Health and Safety

The Falklands have in place a raft of Health & Safety legislation largely mirroring that of the North Sea. This ensures that any exploration operations are carried out safely and to best practice. All relevant legislation can be found online here.

The rig owner must submit a safety case demonstrating that it can drill safely in Falklands waters.  This safety case is reviewed by the UK’s Health & Safety Executive (HSE), which may also inspect the rig while on location.

All well designs are also reviewed by HSE, and drilling proposals generally are reviewed by a team from FIG, HSE, and various independent expert advisers. Proposals are not likely to be approved unless they are deemed safe, environmentally sound, and in accordance with recognised good oilfield practice. Drilling proposals must be accompanied by robust emergency management and response arrangements and companies looking to carry out activity in Falkland Islands waters should contact the Department of Mineral Resources at the earliest opportunity to consult on proposals.

Companies’ Health & Safety policies and management systems include:

• Continuously reviewing, assessing and managing H&S risks and preventing pollution.
• Testing response plans to ensure that incidents can be controlled quickly and effectively.
• Developing specific plans to identify and assign responsibilities as well as tracking H&S activities.
• Ongoing reviews of H&S performance and management to identify and implement necessary improvements.