The Work in Compressed Air Regulations 1996

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—

“the 1996 Regulations” means the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996(1);

“airlock” means an enclosed space capable of being pressurised and which is used for the compression or decompression of any person or any material when such person or material is passing into or, as the case may be, out of a working chamber;

“appointed doctor” means a registered medical practitioner appointed for the time being in writing by the Executive for the purposes of these Regulations;

“approved” means approved for the time being in writing for the purposes of these Regulations;

“compressed air contractor” means a contractor appointed under regulation 5;

“contract medical adviser” means a registered medical practitioner appointed under paragraph (1) of regulation 9 and who is competent to give the advice referred to in that paragraph;

“decanting” means the rapid decompression in an airlock to atmospheric pressure followed promptly by rapid compression in an alternative airlock and subsequent decompression to atmospheric pressure;

“employment medical adviser” means an employment medical adviser appointed under section 56 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974;

“the Executive” means the Health and Safety Executive;

“project” means a project which includes work in compressed air;

“work in compressed air” means work within any working chamber, airlock or decompression chamber which (in each case) is used for the compression or decompression of persons, including a medical lock used solely for treatment purposes, the pressure of which exceeds 0.15 bar;

“working chamber” means an enclosed space in which work is carried out and which is accessible only through an airlock.

(2) Any reference in these Regulations to pressure in bar means that pressure above the surrounding atmospheric pressure.

(3) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to—

(a) a numbered regulation is a reference to the regulation in these Regulations so numbered;

(b) a numbered paragraph is a reference to the paragraph so numbered in the regulation in which that reference appears.

(1)

S.I. 1996/1592.