Day to day responsibility for the administration and enforcement of occupational safety and health legislation, including the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) Act 1987 and the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) (Emergency Procedures) Regulations 1991, made under that Act, is a matter for the Health and Safety Authority. I am informed by the Health and Safety Authority that the company referred to in the question owns two fixed production platforms/installations in the Kinsale Head gas field.
I understand the company has recently tendered to have a single self-relieving dual purpose standby/supply boat vessel. I am informed there is one certified temporary standby vessel capable of carrying supplies and cargo available. When a crew change is needed at a platform, which is usually every two to three weeks, the certified standby boat will come out from port and replace the original standby vessel while it goes into port to change crew and get supplies. This temporary standby boat will be certified to be a standby vessel. The Health and Safety Authority has informed me that this arrangement will satisfy regulation 13 of the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) (Emergency Procedures) Regulations 1991, as at all times there will be a certified standby vessel in the vicinity of both platforms, which are approximately three nautical miles from each other.
Regulation 13(1) of the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) (Emergency Procedures) Regulations 1991, relating to standby services, requires that there shall be on hand at all times, except when prevailing weather and climatic conditions may endanger the crew, passengers or vessels, in the neighbourhood of every offshore installation a suitably equipped standby vessel, prepared to render immediate assistance in the event of an emergency on, in, at or about the said installation or involving persons working from the said installation.
Regulation 13(2) requires that a written risk assessment be made of the geographical limits within which the standby vessel may manoeuvre so as to operate safely and effectively and satisfy the provisions of Regulation 13(1). Regulation 13(4) requires that a copy of the risk assessment be made available to an inspector on request.
Health and Safety Authority inspectors carry out periodic inspections of offshore installations to ensure compliance with relevant occupational safety and health legislation. I am informed that the authority has not had occasion, to date, to seek a copy of the particular risk assessment in question.
