Editor’s note: Capt. Joshua Reynolds of the Coast Guard’s Outer Continental Shelf Office of Marine Inspection and Mr. Doug Morris of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced today during a joint session at the 2017 Offshore Technology Conference the publication of the inaugural Joint Activity Summary. The publication is shared here to keep our Maritime Commons subscribers informed of how the Coast Guard and BSEE work together to continuously improve our approach to consistent regulatory inspection and enforcement.
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From the Office of Operating & Environmental Standards (OES) and the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CVC)
The level of coordination between the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Coast Guard is substantial, resulting is numerous efficiencies. The two agencies have established protocols regarding joint inspections, shared resources, cross-training, better coordination of oil spill exercises and response equipment inspections, and communication of observations that fall under the other agency’s jurisdiction. Industry, particularly operators with a strong safety culture, benefit from these coordinated activities because the result is clearer lines of communication, clarity of areas of responsibility, and improved efficiencies, such as experiencing a single offshore inspection that checks for both BSEE and Coast Guard compliance.
During 2016, as joint activities of BSEE and the Coast Guard became more commonplace, it was apparent to both organizations that Outer Continental Shelf stakeholders would benefit from an annual summary of coordinated activities, and we are pleased to share with you the inaugural edition of our Joint Activity Summary. We believe that data sharing helps establish clarity with stakeholders and also provides industry with confidence that the federal government is continuously improving its approach to consistent regulatory inspection and enforcement. This is an important element in a broader strategy of both BSEE and the Coast Guard to advocate a constantly improving safety culture on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Topics covered in the Joint Activity Summary include:
- Highlights of joint activities, such as information sharing, exercises and response operations, inspections and investigations, and outreach and training
- Compliance collaborations, such as the Oil Spill Response Work Group
- Case studies of two operations that provide valuable lessons for Coast Guard and BSEE personnel
- Professional spotlights illuminating the dedication of BSEE and Coast Guard personnel to the safety of offshore oil and gas industry workers and their commitment to helping minimize the environmental impacts of OCS operations
The Joint Activity Summary can be found online.
This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.