Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Act 2015

Review and revision of safety cases

10. (1) The following is substituted for section 13N (inserted by the Act of 2010) of the Act of 1999:

“13N. (1) A safety case shall be regarded as a working document by which an operator, or owner, as the case may be, may demonstrate that the safety management system, or the safety and environmental management system with respect to designated petroleum activities carried out offshore, described in the safety case is being properly implemented and continues to be maintained.

(2) A safety case shall be reviewed—

(a) at least every 5 years,

(b) whenever such a review is necessary because of new facts or to take account of new technical knowledge about safety matters,

(c) whenever such a review is necessitated arising from—

(i) reports relating to audits (whether within the meaning of section 13M(7) or otherwise),

(ii) reports on safety performance and compliance,

(d) in circumstances where the operator, or the owner as the case may be, considers it appropriate to do so,

(e) where the Commission issues a notice in writing to an operator or owner requiring it to do so, or

(f) where a change is made to the safety management system, or the safety and environmental management system with respect to designated petroleum activities carried out offshore, which could significantly affect the ability of the operator or the owner, as the case may be, to comply with his or her duty to reduce the risk of major accident hazards to a level that is as low as is reasonably practicable,

and where in consequence of that review it is necessary to revise the safety case, the operator, or owner as the case may be, shall do so as soon as practicable and inform the Commission of the details of such revision.

(3) Where the revision of a safety case results in a material alteration of the safety case previously accepted by the Commission under section 13P the operator, or the owner as the case may be, shall submit the proposed revision to the Commission and any proposed revision shall not be made unless it has been accepted by the Commission in accordance with section 13P.

(4) A revised safety case shall be submitted to the Commission for the purposes of this section in accordance with such procedures as are specified by the Commission in the safety case guidelines.

(5) Where the Commission has revised the safety case guidelines under section 13L(4), it may specify a date by which the operator or owner must submit a revised safety case under this section for assessment by the Commission.”.