Mechanical engineering

The OSD Mechanical Engineering team (OSD3.4) has responsibility for:

Integrity issues are considered throughout the whole life cycle of the plant including design, procurement, installation, operation, inspection, major repairs and modifications to plant, maintenance, and decommissioning. The team's work covers both major accident hazards and hazards giving rise to 'occupational' injuries.

Lifting operations

Crane operation is an inherent part of offshore oil and gas operations, lifting a multitude of supplies and materials to and from offshore facilities. Lifting and mechanical handling operations can pose a major accident hazard if a suspended load or crane boom falls on to processes piping. Injuries and dangerous occurrences arising from lifting operations account for about 20% of the total of those occurring offshore.

  • 'Single line components' in the hoisting and braking systems of offshore cranes[40] (Safety Notice 2/2005)
    This safety notice was published following a serious incident involving the uncontrolled lowering of a crane boom. This notice describes the incident and outlines the actions that should be taken, including undertaking a failure mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) study to identify safety critical parts of the crane.
  • The maintenance and thorough examination of braking systems on offshore cranes[41] (Safety Notice 1/2004). Reminds dutyholders of the requirement to ensure the continued integrity of crane braking systems by:
    • operating a maintenance system that will ensure all braking systems remain in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair
    • ensuring the thorough examination undertaken by a competent person is sufficient to ensure any deterioration in the braking system will be detected and remedied in good time.
  • Guidance on procedures for the transfer of personnel by carriers (Offshore Information Sheet 1/2007)
    This guidance has been withdrawn. The law has not changed and updated information can be found in the Step Change in Safety publication 'MARINE TRANSFER OF PERSONNEL' published in June 2016
  • The thorough examination and inspection of offshore cranes (PDF) [42] (Offshore Information Sheet 9/2007)
    Reminds dutyholders and the competent persons undertaking 'thorough examinations' and 'inspections', to include such measures as necessary to enable the individual integrity of the primary and secondary braking systems to be verified. This applies to all cranes, not just those which may be used for manriding operations.
  • Guidance on regulations and testing applicable to drawworks equipment (PDF) [43] (Offshore Information Sheet 14/2007)

Pressure systems integrity

Machinery and rotating equipment

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. 'Single line components' in the hoisting and braking systems of offshore craneshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/notices/sn_02_05.htm
  41. The maintenance and thorough examination of braking systems on offshore craneshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/notices/sn_01_04.htm
  42. The thorough examination and inspection of offshore craneshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/assets/docs/is9-2007.pdf
  43. Guidance on regulations and testing applicable to drawworks equipmenthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/assets/docs/is14-2007.pdf
  44. Hydrocarbon leak and fire caused by incorrect seal material used in the assembly of a pipework clamp connectorhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/clampconnector.htm
  45. Catastrophic failure of shell and tube production coolerhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/sa_01_06.htm
  46. Weldless repair of safety critical piping systemshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/notices/sn_04_05.htm
  47. Potential catastrophic failure of pressure-balanced cage-guided control valves and chokeshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/notices/sn_11_05.htm
  48. Guidelines for the avoidance of vibration induced fatigue in process pipeworkhttp://publishing.energyinst.org/topics/process-safety/risk-management/guidelines-for-the-avoidance-of-vibration-induced-fatigue-failure-in-process-pipework
  49. Guidelines for the management of the integrity of bolted joints in pressurised systemshttps://publishing.energyinst.org/topics/asset-integrity/guidelines-for-management-of-integrity-of-bolted-joints-in-pressurised-systems-3rd-edition
  50. RR076 Machinery and rotating equipment integrity inspection guidance noteshttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20241206190319/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr076.htm
  51. RR430 Offshore gas turbines (and major driven equipment) integrity and inspection guidance noteshttps://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20241206190319/https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr076.htm
  52. Offshore publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/publications.htm
  53. Research reportshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/researchreports.htm
  54. Offshore statisticshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/statistics/index.htm
  55. Diving micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/diving/index.htm
  56. Pipelines micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pipelines/index.htm
  57. Electricity micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/index.htm
  58. Carbon capture and storage micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/carboncapture/index.htm
  59. Regulating major hazards micrositehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/regulating-major-hazards/index.htm
  60. Safety bulletinhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/safetybulletins/index.htm
  61. HSE Publicationshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/index.htm
  62. Science and researchhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/research/index.htm
  63. Charging activitieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/charging/index.htm
  64. Health and safety statisticsfile:///J%7C/website/livelive/statistics/index.htm
  65. International Regulators Forumhttp://www.irfoffshoresafety.com/
  66. Institution of Occupational Safety and Healthhttp://www.iosh.co.uk/
Updated 2025-04-04