Britain’s Health and Safety Agency has taken over an inquiry into the circumstances of a worker who went missing from an oil rig in the North Sea.
Jason Thomas, 50, from Wales, went missing around 100 miles south-east of Aberdeen from the Valaris 121 jack-up while it was being towed to Dundee last month.
Two oil supply ships, a Coast Guard helicopter and a Coast Guard plane were involved in the search for the missing person but were later grounded out.
Police Scotland officers later boarded the rig to investigate and gather information to determine the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Police told Energy Voice this week that the case was being treated as a missing person investigation and is still ongoing, but confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Mr Thomas’ disappearance.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says it has now taken the lead in the investigation process.
In a statement on Tuesday, an HSE spokesman said: “We have taken the priority of the investigation and remain in communication with the relevant authorities.
“We have been in touch with Jason Thomas’s family, with whom our hearts remain.”
The incident has raised oversight concerns, as the maritime union RMT had previously feared the case could fall into a “vacuum of regulatory coverage” due to jurisdictional issues between the different bodies.
HSE, Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) all previously told Energy Voice that they would not launch any formal investigations.
The MAIB and MCA both said they would not launch a formal investigation as the ship is not registered in the UK and the incident occurred in international waters (beyond 12 nautical miles).
Since the Valaris 121 oil rig is registered in Liberia, West Africa, the MCA stated that it was their authorities who would direct any further investigation.
The 121 remains based in Dundee.
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