The Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995

Application of the Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969

21.—(1) The 1969 Act shall apply to employers of relevant employees employed for work on or from offshore installations, or on or from associated structures in the course of activities undertaken on or in connection with such installations, subject to such modifications and extensions as are hereafter in this regulation prescribed.

(2) In section 1 of the 1969 Act applied as aforesaid—

(a) in subsection (1) the words “carrying on any business in Great Britain” shall be omitted and, for the words from “his employees” to the end of the subsection, there shall be substituted the words “those of his relevant employees who are employed by him for work on or from an offshore installation, or on or from an associated structure in the course of an activity undertaken on or in connection with an offshore installation, and arising out of and in the course of their employment for that work”; and

(b) at the end of paragraph (d) of subsection (3) there shall be added the following paragraph—

“(e) any expression to which a meaning is given by the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995, and to which a meaning is not given by this Act, shall have the same meaning in this Act.”

(3) Section 2(2)(b) of the 1969 Act applied as aforesaid shall have no effect.

(4) In section 4(2)(a) of the 1969 Act applied as aforesaid, after the word “insurance” there shall be inserted the words “or make arrangements to secure the maintenance of such copies on offshore installations or associated structures”.

(5) After section 5 of the 1969 Act applied as aforesaid there shall be inserted the following sections—

“Liability of owners of offshore installations

5A.— (1) In respect of any offshore installation, it shall be the duty of the owner of the installation to ensure that requirements imposed by or under this Act are complied with and where, in respect of that installation—

(a) any employer is on any day not insured in accordance with this Act, the owner of the installation shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale; or

(b) any person fails to comply with a requirement imposed by or under section 4 of this Act, the owner of the installation shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale.

(2) In proceedings against the owner of an installation for an offence under this section it shall be a defence for the accused to prove—

(a) that he has used all due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence; and

(b) that any relevant contravention was committed without his consent, connivance or wilful default.

(3) Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 shall apply in relation to an offence under this section as if it were an offence under that Act.

(4) In proceedings for an offence under this section an averment in any process of the fact that anything was done or situated within relevant waters shall, until the contrary is proved, be sufficient evidence of that fact as stated in the averment.

(5) Proceedings for any offence under this section may be taken, and the offence may for all incidental purposes be treated as having been committed, in any place in Great Britain.

(6) References in this section to “the owner”, in relation to an offshore installation, are to the person who controls the operation of the installation.

5B.   No proceedings shall be instituted in England and Wales for any offence under this Act in respect of an offshore installation except by the Secretary of State or by a person authorised in that behalf by the Secretary of State.”