SAFETY CASES AS APPLIED TO MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS

摘要

All companies operating offshore installations in the UK sector of the North Sea are required to submit a Safety Case, for each structure, to the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Indeed, for all present installations, the safety case had to be submitted by November 1993. While many operators originally thought that their HSE based regulatory obligations would stop with the submittal of their safety case, although, of course, they realized that the safety case would need occasional maintenance and updating, it has now become apparent other documents will have to be prepared. In September 1993 the HSE issued a draft set of regulations on Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response (PFEER). Once all relevant comments are considered, they are likely to be enacted sometime around August 1994. Some of the similarities and differences between the two sets of regulations (safety case and PFEER) are discussed in the following sections.