The principal contractor for any project shall appoint, as the compressed air contractor in respect of the work in compressed air included in that project, a contractor competent to execute or to supervise the execution of such work.

Nothing in paragraph (1) shall prevent the appointment of the principal contractor himself as the compressed air contractor provided he is competent to perform the relevant functions imposed by these Regulations.

In this regulation, “principal contractor” and “contractor” have the meaning assigned to them by regulation 2(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995.