This standard specifies requirements and provides recommendations and guidance for the design, construction, transportation, installation, and removal of offshore structures, related to the activities of the petroleum and natural gas industries in arctic and cold regions. Reference to arctic and cold regions in this standard is deemed to include both the arctic and other cold regions that are subject to similar sea ice, iceberg, and icing conditions. The objective of this standard is to ensure that offshore structures in arctic and cold regions provide an appropriate level of reliability with respect to personnel safety, environmental protection, and asset value to the owner, to the industry, and to society in general.

This standard does not contain requirements for the operation, maintenance, service-life inspection, or repair of arctic and cold region offshore structures, except where the design strategy imposes specific requirements (e.g. 17.2.2).

While this standard does not apply specifically to mobile offshore drilling units (see ISO 19905 1), the procedures relating to ice actions and ice management contained herein are applicable to the assessment of such units.

This standard does not apply to mechanical, process, and electrical equipment or any specialized process equipment associated with arctic and cold region offshore operations except in so far as it is necessary for the structure to sustain safely the actions imposed by the installation, housing, and operation of such equipment.