– Subreported severity – E24

– I have never come across something like this in my career, says communications director Dag Inge Aarhus at E24’s Norwegian Maritime Directorate.

This comes after five serious discrepancies were discovered in an additional audit at the shipping company Boreal. The diversions led to a refusal to sail on Wednesday that affected the company’s 41 ferries and speedboats across much of Norway.

During a chaotic day, the company managed to present a plan with good enough measures for the Norwegian Maritime Authority. That is, they showed that they take diversions seriously and are now sailing on a temporary three-month permit.

The most serious incident dates back to November 17 this year, according to the Norwegian Maritime Directorate.

See all the additional audit events and findings at the bottom of the case.

Did not report severity

Boreal’s MF Husøy ship in Nordland was taken out of service due to technical problems with the hydraulic cylinders in the bow door, a heavy door that opens and closes the car ramp on ferries. According to Rana Blad, the ship was put out of service and entered the workshop.

However, the severity of the incident was not reported. This is confirmed by Aarhus.

So the ship sailed 55 nautical miles from Stokkvågen on Lurøy to Sandnessjøen, with a partially open bow visor and a bulkhead door. This corresponds to a distance of more than 100 kilometers.

– Failures with hydraulic cylinders and oil spills from the ship were reported, but our inspectors had no idea of ​​the severity of this incident, says Aarhus.

– It is not certain that there were passengers on board, but we should have had the opportunity to come for an inspection anyway, he says.

The ferry has capacity for a total of 249 people.

“When the technical failure was discovered at Husøy, the passengers and cars were put ashore, and the ship sailed for Sandnessjøen awaiting a stay at the workshop,” writes spokesperson Jon Kristian Fadnes in Boreal Norway in a message to E24 .

Recognize the need for updates

The shipping company declares that it has implemented immediate measures to discover the causal factors and take improvement measures.

“We are now working full-time to implement the action plan approved by the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, to ensure that we avoid recurrence in the future. We also seek external assistance to help us with the work ahead,” writes spokesperson Fadnes in a message to E24.

At status meetings, the shipping company has reviewed the entire safety management system to discover any weaknesses and ambiguities in the procedures. They recognize the need for updates to procedures and checklists, and admit that new employee training has failed.

“We apologize for the inconvenience the situation has caused our customers,” continues Fadnes.

– There are not enough routines

Aarhus claims that Boreal in several cases has failed to report the severity after various incidents. This has led them to surf without permission.

– The reports they have sent us have not been good enough and the seriousness has not been communicated, sums up Aarhus.

It emphasizes that it is the sum of the incidents that led to the additional audit, but that Husøy is the most serious.

– Normally, an incident will not have such consequences. But here there haven’t been enough security and tracking routines.

–Estonian accidents It happened due to a bow door failure, so how serious is this really?

– It is clear that you think of those accidents when you hear that there has been a failure in the forward door, but we have no basis to make these comparisons. But it is extremely important that the bow door works optimally. You can’t hide under a chair, says Aarhus.

The Husøy incident has an impact on the Storting

At the Storting on Thursday afternoon, Deputy Party Leader Bjørnar Skjæran asks how such strict measures could be put in place, only to be repealed, just hours later.

He asks how four weeks could pass from the trip with what the Norwegian Maritime Directorate describes as a faulty bow door and until the measures were implemented.

It refers to the Husøy incident.

– We assume that the Norwegian authorities and operating companies never compromise on safety, but we still wonder if the safety barriers are sufficient, Skjæran tells VG.

The county leader in Nordland, Frp Dagfinn Olsen, will have an investigation after they get the green light to sail again.

– When I have had meetings with the minister a few hours later and can start walking again, then I wonder how safe it is. Were there serious infractions? If that’s the case, how safe is it for travelers now? Olsen tells NRK.

Five serious incidents

Underreporting and lack of follow-up after five serious incidents led to refusal to navigate:

November 17, 2020: “Husøy” sails 55 nautical miles from Stokkvågen on Lurøy to Sandnessjøen, with a partially open bow visor and a bulkhead door.

2. November 2020: “Herøysund” collides with the ferry dock at Søvik by Sandnessjøen in the Nordland municipality of Alstahaug. The transmission hatch and rails are partially damaged.

September 24, 2020: “Alsten” collides with the pier. Repairs are carried out at night, while the shuttle launches the connection using only one end.

March 22, 2020: “Herøysund” has a collision with a ferry bridge.

November 20, 2019: “Alsten” collides with tugboat and barge. The ferry passes the Helgeland coast in Nordland.