The Ionising Radiations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

Regulation 39(1)

SCHEDULE 10 N.I. Premises and activities within the territorial sea or a designated area

Interpretation N.I.

1.—(1) In this Schedule—

“activity” includes a diving project and standing a vessel by;

“diving project” has the meaning assigned to it by regulation 2(1) of the Diving at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 M1 save that it includes an activity in which a person takes part as a diver wearing an atmospheric pressure suit and without breathing in air or other gas at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure;

“offshore installation” shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 2(2) and (3);

“supplementary unit” means a fixed or floating structure, other than a vessel, for providing energy, information or substances to an offshore installation;

“vessel” includes a hovercraft and any floating structure which is capable of being navigated.

(2) For the purposes of this Schedule, any structures and devices on top of a well shall be treated as forming part of the well.

(3) Any reference in this Schedule to premises and activities includes a reference to any person, article or substance on those premises or engaged in, or, as the case may be, used or for use in connection with any such activity, but does not include a reference to an aircraft which is airborne.

Marginal Citations

M1 S.R. 2005 No. 45, as amended by S.R. 2007 No. 247

Offshore installations N.I.

2.—(1) This paragraph shall apply within the territorial sea or a designated area to and in relation to—

(a) any offshore installation and any activity on it;

(b) any activity in connection with, or any activity immediately preparatory to an activity in connection with, an offshore installation, whether carried on from the installation itself, in or from a vessel or in any manner, other than an activity falling within sub-paragraph (4);

(c) a diving project involving—

(i) the survey and preparation of the sea bed for an offshore installation;

(ii) the survey and restoration of the sea bed consequent on the removal of an offshore installation.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), 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 undertaking activities falling within paragraph 6(2);

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

(d) for undertaking activities that involve mechanically entering the pressure containment boundary of a well; or

(e) primarily for the provision of accommodation for persons who work on or from a structure falling within any of the provisions of heads (a) to (d),

together with any supplementary unit which is ordinarily connected to it, and all the connections.

(3) Any reference in sub-paragraph (2) to a structure or supplementary unit does not include—

(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 mobile structure which has been taken out of use and is not yet being moved with a view to its being used for any of the purposes specified in sub-paragraph (2);

(d) any part of a pipeline; and

(e) a structure falling within paragraph 8(c).

(4) Subject to sub-paragraph (5), the following activities fall within this paragraph—

(a) transporting, towing or navigating an installation;

(b) any of the following activities carried on in or from a vessel—

(i) giving assistance in the event of an emergency;

(ii) training in relation to the giving of assistance in the event of an emergency;

(iii) testing equipment for use in giving assistance in the event of an emergency;

(iv) putting or maintaining a vessel on stand-by ready for an activity referred to in any of sub-heads (i) to (iii).

(5) Sub-paragraph (4)(b) does not apply in respect of a vessel in or from which an activity is carried on in connection with, or any activity that is immediately preparatory to an activity in connection with, an offshore installation other than an activity falling within sub-paragraph 4(b).

Wells N.I.

3.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), this paragraph applies within the territorial sea or a designated area to and in relation to—

(a) a well and any activity in connection with it; and

(b) an activity which is immediately preparatory to any activity in head (a).

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) includes keeping a vessel on station for the purpose of working on a well but otherwise does not include navigation or an activity connected with navigation.

Pipelines N.I.

4.—(1) This paragraph applies within the territorial sea or a designated area to and in relation to—

(a) any pipeline;

(b) any pipeline works;

(c) the following activities in connection with pipeline works—

(i) the loading, unloading, fuelling or provisioning of a vessel;

(ii) the loading, unloading, fuelling, repair and maintenance of an aircraft on a vessel,

being in either case a vessel which is engaged in pipeline works; or

(iii) the moving, supporting, laying or retrieving of anchors attached to a pipe-laying vessel including the supervision of those activities and giving of instruction in connection with them.

(2) In this paragraph—

“pipeline” means a pipe or system of pipes for the conveyance of any thing, together with—

(a)

any apparatus for inducing or facilitating the flow of any thing through, or through part of, the pipe or system;

(b)

any apparatus for treating or cooling any thing which is to flow through, or through 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 heads (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;

but not including a pipeline of which no initial or terminal point is situated in the United Kingdom, within the territorial sea adjacent to the United Kingdom, or within a designated area;

“pipeline works” means—

(h)

assembling or placing a pipeline or length of pipeline including the provision of internal or external protection for it;

(i)

inspecting, testing, maintaining, adjusting, repairing, altering or renewing a pipeline or length of pipeline;

(j)

changing the position of or dismantling or removing a pipeline or length of pipeline;

(k)

opening the bed of the sea for the purposes of the works mentioned in heads (a) to (c), and tunnelling or boring for those purposes;

(l)

any activities incidental to the activities described in heads (a) to (d);

(m)

a diving project in connection with any of the works mentioned in heads (a) to (e) or for the purpose of determining whether a place is suitable as part of the site of a proposed pipeline and the carrying out of surveying operations for settling the route of a proposed pipeline.

Mines N.I.

5.—(1) This paragraph applies to and in relation to a mine within the territorial sea, and any activity in connection with it, while it is being worked.

(2) In this paragraph “mine” has the same meaning as in the Mines Act (Northern Ireland) 1969 M2 .

Marginal Citations

M2 1969 c. 6 (N.I.)

Gas Importation and Storage N.I.

6.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), this paragraph applies within the territorial sea to and in relation to any activities connected with or immediately preparatory to the activities set out in sub-paragraph (2).

(2) The activities are—

(a) the unloading of gas to an installation or pipeline;

(b) the storage of gas, whether temporary or permanent, in or under the shore or bed of any water;

(c) the conversion of any natural feature for the purpose of storing gas, whether temporarily or permanently;

(d) the recovery of gas stored;

(e) exploration with a view to, or in connection with, the carrying on of activities within heads (a) to (d).

(3) Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply to an activity falling within sub-paragraph (2) if the provisions of this Schedule apply to or in relation to that activity by virtue of paragraph 2(1).

(4) In this paragraph—

“gas” means any substance which is gaseous at a temperature of 15°C and a pressure of 101.325 kPa (1013.25 mb); and

“installation” includes any floating structure or device maintained on a station by whatever means.

(5) For the purposes of sub-paragraphs (2) and (4), references to gas include any substance which consists wholly or mainly of gas.

Production of Energy from Water or Wind N.I.

7.—(1) This paragraph applies within the territorial sea to and in relation to any energy structure or activities connected with or preparatory to—

(a) the exploitation of those areas for the production of energy from water or wind,

(b) the exploration of such areas with a view to, or in connection with, the production of energy from water or wind, or

(c) the operation of a cable for transmitting electricity from an energy structure.

(2) In this paragraph “energy structure” means a fixed or floating structure or machine, other than a vessel, which is, or is to be, or has been, used for producing energy from water or wind.

Underground Coal Gasification N.I.

8.   This paragraph applies within the territorial sea or a designated area to and in relation to—

(a) underground coal gasification and any activity in connection with it;

(b) any activity which is immediately preparatory to any activity in sub-paragraph (a); and

(c) any fixed or floating structure which is, or is to be, or has been, used in connection with the carrying on of activities within sub-paragraphs (a) and (b).

Other activities N.I.

9.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), this paragraph applies within the territorial sea to and in relation to—

(a) the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, maintenance, cleaning, use, operation, demolition and dismantling of any building, or other structure, not being in any case a vessel, or any preparation for any such activity;

(b) the transfer of people or goods between a vessel or aircraft and a structure (including a building) mentioned in head (a);

(c) the loading, unloading, fuelling or provisioning of a vessel;

(d) a diving project;

(e) the laying, installation, inspection, maintenance, operation, recovery or repair of a cable;

(f) the construction, reconstruction, finishing, refitting, repair, maintenance, cleaning or breaking up of a vessel except when carried out by the master or any officer or member of the crew of that vessel;

(g) the maintaining on a station of a vessel which would be an offshore installation were it not a structure to which paragraph 2(3)(c) applies;

(h) the transfer of people or goods between a vessel or aircraft and a structure mentioned in head (g).

(2) This paragraph does not apply—

(a) to a case where paragraph 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 applies; or

(b) to vessels which are registered outside the United Kingdom and are on passage through the territorial sea.