Current priorities

The Offshore Division is responsible for regulating the risks to health and safety arising from work in the Offshore Industry on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). Our priority work is the major hazard work for which OSD operates a permissioning regime. Our core activities are:

• safety case assessment
• verification
• inspection
• investigation
• enforcement.

We also:

• produce guidance
• take part in research
• help to produce standards
• actively engage with Stakeholder groups

OSD's priority areas in 2009/10 continue from those identified in 2008/9. There are four critical areas of performance where the offshore industry needs to improve health and safety even further. We have developed supporting guidance to facilitate delivery of objectives in these areas. The priority areas are:

• Leadership
• Asset integrity
• Competence
• Safety culture

• Offshore Division Business Plan for 2009/10 [PDF 67KB]
• Offshore Division Business Plan for 2008/09 [PDF 98KB]

Leadership

Leadership is a key issue for all UK's major hazard industries. The report on the three-year installation integrity programme Key Programme 3 (KP3) [PDF 1.3mb] highlighted the role of senior management for the offshore industry.

Our objective is to see industry leaders demonstrate their commitment to health and safety and ensure the effective management and understanding of major accident risks and their control.

• Management of change

Asset integrity

Assets include structure, process plant and connected wells and pipelines. Our emphasis on the major hazard potential risks associated with poor asset integrity will continue for the foreseeable future. We are also concerned about the increasing ageing of the UKCS offshore infrastructure and the economic downturn. The downturn is also affecting decision making in the offshore industry. Improvements are needed to address the installation integrity problems and these must remain high on the industry's agenda.

This topic remains a critical concern and builds on issues of continuing priority for OSD. The findings of KP3 were published in November 2007. A review, at the request of the Minister, to see how industry is addressing the issues identified in the KP3 report.

• Key Programme 3 - Asset Integrity

Our objective is to see that assets have integrity through meeting design performance standards for effective control of risks. Management systems should effectively support those standards.

• External corrosion inspection project
• Verification inspection project

Competence

The very high level of activity worldwide of the oil/gas industry places great strains on companies that already have to cope with an ageing offshore industry population on the UKCS. Challenges include:

• competition for scarce trained resource
• the introduction of a new, younger generation to the offshore industry
• the greater use of non-UK nationals offshore on the UKCS

We will pay increasing attention to competence issues.

Our objective is to see effective competence assurance and the real-time management of competent workforces.

• Inspecting offshore dutyholders safety audit arrangements
• Contractor competence and dutyholder relationships

Safety culture

Safety culture remains at the heart of effective management of all risks offshore, including major accident hazard risks. We need to develop a culture that encourages offshore workers to become involved in managing their own health and safety. We have emphasised this strongly to the relevant trade unions.

Our objective is to see individual and corporate culture that ensures the right things are done, at the right time, all the time. The company and individuals all try to do the right thing and are actively involved in improving health and safety.