S.L. 156.2 Art. 31Powers of the competent authority.

The competent authority shall:

(a) prohibit the operation or commencement of operations on any installation or any connected infrastructure where the measures proposed in the report on major hazards for the prevention or limiting the consequences of major accidents or notifications of well operations or combined operations submitted pursuant to regulation 24(1)(h) and (i) are considered insufficient to fulfil the requirements set out in these regulations;

(b) in exceptional situations and where it considers that safety and environmental protection are not compromised, shorten the time interval required between the submission of the report on major hazards or other documents to be submitted pursuant to regulation 24 and the commencement of operations;

(c) require the operator to take such proportionate measures as it considers necessary to ensure the prevention of major accidents in offshore oil and gas operations;

(d) where regulation 11 applies, take adequate measures to ensure the continuing safety of operations; and

(e) require improvements and, if necessary, prohibit the continued operation of any installation or any part thereof or any connected infrastructure where it is shown by the outcome of an inspection, a determination pursuant to regulation 11, a periodic review of the report on major hazards submitted pursuant to regulation 24(1)(e) or by changes to notifications submitted pursuant to regulation 24, that the requirements of these regulations are not being fulfilled or there are reasonable concerns about the safety of offshore oil and gas operations or installations.