Lloyd's Register launches consolidated Rules for Offshore Units

Lloyd’s Register has launched its new Rules for Offshore Units in one single document following an in-depth consultation with industry. It signals a move to modernise the way in which Rules and their guidance notes are presented to industry - and importantly, how they are used by designers and operators of offshore units.

“Our aim has been to take Class a step forward by providing an easy-to-use Rule set for our clients where content is straightforward to read, understand and apply,” said Richard Nott, VP of operations for Lloyd’s Register’s Compliance Services business.

“The challenge with any Rule set is to convey complex and technical requirements without extensive and unnecessary cross-referencing, ensuring that users are able to concentrate on the work in hand, rather than frequently having to refer to an extensive library of reference documentation. We have made improvements to better support industry in their decision-making with a new Rules set that provides complete transparency for the design, construction and lifetime maintenance of offshore units, enabling these assets to be classed efficiently and resulting in improved safety.”

The new Rule set sees the amalgamation of Lloyd’s Register’s Rules for Mobile Offshore Units (MOU) and the Rules for Floating Offshore Installations at a Fixed Location (FOIFL). For the first time, all floating offshore asset types are included in one document, which is available for download from www.lr.org/offshorerules.

“In addition to the consolidation of the MOU and FOIFL Rules, we have introduced topics that are new to the Rule set and include new technical content on naval architecture, fire protection, high-voltage electrical equipment, cryogenic spill and LNG offloading, among others.”