BSEE announces near-miss hotline for offshore oil and gas operations

Houston – The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has launched a near-miss reporting system in an effort to improve the safety of offshore oil and gas operations.

Announced May 5 during the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, BSEE’s new SafeOCS initiative is a voluntary, confidential program designed to gather and analyze near-miss data. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics will analyze the statistics to search for safety trends and gain a better understanding of offshore risks.

The program has set up a phone line – (844) 738-9OCS – for Outer Continental Shelf workers, companies and others to report near misses. BSEE plans to launch an official website for the program in June.

Meanwhile, the agency also released its 2014 annual report. The document includes summaries, comparisons and trends in the industry, as well as an outline of ongoing strategies to reduce risks.

“Shared awareness of safety trends will better equip everyone to focus on the right things and thereby drive down the risk of serious incidents,” BSEE Director Brian Salerno said in a press release.