The HSA has launched a public consultation on proposed new Quarries and Onshore/Offshore Drilling Regulations.
Quarries Regulations
The draft Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Quarries) Regulations are intended to revise the Quarries Regulations 2008 (as amended by the Quarries Amendment Regulations 2013), which they will when enacted replace. The HSA’s approach in developing the new regulations is to be welcomed. The draft regulations follow the format of the 2008 Regulations and the consolidate in one set of regulations the rules relating to quarrying.
The changes proposed in the draft Regulations provide for:
· Improved safeguards in relations to the use of explosives
· Quarry operators who have ceased operations for a temporary period to notify the Authority that operations have ceased thus relieving the operator of the requirement to comply with the regulations until recommencing operations
· Greater clarity in the definition of quarry and quarry operations.
The draft Regulations also reflect the changes consequent on the dissolution of FAS and the establishment of SOLAS and take account of changes in the Construction Regulations 2013. The Authority believes that the new Regulations will improve compliance and enforcement. As there are no major new requirements the Regulations are not seen as imposing any significant additional costs.
The draft Regulations can be downloaded by clicking on the following linkhttp://consultation.hsa.ie/general-applications/Quarries-Regulation2014/. As well as reading the draft Regulations, readers should also read the Regulatory Impact Assessment and the Case of Regulatory Intervention documents, which provide helpful information about the rationale for adopting the new Regulations and identify the proposed changes.
Onshore/Offshore Drilling Regulations
The HSA has launched a public consultation on the draft Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Onshore and Offshore Drilling) Regulations 2014 which are intended, when enacted, to:
· Facilitate the repeal of the Extractive Industries Regulations 1997
· Simplify and create a modern regulatory framework for the onshore and offshore drilling industries.
The Regulations will re-transpose the provisions of the EU ‘Directive on the Minimum Requirements for Improving Safety and Health Protection of Workers in the Mineral Extracting Industry through Drilling’ (Directive 92/91/EEC).
In the Regulatory Impact Assessment the Authority expresses the view that the proposed Regulations will be welcomed by the industry and will not create any new obligations or costs for employers.
The draft Regulations can be downloaded by clicking on the following linkhttp://consultation.hsa.ie/general-applications/Onshore-Offshore-Drilling-Regulation2014/. As well as reading the draft regulations, readers should also read the Regulatory Impact Assessment and the Case of Regulatory Intervention documents, which provide helpful information about the rationale for adopting the new Regulations and identify the proposed changes.
A set of three
The proposed Onshore/Offshore Drilling Regulations will the Authority says facilitate the repeal of the current Extractive Industries Regulations. In a briefing document, the ‘Case for Regulatory Intervention’ the Authority makes the point that the new Regulations will come into effect simultaneously with the proposed Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Mines) Regulations, which are currently being finalised with input from Parliamentary Counsel and the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. When the process is completed there will be three regulations – Quarries, Mines and Onshore/Offshore Drilling Regulations – governing the extractive industries and all falling within the framework of the SHWW Act 2005 and consistent with the General Application Regulations 2007.
Safety Alert
Following a recent fatal accident the HSA has issued a safety alert about Low Mounted Cranes. The warning emphasises the need for such cranes to be examined and certified by a competent person before being put into use for the first time at a place of work or if the crane is new that it is CE marked. The alert also draws attention to the need for a thorough examination by a competent person every 12 months. To read the alert click on the following linkhttp://www.hsa.ie/eng/Topics/Safety_Alerts/Lorry_Mounted_Crane_Alert.html
