Help us to improve the website - give your feedback.

Offshore health and safety law

Getting started

All workers have a right to work in places where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled. Health and safety is about stopping you getting hurt at work or ill through work. The operator or owner of any offshore installation you work on, including your employer, are responsible for your health and safety. However, you have responsibilities too.

  • Co-operate with the operator/owner of the installation, other employers and other people to ensure the health and safety of those on board the installation and others working in connection with it.
  • Carry out an assessment of risks that you are exposed to at work and implement control measures.
  • Provide you with any health and safety training you need during your working time, free of charge. If it is necessary to arrange training outside your normal hours, this should be treated as an extension of time at work.
  • Provide insurance that covers you in case you get hurt at work or become ill through work.

  • Co-operate with the offshore installation manager and others to ensure the health and safety of those on board the installation and those working in connection with it.
  • Follow the information, instruction and training you have received for working offshore and responding to an emergency should one occur.
  • Take reasonable care of your own and other people's health and safety.
  • Tell your employer, supervisor or safety representative if you think the work or inadequate precautions are putting anyone's health and safety at serious risk.

  • If you are worried about health and safety in your workplace, talk to your employer, supervisor or health and safety representative. If you are still dissatisfied, you should raise the matter directly with the offshore installation manager.
  • You can also look at our website for general information about health and safety at work and particular information about offshore safety.
  • If, after telling someone, you are still concerned, you can phone HSE's Energy Division (0300 0031647 between 8.30 and 17.00 Monday to Friday). You do not have to give your name. Outside office hours, in exceptional circumstances, you can phone 0151 922 9235.

Regulating the oil and gas industry

HSE is responsible for regulating the risks to health and safety arising from work activities in the offshore industry on the UK continental shelf. To do this, along with general health and safety law, HSE uses the following main legislation to regulate the oil and gas industry:

Name of Regulation / Act Year S.I. no. Guidance
Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/398) [40] 2015 398 L154[41]
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2013 (SI 2013/240) [42] 2013 240 Guidance on the application of health and safety law offshore  (PDF) [43]
Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3117) [44] 2005 3117 L30[45]
Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/2776) [46] 1997 2776 L103[47]
Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc) Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/913) [48] 1996 913 L84[49]
Pipelines Safety Regulations [50] 1996 825 L82  (PDF) [51]
Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/738) [52] 1995 738 L70[53]
Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/743) [54] 1995 743 L65[55]
Borehole Sites and Operations Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/2038) [56] 1995 2038 L72[57]
Offshore Safety (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/1823) [58] 1993 1823 No specific guidance available
Offshore Safety Act 1992 (c 15) [59] 1992 N/A No specific guidance available
Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/971) [60] 1989 971 L110[61]
Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First-Aid) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/1671) [62] 1989 1671 L123[63]

Link URLs in this page

  1. Offshore oil and gashttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/index.htm
  2. How we workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/how.htm
  3. Offshore health and safety lawhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/law.htm
  4. Workforce involvementhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/workinvolvement.htm
  5. Unconventional oil and gas exploration (shale gas)https://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/unconventional-gas.htm
  6. Overview - Offshore topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/topics.htm
  7. Accommodationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/accommodation.htm
  8. Ageinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/ageing/index.htm
  9. Corrosion and materialshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/corrosion-and-materials.htm
  10. Offshore divinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/diving.htm
  11. Electrical and control systemshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/controlsystems.htm
  12. Evacuation, escape and rescue (EER)https://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/eer.htm
  13. Fire, explosion and risk assessmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/assessment.htm
  14. Human factorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/humanfactors.htm
  15. International liaisonhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/liaison.htm
  16. Marine and aviationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/marineaviation.htm
  17. Maritime integrityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/maritimeintegrity.htm
  18. Mechanical engineeringhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/mechengineering.htm
  19. Occupational healthhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/occupationalhealth.htm
  20. Offshore pipelineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/pipelines.htm
  21. Process integrityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/processintegrity.htm
  22. Researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/offshoreresearch.htm
  23. Safety caseshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/safetycases.htm
  24. Safety management systemshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/managementsystems.htm
  25. Structural integrityhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/structuralintegrity.htm
  26. Verificationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/verification.htm
  27. Wellshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/wells.htm
  28. Working timehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/workingtime.htm
  29. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/resources.htm
  30. Overview - Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/publications.htm
  31. Operations noticeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/notices/index.htm
  32. Safety alerts and noticeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/notices/index.htm#safety-alerts
  33. Offshore information sheetshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/infosheets/index.htm
  34. Research reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/researchreports.htm
  35. Statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/statistics/index.htm
  36. Offshore charging informationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/charging.htm
  37. Key programme final reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/programmereports.htm
  38. Offshore Directivehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/directive.htm
  39. Subscribehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/ebulletin/index.htm
  40. Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/398) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/398/contents/made
  41. L154https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l154.htm
  42. Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Application outside Great Britain) Order 2013 (SI 2013/240) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/240/contents/made
  43. Guidance on the application of health and safety law offshore https://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/assets/docs/legislative-changes.pdf
  44. Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3117) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/3117/contents/made
  45. L30https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l30.htm
  46. Diving at Work Regulations 1997 (S.I. 1997/2776) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/2776/contents/made
  47. L103https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l103.htm
  48. Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc) Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/913) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/913/contents/made
  49. L84https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l84.htm
  50. Pipelines Safety Regulations http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/825/contents/made
  51. L82 https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l82.pdf
  52. Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (Management and Administration) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/738) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/738/contents/made
  53. L70https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l70.htm
  54. Offshore Installations (Prevention of Fire and Explosion, and Emergency Response) Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/743) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/743/contents/made
  55. L65https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l65.htm
  56. Borehole Sites and Operations Regulations 1995 (S.I. 1995/2038) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/2038/contents/made
  57. L72https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l72.htm
  58. Offshore Safety (Repeals and Modifications) Regulations 1993 (S.I. 1993/1823) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1993/1823/contents/made
  59. Offshore Safety Act 1992 (c 15) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/15/contents
  60. Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/971) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/971/contents/made
  61. L110https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l110.htm
  62. Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First-Aid) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/1671) http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1671/contents/made
  63. L123https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l123.htm
Updated 2024-09-03