Accident Investigation in the Norwegian Petroleum Industry – Status and Future Challenges

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) states in their Regulations that the companies responsible for the activity shall register and investigate accidents occurring within the Norwegian petroleum industry. This paper presents; 1) An overview of the status of accident registration and investigation within the Norwegian petroleum industry, 2) Results from an analysis of causal factors that have been identified in some accident investigation reports, 3) A comparison of observationsand conclusions in these investigation reports, and 4) A discussion of the improvement potential regarding use of investigation methods and future challenges in accident investigation.