Structural integrity

HSE guidance and Technical Standards

HSE guidance

Technical policies

• Technical policy relating to foundations and geotechnics for offshore installations in the UKCS

• Technical policy relating to extreme weather hazards

• Technical policy relating to behaviour under explosion hazards

• Technical policy relating to seismic event hazards

• Technical policy relating to structural response to ship impact

• Technical policy relating to structural integrity management (fixed structures)

• Technical policy on safety case assessment relating to structural integrity

• Technical policy relating to structural degradation and deterioration (including aspects of ageing

Operations Notices

ON27 Status of technical guidance on design, construction and certification

This notice provides information on:

• the status of technical guidance originally published by the Department of Energy in support of regulations which have since been revoked;
• information on sources of new international standards;
• other relevant technical information associated with design, construction and operation of offshore installations; and
• a brief historical note on the original technical guidance

ON34 Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999: Notification of offshore radiography work

This notice describes the notification requirements and how they can be complied with for offshore radiography work.

ON37 Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc) Regulations 1996 Arrangements for reporting danger to an installation

This notice explains the arrangements for reporting danger to an installation as required by the Regulations.

ON67 Offshore helideck design guidelines

This notice introduced additional information on the design of offshore helidecks, further to the guidance already published as Offshore helideck design guidelines.

ON78 CAP 437 6th Edition: Offshore helicopter landing areas – Guidance on standards

This notice advises that the 6th edition of the guidelines has been published and includes a summary of the main changes.

Offshore Information Sheets

Offshore information sheets provide good practice guidance on a range of technical issues.

2/2006 Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005 Regulation 12 demonstrating compliance with the relevant statutory provisions

This sheet explains the key change in the Regulations with respect to the ALARP demonstration, and provides advice to duty holders on how this change should be addressed in their safety cases.

3/2006 Guidance on risk assessment for offshore installations

This sheet provides on suitable and sufficient risk assessment, particularly in the context of the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005.

4/2006 Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005 Regulation 13 Thorough review of a safety case

The sheet summarise the requirements of regulation 13 of the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005, explains HSE’s views on the extent of a thorough review; and explains how HSE will consider the review and how HSE will use it.

4/2007 Jack-up (self-elevating) installations: rack phase difference

This sheet draws industry's attention to previous findings on rack phase difference (RPD) in truss legs of jack up (self-elevating) installations.

5/2007 Ageing semi-submersible installations

This sheet deals with the ageing processes that affect the structure of semi-submersible installations. Some of these processes will also apply to marine systems, although such systems may be replaced several times within the life of the structure.

12/2007 Advice on acceptable criteria for damaged passive fire protection (PFP) coatings

This sheet provides guidance on better practice in understanding how typical anomalies in PFP coatings affect fire resistance performance.

1/2008 The role of an offshore Metocean Advisor

This sheet deals with meteorological and oceanographical matters (usually shortened to metocean) concerning offshore installations and operations. It gives one example of good practice, by the setting up of an appropriately informed role referred to in this guidance as a ‘Metocean Advisor’.

3/2008 Jack-up (self-elevating) installations: review and location approval using desk-top risk assessments in lieu of undertaking site soils borings

This sheet provides guidance on when a desk-top risk assessment may be undertaken in lieu of a detailed geotechnical site investigation. It also details the requirements for such an assessment.

4/2008 The risk posed by exposure to inerting gases in the open air

This sheet provides guidance on the risks associated with inerting gas, even in open and apparently well ventilated spaces.

9/2008 Modelling of pool fires in offshore hazard assessments

This sheet provides guidance on modelling of pool fires hazards on steel decking. Initial experimental work has indicated that pool fires not contained by a bund are liable to cause severe deck plate buckling and possible weld shear.

4/2009 Guidance on management of ageing and thorough reviews of ageing installations

This sheet provides guidance on taking account of ageing of the installation during thorough review, which is required by the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005.

Other

Guidance for the topic assessment of the major accident hazard of safety cases (GASCET)

Framework of topic assessment principles and guidance in respect of the assessment of the major accident hazard aspects of offshore safety cases and is intended primarily to assist HSE's topic assessors in undertaking assessment activities. Sections 1 and 3 are particularly relevant for structural integrity.

ALARP

This guidance sets out in plain terms what HSE believes the law requires of those who are under a duty to reduce risks as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP).

Successful health and safety management (HSG65)

Successful health and safety management was prepared by HSE as a practical guide for directors, managers, health and safety professionals and employee representatives who want to improve health and safety in their organisation.

Its simple message is that organisations need to manage health and safety with the same degree of expertise and to the same standards as other core business activities, if they are to effectively control risks and prevent harm to people.

This book describes the principles and management practices which provide the basis of effective health and safety management. It sets out the issues which need to be addressed, and can be used for developing improvement programmes, self-audit or self-assessment.

Rev 3 August 2005.

Standards

International Standards Organization (ISO)

2394 - General Principles on Reliability for Structures, 1996

13822 – Basis for design of structures – Assessment of existing structures

19900 - Petroleum & Natural Gas Industries – General Requirements for Offshore Structures, BS EN ISO19900:2002.

19901-1 Metocean

19901-2 Seismic:

19901-3 Topsides structure

19901-4 Geotechnical and foundation design considerations

19901-5 Weight Engineering

19901-6 Marine operations

19901-7 Station keeping systems for floating offshore structures and mobile offshore units

19901- 8 Marine Soil Investigations

19902 Fixed steel structures

19903 Fixed concrete structures

19904-1 Floating offshore structures

19905-1 Mobile Offshore Drilling Units

19905-2 Floating Structures

19905-3 Mobile Offshore Units – Floaters