Pipelines Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Part I Introduction

Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Pipelines Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 12th May 1997.

Interpretation

2.  In these Regulations—

• “dangerous fluid” has the meaning given by regulation 18(2);

• “the Department” means the Department of Economic Development;

• “emergency shut-down valve” means a valve which is capable of adequately blocking the flow of fluid within the pipeline at the point at which it is incorporated;

• “fluid” includes a mixture of fluids;

• “major accident” means death or serious injury involving a dangerous fluid;

• “major accident hazard pipeline” has the meaning given by regulation 18(1);

• “operator”, in relation to a pipeline, means—

  (a)

  the person who is to have or (once fluid is conveyed) has control over the conveyance of fluid in the pipeline;

  (b)

  until that person is known (should there be a case where at a material time he is not yet known) the person who is to commission or (where commissioning has started) commissions the design and construction of the pipeline;

  (c)

  when a pipeline is no longer, or is not for the time being, used, the person last having control over the conveyance of fluid in it;

• “pipeline” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 3;

• “territorial waters” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995(1).

Meaning of “pipeline”

3.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, in these Regulations “pipeline” means a pipe or system of pipes (together with any apparatus and works, of a kind described in paragraph (2), associated with it) for the conveyance of any fluid, not being—

(a) a drain or sewer;

(b) a pipe or system of pipes constituting or comprised in apparatus for heating or cooling or for domestic purposes;

(c) a pipe (not being apparatus described in paragraph (2)(e)) which is used in the control or monitoring of any plant.

(2) The apparatus and works referred to in paragraph (1) are—

(a) any apparatus for inducing or facilitating the flow of any fluid through, or through a part of, the pipe or system;

(b) any apparatus for treating or cooling any fluid which is to flow through, or through a part of, the pipe or system;

(c) valves, valve chambers and similar works which are annexed to, or incorporated in the course of, the pipe or system;

(d) apparatus for supplying energy for the operation of any such apparatus or works as are mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) to (c);

(e) apparatus for the transmission of information for the operation of the pipe or system;

(f) apparatus for the cathodic protection of the pipe or system; and

(g) a structure used or to be used solely for the support of a part of the pipe or system.

(3) For the purpose of paragraph (2)(c) a valve, valve chamber or similar work shall be deemed to be annexed to, or incorporated in the course of, a pipe or system where it connects the pipe or system to plant, an offshore installation or a well.

(4) A pipeline for supplying gas to premises shall be deemed not to include anything downstream of an emergency control.

(5) In this regulation—

“emergency control” means a valve for shutting off the supply of gas in an emergency, being a valve intended for use by a consumer of gas;

“gas” has the same meaning as it has in Part III of the Gas (Northern Ireland) Order 1996(2).

Application

4.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), within territorial waters these Regulations shall apply to and in relation to pipelines and activities to which the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995 apply by virtue of regulation 4(1)(f) of those Regulations.

(2) These Regulations shall not apply to any pipeline or part of a pipeline of a kind which is described in Schedule 1.

(3) In the case of a pipeline to which the Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991(3) apply, nothing in these Regulations shall require the taking of any measures to the extent that they are for the prevention of danger within the meaning of those Regulations.

(1)

S.R. 1995 No. 340 to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations

(2)

S.I. 1996/275 (N.I. 2)

(3)

S.R. 1991 No. 471 to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations