§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of Stale for Employment how many officially recorded warnings have been issued by Health and Safety Executive officials to those employers and/or managers deemed to have transgressed either national or European Community legislation and regulations which relate to the safety and safe-working practices of persons employed in the offshore oil and gas industries; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythSince assuming responsibility for enforcement of offshore safety on 1 April 1991, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has served 17 improvement notices and seven prohibition notices on owners and operators of offshore installations operating in United Kingdom waters under existing offshore health and safety legislation. In addition it is usual practice for HSE to write following an inspection confirming any remedial action agreed to by employers during the visit; the number of such letters sent is not routinely recorded, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to alter or modify the offshore survival course and qualifications required of those seeking to obtain employment in the offshore oil and gas fields; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythNone. Employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 to provide adequate training to ensure the health and safety of their employees. I understand that the guidelines issued by the United Kingdom Offshore Operators' Association (UKOOA) recommending minimum standards for survival courses are currently being reviewed by it. The Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) develops and monitors course standards within these guidelines.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons successfully completed the offshore survival course required of all those seeking62W employment in the offshore oil and gas fields in each of the last seven years; and which educational and training institutions are officially approved in this regard.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO) maintains a database providing details of survival and other training courses attended by all personnel seeking employment in the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas industry. OPITO's records indicate that since 1 July 1989, 58,711 persons successfully completed offshore survival courses and 40,979 completed survival refresher courses. Information prior to July 1989 is not readily obtainable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
OPITO is responsible for approving training establishments providing survival and other offshore training courses. The following establishments have been approved by OPITO to provide offshore survival courses:
- Blackpool and the Fylde College Fleetwood Offshore Survival Centre
- Humberside Offshore Training Association
- PETANS Ltd.
- RGIT Survival Centre Ltd.
- Southampton Institute of Higher Education
- South Tyneside College
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent discussions have been held with her counterparts in other member states of the European Community and with the representatives of the Norwegian Government concerning the implementation of EC legislation relating to the safety and safe working practices of those employed in the offshore oil and gas industries; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythMy right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State attended the Social Affairs Council on 30 April 1992 when the directive concerning the minimum requirements for improving the safety and health protection of workers in the mineral-extracting industries through drilling (the Extractive Industries Directive) reached common position. My noble Friend, the Baroness Denton of Wakefield was present at the Council of Consumer Protection and Information when this directive was adopted on 3 November 1992. I have had no other discussions on these matters with colleagues in other member states in the European Community, or with members of the Norwegian Government.
Officials of the Health and Safety Executive however, regularly meet with their counterparts in other EC member states and in Norway to discuss relevant offshore health and safety issues, including the implementation of EC health and safety legislation offshore.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions have been sought in each of the past four years by the Health and Safety Executive in(a) the Scottish courts and (b) the English courts in respect of breaches of national and European Community legislation and regulations which relate to the safety of those employed in the offshore oil and gas fields; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythSince assuming responsibility for enforcement of offshore safety on 1 April 1991, the Health and Safety Executive has recommended prosecution action for breaches of offshore safety legislation in respect of 14 cases in the Scottish courts and five cases in the English courts.
63WIn addition, three convictions in the Scottish courts after 1 April 1991 resulted from recommendations made prior to that date. The then Secretary of State for Energy was responsible for offshore safety matters prior to 1 April 1991.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the European Community legislation which relates to the safety and working practices of(a) production platform and rig personnel, (b) officers and crews of emergency/standby vessels and (c) helicopter crews and passengers in the offshore oil and gas fields; and what means of monitoring this legislation are employed by her officials.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe following regulations were made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in response to EC health and safety directives. They apply to offshore installations and activities in connection with them as defined in the Application Outside Great Britain Order 1989:
- Control of Lead at Work Regulations 1980
- Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985
- Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987
- Control of Asbestos at Work (Amendment) Regulations 1992
- Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992
- Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
- Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 1992
It is the responsibility of dutyholders under the regulations to comply with them. Health and Safety Executive inspectors will monitor compliance as part of their planned programme of inspections.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to modify or change the training and qualifications of the officers and crews of emergency/standby vessels operating in the offshore oil and gas industries; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe joint Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Department of Transport code on the assessment of the suitability of standby vessels attending offshore installations outlines the training required by standby vessel crew to ensure compliance with the code. At the request of HSE, the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation has been developing standards for this training. This process is now almost complete and work is in hand to validate the courses offered by training establishments. There are no plans to modify or change the training requirements in the code, which reflect Lord Cullen's concerns that the crew of standby vessels must be fully trained to undertake their emergency duties.
§ Dr. GodmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether all emergency/standby vessels operating in the off-shore oil and gas fields now conform to the revised code of suitability of emergency/standby vessels; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythAll standby vessels attending offshore installations are fully certificated as complying with the code. This has been the case since 1 January 1993 when the code came fully into effect.