The Offshore Installations and Wells (Design and Construction, etc.) Regulations 1996

5.  After paragraph (7) of regulation 2 there shall be inserted the following paragraphs: E+W+S

“(7A) Any reference in these Regulations to a verification scheme is a reference to a suitable written scheme for ensuring, by means described in paragraph (7B), that the safety-critical elements—

(a) are or, where they remain to be provided, will be suitable; and

(b) where they have been provided, remain in good repair and condition.

(7B) The means referred to in paragraph (7A) are—

(a) examination, including testing where appropriate, of the safety-critical elements by independent and competent persons;

(b) examination of any design, specification, certificate, CE marking or other document, marking or standard relating to those elements by such persons;

(c) examination by such persons of work in progress;

(d) the taking of appropriate action following reports by such persons;

(e) the taking of such other steps as may properly be provided for pursuant to regulation 15B and Schedule 9; and

(f) the taking of any steps incidental to the means described in sub-paragraphs (a) to (e) of this paragraph.

(7C) For the purposes of paragraph (7B) and regulations 15A and 15C a person shall be regarded as independent only where—

(a) his function will not involve the consideration by him of an aspect, of a thing liable to be examined, for which he bears or has borne such responsibility as might compromise his objectivity; and

(b) he will be sufficiently independent of a management system, or of a part thereof, which bears or has borne any responsibility for an aspect, which he might consider, of a thing liable to be examined, to ensure that he will be objective in discharging his function.”.