The operator is solely responsible for his installation, from creation to shutdown or transfer.

To this end, he must demonstrate that he is constantly complying with the technical operating requirements and not creating any irreversible situations in terms of safety or the environment. These obligations are mandatory :

• during the lifespan of his installation ;
• during its transfer ;
• at the end of his installation’s lifespan (rehabilitation obligation) ;
• after definitive shutdown (monitoring obligation if necessary).

The operator can delegate his responsibility or subcontract all or part of his activities to an external service provider but, in all cases, remains solely responsible for the running of his installation.

Therefore, he must implement, under his own responsibility, a monitoring policy with regard to his installation and the resources ensuring compliance with the general obligation of results applicable. As opposed to the on-site inspections and external monitoring carried out by the Inspectorate of classified installations, the policy implemented by the operator is generally referred to as self-monitoring.