WorkSafe enforces the following legislation in our work with the geothermal industry.

These Acts are:

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015(external link)

Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996(external link)

Industry specific requirements are set out in the following regulations

The overriding responsibility is to comply with the duties set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act. Industry specific regulations cover only some of the circumstances where harm may occur. It will often be necessary to take further steps than just meeting the regulations.

Health and Safety at Work (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2017

The rules around managing hazardous substances that affect human health and safety in the workplace, including mining, petroleum and geothermal workplaces, have been transferred from HSNO to the Hazardous Substances Regulations(external link)  under HSWA. The rules and duties to mitigate risks posed by hazardous substances now sit under:

• HSNO for non-work, public health and environmental risks; and specific requirements on importers and manufacturers of hazardous substances.

• HSWA (including the Hazardous Substances Regulations) for work risks.

Health and Safety in Employment Regulations 1995

The HSE regulations(external link) apply to all workplaces, including mining, petroleum and geothermal workplaces. They set out some duties additional to those in the Act, including:

• Facilities required for the safety and health of employees;
• Precautions to be taken with some particular hazards

Geothermal

Geothermal Energy Regulations 1961(external link)

Health and Safety in Employment (Pipelines) Regulations 1999(external link)

Health and Safety in Employment (Pressure Equipment, Cranes and Passenger Ropeways) Regulations 1999.(external link)