Council Directive 92/91/EECShow full title

PART A Common minimum requirements applicable to the on-shore and off-shore sectors

1. Stability and solidity

Workplaces must be designed, constructed, erected, operated, supervised and maintained to withstand the environmental forces anticipated.

They must have a structure and solidity appropriate to the nature of their use.

2. Organization and supervision

2.1. Organization of the workplace

2.1.1. Workplaces must be so organized as to provide adequate protection against hazards. They must be kept clean, with any hazardous substances or deposits removed or controlled in order not to endanger the health and safety of workers.

2.1.2. Workstations must be designed and constructed according to ergonomic principles taking into account the need for workers to follow operations carried out at their workstations.

2.1.3. Areas within which there is a special hazard must be delineated and warning signs placed.

2.2. Person in charge

A responsible person who has the skills and competence required for this duty, in accordance with the national laws and/or practices, and who has been appointed by the employer, must at all times be in charge of every workplace when workers are present.

The employer may personally assume responsibility for the workplace as referred to in the first paragraph, if he has the skills and competence required for the purpose, in accordance with national laws and/or practices.

2.3. Supervision

To ensure workers' safety and health protection during all operations undertaken, the necessary supervision must be provided by persons having the skills and competence for this duty, in accordance with the national laws and /or practices, having been appointed by the employer or on his behalf and acting on his behalf.

The employer may personally undertake the supervision referred to in the first subparagraph if he has the skills and competence required for the purpose, in accordance with national laws and/or practices.

2.4. Competent workers

When workers are present at any workplace, there must be a sufficient number of workers with the requisite skills, experience and training to perform the tasks assigned to them.

2.5. Information, instructions and training

Workers must be given the necessary information, instructions, training and retraining to ensure their health and safety.

The employer must ensure that workers receive comprehensible instructions so as not do endanger their safety and health or those of other workers.

2.6. Written instructions

Written instructions specifying rules to be observed to ensure the safety and health of workers and the safe use of equipment must be drawn up for every workplace.

These must include information on the use of emergency equipment and action to be taken in the event of an emergency at or near the workplace.

2.7. Safe working methods

Safe working methods must be applied at each workplace or in respect of each activity.

2.8. Work permits

There required by the safety and health document, a system of work permits must be introduced for carrying out both hazardous activities and usually straightforward activities which may interact with other activities to cause serious hazards.

Work permits must be issued by a person in charge prior to the commencement of work and must specify the conditions to be fulfilled and the precautions to be taken before, during and after the work.

2.9. Regular review of safety and health measures

The employer must ensure that the measures taken to protect the safety and health of the workers, including the safety and health management system, are regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with this Directive.

3. Mechanical and electrical equipment and plant

3.1. General

Selection, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment must take place with due regard for the safety and health of workers, taking into consideration other provisions of this Directive and of Directives 89/392/EEC(1) and 89/655/EEC(2).

If located in an area within which risk of fire or explosion from ignition of gas, vapour or volatile liquid exists or is likely to exist, it must be suitable for use in that area.

Equipment must, if necessary, be fitted with suitable protective devices and fail-safe systems.

3.2. Specific provisions

Mechanical equipment and plant must be of adequate strength and free from patent defect and suitable for the purpose for which it is intended.

Electrical equipment and plant must be of sufficient size and power for the purpose for which it is intended.

4. Maintenance

4.1. General maintenace

A suitable scheme should be set up providing for the systematic examination, maintenance and, where appropriate, testing of mechanical and electrical equipment and plant.

All maintenance, examination and testing of any part of the plant and equipment must be carried out by a competent person.

Records of examinations and tests must be made and kept in an appropriate manner.

4.2. Safety equipment maintenance

Adequate safety equipment must be maintained ready for use and in good working order at all times.

Maintenance must be undertaken with due regard to operations.

5. Well control

Suitable well control equipment must be provided for use during borehole operations to protect against blowouts.

Deployment of such equipment must take into account the prevailing well and operational conditions.

6. Protection from harmful atmospheres and explosion risks

6.1. Measures must be taken for assessing the presence of harmful and/or potentially explosive substances in the atmosphere and for measuring the concentration of such substances.

Where required by the safety and health document, monitoring devices measuring gas concentrations at specified places automatically and continuously, automatic alarms and devices to cut off power automatically from electrical installations and internal combustion engines must be provided.

Where automatic measurements are provided for, the values measured must be recorded and kept as stipulated in the safety and health document.

6.2. Protection from harmful atmospheres

6.2.1. Where harmful substances accumulate or may accumulate in the atmosphere, appropriate measures must be taken to ensure their collection at source and removal.

The system must be capable of dispersing such harmful atmosphere in such a way that workers are not at risk.

6.2.2. Without prejudice to Directive 89/656/EEC(3), appropriate and sufficient breathing and resuscitation equipment must be available in areas where workers must be exposed to atmospheres which are harmful to health.

In such cases, a sufficient number of workers trained to use such equipment must be present at the workplace.

The equipment must be suitably stored and maintained.

6.2.3. Where hydrogen sulphide or other toxic gases are or may be present in the atmosphere, a protection plan detailing the protective equipment available and the preventive measures taken must be held at the disposal of the competent authorities.

6.3. Prevention of risks of explosion

6.3.1. All necessary measures must be taken to prevent the occurrence and accumulation of explosive atmospheres.

6.3.2. In areas where there are risks of explosion, all necessary measures must be taken to prevent the ignition of explosive atmospheres.

6.3.3. An explosion prevention plan detailing the equipment and measures required must be prepared.

7. Emergency routes and exits

7.1. Emergency routes and exits must remain clear and lead by the most direct means to the open air or to a safe area, a safe assembly point or a safe evacuation point.

7.2. In the event of danger, it must be possible for workers to evacuate all workstations quickly and as safely as possible.

7.3. The number, distribution and dimensions of the emergency routes and exits depend on the use, equipment and dimensions of the workplaces and the maximum number of persons that may be present.

Accommodation and rest rooms must have at least two separate escape routes situated as far apart as possible and leading to a safe area, a safe assembly point or a safe evacuation point.

7.4. Emergency doors must open outwards or, if this is impossible, be sliding doors.

Emergency doors should not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency.

7.5. Specific emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs in accordance with the national regulations transposing Directive 92/58/EEC(4) into law.

7.6. Emergency doors must not be locked.

The emergency routes and exits, and the traffic routes and doors giving access to them, must be free from obstruction so that they can be used at any time without hindrance.

7.7. Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in case the lighting fails.

8. Ventilaton of enclosed workplaces

8.1. Steps shall be taken to ensure that there is sufficient fresh air in enclosed workplaces, having regard to the working methods used and the physical demands placed on the workers.

If a forced ventilation system is used, it must be maintained in working order.

Any breakdown must be indicated by a control system where this is necessary for workers' health.

8.2. If air-conditioning or mechanical ventilation installations are used, they must operate in such a way that workers are not exposed to draughts which cause discomfort.

Any deposit or dirt likely to create an immediate danger to the health of workers by polluting the atmosphere must be removed without delay.

9. Room temperature

9.1. During working hours, the temperature in rooms containing workplaces must be adequate for human beings, having regard to the working methods being used and the physical demands placed on the workers.

9.2. The temperature in rest areas, rooms for duty staff, sanitary facilities, canteens and first aid rooms must be appropriate to the particular purpose of such areas.

9.3. Windows, skylights and glass partitions should allow excessive effects of sunlight in workplaces to be avoided, having regard to the nature of the work and of the workplace.

10. Floors, walls, ceilings and roofs of rooms

10.1. The floors of workplaces must have no dangerous bumps, holes or slopes and must be fixed, stable and not slippery.

Workplaces containing workstations must be adequately insulated against heat, bearing in mind the type of undertaking involved and the physical activity of the workers.

10.2. The surfaces of floors, walls and ceilings in rooms must be such that they can be cleaned or refurbished to an appropriate standard of hygiene.

10.3. Transparent or translucent walls, in particular all-glass partitions, in rooms or in the vicinity of workplaces and traffic routes must be clearly indicated and made of safety material or be shielded from such place or traffic routes to prevent workers from coming into contact with walls or being injured should the walls shatter.

10.4. Access to roofs made of materials of insufficient strength must not be permitted Unless equipment is provided to ensure that the work can be carried out in a safe manner.

11. Natural and artificial lighting

11.1. Every workplace must be provided throughout with lighting capable of supplying illumination sufficient to ensure the health and safety of persons therein.

11.2. Workplaces must as far as possible receive sufficient natural light and be equipped, taking into account climatological conditions, with artificial lighting adequate for the protection of workers' safety and health.

11.3. Lighting installations in rooms containing workplaces and in passageways must be placed in such a way that the type of lighting does not present a risk of accident to workers.

11.4. Workplaces in which workers are especially exposed to risks in the event of failure or artifical lighting must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity.

11.5. Lighting installations must be designed to ensure that operational control areas, escape routes, embarkation areas and hazardous areas remain illuminated.

Where workplaces are occupied only occasionally, the obligation referred to in the first paragraph is limited to the period during which workers are present.

12. Windows and skylights

12.1. Windows, skylights and ventilation devices which are meant to be opened, adjusted or secured must be designed so that these operations can be carried out safely.

They must not be positioned so as to constitute a hazard to workers when open.

12.2. It must be possible to clean windows and skylights without risk.

13. Doors and gates

13.1. The position, number and dimensions of doors and gates, and the materials used in their construction, are determined by the nature and use of the rooms or areas.

13.2. Transparent doors must be appropriately marked at a conspicuous level.

13.3. Swing doors and gates must be transparent or have see-through panels.

13.4. If transparent or translucent surfaces in doors and gates are not made of safety material and if there is a danger that workers may be injured if a door or gate should shatter, the surfaces must be protected against breakage.

13.5. Slidings doors must be fitted with a safety device to prevent them from being derailed and falling over unexpectedly.

13.6. Doors and gates opening upwards must be fitted with a mechanism to secure them against falling back unexpectedly.

13.7. Doors along escape routes must be appropriately marked.

It must be possible to open them from the inside at any time without special assistance.

It must be possible to open the doors when the workplaces are occupied.

13.8. Doors for pedestrians must be provided in the immediate vicinity of any gates intended essentially for vehicle traffic, unless it is safe for pedestrians to pass through; such doors must be clearly marked and left permanently unobstructed.

13.9. Mechanical doors and gates must function without risk of accident to workers.

They must be fitted with easily identifiable and accessible emergency shut-down devices and, unless they open automatically in the event of a power failure, it must also be possible to open them manually.

13.10. Where chains or similar devices are used to prevent access at any place, these should be clearly visible and appropriately identified by signs denoting any prohibition or warning.

14. Traffic routes

14.1. It must be possible to reach workplaces without danger and leave them quickly and safely in an emergency.

14.2. Traffic routes, including stairs, fixed ladders and loading bays and ramps, must be calculated, dimensioned and located to ensure easy, safe and appropriate access for pedestrians or vehicles in such a way as not to endanger workers employed in the vicinity of these traffic routes.

14.3. Routes used for pedestrian traffic and /or goods traffic must be dimensioned in accordance with the number of potential users and the type of undertaking.

If means of transport are used on traffic routes, a sufficient safety clearance must be provided for pedestrians.

14.4. Sufficient clearence must be allowed between vehicle traffic routes and doors, gates, passages for pedestrians, corridors and staircases.

14.5. Traffic and access routes must be clearly identified for the protection of workers.

15. Danger areas

15.1. If the workplaces contain danger areas in which, owing to the nature of the work, there are risks including that of the worker or objects falling, the places must be equipped, as far as possible, with devices preventing unauthorized workers from entering those areas.

15.2. Appropriate measures must be taken to protect workers authorized to enter danger areas.

15.3. Danger areas must be clearly indicated.

16. Room dimensions and air space in rooms — freedom of movement at the workstation

16.1. Workrooms must have sufficient surface area, height and air space to allow workers to perform their work without risk to their safety, health or well-being.

16.2. The dimensions of the unoccupied area at the workstation must allow workers sufficient freedom of movement and enable them to perform their work safely.

17. Rest rooms

17.1. Where the safety or health of workers, in particular because of the type of activity carried out or the presence of more than a certain number of employees, so requires, workers must be provided with an easily accessible rest room.

This provision does not apply if the workers are employed in offices or similar workrooms providing equivalent relaxation during breaks.

17.2. Rest rooms must be large enough and equipped with an adequate number of tables and seats with backs for the number of workers.

17.3. In rest rooms appropriate measures must be introduced for the protection of non-smokers against discomfort caused by tobacco smoke.

17.4. If working hours are regularly and frequently interrupted and there is no rest room, other rooms must be provided in which workers can stay during such interruptions, wherever this is required for the safety or health of workers.

Appropriate measures should be taken for the protection of non-smokers against discomfort caused by tobacco smoke.

18. Outdoor workplaces

18.1. Workstations, traffic routes and other areas or installations outdoors which are used or occupied by the workers in the course of their activity must be organized in such a way that pedestrians and vehicles can circulate safely.

18.2. Workplaces outdoors must be adequately lit by artifical lighting if daylight is not adequate.

18.3. When workers are employed at workstations outdoors, such workstations must as far as possible be arranged so that workers:

(a)

are protected against inclement weather conditions and if necessary against falling objects;

(b)

are not exposed to harmful noise levels nor to harmful external influences such as gases, vapours or dust;

(c)

are able to leave their workstations swiftly in the event of danger or are able to be rapidly assisted;

(d)

cannot slip or fall.

19. Pregnant women and nursing mothers

Pregnant women and nursing mothers must be able to lie down to rest in appropriate conditions.

20. Handicapped workers

Workplaces must be organized to take account of handicapped workers, if necessary.

This provision applies in particular to the doors, passageways, staircases, showers, washbasins, lavatories and workstations used or occupied directly by handicapped persons.

(1)

OJ No L 183, 29. 6. 1989, p. 9. Directive as amended by Directive 91/368/EEC (OJ No L 198, 22. 7. 1991, p. 16).

(2)

OJ No L 393, 30. 12. 1989, p. 13.

(3)

OJ No L 393, 30. 12. 1989, p. 18.

(4)

OJ No L 245, 26. 8. 1992, p. 23.