Regulating health and safety in the UK offshore oil and gas fields - who does what?

FURTHER INFORMATION This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are not Regulating health and safety in compulsory but which you may find helpful in considering HSE what you need to do. the UK offshore oil and gas fields Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge London SE1 9HS Who does what? Tel: 020 7717 6000 Website: http://www.hse.gov.uk InfoLine: 0870 154 5500 Email: hseinformationservices@natbrit.com

MCA Spring Place 105 Commercial Road Southampton SO15 1EG Tel: 023 8032 9100 Website: http://www.mcga.gov.uk InfoLine: 0870 600 6505 Email: infoline@mcga.gov.uk

MAIB Carlton House Carlton Place Southampton SO53 2DZ Tel: 023 8039 5500 Fax: 023 8023 2459

Website: www.maib.gov.uk email: maib@dft.gov.uk

HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165 Fax: 01787 313995 Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk (HSE priced publications are also available from bookshops.)

For information about health and safety ring HSE's This publication may be freely reproduced, except for InfoLine Tel: 08701 545500 Fax: 02920 859260 e-mail: advertising, endorsement or commercial purposes. First hseinformationservices@natbrit.com or write to HSE published 07/02. Please acknowledge the source as HSE. Information Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG. You can also visit HSE’s website: INDG361 07/02 C50 www.hse.gov.uk Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY? WHAT DOES HSE DO? Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (MSA) both of which have broadly similar general duties. This leaflet is aimed at seafarers and offshore workers. It HSE ensures that risks to people’s health and safety from will tell you who is responsible for enforcing health and work activities are properly controlled. It does this through a MSA applies to ships regardless of where they work or safety law and where you can obtain further guidance. programme of inspection, assessment, investigation, what activities they are carrying out. HSWA and specific enforcement, advice and education. HSE is primarily offshore legislation applies to offshore installations, wells The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Maritime responsible for regulating the safety of offshore installations, and pipelines and to connected activities such as loading and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Marine wells, pipelines and for those engaged in related activities. and unloading. This includes: Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) are responsible for different aspects of the law applied to offshore oil WHAT DOES MCA DO? ■ installations which may be classed as ships e.g. and gas. mobile offshore drilling units, flotels and floating MCA is responsible for regulating the safety of ships and production storage and offtake units; and HSE and MCA are responsible for regulating health and their crews including their construction, safe navigation and ■ other ships such as heavy lifting vessels, pipe layers, safety while MAIB is responsible for investigating operation, carriage of cargoes and prevention of pollution, diving support vessels and supply vessels. accidents to or on board all UK vessels and other vessels crew competence and health and safety on board. This means that at times, these installations and within UK territorial waters. However, the actual ships will have to comply with both offshore law achievement of safety is the responsibility of all those MCA investigates incidents involving ships to determine and maritime law, but HSE, MCA and MAIB work who work offshore and in maritime activities. So if you whether a significant breach of regulations has occurred and together to avoid duplicating burdens on duty work offshore, whether on a vessel or an installation, to recommend enforcement action and also has holders. you have a responsibility to contribute towards a safe responsibilities for search and rescue. and healthy place to work. HSWA and MSA place a duty on every employer to WHAT DOES MAIB DO? ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health It is the responsibility of HSE and MCA to ensure that safety and welfare at work of all employees. Individual you are protected by consistent health and safety MAIB’s aim in investigating marine accidents is to determine workers have responsibility under the HSWA to take standards: their circumstances and causes, and make recommendations reasonable care of themselves and others. which, if implemented, should prevent their recurrence. ■ MCA enforces maritime health and safety law, which MAIB is not a regulatory or an enforcement body. MAIB and WHO INVESTIGATES ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS covers the operation of ships worldwide; MCA are independent of each other. OFFSHORE OR AT SEA? ■ HSE enforces health and safety law applying to offshore installations and associated activities. HOW DO HSE, MCA AND MAIB COORDINATE THEIR MAIB and/or MCA investigate accidents and incidents ACTIVITIES? related to ships and crew. HSE investigates land based The two sets of law overlap where ships are carrying out and offshore accidents and incidents. activities such as drilling or cargo handling, but they do There is a Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) between not conflict. HSE and MCA are committed to promoting HSE, MCA and MAIB, which ensures co-ordination where Where there is an overlap, HSE, MCA and MAIB will good health and safety practices and work closely their duties for health and safety enforcement and accident agree who will be the lead investigator. together to do this. investigation overlap. A copy of the MoU can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/spd/content/spdmar.htm and on the MCA WHO DO I GO TO IF I AM WORRIED ABOUT HEALTH The work of HSE, MCA and MAIB may overlap in some website www.mcga.gov.uk under ‘Publications Statutory’. AND SAFETY ON MY SHIP OR INSTALLATION? situations, for example, enforcement or accident investigation on a mobile installation in transit to a WHAT LEGISLATION APPLIES TO OFFSHORE HEALTH You should discuss it with your employer, manager or working station, or to loading or unloading from a vessel AND SAFETY? supervisor. Alternatively, you may wish to discuss it with to an offshore installation. your safety representative, the safety officer if on board The main health and safety legislation comes under the ship, union official or contact the relevant authority – Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA) and the HSE, MCA or MAIB