Fatal rig dismantling incident throws health, safety, and environmental perils at recycling yards into stark relief

A tragic accident reportedly claimed the life of one worker and put nine more directly in the path of danger due to gas exposure at a shipyard, where a 1975-built semi-submersible drilling rig was being taken apart for recycling purposes. Navigating pitfalls stemming from inadequate regulation and enforcement of the health, safety, and environment (HSE) bundle is a tricky business for the workforce unless more stringent measures are pushed forward to come to grips with loopholes and ensure a set of HSE rules will remain in place to pinpoint potential hazards and tackle them.

While the offshore energy and maritime industries’ decommissioning activities are the next logical step for assets that have or are close to approaching their end-of-service-life phase, the latest in a long string of fatal incidents at scrapping yards has once again thrust into the limelight the risks, challenges, and difficulties workers face while dismantling old and retired energy and shipping-related structures and facilities.

There is no doubt that ship and energy infrastructure recycling operations tend to present both challenges and opportunities, however, accidents like the most recent one from August 31, 2024, highlight the need to tackle the lack of health and safety standards and environmental protection measures at recycling facilities to protect workers’ lives and prevent such incidents from reoccurring.

Based on the information provided by the Belgium-based NGO Shipbreaking Platform, the latest scrapyard incident took place at IŞIKSAN ship recycling yard in İzmir, Aliağa during the dismantling operations of the 1975-built Bideford Dolphin semi-submersible rig, formerly owned by Fred Olsen & Co. which Dolphin Drilling decided to sell for scrap after the offshore drilling contractor expanded its rig fleet with two semi-submersible rigs acquired from Transocean.

Prof. Dr. Alp Ergör from the İzmir Medical Chamber, highlighted: “This accident could and should have been avoided. Dismantling a pressurised container in a confined space is not recommended from a health and safety perspective and should only have been done under supervision, following a comprehensive risk assessment. It seems no such assessment was conducted.”

With the sale of the Bideford Dolphin rig out of the way, Dolphin Drilling was left with a fleet of four high technical standard fourth and fifth-generation enhanced Aker H3 and H4 units: Borgland Dolphin, Blackford Dolphin, Paul B. Loyd, Jr., and Dolphin Leader, however, the company has since made a move to part with the last semi-submersible rig and send it on a recycling quest, only months after acquiring it from Transocean.

The 1975-built Bideford Dolphin rig had an upgrade in 1999. With a maximum drilling depth of 21,325 ft (6,500 m), the rig could operate in water depths of 1,476 ft (450 m). The rig owner outlined at the time that its decision to dispose of these semi-submersible rigs was aligned with its ongoing efforts to optimize its fleet and enhance operational efficiency.

Looking at the move from an environmental perspective, many analysts agree recycling scrap metal is a good way to conserve natural resources, especially since the global supply of carbon steel scrap is said to lag behind demand growth.

As a result, the shortage is believed to carry a significant risk factor that could impact steel supplies and trade. This is why adherence to the HSE guidelines and rules needs to be more strictly enforced to safeguard human lives and the environment.

The latest incident, which took place onboard the Bideford Dolphin offshore rig, resulted in multiple workers being exposed to gas. While four workers were directly affected by the gas exposure, one of them, İbrahim Karakaya, lost his life, and the other three workers were discharged from the hospital late last week.

At the time of the incident, Karakaya was working for a subcontracting company charged with removing materials and furniture from the rig, but the NGO Shipbreaking Platform emphasizes that IŞIKSAN, still had a duty of care and responsibility to ensure all safety standards were met by all parties operating at their yard. 

In addition, it points out that the incident during the dismantling of the rig is not an isolated case, as there have been several accidents in the yards of Aliağa and other facilities of its kind elsewhere around the globe, particularly during the dismantling of oil and gas infrastructures.

Therefore, workers have reported serious hazards such as toxic gas exposure, explosions, and falls from heights, which underscore the need to investigate these incidents to glean insight into the root reasons behind them and enable their prevention in the future.

The most recent incident at the shipyard happened two years after the IŞIKSAN yard was removed from the European Union’s list of approved ship recycling facilities due to its failure to comply with several aspects of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

Moreover, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform unveiled a comprehensive report last year, outlining the vast range of challenges and failures of Türkiye’s ship recycling sector in terms of compliance with national and European occupational health and safety standards and environmental protection measures.

This coalition of organizations working to reverse environmental harm and human rights abuses reported a few days ago about the explosion on the MT Suvarna Swarajya oil tanker in Bangladesh which killed six and put four in critical condition. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform took note of the lack of adequate international and national regulations, oversight, and labor rights protections in the industry.

While 446 ocean-going commercial ships and floating offshore units were sold to the scrap yards last year, 325 of those believed to be the largest tankers, bulkers, floating platforms, cargo- and passenger ships ended up on the beaches of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, amounting to more than 85% of the gross tonnage dismantled globally.

“Corporations have an obligation to ensure that their business practices do not cause harm to people and the environment. Many recycling yards have already invested in the safety and environmental standard of their operations,” highlighted the report for the 2023 shipbreaking records.