Mining support service businesses provide drilling, test-drilling, well services, site preparation, pumping and draining on a fee or contract basis for mining and petroleum operators. The extraction licence and the operator's safety case stay with the field or site operator — they are not your obligations. Your regime is health-and-safety-led: the general workplace duties, COSHH and DSEAR controls for hazardous and flammable substances, RIDDOR reporting, and — at the worksite — compliance with the offshore safety-case regime (petroleum support) or the Mines and Quarries Regulations (mining support).

This guide gives you the picture before you start: which regimes apply, which regulators enforce them and where to go for the detail.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA)

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 - primary UK workplace health and safety legislation establishing employer and employee duties. Pure data reference.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA 1974) is the primary legislation governing workplace health and safety in the United Kingdom. It establishes the legal framework for protecting the health, safety and welfare of people at work and those affected by work activities.

Legal status: Primary legislation - principal UK health and safety statute
Royal Assent: 31 July 1974
Came into force: 1 April 1975 (in stages)
Geographic scope: Great Britain (separate legislation applies in Northern Ireland)
Applies to: All employers, employees, self-employed persons, and those who control work premises
Primary duty (Section 2): Employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all employees
Duty to non-employees (Section 3): Employers must protect persons not in their employment (contractors, visitors, public) who may be affected by work activities
Employee duties (Sections 7-8): Employees must take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others, cooperate with employers, and not misuse safety equipment
Enforcement authority: Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and local authorities
Maximum penalties (post-2008 amendments): Unlimited fines in Crown Court; imprisonment up to 2 years for individuals; up to 6 months and/or £20,000 fine in Magistrates' Court
Referenced by regulators: Cited in 31 regulatory documents in the ORDS (Office for Regulatory Delivery and Simplification) dataset
Secondary regulations: Enables creation of health and safety regulations (e.g. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, COSHH, Manual Handling)

Reasonably practicable: The Act uses the term "so far as is reasonably practicable" throughout. This means employers must balance the level of risk against the time, trouble and cost of controlling it. However, the law is weighted in favour of health and safety - employers must demonstrate that control measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk before they can be considered not reasonably practicable.

Self-employed persons: The Act also places duties on self-employed persons to protect their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work activities.

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (legislation.gov.uk)

HSE - Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 guidance

What you need to do

Work through the guides below in order. The spine covers your workplace duties and employing people; the worksite compliance guide covers the site-specific regimes that apply where you work (offshore installations, mines, quarries); and the checklist lets you confirm you have covered everything.

1

Set up and run a safe mining support service

The universal spine. Follow this for your health and safety duties, COSHH and DSEAR controls for hazardous and flammable substances, work equipment, manual handling, fire safety, RIDDOR reporting, employers' liability insurance, equality and data protection.
2

Meet your worksite compliance duties

The site-specific regimes. Follow this for the offshore safety-case and well-construction duties (petroleum support) and the Mines and Quarries Regulations duties (mining support).
3

Confirm you have covered everything

Finish with the mining support service compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are met.

Your guides

Set up and run a safe mining support service — the universal spine
Meet your worksite compliance duties — the site-specific regimes
Mining support service: compliance checklist — confirm you have covered everything

Official sources

Authoritative starting points for mining support regulation.

Which mining support service regulations apply to your business

Environmental compliance for construction sites

Structural works compliance checklist

Film and TV production tax reliefs and regulation

Clinical governance and quality improvement

Excavation and foundation safety

What you need to do

Set up and run a safe mining support service

Meet your worksite compliance duties

Confirm you have covered everything

Your guides

Official sources

Related guides in Compliance & Legal

Environmental compliance for construction sites

Structural works compliance checklist

Film and TV production tax reliefs and regulation

Clinical governance and quality improvement

Excavation and foundation safety

What you need to do

Set up and run a safe mining support service

Meet your worksite compliance duties

Confirm you have covered everything

Your guides

Official sources