Health and safety at work 8

United Kingdom

Hazardous Installations

11.1 A new Hazardous Installations Directorate is to be formed from the amalgamation of the Chemical and Hazardous Installations Division, Offshore Safety Division and HM Mines Inspectorate. The new Directorate is to be created to regulate health and safety in the following industry sectors: mines; onshore and offshore gas and oil installations; onshore major hazard installations; explosives manufacture and storage; chemical manufacture and storage; high and medium pressure gas transmission; transport of dangerous chemicals by road and pipelines. It is hoped that the integration of the three divisions will improve the overall efficiency and enable the HSE to maintain greater control over the risks in high hazard industries. The Directorate will have 590 staff. (HSE News Release, 29 November 1999)

Mines

11.2 A new Approved Code of Practice has been published by the HSE giving guidance on compliance with the new Mines (Control of Ground Movement) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No. 2463). The Regulations came into force on 1 December 1999 and apply to all mines, requiring managers to ensure the assessment, design and implementation of ground control measures appropriate to their mines. The Code is supported by guidance on good practice covering essential issues such as, assessing ground conditions, assessing adequacy of ground control measures, installing and withdrawing support materials, falls of roof or sides and support systems standards. As an Approved Code of Practice, if a party is prosecuted for a breach of health & safety law and it is proved they did not follow the relevant provisions of the Code, they will need to show that they complied with the law in some other way or a court will find them at fault. (HSE News Release, 19 November 1999)

Merchant Shipping

11.3 The Fishing Vessels (EC Directive on Harmonised Safety Regime) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No. 2998) came into force on 1 December 1999, implementing part of Council Directive 97/70/EC. The Regulations provide a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of more than 24 metres in length. The Regulations primarily affect new (post 1 January 1999) fishing vessels. Non-UK fishing vessels are now subject to control in certain circumstances and in any case where a fishing vessel does not comply with the Regulations, it shall be liable to be detained. (SO, November 1999)

Ionising Radiation

11.4 The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (SI 1999 No. 3262) came into force on 1 January 2000, implementing most of the revised EU Directive on basic safety standards (964/294/Euratom) and replacing the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 (SI 1985 No 1333). The Regulations include a new requirement for employers to be authorised before they use accelerators or X-ray sets for certain specified purposes, revised dose limits, a requirement for employers to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment before they start work activities with ionising radiation and the introduction of HSE criteria of competence for individuals or organisations wishing to act as radiation protection advisors. The requirement for prior authorisation comes into effect on 13 May 2000. Radiation protection advisors who were formally appointed by an employer under the old Regulations will be deemed to meet the criteria of core competence until the end of 2004. (SO, December 1999)