HSE and major accident hazard (MAH) pipelines

We regulate health, safety and integrity issues for all natural gas and other applicable pipelines in Great Britain, in territorial waters and the UK continental shelf. This site concentrates on MAH pipelines.

Who we are

Responsibility for enforcing health and safety law for onshore and offshore MAH pipelines forms part of the role of the Specialised Industries Gas and Pipelines Unit in HSE’s Hazardous Industries Directorate (HID).

The unit and its pipeline inspectors achieve regulation and compliance through the enforcement of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the specific legislation listed below and other relevant health and safety regulations

Programme of work

• Major Hazard Safety Performance Indicators in the UK Onshore Gas and Pipelines Industries - Annual Report 2011/12
• Gas and pipelines sector strategy

View industry responses to the strategy:

• Response from the United Kingdom Onshore Pipeline Operators' Association
• Response from the Gas Transporters Operational Safety Group

Legislation

• Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996 PSR
• Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 GSMR
• Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 PSSR
• Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005
• Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999 COMAH
• The Control of Major Accident Hazards (Amendment) Regulations 2005

HSE Approved Codes of Practice and Guidance

• A guide to the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996
• A guide to the Gas Safety (Management) Regulations 1996 - ISBN 0 7176 1159 0
• Further guidance on emergency plans for MAH pipelines
• A guide to Regulation 13A of the Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996 (full text)
• Avoiding damage to underground services
• A guide to the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999

Further guidance

• Guidance on anchor hazards for pipeline operators
• Interim guidance on conveying CO₂ in connection with carbon capture, storage and sequestration projects
• Additional guidance on what pipeline ‘operator’ means
• Decision-making on assessment of high pressure gas transmission pipelines
• Additional guidance on the reporting of pipeline incidents under RIDDOR
• PSR and pipeline pressure limits

Inspection

• Avoiding damage to buried services
• Horizontal directional drilling
• The update of loss of containment data for offshore pipelines
• Pipeline riser emergency shut down valves: inspection issues and recommendations
• Hydrocarbon risers in Caissons, I Tubes and J Tubes: inspection issues and recommendations
• Unbonded flexible pipe: inspection issues and recommendations
• HID Specialised Industries Unit 3 (SI3) Pipeline Integrity Management Delivery Guide for Offshore Pipelines
• HID Specialised Industries Unit 3 (SI3) Pipeline Integrity Management Delivery Guide for Onshore Pipelines

Standards

• Use of pipeline standards and good practice guidance