Relevant statutes:
Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion,
and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 [PFEER]
The Employer/Duty Holder shall perform, and thereafter repeat as often as may be appropriate, an assessment in relation to his installation. An assessment shall consist of:
a) the identification of the various events which could give rise to a major accident involving fire or explosion, the need for evacuation, escape or rescue to avoid or minimise a major accident
b) the evaluation of the likelihood and consequences of such
events;
c) the establishment of appropriate standards of performance
to be attained by anything provided by measures for ensuring effective evacuation,
escape, recovery and rescue otherwise protecting persons from a major accident
involving fire and explosion
d) the selection of appropriate measures
In summary the process of assessment should involve
identifying:
- fire,
explosion and major accident hazards with the potential to require
evacuation, escape of rescue
- the
likelihood and consequences
- the
measures required to meet legal requirements
- performance
standards for those measures
A Performance Standard is a statement of the performance
required of a
- system
or
- item
of equipment or
- person
or
- procedure
which is used as the basis for managing the hazard.
It is for the Duty Holder to decide what the performance standard should be, taking into account the circumstances of the particular installation.
The Duty Holder shall:
- record
the assessment each time it is performed
- keep the assessment at and address in Great Britain which has been notified to the HSE
The regulations do not specify how recording should be done. Duty Holders must decide on their approach which could be a stand alone document, a series of documents or as part of their safety case (in any case a summary has to be provided in the safety case).
Other general regulations which directly or indirectly
require generic or activity-specific risk assessments to be carried out
include:
The Control of Lead at Work Regulations.
The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
The Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985.
The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (as
amended).
The Noise at Work Regulations 1989.
The Construction (Head Protection) Regulations 1989.
The Environment Protection Regulations 1990.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1992.
The MHSAW (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (relating to new or
expectant mothers).
The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations
1992.
The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
The Personal Protective Equipment Regulations 1992.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
1994.
The Health and Safety (Young Persons) Regulations 1997.
The Fire Precautions Workplace Regulations 1997.
The Abrasive Wheel Regulations 1970
Recommended Further Reading:
ACoP to Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
L 21 HSE Books ISBN 0 7176 0412 8
A Guide to the safety case regulations L30 HSE Books ISBN)
11882055 9
Successful health and safety management HS(G) 65 HSE Books
ISBN 0 7176 0425 X