(1)In this Chapter “construction operations” means operations of any description specified in subsection (2) below, not being operations of any description specified in subsection (3) below; and references to construction operations shall be taken—
(a)except where the context otherwise requires, as including references to the work of individuals participating in the carrying out of such operations; and
(b)except in the case of offshore installations, as not including references to operations carried out or to be carried out otherwise than in the United Kingdom.
(2)The following operations are, subject to subsection (3) below, construction operations for the purposes of this Chapter—
(a)construction, alteration, repair, extension, demolition or dismantling of buildings or structures (whether permanent or not), including offshore installations;
(b)construction, alteration, repair, extension or demolition of any works forming, or to form, part of the land, including (without prejudice to the foregoing) walls, roadworks, power-lines, telecommunication apparatus, aircraft runways, docks and harbours, railways, inland waterways, pipe-lines, reservoirs, water-mains, wells, sewers, industrial plant and installations for purposes of land drainage, coast protection or defence;
(c)installation in any building or structure of systems of heating, lighting, air-conditioning, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water supply or fire protection;
(d)internal cleaning of buildings and structures, so far as carried out in the course of their construction, alteration, repair, extension or restoration;
(e)operations which form an integral part of, or are preparatory to, or are for rendering complete, such operations as are previously described in this subsection, including site clearance, earth-moving, excavation, tunnelling and boring, laying of foundations, erection of scaffolding, site restoration, landscaping and the provision of roadways and other access works;
(f)painting or decorating the internal or external surfaces of any building or structure.
(3)The following operations are not construction operations for the purposes of this Chapter—
(a)drilling for, or extraction of, oil or natural gas;
(b)extraction (whether by underground or surface working) of minerals; tunnelling or boring, or construction of underground works, for this purpose;
(c)manufacture of building or engineering components or equipment, materials, plant or machinery, or delivery of any of these things to site;
(d)manufacture of components for systems of heating, lighting, air-conditioning, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water supply or fire protection, or delivery of any of these things to site;
(e)the professional work of architects or surveyors, or of consultants in building, engineering, interior or exterior decoration or in the laying-out of landscape;
(f)the making, installation and repair of artistic works, being sculptures, murals and other works which are wholly artistic in nature;
(g)signwriting and erecting, installing and repairing signboards and advertisements;
(h)the installation of seating, blinds and shutters;
(j)the installation of security systems, including burglar alarms, closed circuit television and public address systems.
(4)In this section “offshore installations” means installations which are maintained, or are intended to be established, for underwater exploitation or exploration to which the [1971 c. 61.] Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971 applies.
(5)The Treasury may by order—
(a)include in subsection (2) above any description of operations as to which they are satisfied that it is a normal activity of the construction industry and that its inclusion in that subsection is necessary for achieving the object of section 559;
(b)include in subsection (3) above any description of operations as to which they are satisfied that it cannot properly be considered a normal activity of the construction industry and ought to be excluded from subsection (2) above.
(6)An order under subsection (5) above shall not have effect unless a draft of the instrument containing it has been laid before and approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.