While regulations like the Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) and SEMS II final rule have done a lot to improve safety on the Outer Continental Shelf, there are still challenges to be faced in the establishment of a true culture of safety, according to Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director Brian Salerno.
“If we really want safety, we have to do more,” Salerno said. “We have to foster a culture of safety among all involved in offshore operations so it becomes part of the way business is conducted. That, of course, is the underlying philosophy behind SEMS.”
During his keynote address at the recent Center for Offshore Safety Forum in Houston, Salerno explained SEMS will continue to evolve.
“I would like to drive toward a system whereby full disclosure of how a company handles safety problems would result in an increase in confidence by the regulator, confidence that comes from demonstrating the company acts quickly to correct problems and rewards workers for caring about safe operations,” Salerno said. “This would also require some corresponding adjustments in the way BSEE inspects and ensures compliance. I would like to incentivize good behavior, and so have asked my staff to see how this could be better put into practice.”
For the recent one-year anniversary of the SEMS II rule, BSEE completed a round of audits that led Salerno to say the agency needs to gain a deeper understanding of risk.
“Risk is certainly addressed in SEMS, but often in a job safety analysis, which focuses on preventing slips, trips and falls, or accidental pollution,” he said. “There are frustrations and opportunities with safety culture and as we move forward, I hope to get ideas from industry on how best to achieve common safety goals. In fact, we are making plans to host a risk forum in the near future, in conjunction with the Ocean Energy Safety Institute, to help formulate a way ahead.”
The BSEE director also addressed some technological aspects to safety and risk management, explaining he believes BSEE needs to become more “leading edge.”
“Understanding new technologies and their limits, as well as how people inter-act with them, is a constant and increasingly complex challenge,” Salerno said. “Your industry is incredibly innovative and always seeking ways to solve increasingly complex and difficult technical challenges. Regulators are always seeking to keep pace, but the pace is set by the industry.”
Salerno said industry talent is an essential ingredient for BSEE to build and retain its technological awareness.
“We offer training in technical and other skills, and we believe a satisfying work experience — albeit at salaries less competitive than within industry,” Salerno said. “Admittedly some of our employees do go on to industry. Which is a loss to us, but in many ways is beneficial to the industry, because when they do that, they bring with them an understanding of what the regulator is looking to accomplish. It de-mystifies the process.
“In like fashion, we are also interested in bringing into BSEE experts from industry who may have years of experience and technical know-how, who are not quite ready to retire and who are interested in ‘giving back.’”
BSEE is also working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to achieve greater consistency and clarity in how both agencies are working to implement and enforce offshore safety management systems. Salerno explained his agency and USCG signed a memorandum of agreement last year related to safety management systems.
“A lot of time and effort has gone into harmonizing our respective approaches to safety management, so they are at least compatible,” Salerno said. “Our commitment to you is we will continue to refine our approach, so you have clear goals. And as we tackle ongoing topics such as consistency between operators and contractors, our need for collaboration will only grow.”
For more information, visit www.bsee.gov or call (800) 200-4853.
