Authorities solicit consultation replies on proposed health and safety regime for offshore wind in Norway
On 4 December 2023, the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havindustritilsynet) announced their proposal for health and safety rules for offshore wind on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The proposal is subject to a public consultation, with the deadline for replying being set to 1 March 2024. All interested stakeholders are invited to file a consultation reply.
It should be noted that the proposal includes health and safety rules based heavily on the Norwegian health and safety regime for offshore oil and gas activities, and differs from the ordinary Norwegian health and safety regime under the Working Environment act (arbeidsmiljøloven), which applies to e.g. industrial and energy activities onshore, including onshore wind power. The proposal also covers areas such as working time, that normally are covered in collective agreements.
If a sector-specific health and safety regime exclusively for offshore wind is adopted, the legal framework in Norway will differ from countries where the general health and safety rules under national law apply to work being performed in relation to installation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines. Such a proposal may thus have a cost and administrative burden for companies along the offshore wind value chain.