These Regulations may be cited as the Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 and shall come into force on 20th June 1995.
(a)apart from regulations 22A to 22C in Great Britain, and
(b)to and in relation to installations and activities outside Great Britain to which sections 1 to 59 and 80 to 82 of the 1974 Act apply by virtue of articles 4(1) and (2), 5 and 6 of the 2013 Order.
(2)Regulations 4 to 22 and 22A to 22C shall not apply in relation to an installation which is in transit to or from a station; and an installation is not in transit to or from a station while it is being manoeuvred at the station.
(1)The duty holder shall take appropriate measures with a view to—
(a)protecting persons on the installation from fire and explosion; and
(b)securing effective emergency response.
(2)Any more detailed requirement in regulations 6 to 21 and 22A to 22C for the purposes referred to in paragraph (1) shall be without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1).
(1)The duty holder shall perform, and thereafter repeat as often as may be appropriate a process (in this regulation called “an assessment") described in paragraph (2) in relation to the installation.
(2)An assessment shall consist of—
(a)the identification of the various events which could give rise to—
(i)a major accident involving fire or explosion; or
(ii)the need (whether or not by reason of fire or explosion) for evacuation, escape or rescue to avoid or minimise a major accident;
(b)the evaluation of the likelihood and consequences of such events;
(c)the establishment of appropriate standards of performance to be attained by anything provided by measures for—
(i)ensuring effective evacuation, escape, recovery and rescue to avoid or minimise a major accident; and
(ii)otherwise protecting persons from a major accident involving fire or explosion; and
(d)the selection of appropriate measures.
(3)The duty holder shall—
(a)record the assessment (including each repetition of it);
(b)keep the record at an address in Great Britain; and
(c)notify—
(i)in the case of an installation used for carbon capture, utilisation and storage, the Executive;
(ii)in the case of an installation used for offshore hydrogen production, the Executive;
(iii)in the case of an installation in internal waters used for anything other than carbon capture, utilisation and storage or offshore hydrogen production, the Executive;
(iv)in the case of an installation in external waters used for anything other than carbon capture, utilisation and storage or offshore hydrogen production, the competent authority,
(1)The duty holder shall establish such appropriate organisation and arrange– ments as are to have effect in, or in anticipation of, an emergency and which shall include arrangements—
(a)for command by competent persons which can be maintained, so far as is practicable, throughout an emergency;
(b)for there to be a sufficient number of persons on the installation competent to undertake emergency duties and operate relevant equipment;
(c)in the case of an installation on which personnel are present, for a sufficient number of such persons to be in attendance at the helicopter landing area during helicopter movements; note...
(d)for lists of persons referred to in sub–paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) above to be posted at suitable locations on the installation when persons are present and
(e)in relation to external waters only, for coordinating the emergency response with the response planned pursuant to the external emergency response plan.
(2)The duty holder shall ensure that every person on the installation—
(a)is provided with adequate instruction and training in the appropriate action to take in an emergency , including how to co-ordinate with persons responding to an emergency who are not on the installation when the emergency begins; and
(b)can consult written information on the use of emergency plant.
The duty holder shall ensure that there is kept available near the helicopter landing area equipment necessary for use in the event of an accident involving a helicopter.
(1)The duty holder shall, after consulting persons who are likely to become involved in emergency response, prepare and, as often as is appropriate, revise a document (in this regulation called “the emergency response plan") containing sufficient information, for the guidance of such persons, on—
(a)the organisation and arrangements which are to have effect in an emergency; and
(b)procedures by way of emergency response to be followed in different circumstances.
(2)The duty holder shall ensure that—
(a)the emergency response plan is available to all persons on the installation; and
(b)each person on the installation, and each person who may be called upon to assist in implementing the emergency response plan, are given such notification of its contents as is sufficient for them.
(3)The duty holder shall ensure that the organisation, arrangements and procedures referred to in paragraph (1) are tested, by practice and otherwise, as often as may be appropriate.
(4)Every person on the installation shall, in an emergency, so far as is practicable, conform to the appropriate procedure in the plan.
(1)The duty holder shall make appropriate arrangements—
(a)for giving warning of an emergency, by audible and, where necessary, visual alarm systems, to all persons on the installation; and
(b)for the purpose of emergency response, for communication between—
(i)persons on the installation;
(ii)the installation and persons not on it and engaged in activities in connection with it; and
(iii)the installation and persons beyond it;
(2)Subject to paragraph (3), the duty holder shall ensure that—
(a)an illuminated sign provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(a) is—
(i)in the case of a warning of toxic gas, a red flashing sign; and
(ii)in all other cases, a yellow flashing sign; and
(b)an acoustic signal provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(a) is—
(i)in the case of a warning to prepare for evacuation, a continuous signal of variable frequency;
(ii)in the case of a warning of toxic gas, a continuous signal of a constant frequency; and
(iii)in all other cases, an intermittent signal of a constant frequency.
(3)Where an illuminated sign or acoustic signal is in lawful use immediately before the date of coming into force of these Regulations, but it does not meet the requirements of paragraph (2), it shall be sufficient compliance with that paragraph if a change to a sign or signal so complying is made before 20th December 1997.
(a)take appropriate measures with a view to limiting the extent of an emergency, including such measures to combat fire and explosion; and
(b)shall ensure that—
(i)where appropriate, those measures include provision for the remote operation of plant; and
(ii)so far as is reasonably practicable, any arrangements made and plant provided pursuant to this regulation are capable of remaining effective in an emergency.
(a)take appropriate measures with a view to protecting persons on the installation during an emergency from the effects of fire and explosion; and
(b)ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, any arrangements made and plant provided pursuant to this regulation are capable of remaining effective in an emergency.
The duty holder shall ensure that such arrangements are made which include, to the extent necessary—
(a)the provision of plant on the installation; and
(b)such arrangements with suitable persons beyond the installation,
as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safe evacuation of all persons and their being taken to a place of safety, or to a place from which they can be recovered and taken to a place of safety under arrangements made pursuant to regulation 17.
The duty holder shall provide such means as will ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safe escape of all persons from the installation in case arrangements for evacuation fail.
The duty holder shall ensure that effective arrangements are made, which shall include such arrangements with suitable persons beyond the installation, for—
(a)recovery of persons following their evacuation or escape from the installation; and
(b)rescue of persons near the installation; and
(c)taking such persons to a place of safety,
and for the purposes of this regulation arrangements shall be regarded as being effective if they secure a good prospect of those persons being recovered, rescued, and taken to a place of safety.
18Suitability of personal protective equipment for use in an emergency#
(1)In relation to personal protective equipment which protects a person in an emergency against risks to his health and safety—
(a)in conditions of fire, heat, smoke, fumes or toxic gas; or
(b)in the event of his immersion in the sea,
the duty holder shall, for the purposes of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 note, be treated as the only employer of all persons on the installation, and such persons shall be treated as only employed by him.
(2)The duty holder shall ensure that there is prepared and operated a written scheme for the systematic examination and, where appropriate, testing, by a competent person, of the equipment referred to in paragraph (1) and for recording the results thereof.
(1)The duty holder shall ensure that all plant on the installation provided in compliance with these Regulations (other than aircraft, or equipment to which regulation 18 applies)—
(a)is so constructed or adapted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided; and
(b)is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
(1)Subject to paragraph (2) and to any of the provisions imposed by the European Union(as they had effect immediately before IP completion day) in respect of the encouragement of improvements in the safety and health of workers at work or by Directive 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on safety of offshore oil and gas operations and amending Directive 2004/35/EC, the Executive may, by a certificate in writing, exempt any person, installation or class of persons or installations from any requirement or prohibition imposed by these Regulations and any such exemption may be granted subject to conditions and with or without limit of time and may be revoked by a certificate in writing at any time.
(2)The Executive shall not grant any such exemption unless, having regard to the circumstances of the case and, in particular, to—
(a)the conditions, if any, which it proposes to attach to the exemption; and
(b)any other requirements imposed by or under any enactments which apply to the case,
it is satisfied that the health and safety of persons who are likely to be affected by the exemption will not be prejudiced in consequence of it.
(1)This regulation applies only in relation to external waters.
(2)The duty holder must prepare an inventory of available equipment, its ownership, location, transport to and mode of deployment at the installation and any person relevant to the performance of the duties in these Regulations (except the duties in regulations 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19 and 20).
(3)The inventory prepared under paragraph (2) must identify measures in place to ensure equipment and procedures are maintained in operable condition.
(4) The duty holder must ensure all equipment on the installation provided in compliance with paragraph (1) is made available at all times and made available as necessary to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
22BInitiation and direction of emergency response and liaison with external response authority#
(1)This regulation applies only in relation to external waters.
(2)The duty holder must authorise one or more persons—
(a)to initiate an emergency response;
(b)to direct an emergency response; and
(c)to liaise with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
22CArrangements for early warning of major accidents#
(1)This regulation applies only in relation to external waters.
(2)The duty holder must make arrangements—
(a)for providing early warning of a major accident to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency; and
(b)for providing more detailed information about such an accident as soon as it becomes available,
but nothing in this paragraph is to be taken as imposing a requirement which is imposed by regulation 4(3)(c) and paragraph 2(k) of Schedule 2 to the Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation Convention) Regulations 1998 (arrangements for early warning of major environmental incidents).
23Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989#
Regulation 23(2)(c) of the Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 note shall be amended—
(a)by deleting the word “and" after paragraph (ii); and
(b)by adding the following paragraph:“and (iv) the arrangements for the appointment of persons referred to in regulation 6(1) of the Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995”
24Amendment of the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 1992#