Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Offshore installations

2.—(1) Any offshore installation and any activity on it.

(2) Any activity, including diving operations, in connection with an offshore installation, or any activity which is immediately preparatory thereto, whether carried on from the installation itself, on or from a vessel or in any other manner, other than—

(a) transporting, towing or navigating the installation; and

(b) any activity on or from a vessel being used as a stand-by vessel.

(3) Diving operations involving the survey and preparation of the sea bed for an offshore installation.

(4) Subject to sub-paragraph (5), in this Schedule “offshore installation” means a structure which is, or is to be, or has been, used while standing or stationed in water, or on the foreshore or other land intermittently covered with water—

(a) for the exploitation, or exploration with a view to exploitation, of mineral resources by means of a well;

(b) for the storage of gas in or under the shore or bed of any water or the recovery of gas so stored;

(c) for the conveyance of things by means of a pipe; or

(d) mainly for the provision of accommodation for persons who work on or from a structure falling within any of the provisions of this sub-paragraph,

and which is not an excepted structure.

(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (4), the excepted structures are—

(a) a structure which is connected with dry land by a permanent structure providing access at all times and for all purposes;

(b) a well;

(c) a structure which has ceased to be used for any of the purposes specified in sub-paragraph (4) and has since been used for a purpose not so specified;

(d) a mobile structure which has been taken out of use and is not for the time being intended to be used for any of the purposes specified in sub-paragraph (4); and

(e) any part of a pipeline.