BSEE launches pilot program for offshore oil safety

Washington – The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has initiated a pilot program in an effort to improve safety at offshore oil and gas operations.

BSEE’s Risk-Based Inspection Program will use data from audits and annual inspections to identify offshore facilities that possess a greater risk profile. Considerations such as the size of a facility and the production of hydrogen sulfide also will factor into the risk profile.

Agency officials said the pilot program would accompany – not replace – existing inspections and audits of offshore facilities. BSEE has produced a number of safety alerts aimed at the offshore oil and gas industry.

“By focusing on facilities based upon their risk factors, BSEE can more efficiently and effectively manage limited inspection and audit resources,” BSEE Director Brian Salerno said in a press release. “Risk factors include design, operating and environmental characteristics of the facility, which may correlate to a greater likelihood of experiencing an incident. However, it does not mean that the facility has a bad safety record or is a poor safety performer, only that certain risk factors are present that must be managed.”