HC Deb 29 January 1992 vol 202 cc614-9W
Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what information he has about how many offshore installations have carried out a review of the ability of emergency systems to withstand severe weather conditions, as recommended by the Cullen report; and what the Health and Safety Executive has done to ensure that installations have carried out this review;

(2) what the Health and Safety Executive has done to ensure that all personnel on board offshore installations are supplied with personal survival equipment, in accordance with recommendations Nos. 85 and 86 of Lord Cullen's report;

(3) what information he has about how many offshore operators have undertaken an evacuation, escape and rescue analysis of their installations as recommended by Lord Cullen; and what the Health and Safety Executive has done to ensure this has been done;

(4) what information he has on how many offshore installation operators have conducted fire-risk analysis, as recommended by Lord Cullen in his report on Piper Alpha;

(5) what action the Health and Safety Executive has taken to ensure that fire-risk analysis is carried out on all offshore installations; and what assistance the Health and Safety Executive has given to the platform operators by way of practical and technical advice;

(6) how many offshore installation operators have carried out an assessment of the risk of ingress of smoke or gas into the accommodation sections as recommended by Lord Cullen in his report on Piper Alpha; and what the Health and Safety Executive has done to ensure that these assessments have been carried out;

(7) what information he has about how many offshore installations have fitted smoke and gas detectors and implemented ventilation shutdown arrangements for accommodation sections as recommended in the Cullen report; and what the Health and Safety Executive has done to ensure that this recommendation has been acted upon.

Mr. Forth

Immediately following the publication of Lord Cullen's report, the Department of Energy wrote to individual companies and industry organisations asking for action on these and other recommendations which could be implemented without, or in advance of, legislation. Following the transfer of regulatory responsibility, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) wrote in July 1991 asking for progress reports on these recommendations.

All offshore operators have now responded. The HSE is following up these responses with individual companies where necessary and monitoring progress during offshore inspections. In appropriate cases enforcement powers will be used to require improvements to be made.

I understand that the Health and Safety Commission's proposals for safety case regulations to be published next month will require all these areas to be addressed adequately and in an integrated way.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what research work the Health and Safety Executive is currently engaged in to do with escape methods from offshore installations; and how far this work is being conducted jointly with the offshore industries;

(2) what extra money the Government are making available to fund research into safe escape methods for emergency conditions on board offshore installations.

Mr. Forth

Studies on temporary safe refuges, methods to enhance the launch capacity of survival craft, the practicability and safety of escape chutes and emergency stairway systems, survivor recovery techniques and personal protective equipment have been commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive's offshore safety division. The offshore industry is collaborating in all of these studies.

Research on evacuation, escape and rescue methods is one of the HSE's main priority areas within its research strategy for offshore safety. The enhanced financial provision for offshore safety provided by Ministers following the Cullen report included an element to cover these and other recommendations for additional safety research.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what the Health and Safety Executive has done to ensure that all offshore installation managers and their deputies receive training and regular refresher courses in decision making for emergency situations;

(2) what advice the Health and Safety Executive has given to offshore installation operators about emergency drills and exercises, their frequency, content and which staff should be included in the exercises.

Mr. Forth

Existing offshore safety legislation specifies the frequency and content of emergency drills and musters and which persons should be included.

I understand that the Health and Safety Commission's proposals for safety case regulations to be published next month will require these and other aspects of safety-related training to be adequately addressed as part of the operator's safety management system.

In the meantime, the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation, the Health and Safety Executive and both sides of industry are working together to develop a standard for training in offshore emergency command and control, aimed specifically at offshore installation managers.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what advice the Health and Safety Executive has given to offshore installation operators about the registering of contractor staff; how often these lists are updated; and where copies of the register are kept.

Mr. Forth

The Offshore Installations (Logbooks and Registration of Death) Regulations 1972 require that a continuous record of persons on or working from an offshore installation is maintained both on the installation and onshore. The record must include details of the employers of such persons.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many offshore installations currently have totally enclosed motor propelled survival craft available with a capacity of carrying safely 150 per cent. of the people on the installation.

Mr. Forth

The maximum number of persons allowed on board any offshore installation is fixed by the Health and Safety Executive following an examination of lifesaving appliances. However, since the number of persons on board offshore installations varies according to the activities being undertaken, this information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the safety case regulations for offshore installations will be applicable to temporary and experimental drill sites.

Mr. Forth

I understand that the Health and Safety Commission's proposals for safety case regulations, to be published next month, apply to all fixed and mobile offshore installations engaged in drilling activities.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what steps have been taken to create a central register of the personal details of offshore employees who have attended training courses;

(2) what consultations he has had with the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association concerning the implementation of Lord Cullen's recommendation 105 on minimum training requirements.

Mr. Forth

The United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association has issued revised guidelines for offshore emergency safety training; these take account of consultations with the Health and Safety Executive, whose inspectors will take them into account in considering compliance with employers' general duties to provide adequate training. The guidelines state that they represent a minimum training requirement for survival, firefighting and emergency safety training; and that personnel who have not met the minimum requirements should not be permitted to work offshore.

In July 1989 the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation established a central training register to hold details of attendance at, and completion of, emergency safety training courses by offshore personnel. Access to the register is available by registering as a user.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on what the Health and Safety Executive is doing, before the safety case regulations are brought in, to ensure that offshore installation operators are complying with existing safety regulations.

Mr. Forth

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive's offshore safety division will continue to enforce existing offshore health and safety regulations by conducting inspections and audits and by using their powers to require improvements to be made or to prohibit activities where necessary. Additional inspectors are being recruited using the increased resources made available to the Health and Safety Commission to implement the recommendations in Lord Cullen's report and to enhance the inspection and audit functions.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the recommendations made by Lord Cullen from the Piper Alpha inquiry, that have already been implemented; if he will list the recommendations made by Lord Cullen that will be implemented by the Offshore Safety Bill[Lords]; and if he will list those recommendations which will be implemented by regulation.

Mr. Forth

The following recommendations in Lord Cullen's report have been implemented: numbers 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 34, 53, 88(part), 91, 93, 94 and 105.

Work is well under way towards implementing the following recommendations, including those which industry have been asked to take forward in advance of legislation: 27, 29, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 48, 52, 54, 59, 60, 61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71, 72, 76, 77, 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 95, 96, 99, 101, 102, 103 and 104.

Recommendation 18 will be implemented by the Offshore Safety Bill [Lords].

The proposed safety case regulations and associated guidance will implement recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 28, 32, 40, 44, 47, 51, 65, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 104 and 106. I understand that the Health and Safety Commission will be publishing a consultative document in February 1992.

The review of offshore safety regulations and guidance will take forward recommendations 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 49, 50, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 64, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74. 75, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83, 85, 88(part), 89, 90 and 103. The review cannot formally commence until the Offshore Safety Bill has been enacted.

Recommendation 30 will be taken forward as soon as a suitable primary legislative vehicle is available.

On recommendation 92, the Department of Transport already receives notification of the location of standby vessels on a weekly basis and this information is available to HSE's offshore safety division. HSE is considering what further action may be necessary.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with offshore operators about the Offshore Safety Bill[Lords] and the recommendations of the Cullen report; what submissions he has received; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth

I have met representatives of the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association to discuss matters connected with offshore safety. In addition, HSE's offshire safety division has had extensive discussions with offshore industry associations and individual companies about a range of matters arising from the Cullen report.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has had from trade unions concerning the Offshore Safety Bill[Lords] and the Cullen report; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth

No representations have been received from trade unions on the Offshore Safety Bill, but HSE's offshore safety division has had extensive discussions with trade unions about a range of matters arising from the Cullen report.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on what proportion of the offshore division's time will be dedicated to visiting installations and checking that safety cases are correct and are being adhered to.

Mr. Forth

The allocation of OSD time to various activities is a matter for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. However, the assessment of safety cases and the inspection of installations will be key operational priorities for the division as it expands to more than 400 staff in the next few years.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what he intends to do to bring the safety conditions on board offshore support vessels and standby vessels servicing offshore rigs in line with the recommendations made by Lord Cullen for the rigs themselves;

(2) what plans he has to transfer responsibility for safety on board offshore support vessels and standby vessels to the Health and Safety Executive; what submissions he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what plans he has to propose that offshore support vessels and standby vessels carry out safety case studies similar to those proposed for offshore installations.

Mr. Forth

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State's responsibilities, and those of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, relating to the safety of crews of standby and offshore support vessels are confined to activities carried out on or in connection with an offshore installation, as defined in article 4 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 (Application Outside Great Britain) Order 1989. Safety requirements, under the Merchant Shipping Acts, applicable to all merchant crews are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport. We have received no submissions on this matter and there are no plans to change these arrangements.

The general duties of operators of offshore installations under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act would include ensuring that support vessels do not put the safety of offshore installation personnel at risk. And I understand that the Health and Safety Commission's forthcoming proposals for safety case regulations apply to all offshore installations and heavy lift vessels, and cover risks to all personnel on the installation, or engaged in connected activities as defined by the 1989 order.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to review the codes of practice for manning and operating standby vessels.

Mr. Forth

Responsibility for review of the regulations and Code relating to standby vessels lies with the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. Many specific improvements recommended by Lord Cullen were incorporated into a revised code on the assessment of standby vessels attending offshore installations, published in July 1991 by HSE and the Department of Transport; all vessels must fully meet its requirements by 31 December 1992.

Possible changes in regulations will be considered by the commission in taking forward the comprehensive review of existing offshore legislation proposed in Cullen recommendation 19.

Mr. Tony Lloyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with trade unions, offshore operators and the oil petroleum industry training board about supplying appropriate training packages for staff working on offshore installations; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Forth

Representatives of the department and of the HSE participate in the work of the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation. Trades unions and offshore operators are represented on the OPITO board, and take part, with HSE, in working groups on training standards and competences.

Close co-operation is likely to continue between HSE and OPITO to develop appropriate training standards for offshore personnel. The Health and Safety Commission's proposals for safety case regulations to be published next month will require safety-related training, and competence standards, to be addressed as part of the operators safety management system.

Forward to