The accident on April 24, 2025 at Equinor’s liquefied natural gas facility in Melkøya was not an isolated event. According to the company’s internal investigation, a combination of structural deficiencies, management failures coordination errors and an inadequately entrenched safety culture contributed to the fall of a worker from a height of 4.4 meters during formwork work.
Failed interaction between contractors
The report states that communication between Equinor, its main contractor Aibel and subcontractor Consto was insufficient to ensure safe conditions. Although an order to stop work at height was issued, it did not reach the operational team. The pressure to move forward with the work schedule shifted attention away from the risks present.
One of the most relevant findings of the audit is that many workers did not feel free to stop unsafe tasks. This situation contravenes Equinor’s stated expectation of always prioritizing safety. Additionally, deficiencies were detected in the anchor points for fall protection equipment and lack of access to basic elements such as scaffolding planks.
Immediate and structural measures
Following the incident, hands-on training in the use of fall protection was implemented, equipment checks and work and work procedures. A new organizational structure was also introduced at Hammerfest LNG was also introduced to improve control of operations and strengthen oversight of suppliers.
In addition, an external assessment of the culture of transparency and communication at Melkøya was commissioned, with the aim of identifying persistent gaps and correcting them in a systemic way.
Management failures and shared responsibility
Equinor has emphasized that the learning from this accident will be applied at all of its onshore facilities. Both Aibel and Consto have taken internal measures to improve competency validation and ensure compliance with technical requirements.
Although the accident is still under investigation by the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority, the company’s report already sets a precedent in the revision of work safety protocols in Arctic infrastructure projects.
Source and photo: Equinor
