Foreign divers in the North Sea

Due to recent articles in Norwegian papers about foreign divers in the North Sea, the Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion, Mr. Bjarne Håkon Hanssen, has issued the following statement:

The Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) has, by a majority decision in 2004, decided on a solution that offers individual compensations to certain divers. The ex-gratia solution is based on lenient conditions.

Decisive for the decision to establish the system was that knowledge about the working conditions of the pioneer divers had been reached through a thorough investigation. Based on the results of this investigation it was a wish from the Norwegian government and Stortinget to decide on a solution that gave moral and political appreciation to the divers. The individual compensations can amount to a maximum payment of approx: 2, 5 million Norwegian kroner and are generous in comparison to similar settlements in Norway. 

Those who worked on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the period 1965-1990 and were injured in work related accidents during this period are included in the scheme. The compensation is given to members of the Norwegian social security system only, either one is member today or was member during the above-mentioned period. Surviving relatives can also be given compensation on certain terms. The Government has appointed a committee to administrate the individual compensations and applications may still be made.

Divers who wish to make legal claims for damages will have to go to Norwegian courts. Access to the courts is not limited by membership of the Norwegian social security system.

Regarding the deaths mentioned in the media these last few days there has been no applications registered from the relatives of the foreign divers.