An investigation by the resources industry regulator into a dangerous incident where an oil platform swung uncontrollably from a crane near the heads of two workers off the West Australian coast last is still going one year on with little indication of when it will be finalised.
Two workers were left scrambling for their lives during the removal of the Sinbad platform,owned by Santos,when it separated from the structure supporting it.
The Department of Mines,Industry Regulation and Safety has been looking into the July 5 incident that happened near Varanus Island in the Pilbara for a year.
The watchdog issued a prohibition notice on Santos preventing it from undertaking any similar cutting and lifting operations until an investigation was completed.
The department’s deputy director general Ian Munns said it was keen to finalise its investigation in a timely manner and it did not want to compromise the quality of its inquiries.
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“DMIRS may take further action but this will depend on the outcome of its investigation,” he said.
“The department is aware workers at the site were exposed to significant risks,and is completing a comprehensive examination of the attempted lift to determine the causes of the incident.”
The International Marine Contractors Association published a so-called safety flash for its members in October about the incident that “had a high potential for multiple fatalities.”