HC Deb 15 May 1991 vol 191 cc211-2W
Mr. Ernie Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether the Health and Safety Executive now requires all individuals on board an offshore installation to be issued with(a) a personal survival suit, (b) a smoke hood, (c) a life jacket, (d) a torch and (e) fireproof gloves;

(2) what steps he has taken since. 1 April to satisfy himself as to the application and implementation of improvement and prohibition notices issued by the Health and Safety Executive;

(3) whether those offshore installations that had not had an evacuation, escape and rescue analysis carried out, as detailed in recommendation 76 of the Cullen report, have been instructed to do so;

(4) what steps have been taken since 1 April to ensure the application and implementation of improvement notices requiring offshore operators to complete evacuation, escape and rescue analyses:

(5) if he will make a statement on the application and implementation of improvement notices issued requiring the completion of smoke or gas ingress assessments as detailed in recommendation 60 of the Cullen report:

(6) what steps have been taken since 1 April to ensure the application and implementation of improvement notices issued to offshore operators requiring them to undertake fire risk analysis as detailed in recommendation 54 of the Cullen report;

(7) whether the Health and Safety Executive requires in writing offshore oil operators to carry out a smoke or gas ingress assessment as detailed in recommendation 60 of the Cullen report.

Mr. Forth

My right hon. and learned Friend attaches the highest priority to implementing the recommendations of the Cullen report. Accordingly, the Government have given the Health and Safety Commission the resources to achieve this and the necessary legislation and regulations will be presented to Parliament as soon as possible.

In addition, the representative bodies and companies in the offshore industry have been tasked with taking action on those of the recommendations which were primarily addressed to them. Since the transfer of offshore safety responsibilities to the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April it has been monitoring progress at regular meetings with the main industry associations and trade unions to ensure the earliest practicable implementation of the report.

Inspectors have had the power to serve improvement and prohibition notices offshore since 1977.