§ Mr. Menzies CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many persons were killed in the course of their employment on oil platforms and similar installations in the North sea in the last 10 years for which information is available.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAccident statistics of the kind requested by the hon. and learned Member are published in the annual report to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Energy on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The latest statistics show that there were 76 fatal accidents in the years 1978 to 1987.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many serious accidents have occurred on gas or oil installations each year since 1965; how many of these each year involved fatalities; how many persons were killed each year; and how many persons in total have been killed in such accidents since 1965.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAccident statistics of the kind requested by the hon. Member are published in the annual report to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Energy on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the agencies which carry out inspections of 363W oil and gas installations in the North sea; and how many inspectors each of these agencies had engaged on this work each year since 1965.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe independent agencies for offshore installations appointed by the Government are the following six certifying authorities
Lloyd's Register of Shipping, American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd and the Offshore Certification Bureau.The staff' numbers employed by the certifying authorities are a matter for them. My own Department and the Department of Transport also carry out safety inspections.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list each occasion and date since 1965 when safety inspectors of oil and gas installations in the North sea have recommended or required significant changes, other than minor matters, to be carried out as a result of inspections; which owners were involved; what action was taken to ensure whether such recommendations or required actions were actually carried out; and in which cases such actions had not been carried out by the time of the next inspection.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe information is not available in the form requested. However, generally speaking the Department carries out over 200 inspections and between 25 and 30 accident investigations each year. In the majority of cases inspections result in recommendations for action, usually of a minor nature, to be taken. Progress on carrying out recommendations is continuously monitored by the Department.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the occasions and dates since 1965 when the owners of gas or oil rig installations in the North sea have been prosecuted; what was the basis of the prosecution in each case; and what was the penalty imposed on each occasion when an offence was proved.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonDetails are available only from 1977. Since then 65 prosecutions of companies or persons have been brought in connection with offshore safety requirements monitored by my Department. The basis of prosecution in each case was infringement of the requirements under the legislation applying to operations on the United Kingdom continental shelf. The penalties are imposed in accordance with the penalty provisions set out in the appropriate legislation.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list, for each of the gas and oil rig installations in the North sea, the date of each safety inspection carried out in the last five years, which agency carried out the inspection, the length each inspection lasted, how many persons carried out each inspection and the conclusion of the inspection in each case.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe figures are not available in the form requested. In broad terms the Department's safety inspectorate carries out over 200 inspections annually. Each inspection usually lasts between one and two day364W sand is carried out by a single inspector. The frequency of inspection varies depending on the circumstances of the individual installation, but in general an inspector would visit each installation at least once a year. Any lessons from the inspections are notified by means of a letter to the offshore installation manager and to his company management, and by the issue of safety notices, which are circulated to all offshore operators and throughout the industry.
The Department of Transport surveys all offshore installations every two years to ensure that the fire-fighting equipment and life-saving appliances meet the necessary requirements. No Department of Transport surveyors are allocated exclusively to the survey of offshore installations and so there are no figures for the actual number of inspectors engaged in the work, but it is estimated that around 12 to 15 man years per annum are devoted to this work.
The certifying authorities make an independent assessment of the design and construction of every offshore installation. Major surveys of offshore installations are carried out before the first certificate of fitness is issued and every five years thereafter. In addition, every year there is an annual survey carried out so that the certifying authority may satisfy itself that the installation remains fit for its purpose. The certifying authorities employ surveyors of many disciplines and they estimate that in aggregate 250 man years each year are devoted to offshore installations.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list each serious accident that has occurred regarding oil and gas exploration and drilling in the North sea since 1980; what was the cause and nature of the accident; in each case, how many persons were killed and injured in each accident; in which cases an inquiry was carried out into each episode; and whether the inquiry was made public.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonAccident statistics of the kind requested by the hon. Member are published in the annual report to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Energy on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. An investigation is carried out by the Department of Energy inspectorate into all the serious accidents, and any lessons to be learnt are made available publicly by way of regular safety notices issued by the safety directorate of my petroleum engineering division.