Operations notices, safety alerts and safety notices

Operations notices

Operations notices are intended to advise the offshore industry of new regulatory requirements, contact points within HSE for communications (such as accident or incident reporting) and of other government requirements regarding offshore operations which may have safety implications.

No. Title Issue date
1 Offshore crane boom hoist rope failures Jan 22
4 Radioactive substances regulation Jan 23
6 Reporting of offshore installation movements Aug 22
11 Reporting of safety zone infringements Apr 21
30 Reporting of oil and gas incidents Jan 23
34 Notification of offshore site radiography Jan 23
39 Offshore installations and pipeline works (management and administration) regulations 1995 guidance on identification of offshore installations (available via the National Archive) Feb 19
42 Offshore development areas Nov 22
54 Establishment of safety zones for sub-sea installations Nov 22
58 Dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres regulations 2002 (available via the National Archive) Jan 03
59 The equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres regulations 1996 (available via the National Archive) Jan 03
61 Management of collision risk - Radio communication between offshore installations, their standby vessels and merchant ships (available via the National Archive) Apr 03
63 A guide to the equipment and protective systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres regulations 1996 (available via the National Archive) Dec 03
64 The misuse of drugs regulations 2001: supply and possession of controlled drugs offshore (available via the National Archive) Jan 04
76 Guidance on the mixing of icing inhibitors to helicopter fuel offshore (available via the National Archive) Nov 08
77 Offshore accommodation standards - men and women sharing cabins (available via the National Archive) Mar 21
78 CAP 437 6th Edition : Offshore helicopter landing areas – Guidance on standards (available via the National Archive) Jan 09
80 Application of health and safety law to "walk to work" vessels (available via the National Archive) Feb 14
82 Guidance on the provision of accommodation on offshore installations Aug 22
84 Operations Notice 84 - SCR2015 and SCR2005: The Dual Regime, Differences in Terminology and Interpretation, and Impact on Guidance Material Sep 22
85 Policy for drug and alcohol testing for OMAR inspectors Nov 21

Safety alerts

Safety alerts are a mechanism for urgent notifications to industry, and are normally used to make the interim findings of accident investigations known where urgent action may be required.

No. Title Issue date
Safety Alert 01/06 Catastrophic failure of shell and tube production cooler (available via the National Archive) May 06
Safety Alert 01/08 Flare system impaired by cooling water loss through bursting disc failure on an Intercooler Heat Exchanger (available via the National Archive) October 08

Safety notices

Safety notices highlight matters of concern in generic safety issues, which inspectors have identified and forewarn sector dutyholders of potential dangers. In the main, they deal with hardware-related issues, hazards and controls.

No. Title Issue date
1/04 The maintenance and thorough examination of braking systems on offshore cranes (available via the National Archive) Apr 04
4/04 Hydrocarbon releases: consideration of acute health effects (available via the National Archive) Nov 04
2/05 'Single line components' in the hoisting and braking systems of offshore cranes (available via the National Archive) Feb 05
4/05 Weldless repair of safety critical piping systems (available via the National Archive) July 05
6/05 Testing of HVAC dampers (available via the National Archive) Sept 05
11/05 Potential catastrophic failure of pressure-balanced cage-guided control valves and chokes (available via the National Archive) Nov 05
01/06 Ensuring adequate safety during davit lifeboat drills, testing and maintenance on UK offshore installations (available via the National Archive) Jan 06
02/06 Interlocks for drill floor machinery (available via the National Archive) Dec 06
01/09 Explosion protected electrical heaters (available via the National Archive) Jan 09

You can find all of HSE’s safety alerts and notices. To receive the latest news and information on offshore oil and gas, please sign up for our free ebulletin service.

Updated 2025-08-05