Health and Safety Executive

OCE Advice for managers

Offshore COSHH essentials Introduction This information will help offshore This sheet describes how dutyholders (owners, operators and to use the Offshore COSHH contractors) to comply with the Control essentials (OCE) guidance sheet of Substances Hazardous to Health series as part of your COSHH Regulations 2002 (COSHH), as amended, to assessments. The sheets in this protect workers’ health. series (listed on the back of this sheet) refer to Offshore COSHH This guidance consolidates good control method sheets (OCMs), which practice and reinforces existing knowledge give more detailed cross-cutting with additional information. advice on specific aspects of control such as local exhaust It will help you carry out COSHH ventilation (LEV), respiratory assessments, review existing assessments, protective equipment, health deliver training and in supervising activities surveillance etc. This adds to involving substances hazardous to health. the overall task/process-specific control approach advice given in It is aimed at staff whose responsibilities the OCE sheets. include the management of substances hazardous to health on offshore This series is a part of a suite of guidance on health risks and includes installations (eg occupational health offshore essentials guidance on food, radiation, noise and vibration. specialists, COSHH assessors, supervisors The OCE and OCM sheets are not your COSHH assessments, but they etc). It is also useful for trade union and will help you to assess the risks for named tasks. Following the advice employee safety representatives. means that you observe good control practice and will normally comply with exposure limits. Following this guidance is not compulsory and you are free to take other action. But Planning and personnel if you do follow this guidance, you will Management arrangements offshore are often complex. COSHH duties normally be doing enough to comply with fall mainly on employers, in respect of their employees and others who the law. Health and safety inspectors seek may be affected by their activities. For offshore installations, this means to secure compliance with the law and may owners, operators and contractors. As effective control depends refer to this guidance as illustrating good on co-operation and co-ordination, relevant information should be practice. exchanged between employers about roles and responsibilities.

COSHH assessors should have the knowledge, skills and experience to assess the risks and identify control measures. They must be familiar with and have a good understanding of the work activity and how it uses or produces substances hazardous to health.

3 Involve the relevant specialists, contractors and workers in risk assessment, developing control measures and implementing them.

3 Make specific arrangements for work in confined spaces and for dealing with emergencies. 3 Decide your needs for engineering controls (eg LEV), personal protective equipment, monitoring and health surveillance.

Action 3 Whoever is in control of an operation must: n Appoint a competent COSHH assessor. n Make an adequate risk assessment. n Take steps to use appropriate control measures.

3 Look at all parts of the advice – don’t pick and choose. All the points work together to provide ‘adequate control’. 3 Decide how best to make changes that are required ‘across the board’, eg arrangements for examination and testing of all LEV systems on all offshore installations. 3 If you are in doubt, get help from an expert. Ask your trade association, trade union or log onto www.oshcr.org/ for a list of health and safety consultants.

Hazards 3 Individual guidance sheets give some of the health hazards associated with a stated task. You may need additional information from current safety data sheets (SDSs) in carrying out your COSHH assessments. 3 Prevention or control of exposure needs to consider all routes of exposure, ie inhalation, skin/eyes and ingestion. 3 EH40/2005 Workplace exposure limits lists those substances that have been assigned a workplace exposure limit (WEL) and identifies what can be absorbed through the skin with a skin notation (SK). 3 Safety data sheets are useful sources of information on substances that have the potential to affect and be absorbed through the skin. 3 Where a WEL is not available, it may be possible to identify an exposure standard in consultation with supplier, trade association or specific advisors. 3 Check if less harmful substances and products are available. Substitute where possible. 3 Substances and products used offshore are usually harmful to the marine environment.

NB: An SDS is not in itself the COSHH assessment but provides some of the information needed to determine appropriate control measures to protect employees.

Control 3 COSHH requires dutyholders to use the principles of good control practice (COSHH, Schedule 2A) to control exposure. These sheets give practical advice on good control practice and how to implement it. 3 Make sure that the advice in each OCE sheet you download really fits your work situation. Compare it with what you do now and take steps to improve/fill any gap in control practice. 3 Where substances have WEL: n take account of the longer shift patterns of work offshore;

n take account of any work at higher pressures (hyperbaric).

3 You might already have the right control measures. Check they are all Useful links being used correctly and working properly. International Association of Drilling Contractors 3 Keep all controls in good working order. This means: www.iadc.org/ n engineering controls such as LEV; n operator behaviour, such as following methods of work and putting International Association of Oil training into practice; and Gas Producers n personal protective equipment, including RPE; www.ogp.org/ n administrative controls such as supervision and health surveillance. Oil and Gas UK www.oilandgas.org.uk/ Facilities for personal hygiene 3 Provide appropriate washing facilities, storage for clean and British Rig Owners Association contaminated clothing and PPE, and a refreshment area. www.broa.org/whatis.htm

Occupational Safety and Health Information, training and supervision Consultants Register 3 Tell workers what the hazards are and how to stop the hazards causing www.oshcr.org/ harm to health. Hold ‘toolbox talks’. 3 Train them how to use control equipment properly. Occupational health 3 Show them how to report when equipment is not working properly. professionals (doctors and 3 Check that they have understood, and follow good practice. nurses) www.nhsplus.nhs.uk/ 3 Include managers and supervisors in health and safety training. Environment guidelines Wastes may be regulated within the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) framework. Consult the Environment Agency (England and Wales) or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in Scotland www.netregs.gov.uk

Further information COSHH a brief guide to the Regulations: What you need to know about the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) Leaflet INDG136(rev3) HSE Books 2005 www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ indg136.pdf

You can find the full Offshore COSHH essentials series at www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/index.htm

OCE0 Advice for managers No. Title OCE0 Advice for managers

OCE1 Preparing surfaces for painting OCE2 Painting by brush/roller OCE3 Painting by spraying OCE4 Soldering OCE5 Insulation – removal OCE6 Hydrogen sulphide OCE7 Pigging operations OCE8 Mixing of drilling muds (sack room) OCE9 Use of drilling muds (shale shaker and mud pit areas) OCE10 Chemical injection OCE11 Breaking containment – non-hydrocarbon lines OCE12 Breaking containment – hydrocarbon lines OCE13 Breaking containment – process cleaning operations OCE14 Breaking containment – mercury OCE15 Potable water and legionella control OCE16 Bulk sampling OCE17 Laboratory practice OCE18 Design and use of pressurised habitats for welding and hot work OCE19 Pressure cleaning – external structures OCE20 Sewage system maintenance OCE21 Laundry OCE22 Cleaning accomodation and facilities OCE23 Cleaning up body fluids OCE24 Cementing OCE25 Well servicing – chemical injection OCE26 Drilling waste treatment

OCM1 Confined spaces OCM2 Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) OCM3 Personal protective equipment (PPE) OCM4 Respiratory protective equipment (RPE) OCM5 Emergency planning OCM6 Exposure monitoring OCM7 Health surveillance OCM8 Storing chemicals

ORE1 Breaking containment – naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) OFE1 Food safety and hygene

This guidance was developed by representatives from the UK offshore oil and gas industry and trade unions, with HSE.

© Crown copyright 2011 Published by the Health and Safety Executive 03/11