The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) reports that new regulations relating to health, safety and the environment in the petroleum activities on offshore and onshore facilities that are subject to the Petroleum Safety Authority, entered into force 1 January 2011.

The regulations (the supplementary ones) are stipulated by the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA), the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Climate and Pollution Agency (Klif). The framework regulations are laid down by royal decree.

Some of the amendments: The new term 'offshore' (in this respect) is taken from the new Working Environment Act and replaces terms that were used earlier in this connection, such as 'the continental shelf' and 'the shelf'.

Two of the new regulations are joint regulations for activities offshore and onshore, i.e. the framework regulations and the management regulations (also comprising the duty to inform). Both are based on the regulatory regime already in place on the continental shelf. The temporary regulations relating to land facilities etc., are repealed.

The technical and operational requirements are somewhat different offshore and onshore since the new regulatory model is adapted to the special needs for regulation of the activities, depending on where they are being conducted.

Hence, there are new technical and operational regulations for the land facilities. Requirements to the external environment are not part of these regulations.

The current activities regulations and the current facilities regulations, both incorporating slight changes, are continued for the offshore activities.

Consequently, the new regulatory model consists of: • the joint framework regulations offshore and onshore, laid down by royal decree and enforced by the ministries, the PSA, Klif and the health authorities, • the joint management regulations offshore and onshore, stipulated and enforced by the PSA, Klif and the health authorities, • the technical and operational regulations onshore (the structure mirrors the facilities regulations and the activities regulations offshore), stipulated and enforced by the PSA and the health authorities, • the activities regulations offshore, stipulated and enforced by the PSA, Klif and the health authorities as earlier, and • the facilities regulations offshore, stipulated and enforced by the PSA, Klif and the health authorities as earlier.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) is responsible for developing and enforcing regulations which govern safety and working environment in the petroleum activities on the Norwegian continental shelf and associated land facilities.

Tags: Petroleum Safety Authority