Skip to main content

§ 53 Establishment of safety zones for subsea facilities

The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion can establish safety zones around and above subsea facilities with the exception of pipelines and cables.
Section last changed: 17 June 2016

Establishment of safety zones for subsea facilities presumes that the Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion makes an administrative decision. Such a decision can be prompted by an application from an operator, but this is not a condition for exercise of authority according to this section.
The provision does not cover pipelines and cables as, according to regular international law, safety zones are not permitted around objects international law does not define as facilities. Reference is also made to the Guidelines regarding Section 52.
However, a pipeline system can also include riser platforms. In this connection, they shall be considered independent facilities, which require a safety zone according to the basic rule in Section 52, first subsection.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion can establish a temporary safety zone in connection with placement of a subsea facility.
Key aspects of the assessment of whether a safety zone shall be created or not, will e.g. include safety-related considerations, such as the facility's construction, water depth, navigation conditions and the scope and type of other activities in the relevant area, as well as financial assessments.