Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations (SOR/2024-26)

Marginal note:Fire protection systems and equipment

• 134 (1) An operator must ensure that an installation is equipped with fire protection systems and equipment to control and extinguish fires.

• Marginal note:Safety plan

  (2) The operator must ensure that the fire protection systems and equipment are designed, selected, operated, inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the measures referred to in clause 9(2)(b)(vi)(B) that are described in the operator’s safety plan.

• Marginal note:Design and selection

  (3) The design and selection of fire protection systems and equipment, including suppression agents, must take into account their intended use and the results of the risk assessment conducted under subsection 107(1).

• Marginal note:Further requirements

  (4) The operator must ensure that the fire protection systems and equipment include

  • (a) automated fixed fire suppression systems that are capable of being manually activated from outside the space that is being protected;

  • (b) fixed monitors, deluge systems and foam systems;

  • (c) manual firefighting systems and equipment; and

  • (d) any redundancies that are necessary to ensure that the systems function in the case of a failure of one of their components.

• Marginal note:Protection from damage

  (5) The operator must ensure that the fire protection systems and equipment are protected from mechanical damage and damage caused by fire, explosion and physical and environmental conditions to which they may be exposed so that they remain capable of fulfilling their intended functions under all foreseeable operating conditions.

• Marginal note:Fixed fire suppression system

  (6) The operator must ensure that an automated fixed fire suppression system is installed in every accommodations area and hazardous area and in any other area that requires such a system based on the results of the risk assessment conducted under subsection 107(1).

• Marginal note:Fire pumps

  (7) The operator must ensure that at least two dedicated, segregated and independently driven fire pumps supply a dedicated firewater ring main and that each of those fire pumps is

  • (a) equipped with at least two independent starting devices; and

  • (b) designed to allow for both local and remote control.

• Marginal note:Location

  (8) The operator must ensure that the fire pumps are located as far as possible from equipment used for storing and processing petroleum, taking into account the results of the risk assessment conducted under subsection 107(1).

• Marginal note:Supply of firewater

  (9) The operator must ensure that the fire pumps and piping and their valves are capable of providing a sufficient supply of firewater to any area on the installation, including if a segment of the firewater ring main is damaged.

• Marginal note:Firewater system

  (10) The operator must ensure that the firewater system is capable of operating continuously for a minimum of 18 hours.

• Marginal note:Fire hydrants and hose reels

  (11) The operator must ensure that the number and location of fire hydrants and fire hose reels are such that at least two jets of water, not emanating from the same location, can reach any part of the installation where a fire may occur.

• Marginal note:Portable fire-extinguishing equipment

  (12) In areas where it is not practical to use fire hydrants and fire hose reels, the operator must ensure that portable fire-extinguishing equipment is readily available and accessible.

• Marginal note:Alarms at main control centre

  (13) The operator must ensure that audible and visual alarms will activate at the main control centre on the initiation of any of the automated fixed fire suppression systems or on the loss of any firewater pressure.

• Marginal note:Additional alarms

  (14) If the automated fixed fire suppression system creates a hazard to persons, the operator must ensure that audible and visual alarms automatically activate inside and outside the space that is being protected.

• Marginal note:Unattended installations

  (15) Paragraphs (4)(a) and (b) and subsections (6) to (11) do not apply in respect of unattended installations.

Marginal note:Boilers and pressure systems

• 135 (1) An operator must ensure that boilers and pressure systems are designed in accordance with the measures referred to in clause 9(2)(b)(vi)(C) that are described in the operator’s safety plan.

• Marginal note:Design requirements

  (2) The boilers and pressure systems must be designed to

  • (a) prevent the occurrence of an abnormal condition that could cause an undesirable event;

  • (b) prevent an undesirable event from causing a release of liquids, gases or vapours;

  • (c) prevent the ignition of any flammable liquids, gases or vapours that are released;

  • (d) safely disperse or dispose of any liquids, gases or vapours that are released;

  • (e) prevent the formation of explosive mixtures;

  • (f) limit persons’ exposure to fire hazards;

  • (g) monitor safe limits of pressure, temperature and fluid levels and reliably protect against exceeding those limits;

  • (h) permit the examination of components critical to the pressure system to ensure their continued integrity;

  • (i) allow for draining and venting at all stages of operation to

    • (i) permit cleaning, inspection and maintenance activities to be carried out safely, and

    • (ii) avoid harmful effects, including water hammer, vacuum collapse, corrosion and uncontrolled chemical reactions;

  • (j) prevent the escalation in relation to the boilers and pressure systems of accidental events occurring outside of them; and

  • (k) limit and mitigate the effects of any loss of containment of the contents of the boilers and pressure systems.

• Marginal note:Additional requirements

  (3) The design of boilers and pressure systems must

  • (a) be based on standards that incorporate safety margins, that conform to good engineering practice and that involve the carrying out of analyses and numerical modelling as necessary to determine the behaviour and failure modes of the boilers and pressure systems under all foreseeable operating conditions, taking into account

    • (i) the internal and external pressures to which the boilers and pressure systems are subjected,

    • (ii) ambient and operating temperatures,

    • (iii) static pressure and the mass of the contents of the boilers and pressure systems when tested or operated,

    • (iv) foreseeable dynamic loads and reaction forces and moments resulting from, among other things, piping and its supports and other accessories,

    • (v) structural and mechanical integrity threats, and

    • (vi) reactions caused by changes in fluids and other substances contained in the boilers and pressure systems over time, including reactions caused by the products of the decomposition of unstable fluids or substances;

  • (b) if hazards cannot be eliminated, incorporate safety measures that take into account

    • (i) the need for closing and opening devices and devices to indicate their status and to prevent their opening or physical access to them while pressure differential exists,

    • (ii) the need to contain hazardous substances and to mitigate the effects of any hazard related to their release,

    • (iii) the surface temperature of the boilers and pressure systems, and

    • (iv) the decomposition of unstable fluids; and

  • (c) be approved by an authorized inspector.

• Marginal note:Loads and other factors

  (4) The operator must ensure that boilers and pressure systems can withstand all combinations of loads, pressures, temperatures, fluids and substances to which they may be subjected during their design service life.

• Marginal note:Materials used

  (5) The operator must ensure that the materials used for the manufacture of boilers and pressure systems are compatible with their operating environment and are chemically resistant to the fluids they contain during their design service life.

• Marginal note:Manufacturer’s documents and records

  (6) The operator must ensure that the following documents and records are obtained from the manufacturer of the boilers and pressure systems:

  • (a) documents demonstrating that manufacturing, testing and installation have been carried out in accordance with the design specifications provided for in a quality assurance program that is approved by an authorized inspector;

  • (b) records of the procedures that were followed in the welding, brazing and non-destructive examination of the boilers and pressure systems, including the results of the welder qualification tests specific to the welding and brazing procedures;

  • (c) documents evidencing the qualifications of persons involved in manufacturing, inspection and testing, including welders; and

  • (d) traceability records for the components of the boilers and pressure systems.

• Marginal note:Construction, installation, commissioning, inspection and testing

  (7) The operator must ensure, before a boiler or pressure system is put into operation, that it has been

  • (a) constructed, installed and commissioned by persons with the necessary experience, training, qualifications and competence to do so safely and in a manner that protects the environment; and

  • (b) subjected to any inspections by an authorized inspector and tests by or under the direction of an authorized inspector, including non-destructive examination and proof tests, that are necessary to ensure its integrity and compliance with design specifications.

• Marginal note:Authorized inspector

  (8) The operator must ensure that a boiler or pressure system is inspected by an authorized inspector and tested by or under the direction of an authorized inspector

  • (a) before the boiler or pressure system is put into operation following its installation;

  • (b) before the boiler or pressure system is put into operation following any modification or repair to it, including welding; and

  • (c) at any other interval as required by the standards on which the design of the boiler or pressure system is based.

• Marginal note:Operating procedures

  (9) The operator must ensure that operating procedures are developed for the boilers and pressure systems that inform users of operating hazards and indicate any special measures to be taken to reduce risks when the boilers and pressure systems are being used, maintained or repaired.

• Marginal note:Conformity with procedures

  (10) The operator must ensure that any boiler or pressure system is used, maintained and repaired in accordance with the operating procedures referred to in subsection (9).

• Marginal note:Alteration of fitting

  (11) It is prohibited for any person to alter, interfere with or render inoperative any boiler or pressure system fitting, except for the purpose of adjusting or testing the fitting.

• Marginal note:Register

  (12) The operator must keep a register of all boilers and pressure systems that includes the following documents and information in respect of each:

  • (a) accurate design calculations, technical drawings and design specifications, including evidence of the design approval by an authorized inspector;

  • (b) a list of the standards on which the design of the boiler or pressure system is based;

  • (c) the boiler or pressure system’s operating limits, including its pressure and temperature ratings;

  • (d) all documents and records required from the manufacturer under subsection (6);

  • (e) in respect of each inspection and test referred to in subsection (7) or (8), a record created and signed by the authorized inspector who conducted the inspection that includes

    • (i) the date of the inspection or test,

    • (ii) information that identifies the boiler or pressure system that was inspected or tested, as well as its location,

    • (iii) the range of safe pressure and temperature at which the boiler or pressure system may be operated,

    • (iv) a declaration by the authorized inspector who conducted the inspection or who conducted or directed the test as to whether the boiler or pressure system meets the standards that were applied in its design and manufacture,

    • (v) a declaration by the authorized inspector who conducted the inspection or who conducted or directed the test stating that the boiler or pressure system is fit for the purposes for which it is to be used,

    • (vi) any recommendations regarding the need for modifications to the maintenance program established under section 159, and

    • (vii) any other observation relevant to safety; and

  • (f) a description of each repair or modification made to the boiler or pressure system.

• Marginal note:Marking

  (13) The operator must ensure that a boiler or pressure system is marked with any information that is necessary for its safe installation and operation, including an identifier that permits reference to the documents and records referred to in subsection (6) and the information referred to in paragraphs (12)(e) and (f).

• Marginal note:Verification

  (14) The operator must ensure that all operating procedures developed in accordance with subsection (9) and the register referred to in subsection (12) are periodically verified by the certifying authority.

• Marginal note:Non-application

  (15) This section does not apply to any of the following:

  • (a) a heating boiler that has a heating surface of 3 m² or less;

  • (b) a pressure system that is installed for use at a pressure of one atmosphere of pressure or less;

  • (c) a pressure vessel that

    • (i) has a capacity of 40 L or less, or

    • (ii) has an internal diameter of

      • (A) 152 mm or less, or

      • (B) more than 152 mm but not more than 610 mm if the pressure vessel is used for the storage of hot water or is connected to a water pumping system containing compressed air that serves as a cushion;

  • (d) a refrigeration plant that has a refrigeration capacity of 18 kW or less; or

  • (e) a domestic water and plumbing system.

Marginal note:Mechanical equipment

• 136 (1) An operator must ensure that any mechanical equipment on an installation

  • (a) is designed, selected, located, installed, commissioned, protected, operated, inspected and maintained in accordance with the measures referred to in clauses 9(2)(b)(v)(E) and 10(2)(b)(v)(E) that are described in the operator’s safety plan and environmental protection plan, respectively; and

  • (b) can operate safely and reliably under all foreseeable operating conditions, taking into account the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Marginal note:Design

  (2) Mechanical equipment must be designed to eliminate hazards to safety or the environment in the following scenarios or, if that is not possible, to mitigate the risks posed by those hazards:

  • (a) loss of containment of hazardous substances;

  • (b) overspeeding and loss of restraint of machinery components with high kinetic energy;

  • (c) extreme surface temperatures of the mechanical equipment;

  • (d) movement of mobile components of the mechanical equipment;

  • (e) loss of control and integrity of the mechanical equipment;

  • (f) ignition of potentially explosive atmospheres in hazardous areas from sparks, flames or excessive heat; and

  • (g) escalation of accidental events.

• Marginal note:Controls and manual shut-off devices

  (3) The operator must ensure that controls and manual shut-off devices for mechanical equipment are in a protected and readily accessible location that permits safe operation when an accidental event occurs that renders the equipment inaccessible.

• Marginal note:Internal combustion engine — operating instructions

  (4) The operator must ensure that the basic operating instructions for an internal combustion engine provide details of stop, start and emergency procedures and are permanently attached to the engine.

• Marginal note:Turbines and internal combustion engines

  (5) The operator must ensure that turbines and internal combustion engines are

  • (a) equipped to prevent unintended ignition;

  • (b) installed so that

    • (i) their supply of combustion air is from a non-hazardous area, and

    • (ii) their exhaust is discharged to a non-hazardous area; and

  • (c) equipped with safety devices — including manual fuel shut-off devices and, unless it would increase safety or environmental risks, automatic fuel shut-off devices — to prevent major damage from overspeeding, high exhaust temperature, high cooling water temperature, low lubricating oil pressure or other foreseeable hazards that could impair the safety of operations.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (6) Despite paragraph (5)(c), turbines and internal combustion engines that are critical to emergency response, including emergency generators and fire pumps, need only be equipped with safety devices to prevent major damage from overspeeding.

• Marginal note:Operation of critical mechanical equipment

  (7) The operator must ensure that mechanical equipment that is critical to the safety or propulsion of a floating platform will continue to operate safely and reliably at its full rated power under the static and dynamic angles of inclination that are specified in the rules of the classification society that issued the certificate of class required under section 140.