Australia’s offshore safety regulator, NOPSEMA (National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority), has issued an improvement notice to Subsea7, citing occupational health and safety concerns aboard its vessel, the Seven Pegasus. The vessel, currently engaged in Santos’ Barossa field development project offshore Australia, has been flagged for excessive noise levels contributing to worker fatigue.

NOPSEMA inspectors revealed several critical issues during their assessment of the Seven Pegasus:

1. Fatigue-Related Risks  

   – Workers reported experiencing fatigue, which poses a significant risk to health, safety, and operational performance.  

   – Fatigue is linked to potential operator errors, which could compromise critical controls that mitigate the risk of major accident events.  

2. Excessive Noise in Accommodation Areas 

   – Noise from the vessel’s propulsion system is audible in living quarters, including cabins, mess areas, and laundry facilities.  

   – A survey of noise levels found they do not meet recommended industry standards for acceptable noise exposure.  

3. Insufficient Noise Mitigation Measures  

   – NOPSEMA concluded that Subsea7 had neither adequately assessed the risks associated with noise nor implemented sufficient noise control measures to reduce levels to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).  

   – The physical environment created by uncontrolled noise was deemed a contributing factor to worker fatigue.

Potential Hazards Identified

The uncontrolled noise and subsequent fatigue could result in:  

– Serious personal injury, including permanent or irreversible damage.  

– Impairment of workers’ physical and cognitive performance, increasing the likelihood of safety incidents.  

– Compromised functionality of safety-critical systems.  

Regulator’s Requirements

NOPSEMA’s improvement notice mandates Subsea7 to take the following actions:  

1. Engage a Specialist to Assess Noise Risks 

   – A third-party expert must identify and evaluate noise risks during the vessel’s noisiest mode of operation, using recognized industry standards.  

2. Conduct an ALARP Noise Control Assessment 

   – The assessment must identify engineering and operational noise control measures to minimize risks.  

   – Interim controls to limit noise exposure must also be considered.  

3. Timeline for Compliance 

   – Subsea7 must complete the noise risk identification, assessment, and determination of control options by April 9, 2025.  

   – Full implementation of noise control measures, based on ALARP assessment findings, must be completed by July 8, 2025.  

This incident raises questions about Subsea7’s adherence to occupational health and safety (OHS) standards. NOPSEMA has emphasized that worker fatigue, exacerbated by poor living conditions such as excessive noise, is a recognized hazard under the company’s facility safety case. Subsea7 now faces pressure to demonstrate improved safety practices and compliance with industry standards.  

Subsea7 is a leading offshore engineering and construction services provider, and its Seven Pegasus is a state-of-the-art DP3 dynamically positioned vessel designed for complex offshore operations. However, this incident highlights the need for consistent monitoring and management of working conditions aboard vessels, especially in physically demanding offshore environments.

At the time of reporting, neither Subsea7 nor Santos has issued a public response to the improvement notice. NOPSEMA has reiterated the urgency of addressing the issue to ensure the safety and well-being of workers on board.  

This development underscores the importance of proactive measures to mitigate workplace hazards in offshore operations and protect the health and safety of personnel in high-risk environments.