Gas Safety (Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Interpretation

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the 1997 Regulations” means the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(1);

“the Department” means the Department of Economic Development;

“distribution main” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the 1997 Regulations;

“emergency control” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the 1997 Regulations;

“emergency service provider” means a person appointed pursuant to regulation 7(11);

“emergency shut-down valve” has the same meaning as in regulation 2 of the Pipelines Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997(2);

“gas” means any substance in a gaseous state which consists wholly or mainly of methane;

“gas fittings” means gas fittings as defined in regulation 2(1) of the 1997 Regulations as if the phrase “(other than the purpose of an industrial process carried out on industrial premises)” did not appear in that definition;

“gas processing facility” means any gas processing facility which—

(a)

blends or purifies gas, removes from gas any of its constituent gases or separates from gas any oil or water; and

(b)

is situated at a terminal which receives gas directly or indirectly from a gas production facility;

“gas production facility” means a facility for the extraction of gas from strata or for the manufacture of gas;

“installation pipework” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the 1997 Regulations;

“interconnector” means a pipeline used for the conveyance of gas to or from Northern Ireland;

“network” shall be construed in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4);

“network emergency co-ordinator” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 3(2) and (3);

“pipe” includes a pipeline, distribution main, service pipe and any ancillary plant connected to a pipe and used for the conveyance of gas, but it does not include a pipe downstream of an emergency control;

“safety case” shall be construed in accordance with paragraph (5);

“service pipe” has the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the 1997 Regulations;

“supply emergency” means an emergency endangering persons and arising from a loss of pressure in a network or any part thereof.

(2) Any reference in these Regulations to a network is, subject to paragraphs (3) and (4), a reference to a connected network of pipes used for the conveyance of gas from a gas processing facility, a storage facility or to or from Northern Ireland.

(3) A network does not include that part of an interconnector between the point at which the interconnector enters or leaves Northern Ireland and the emergency shut-down valve within Northern Ireland which is nearest to that point.

(4) Where gas which does not conform with the requirements referred to in regulation 8(1) is conveyed from a gas processing facility for treatment or blending so as to bring it into conformity with those requirements, any pipes used exclusively for conveying gas from that facility to the point where the gas is treated or blended or to non-domestic premises or to both, shall not be treated as part of a network for the purposes of these Regulations.

(5) Any reference in these Regulations to a safety case is a reference to a document containing the particulars required by the provision of these Regulations pursuant to which the safety case is prepared, and—

(a) insofar as the document contains other particulars it shall not be treated as part of the safety case for the purposes of these Regulations;

(b) nothing in these Regulations shall require the particulars to relate to a source of risk other than the gas itself.

(6) Any reference in these Regulations to the Department accepting a safety case or revision thereof is a reference to the Department notifying in writing the person who prepared it that it is satisfied with the case for health and safety made out in it.

(7) Any reference in these Regulations to the conveyance of gas is a reference to the conveyance of gas through pipes.

(8) Any reference in these Regulations to conveying gas in a network includes a reference to conveying gas in any part of the network.

(9) Any reference in these Regulations to preventing a supply emergency is a reference to preventing a supply emergency from occurring or continuing.

(10) In these Regulations any reference, in relation to a network, to the network emergency co-ordinator is a reference to the network emergency co-ordinator who has prepared and had accepted a safety case relating to that network pursuant to regulation 3(2).

(11) Any reference in these Regulations to a person supplying or conveying gas, preparing a safety case or carrying out work in relation to a gas fitting is a reference to a person who does so in the course of a business or other undertaking carried on by him.

(1)

S.R. 1997 No. 194

(2)

S.R. 1997 No. 193