong is just far too high."

The Maritime Union had been pressing for tighter regulations in the maritime sector, Fleetwood said.

That included all aspects of safety, from correct use of gangway nets through to the seaworthiness of vessels and condition of crews, and availability of response vessels for emergency situations.

The number of deaths and injuries in the maritime and mining sector was high. The offshore oil and gas industry combined the risk factors for both industries.

This year the number of deaths and injuries on board foreign vessels was "substantial", both in ports and working in and around the New Zealand coast and waters, as well as the recent Pike River Coal mine disaster.

The Maritime Union would be making submissions in response to the Government review, which looked at health, safety and environmental legislation for offshore petroleum operations, he said.

NZPA

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