Incident Report

Subject:                  UK Pipeline Safety Regulations Consultation Analysis

Date of Email report:   Thu 30/09/2010

Report Detail:

The HSE has completed its analysis of responses to the consultation on proposed amendments to the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996 and the Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations. This has been delayed due to the HSE having to review proposed regulatory measures to ensure they conformed to new approaches to regulation introduced by the Coalition Government. This has led to a number of changes to the proposed amendments, which are detailed in the analysis document. These amendments will be implemented, subject to Ministerial clearance, in April 2011 and not October 2010 as suggested in the consultation document. Annex 1 in the analysis document outlines areas where HSE is seeking further comments from stakeholders. The deadline for comments is 8 October 2010.

Additional Documentation:

This consultation ended on 1 March 2010 and the analysis of responses to the the consultation is now complete

This consultation seeks comments on the proposed amendments to the Pipeline Safety Regulations (PSR) – 1996 and outlines the amendments HSE intends to make to the Health and Safety (Fees) Regulations. 

The 1996 PSR Regulations provide for the management of pipeline safety and apply to all pipelines in Great Britain and to all pipelines in UK territorial waters and on the UK Continental Shelf.

The online questionnaire seeks your views on the proposed amendments to PSR which are listed below;

• the classification of gasoline and carbon dioxide as dangerous fluids under PSR;
• the introduction of an expiry date on notifications made under regulation 21;
• an amendment to regulation 23 which will cover the situation where a larger company is broken up which results in multiple ownership
• the introduction of a duty on the local authority to implement their emergency pipeline plan without delay – regulation 29;
• the introduction of a duty on the operator to notify the local authority and emergency services in the circumstances specified in regulation 29 – regulation 26.

This consultation also seeks your views on the impact assessments which set out the estimated costs and benefits of the proposed regulations.

HSE have also taken the opportunity whilst working on the proposed amendments to PSR to review both the Regulations generally and the underlying guidance in order to improve the clarity of the text and consequently provide duty holders with a better understanding of obligations proposed. HSE welcome any feedback on this review.

We have set out questions at the end of each section of the consultation document. To respond to our questions, please make use of the online questionnaire, or download a form to complete. Your views will be considered alongside those of other respondents to the consultation. While we will acknowledge all the responses that we receive, we do not intend to respond individually to each comment made. However, the collated comments and responses will be available for examination at the HSE Knowledge Centre in Bootle. We have followed the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultation.

Consultation on Amendments to the Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996 and the Health and Safety (Fees) Regulation