S.I. No. 15/1991:

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE (OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS) (LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES) REGULATIONS, 1991.

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE (OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS) (LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES) REGULATIONS, 1991.

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

Regulation

1. Citation and commencement.

2. Interpretation.

3. Application.

4. Survival craft and life rafts.

5. Life-saving appliances.

6. Survival suits.

7. Life buoys.

8. Life jackets.

9. Other personal emergency equipment.

10. Means of escape.

11. Alarm and public address systems.

12. Emergency position indicator.

13. Life-saving appliance plans.

14. Examination of life-saving appliances.

15. Access to Regulations.

16. Duties.

17. Translation of plans etc.

FIRST SCHEDULE

Survival craft and life rafts.

SECOND SCHEDULE

Life buoys.

S.I. No. 15 of 1991.

SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE (OFFSHORE INSTALLATIONS) (LIFE-SAVING APPLIANCES) REGULATIONS, 1991.

I, BERTIE AHERN, T.D., Minister for Labour, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 5 , 10 , 16 , 18 and 22 of the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) Act, 1987 (No. 18 of 1987), and the Schedule to that Act, after consultation with the Minister for Energy and after consultation with the Minister for Health and the Minister for the Environment insofar as these Regulations relate to the health of persons and to fire safety measures respectively and with the concurrence of the Minister for Communications, the Minister for the Marine and the Minister for Tourism and Transport insofar as these Regulations relate to hovercraft, helicopters or other aircraft, vessels, radio facilities or radio services or to rescue facilities, hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) (Life-Saving Appliances) Regulations, 1991.

(2) These Regulations, other than Regulation 4, shall come into operation on the 1st day of May, 1991.

(3) Regulation 4 of these Regulations shall come into operation:

( a ) on the 1st day of May, 1991, in respect of an offshore installation commissioned or recommissioned (following repair, alteration or refurbishment) on or after the 1st day of May, 1991; and

( b ) on the 1st day of January, 1993, in respect of all other offshore installations.

2. In these Regulations:

"the Act of 1987" means the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) Act, 1987 (No. 18 of 1987), as adapted by the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 (No. 7 of 1989);

"approved languages" in relation to any information to be posted and displayed or any inscription means such language or languages or character or characters as are required to enable the information to be understood by all persons who may have need to refer to it;

"the Authority" means the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health established pursuant to the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 (No. 7 of 1989);

"emergency station" has the meaning assigned to it by Regulation 2 of the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) (Emergency Procedures) Regulations, 1991 ( S.I. No. 14 of 1991 );

"life-saving appliance" means any equipment, including survival craft and life rafts, required to be provided pursuant to these Regulations;

"maintained" means, except where the context otherwise requires, maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair;

"survival craft" means a vessel that is totally enclosed, suitably propelled, and designed and constructed so as to permit the safe carrying of its full complement of persons through conditions of fire on water for a distance of at least one nautical mile in a radial direction from the offshore installation from which the vessel is launched;

"survival suit" has the meaning assigned to it by Regulation 6 of these Regulations.

3. These Regulations shall apply to offshore installations, on which persons are employed or on or from which persons work, in waters to which the Act of 1987 applies, which are maintained, or intended to be established, for the exploration for or exploitation of minerals under the sea bed and shall include any installation providing accommodation for persons who are employed on or who work on or from any such offshore installation so engaged in exploration for or exploitation of minerals.

4. (1) There shall be provided and maintained at all times on every offshore installation at least:

( a ) two survival craft which shall have sufficient capacity in the aggregate to accommodate safely on board twice the number of persons on the offshore installation at any time; and

( b ) such number of inflatable life rafts which shall have sufficient capacity in the aggregate to accommodate safely on board the total number of persons on the said installation at any time.

(2) The survival craft referred to in paragraph (1) of this Regulation shall satisfy either:

( a ) the conditions regarding survival craft laid down in the First Schedule to these Regulations; or

( b ) the Code for the Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, 1989, of the International Maritime Organisation (as amended or replaced from time to time, whether before or after the commencement of these Regulations).

(3) A written hazard identification and a written analysis of risk to be known and in this Regulation referred to as a "risk assessment" shall be made of the launch area in the vicinity of each survival craft and any related emergency station.

(4) The launch area in the vicinity of each survival craft and any related emergency station shall be protected from the effects of radiant heat, smoke and explosion, in accordance with the requirements of the said hazard identification and risk assessment.

(5) A copy of the hazard identification and risk assessment shall be made available to an inspector on his request.

(6) Where maintenance or repair of a survival craft is to be undertaken which will affect the availability of the craft for use, suitable arrangements shall be made to ensure that the consequential risk to persons on the offshore installation is minimal.

(7) A replacement survival craft shall be provided in any case where either:

( a ) the period, during which the survival craft is not available, is other than short-term; or

( b ) the consequential risk to persons on the said installation is more than minimal.

(8) The provisions of subparagraph (b) of paragraph (2) of this Regulation shall apply notwithstanding the non-application of the Code for the Construction and Equipment of Mobile Offshore Drilling Units, 1989, of the International Maritime Organisation (as amended or replaced from time to time, whether before or after the commencement of these Regulations) to certain offshore drilling units the keels of which are laid or are at a similar stage of construction on or after the 1st day of May, 1991.

(9) Notwithstanding paragraph (8) of this Regulation, the requirements of subparagraph (b) of paragraph (2) of this Regulation shall be deemed to be satisfied in respect of survival craft in use on an offshore installation on the 1st day of May, 1991, provided that such action is taken with a view to securing, so far as is reasonably practicable and as soon as possible, substantial compliance with the said requirements.

(10) When a survival craft referred to in paragraph (9) of this Regulation is being replaced, the replacement craft shall satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2) of this Regulation.

(11) The life rafts referred to in paragraph (1) of this Regulation shall satisfy the conditions regarding life rafts laid down in the First Schedule to these Regulations.

5. All life-saving appliances on an offshore installation shall be:

( a ) easily accessible to persons on the said installation;

( b ) readily available for immediate use; and

( c ) housed securely so as to protect them from damage.

6. (1) There shall be provided and maintained on every offshore installation survival suits so that one such suit at least shall be readily available at all times for each person on the said installation provided that during normal operations the number of such suits available at any time shall not be less than 1.5 times the number of persons on the said installation.

(2) A survival suit shall be provided for and worn by each person while travelling to or from an offshore installation in a helicopter.

(3) Each survival suit when not in use shall be stowed on the offshore installation in a place where it is protected from damage and which is clearly indicated as a survival suit repository.

(4) Clear instructions in approved languages regarding the correct use of survival suits shall be provided to each person on the offshore installation either:

( a ) by the posting and display of such instructions at all times at each place which is a survival suit repository; or

( b ) by audio-visual methods which shall be kept available for reference by each person at all reasonable times.

(5) In these Regulations "survival suit" means a suit which:

( a ) in its design, construction and use protects the wearer at all times in relevant circumstances against--

(i) hypothermia, and

(ii) fire and heat radiation, insofar as, at minimum, it will not sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a period of two seconds; and

( b ) is of such colour so as to make it easily visible when in use.

7. (1) There shall be provided and maintained on every offshore installation life buoys which satisfy the conditions laid down in the Second Schedule to these Regulations, in such numbers and placed at such locations so as to ensure that at least one life buoy is readily accessible and easily visible from any part of a deck of the said installation from which a person is liable to fall into the water.

(2) Every person on an offshore installation shall be instructed in the correct procedure for the use of life buoys.

(3) A life buoy provided pursuant to this Regulation shall be:

( a ) manufactured so as to be fit for the purpose for which it is intended to be used; and

( b ) of such colour so as to make it easily visible when in use and so as to comply with the condition laid down in paragraph 3 of the Second Schedule to these Regulations.

8. (1) There shall be provided and maintained on every offshore installation at least as many life jackets as 1.5 times the number of persons on the said installation at any time.

(2) All sleeping accommodation on every offshore installation shall be equipped at all times with life jackets so as to provide for one life jacket being allocated to each bed or bunk.

(3) All life jackets within the sleeping accommodation shall be kept safe and ready for use either in suitable open racks or in a place which shall be clearly indicated as a life jacket repository.

(4) When not in use, life jackets other than those within the sleeping accommodation shall be:

( a ) stowed at all times in suitable locations on the offshore installation which said locations shall be--

(i) clearly indicated, and

(ii) adequately ventilated;

( b ) protected from the elements; and

( c ) so arranged in their stowage that they can be readily distributed in an emergency.

(5) At each location provided pursuant to paragraph (4) of this Regulation, there shall be posted and displayed in approved languages, at all times, clear instructions regarding the correct use of life jackets, and such instructions shall include a warning on the hazards of jumping into the water from a height when wearing a life jacket.

(6) Notwithstanding paragraph (5) of this Regulation, every person on an offshore installation shall be instructed in the correct procedure for wearing a life jacket.

(7) For the purpose of this Regulation, life jacket means a life jacket that complies with the requirements set out in Regulation 32 (1) of Chapter III of the Consolidated Text of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, the 1978 SOLAS Protocol and the 1981 and 1983 SOLAS Amendments (as amended or replaced from time to time, whether before or after the commencement of these Regulations).

9. (1) There shall be provided and maintained on every offshore installation:

( a ) torches;

( b ) pairs of fire resistant gloves; and

( c ) personal fire escape hoods to exclude smoke and provide protection for at least ten minutes during an emergency escape,

so that one of each at least will be readily available at all times for each person on the said installation provided that during normal operations the numbers of each such items available at any time shall not be less than 1.5 times the number of persons on the said installation.

(2) Each of the items of equipment referred to in paragraph (1) of this Regulation shall be located on the offshore installation in a place where it is protected from damage and which shall be clearly indicated as a repository for such items.

(3) Every person on an offshore installation shall be instructed in the correct procedure for the use of personal fire escape hoods.

10. (1) In addition to the other life-saving appliances provided pursuant to these Regulations, there shall be provided and maintained at all times on every offshore installation suitable and sufficient means of escape to enable all persons to descend safely from the said installation to the water in an emergency.

(2) Every means of escape provided pursuant to this Regulation which does not form part of an offshore installation shall be designed and constructed so as to be capable of withstanding wind and waves when in use and so that a person wearing a life jacket while using these means of escape shall be able to reach the water safely.

(3) Every escape route on an offshore installation shall be provided with:

( a ) adequate and reliable emergency lighting; and

( b ) photoluminescent direction signs indicating the escape route.

(4) There shall be provided and maintained on every offshore installation at all times suitable means for indicating to the persons on the said installation the positions thereon of the survival craft.

11. (1) There shall be provided and maintained at all times on every offshore installation:

( a ) a general alarm system which is--

(i) capable of raising the alarm by signals audible at every part of the offshore installation where there may be persons and aural communication is practicable, and

(ii) capable of providing a conspicuous visible warning in every part of the offshore installation where there may be persons and aural communication is not practicable; and

( b ) a public address system which is--

(i) capable of being heard distinctly in every part of the offshore installation where there may be persons and aural communication is practicable, and

(ii) capable of providing a conspicuous visible warning in every part of the offshore installation where there may be persons and aural communication is not practicable.

(2) Each of the systems, provided pursuant to subparagraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph (1) of this Regulation, shall have two sources of electrical power independent of one another.

(3) There shall be posted and displayed at or near each place from which any general alarm or public address system is operated clear instructions in approved languages for operating the said system.

(4) In addition to the systems provided pursuant to paragraph (1) of this Regulation, there shall be provided and maintained a system of communication, not reliant on the sources of electrical power pursuant to paragraph (2) of this Regulation, which shall comprise either:

( a ) a portable VHF radio system; or

( b ) an alternative system of communication which is at least as effective as the system described at subparagraph (a) of this paragraph.

12. There shall be provided and maintained at all times on every offshore installation one COSPAS-SARSAT emergency position-indicating radio beacon which shall transmit its signal on frequency 406 MHz.

13. (1) There shall be kept on every offshore installation a plan showing the location on the said installation of all life-saving appliances other than the life jackets allocated in the manner specified in paragraph (2) of Regulation 8 of these Regulations.

(2) Notices or extracts from the plan in approved languages shall be posted and displayed so as to enable persons in accommodation areas or work spaces on an offshore installation to readily ascertain the location of those life-saving appliances included in the plan provided pursuant to paragraph (1) of this Regulation.

14. (1) No person shall be present on any offshore installation unless the life-saving appliances provided and maintained on the said installation pursuant to these Regulations have been examined by a competent person during the previous twelve months and certified by him in writing to be in good working order and to be present on the said installation in sufficient numbers to:

( a ) comply with all relevant provisions of these Regulations; and

( b ) provide adequately for the safety of all persons on, or likely to be on, the said installation during the twelve months subsequent to the date of the examination.

(2) The written certificate of the competent person shall include the date of the examination and a copy of such certificate shall be kept on the offshore installation for inspection by an inspector or by any person on the said installation.

(3) If, in relation to this Regulation, the Authority is not satisfied as to the competence of the person employed to make any examination or as to the thoroughness of an examination, the Authority may require a re-examination to be made by a person nominated by it of any life-saving appliance involved and the installation manager, the concession owner and owner shall give the necessary facilities for such re-examination.

(4) If, as a result of any re-examination pursuant to paragraph (3) of this Regulation, it appears to the Authority that the report of the examination was inadequate or inaccurate in any material respect, the cost of the re-examination shall be recoverable from the concession owner or owner as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction and the report of the re-examination purporting to be signed by the person making it shall be admissible in evidence of the facts stated therein.

(5) A competent person shall not be employed to conduct an examination or a re-examination pursuant to paragraphs (1) or (3) respectively of this Regulation if he is the concession owner or owner or an employee of either of them.

15. A copy of these Regulations shall be kept on every offshore installation and it shall be available for inspection by all persons on the said installation.

16. It shall be the duty of the installation manager, the concession owner and the owner to secure compliance with the provisions of these Regulations.

17. Every life-saving appliance plan, certificate or other document provided to, or requested for inspection by, an inspector or the Authority shall be accompanied, except where provided or kept available in Irish or English, by a translation thereof into Irish or English.

Regulation 4

FIRST SCHEDULE

Survival Craft and Life Rafts

1. In the case of the survival craft provided pursuant to Regulation 4 of these Regulations:

( a ) the said survival craft shall be located in at least two widely separated locations on different sides or ends of the offshore installation; and

( b ) (i) where one survival craft is provided on any such side or end, the said survival craft shall have sufficient capacity to accomodate safely on board all persons on the said installation; or

(ii) where more than one survival craft is provided on any such side or end, the said survival craft shall have sufficient capacity in the aggregate to accommodate safely on board all persons on the said installation.

2. There shall be posted and displayed inside every survival craft clear instructions in approved languages for lowering the craft into the water, for disengaging the craft from its launching apparatus (if automatic release units are not provided) and for operating the craft.

3. Life rafts provided pursuant to Regulation 4 of these Regulations shall be suitably positioned on the offshore installation having regard to the number of persons likely to be present in different parts of the said installation. Every such life raft shall be capable of float free release and shall be provided with adequate means of disengagement from their launching apparatus (if automatic release units are not provided).

4. All apparatus for launching survival craft or life rafts shall be of such strength that each craft or raft can be safely lowered into the water when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment and so situated on the installation that the craft or raft can be lowered into the water without risk of obstruction.

5. There shall be posted and displayed at or near all apparatus for launching a survival craft or life raft clear instructions in approved languages for operating the apparatus.

6. Every survival craft provided pursuant to Regulation 4 of these Regulations shall be clearly and permanently marked with the name or other designation of the offshore installation.

7. Every life raft provided pursuant to Regulation 4 of these Regulations shall incorporate in its release mechanism a suitable device which will inflate the raft automatically prior to launching.

8. Every survival craft provided pursuant to Regulation 4 of these Regulations shall be equipped with a radio of a type approved of for the time being by the Minister for Communications.

9. Every survival craft provided pursuant to Regulation 4 of these Regulations shall be equipped with a set of tools and spare parts for repairing and maintaining the engine of the craft.

10. Every set of tools and spare parts provided pursuant to paragraph 9 of this Schedule shall be in the charge of a person selected for that purpose by the installation manager and shall be kept in a secure container of substantial construction bearing, on the outside in clear and permanent capital letters, the inscription "ENGINE REPAIR KIT -- FOR USE ONLY IN THE REPAIR OF SURVIVAL CRAFT ENGINES" in approved languages.

11. Every survival craft and life raft shall:

( a ) be of such colour as will make it easily visible when in use;

( b ) be constructed of such materials so as to render it suitable for use in connection with an offshore installation of the kind to which these Regulations apply;

( c ) be provided with a test certificate issued by the manufacturer concerned giving the date of manufacture and where manufactured together with its specifications of construction;

( d ) be provided with audio and visual aids for search, rescue and navigation; and

( e ) be provided with suitable sea anchors to prevent excessive drift having safely cleared the area of danger.

12. Every survival craft provided pursuant to Regulation 4 of these Regulations shall:

( a ) be of proven design;

( b ) be designed for quick and controlled launching with complete stability;

( c ) incorporate suitable means to ensure that it shall not be possible to release the craft from its falls until it is safe to do so: subject to provision being made for the release of a craft incapable of reaching the water in an emergency;

( d ) be provided with means that shall enable a person in the water to climb into the craft;

( e ) be fitted with a navigational compass;

( f ) be fitted with controls capable of being operated by the helmsman when in position at the helm;

( g ) be protected fully against fire, toxic or asphyxiating gases and exposure to the elements;

( h ) be capable of being operated by unskilled personnel;

( i ) have the facility for speedy embarkation, launch and release and a safe internal environment for personnel during embarkation and when waterborne;

( j ) be constructed with such inherent means of buoyancy as shall render the craft unsinkable under full load conditions and with the craft flooded internally;

( k ) be self-righting;

( l ) have all decks and walkways fitted with a non-skid surface;

( m ) be protected by a heavy fender around the periphery of the craft's hull at deck level;

( n ) (i) be designed so as to ensure that the craft does not spin during descent, and

(ii) be designed so as to ensure that the craft enters the water facing away from the installation, so that when launched even in dense smoke, the helmsman knows which direction to steer;

( o ) have unobstructed gangways throughout the length of the craft;

( p ) be fitted with a central top hatch to facilitate helicopter rescue from within the craft;

( q ) be fitted with suitable safety seat belts on each seat in the craft;

( r ) be fitted with a built-in life-support system which--

(i) is capable of allowing a survival craft with its full complement of persons to pass through a fire on the water in the "closed down" position,

(ii) includes an internal compressed fresh air supply which is comprised of two suitable cylinders charged to sufficient pressure to ensure maintenance of life and all related mechanical support systems, and each of the two cylinders shall have fitted--

(A) at its outlet, a pressure reducing control valve, capable of delivering fresh air at the optimum pressure to the various systems,

(B) a correct pressure gauge, with the maximum working pressure marked upon it so as to be plainly visible,

(C) a suitable safety valve so adjusted as to permit the air to escape as soon as the maximum working pressure is exceeded,

(D) a suitable device for draining the cylinder, and

(E) a suitable recharging point, and

(iii) has fitted an alarm system capable of giving immediate warning of a pressure leak in the compressed fresh air supply system;

( s ) have an effective cooling system which shall incorporate in its operation watershed cooling of the hull, having its associated pipework protected within the hull structure and the resultant waterspray shall shield the whole craft, by the inclination of suitable direct-acting nozzles which shall be designed and constructed so that they cannot block up, or by such other means as may be required to achieve the same cooling effects;

( t ) have at least a speed of six nautical miles per hour (6 knots) and be capable of sustaining this speed for a distance of one nautical mile with adequate fuel capacity to allow the craft to cruise for twenty-four hours with the hatches open, if required, and during this time give adequate protection against the prevailing weather conditions;

( u ) have its engine fitted with a closed circuit fresh water cooling system or other means which shall allow the engine to be started before launch of the craft commences;

( v ) be fitted with suitable internal lighting and a suitable external side lighting system, which shall be suitably protected;

( w ) be fitted with a suitable means of sounding an external alarm upon launching or in a seaway while under way;

( x ) be fitted with--

(i) a supply of potable water,

(ii) emergency rations, and

(iii) a first aid kit,

which shall in each case be adequate and sufficient for the personnel liable to be carried;

( y ) be certified by a competent person accepted for that purpose from time to time by the Authority;

( z ) be fitted with a propulsion unit equipped with mechanical starting facilities and also with a manual starting device;

(aa) be fitted with a stand-by tiller steering device or system;

(bb) be provided with an alternative suitable manual means of making way;

(cc) have a suitable means to enable the helmsman, while at the controls, to release the winch lifting hooks;

(dd) have a lowering speed rated to ensure a suitable and safe descent;

( ee) be provided with automatic means to close ventilators or other openings in the canopy in the event of capsizing and manual means to alter their positions if necessary;

( ff) be provided with two independent means of discharging overboard sea water or other liquids from the bilges, one of such means to be mechanically operated;

( gg) have its propulsion unit exhaust system fitted with a suitable spark arrestor;

( hh) have its sea water intakes so arranged as to prevent the intake of flammable liquid from the surface of the sea;

( ii) have provided internal means to close manually any drain valves attached to the hull;

( jj) have arrangements made to allow air to reach the propulsion unit in the event of the craft capsizing so as to prevent a vacuum forming within the craft;

(kk) have suitable means provided and maintained to extinguish fires should these occur within the confines of the craft and such means shall not, when used, cause injury or danger to persons, plant, procedures or processes within;

(ll) have suitable hand holds fitted at deck level to enable a person to move about in safety and have a life line becketed around the outside of the survival craft and so arranged that a person in the water shall not be injured by the propeller or rudder;

(mm) have its fuel and oil supplies arranged as to allow its engine to continue running during a capsize and also to minimise any fuel or oil spillage;

(nn) be so equipped as to ensure that its occupants are protected from hot objects, moving parts and loose material;

( oo ) have its propulsion unit fitted with a suitable fire resistant casing and a suitable drip tray fitted beneath;

(pp) be provided with one buoyant rescue quoit attached to not less than 30 metres of buoyant line, a light buoyant heaving line and suitable lowing facilities;

(qq) have provided and maintained at all times on board a waterproof electrical hand lamp suitable for signalling;

(rr) be capable of float free release; and

(ss) be provided with either--

(i) one manually activated emergency position-indicating radio beacon complying with the requirements set out in Regulation 14-1 of Chapter IV of the Consolidated Text of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, the 1978 SOLAS Protocol and the 1981 and 1983 SOLAS Amendments (as amended or replaced from time to time, whether before or after the commencement of these Regulations), or

(ii) one COSPAS-SARSAT emergency position-indicating radio beacon which shall transmit its signal on frequency 406 MHz.

Regulation 7

SECOND SCHEDULE

Life Buoys

1. Every life buoy shall be constructed of cork or other suitable material and shall be impervious to oil or its derivatives.

2. No metal fastenings shall be utilised in the manufacture of a life buoy.

3. Every life buoy shall be of a highly visible colour or colours easily seen from a spotter plane.

4. Every life buoy shall be fitted with grab lines made from good quality buoyant lines, suitably secured at four equidistant points on the periphery of the buoy providing four loops of line, each of which shall be of adequate length.

5. Every life buoy shall be constructed to withstand a drop test into the water without impairing either its operating capability or that of its attached components:

( a ) in the case of an offshore installation in its lightest sea-going condition such that the height at which the life buoy is located above the waterline is greater than 30 metres, from at least the height at which the life buoy is located;

( b ) in the case of an offshore installation where subparagraph (a) of this paragraph does not apply and where the height at which the life buoy is located above sea level is greater than 30 metres, from at least the height at which the life buoy is located; and

( c ) in any other case from a height of at least 30 metres.

6. Every life buoy shall have a suitable light of the electrical battery type or the sea activated cell type, attached to the buoy by means of a suitable line connected to the light at the level of the centre of flotation so as to prevent distortion of the signal in a seaway.

7. The life buoy light shall be capable of:

( a ) functioning automatically when dropped into the water;

( b ) burning constantly or flashing (discharge flashing) at a rate of not less than 50 flashes per minutes in either case--

(i) for a period of not less than 2 hours, and

(ii) with a luminosity of not less than 2 candelas in all directions of the upper hemisphere of the lamp;

( c ) withstanding a drop test into the water without impairing either its operating capability or that of its attached components--

(i) in the case of an offshore installation in its lightest sea-going condition such that the height at which the life buoy is located above the waterline is greater than 30 metres, from at least the height at which the life buoy is located,

(ii) in the case of an offshore installation where subparagraph (i) of this paragraph does not apply and where the height at which the life buoy is located above sea level is greater than 30 metres, from at least the height at which the life buoy is located, and

(iii) in any other case from a height of at least 30 metres;

( d ) withstanding an immersion test to 0.5 metres without adversely affecting the operation of the light; and

( e ) operating by electrical batteries of either the dry battery type or sea activated cell type and--

(i) the dry battery type shall be examined at regular intervals and details of such examinations shall be recorded by the installation manager in the installation logbook and the batteries shall be renewed at regular intervals and at least once after each year of service,

(ii) the sea activated cell type after unsealing and making contact with water shall be replaced by a new unit and details of these replacements shall be recorded by the installation manager in the installation logbook,

(iii) the lamps shall be tested at regular intervals by applying 1.5 to 3.0 volts from an external source across the terminals, and

(iv) lamps, batteries and seals shall be tested after a fall or similar incident and any consequential changes or replacements shall be recorded by the installation manager in the installation logbook.

8. Every life buoy shall be marked in clear and permanent capital letters with the name or other designation of the offshore installation.

9. Every life buoy shall be arranged so that it can be readily cast loose.

10. Every life buoy shall have attached to it a suitable recovery rope which shall be stowed in a position which is suitable to prevent damage to the rope and ensure its ease of use.

11. Every life buoy provided shall not sustain burning or continue melting after being totally enveloped in a fire for a period of two seconds.

GIVEN under my Official Seal this 29th day of January, 1991.

BERTIE AHERN,

Minister for Labour.

The Minister for Communications concurs in the making of these Regulations

GIVEN under my Official Seal this 22nd day of January, 1991.

RAY BURKE,

Minister for Communications.

The Minister for the Marine concurs in the making of these Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal this 24th day of January, 1991.

JOHN P. WILSON,

Minister for the Marine.

The Minister for Tourism and Transport concurs in the making of these Regulations.

GIVEN under my Official Seal this 28th day of January, 1991.

SEAMUS BRENNAN,

Minister for Tourism and Transport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations apply to specified offshore installations concerned with the exploration for, or exploitation of, minerals in waters to which the Safety, Health and Welfare (Offshore Installations) Act, 1987 applies. They specify the life-saving appliances which must be provided on such installations including survival craft, life rafts and survival suits, life buoys, life jackets and other personal emergency equipment. The Regulations prescribe, among other matters, for the provision on offshore installations of suitable and sufficient means of escape and general alarm, public address and communication systems.