This guidance to the Offshore Regulations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 is designed to advise people in the offshore industry about what the Regulations require, and what they need to do to comply with them.

It is a simple explanation of the main provisions of the Regulations to assist dutyholders, employers, installation managers, safety representatives, safety committee members and all members of the workforce.

Note This latest edition provides an update to the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations that, subject to parliamentary approval, come into force from 6 April 2012.

As of this date, the trigger point for reporting ‘lost-time’ accidents to people at work increased from over three days’ to over seven days’ incapacitation (not counting the day on which the accident happened).

However, under EU law, employers and others with responsibilities under RIDDOR must still keep a record of all over-three-day injuries – if the employer keeps an accident book, then this record will be enough.

These regulations have been amended so that the existing rights of safety representatives to perform their functions, eg carrying out inspections following an over- three-day accident, remain.