Equinor has completed its internal investigation into the workplace accident at Mongstad on 17 September 2025, in which a worker lost his life. The purpose has been to ensure learning and to identify measures that can strengthen safety in crane and lifting operations across the company.
The accident occurred during the lifting of heat exchangers as part of the plant’s turnaround work.It happened when a crane hook unintentionally caught on a bolt on a heat exchanger.
A worker in the area became trapped between two heat exchangers. Lifesaving first aid was performed, but his life could not be saved. The incident was reported to the police and the Petroleum Safety Authority, both of which have conducted their own investigations.
'The loss of a colleague at work affects us all, and my thoughts go to the family and all those affected. The ongoing investigation is essential to identifying the circumstances that led to this incident, allowing us to learn and make improvements. We are currently implementing all necessary measures to enhance safety in our crane and lifting operations,' stated Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president for Marketing, Midstream & Processing at Equinor.
The investigation was conducted by an independent group led by Equinor’s Corporate audit and investigation unit, with participants from Crane Norway as well as representatives from the safety delegates, in line with the company’s requirements for investigating serious incidents. The group has expertise in crane and lifting operations, organisational safety, and operational experience from Mongstad.
'The accident has had a profound impact on our organisation at Mongstad. In addition to identifying the direct cause, the investigation report points to several factors that may have contributed to the incident. We have already initiated measures to strengthen the planning, execution, and management of lifting operations at the facility, in line with the report’s recommendations. Together with partners in the industry, we will ensure that everyone working at our facilities receives enhanced training and a clearer understanding of the requirements for this type of operations,' says Bernt Edvard Tysseland, vice president for Mongstad.
The worker who died was employed by the staffing company Nidab and assignedinto Crane Norway, which is a lifting services supplier at the Mongstad facility.
The mandate of the investigation team has been to review the following:
- Clarify the sequence of events and the background for the accident.
- Identify immediate and underlying causes, including factors related to the management and control of the lifting operation.
- Assess any deviations from governing documentation.
- Identify barriers that failed or were missing – and barriers that functioned as intended.
- Evaluate notification and emergency response actions during the incident.
- Analyse the actual and potential consequences of the accident.
- Examine whether similar incidents or transferable experiences exist.
- Provide recommendations for improvements and measures that can reduce the risk of recurrence.
The investigation team’s work has included:
- Interviews and conversations with involved personnel, management, suppliers, and witnesses to the incident.
- Review of technical data and documentation, including procedures, lift plans, competency requirements and risk assessments related to the lifting operation.
- Assessment of equipment and operational conditions in the area where the incident occurred.
- Review of notification logs and emergency response handling related to the accident.
- Compilation of previous experiences from crane and lifting incidents in Equinor.
Source: Equinor
