9. For regulation 23 (duties of installation owners and installation managers) of the 1989 Regulations there shall be substituted the following regulation—
“Duties of installation operators and owners, and employers
23.—(1) The provisions of this regulation shall apply to every offshore installation served by a safety committee.
(2) It shall be the duty of the duty holder—
(a)to facilitate the exercise by the committee of its functions and by the safety representatives of their functions and powers in respect of the installation under these Regulations, and for that purpose to make available the necessary accommodation, facilities for communication and office equipment supplies;
(b)to consult safety representatives with a view to the making and maintenance of arrangements which will enable them and the workforce to co-operate effectively in promoting and developing measures to ensure the health and safety of persons working on or from the installation, and in checking the effectiveness of such arrangements; and
(c)without prejudice to sub-paragraph (b), to consult safety representatives in good time with regard to—
(i)the preparation of a safety case relating to the installation under the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993;
(ii)the introduction to the installation of any measure which may substantially affect the health and safety of the workforce; and
(iii)the health and safety consequences for the workforce of the introduction (including the planning thereof) to the installation of new technologies.
(3) It shall be the duty of the duty holder and any employer of members of a workforce to consult safety representatives in good time with regard to—
(a)any health and safety information he is required to provide to members of a workforce by or under the relevant statutory provisions; and
(b)the planning and organisation of any health and safety training he is to provide to members of a workforce by or under the relevant statutory provisions.
(4) It shall be the duty of every employer of members of a workforce to consult safety representatives in good time with regard to his arrangements for appointing persons in accordance with regulation 6(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992.”.