This document establishes the principles, specifies the requirements and provides guidance for the development and implementation of an escape, evacuation and rescue (EER) plan. It is applicable to offshore installation design, construction, transportation, installation, offshore production/exploration drilling operation service life inspection/repair, decommissioning and removal activities related to petroleum and natural gas industries in the arctic and cold regions.

Reference to arctic and cold regions in this document is deemed to include both the Arctic and other locations characterized by low ambient temperatures and the presence or possibility of sea ice, icebergs, icing conditions, persistent snow cover and/or permafrost.

This document contains requirements for the design, operation, maintenance, and service-life inspection or repair of new installations and structures, and to modification of existing installations for operation in the offshore Arctic and cold regions, where ice can be present for at least a portion of the year. This includes offshore exploration, production and accommodation units utilized for such activities. To a limited extent, this document also addresses the vessels that support ER, if part of the overall EER plan.

While this document does not apply specifically to mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs, see ISO 19905‑1) many of the EER provisions contained herein are applicable to the assessment of such units in situations when the MODU is operated in arctic and cold regions.

The provisions of this document are intended to be used by stakeholders including designers, operators and duty holders. In some cases, floating platforms (as a type of offshore installations) can be classified as vessels (ships) by national law and the EER for these units are stipulated by international maritime law. However, many of the EER provisions contained in this document are applicable to such floating platforms.

This document applies to mechanical, process and electrical equipment or any specialized process equipment associated with offshore arctic and cold region operations that impacts the performance of the EER system. This includes periodic training and drills, EER system maintenance and precautionary down-manning as well as emergency situations.

EER associated with onshore arctic oil and gas facilities are not addressed in this document, except where relevant to an offshore development.