Resolution

Combined Resolution regarding OISD issued by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, New Delhi vide No. R-13013/4/84-0R-I dated Jan 10, 1986 and R-21016/1/2006OR-I(pt-II) dated July 16, 2008

R E S O L U T I O N

1.            The Government of India, in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, have had under consideration, for some time, the need to have a special self regulating industry agency for safety matters and procedures in respect of the hydro-carbon sector. To ensure proper implementation of the various aspects of safety in the oil industry, the Government of India have decided to set up a Safety Council at the apex, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. 

2.            The Safety Council will be headed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas as Chairman, and will include the Joint Secretaries and Advisers in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, the Chief Executives of all the Public Sector Undertakings of the oil industry, the Chief Controller of Explosives and Adviser (Fire) to the Government of India, and the Director General of Factory Advice, Service and Labour Institutes and at least two Chief Executives from private / JV companies, on rotation basis as members. The major objectives of the Safety Council will be to lay down the procedures and guidelines in the matter of design, operations and maintenance as also the creation of new assets with a view to achieving the highest safety standards in a cost effective manner. 

3.            The Safety Council will be assisted by a Safety Directorate. This organisation will have expertise in the design of facilities, operations, maintenance; fire and safety aspects, industrial hygiene etc. To keep the expertise upto the date, the Safety Directorate will be manned by experts from the oil industry, who will be appointed on tenure basis. The Executive Director of this Directorate will be of the rank of General Manager or Chief General Manager, and will be assisted by such staff of the safety Directorate as may be considered necessary. He will report to the Chairman of the Safety Council. 

4.            The Safety Directorate shall have the following functions and responsibilities: 

       It shall: 

       a)      oversee the implementation of all the decisions of the Safety Council,  

      b)      keep abreast of the latest design and operating practices in the area of safety and fire fighting in the hydro-carbon processing industry in the developed countries, so as to develop standards and codes that would be suitable for the conditions in India; 

       c)      liase with the statutory organisations on current views and developments and help evolve a concerted effort for the industry; 

      d)      carry out periodic safety audits, review, suggest procedures for improvements and report on the implementation of the suggestions to Safety Council; 

    e)      collect the relevant information and exchange it with the members of the Oil Industry including information regarding near accidents, accidents and disasters occurring in the oil industry, and shall also organise inter-country meetings for exchange of experience; 

      f)       carry out enquiries into accidents, whenever required, and provide support to Enquiry Committees set up by the Government; 

      g)      ensure implementation of all approved codes of practices for industrial hygiene; 

      h)      review practices in the storage and handling of dangerous chemicals and ensure compliance with latest standards. 

      i)       review disaster control procedures and company preparedness; 

      j)       review implant training programmes with regard to safety; 

     k)      Specify critical drawing/layouts that need to be vetted by Safety Specialists at the design stage and carryout spot checks of design standards based on site audit findings to serve as feed-back for establishing new standards at the design stage;

      l)       review zoning regulations around installations and advise industry/state DIC's, and

      m)    Oversee implementation of regulations and best safety practices in offshore Exploration & Production operations. 

5.            The Safety Directorate shall have the authority to requisition the services of senior personnel from the hydro-carbon industry, to assist it in conducting any study/safety audits enquiry. The Safety Directorate shall have the responsibility and authority to direct any hydrocarbon industry unit to implement safety measures, found necessary on a time bound programme. 

6.            The following activities of Public Sector Undertakings, Private Companies, Joint Ventures in the hydrocarbon industry shall come under the jurisdiction of the Safety Directorate: 

        a)      All Exploration and Production operations in onshore and offshore. 

        b)      All, refinery operations. 

        c)      Pipeline operations in the storage, transportation, distribution and marketing of crude oil and petroleum products. 

        d)      Processing of hydrocarbons for the production of bulk petro-chemicals in the large scale sector. 

7.            This Safety Council/Safety Directorate will not supplant or, in any way, take away the present responsibilities of the various statutory agencies like Director General of Mines and Safety, Chief Controller of Explosives, Inspectorate of Boilers, Factory Inspectors etc. It will also not dilute the responsibility of the Chief Executives of the oil industry, who are ultimately responsible for the safety measures in their organisations. 

8.         The expenditure of the Safety Directorate will be met by the Oil Industry Development Board. However, the expenditure on TA/DA to the personnel requisitioned by the Safety Directorate to assist it in conducting any study/safety audits/enquiry, will be met by the concerned organisations to whom they belong.