This International 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 International 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 International 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 International 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 International 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 International 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.