Offshore Division (OSD) is responsible for regulating the risks to health and safety arising from work in the offshore oil and gas 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:
We also:
In 2011/12 in addition to continuing with our core activities, OSD’s strategy is to develop intervention projects and key programmes arising from a wide range of industry intelligence.
The industry has set a tough challenge in proposing a target of 50% reduction on the 2009/10 total of hydrocarbon releases (HCRs) over the next two years with a target for end year 2012/2013 in the region of the mid forties. We will continue to support this industry objective and for our part will investigate releases in accordance with our revised procedure. We want to encourage a greater focus on identification of root cause for such releases and ensure industry as a whole shares and learns lessons to help in minimising future similar releases.
OSD’s inspection programme of ageing and life extension, known as KP4, was launched to the offshore industry in July 2010. KP4 will run to December 2013 and involves both onshore and offshore inspection of dutyholders’ management systems.
The programme will determine the extent to which asset integrity risks associated with ageing and life extension are being managed effectively by dutyholders, and will place emphasis on the development and promotion of good practice in the industry to ensure continued safety.
The verification scheme as applied to well control equipment is one of the key aspects of the UKCS regulatory regime that would aid in preventing an incident like Deepwater Horizon. HSE confirmed to the recent DECC select committee enquiry into deepwater drilling in the UKCS that we will undertake a focused inspection programme to gauge compliance with regulation 19 of the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 2005.
A formal review of the UK’s offshore oil and gas regulatory approach is to be carried out. The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) is leading the offshore regulatory review and HSE will contribute to the health and safety aspects of this work. The Maritime and coastguard Agency (MCA) will also contribute to the review on oil spill response aspects. The review will be overseen by a review board chaired by an independent member, comprising senior representatives from DECC, HSE, MCA and independent member(s). The review will be undertaken and managed by a Review Manager from DECC and a joint DECC/HSE/MCA review team.
High level findings of the review will be completed during summer 2011 making recommendations, or where issues are complex and information incomplete, proposing where further work is necessary.
A key theme of the HSE strategy is to motivate others in the health and safety system to address their responsibilities in a common sense and proportionate manner and contribute to improving health and safety performance.
In 2010/11 OSD undertook a pilot exercise on leadership interventions with dutyholder Managing Directors. OSD has undertaken four interventions in this exercise to date. OSD will be continuing its leadership interventions with dutyholder managing directors building on the successful pilot interventions from 2010 -11.
During 2010/11 HSE undertook an inspection programme of work to check industry compliance with the provision of SI971 (Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989). The progress report has now been published.
The OIAC Workforce Involvement Group, of which OSD is a member and chairs, is continuing to work with partners to develop an additional training matrix for safety representatives to include examples of good practice. The intention is to seek the Step Change Leadership Team support in the promotion of use of the training matrix as industry wide best practice. In addition to this the OIAC/WIG intends to host two further workforce events in 2011/12. Details will be available via the WIG website.
There are a number of Inspection Programmes aimed at creating healthier, safer workplaces offshore, and include Food and Water, Noise, and Accommodation issues.
OSD works with a wide range of stakeholders as a means of driving forward improvement in health and safety within the UKCS, and as a global concern. We participate in various forums and working groups on an international and European front and are actively involved in various forums such as the International Regulators Forum (IRF), the North Sea Offshore Authorities Forum (NSOAF), and bilateral meetings with our counterparts in major producing neighbours, including the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority, the State Supervision of Mines the Netherlands and the Danish Energy Agency.
Key partnership working arrangements during 2011/12 include:
Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC): In addition to working with DECC and MCA on the formal review of the UK’s offshore oil and gas regulatory approach we are also working more closely with DECC in sharing common regulatory information.
Offshore Industry Advisory Committee (OIAC): a tripartite committee and includes members representing employers, employees, unions, trade associations and government departments. The head of OSD, Steve Walker, continues to chair this Committee.
Step Change in Safety: Step Change aims to deliver major improvements in the whole industry’s safety performance. Through cross-industry partnerships, it endeavours to improve health and safety performance in the industry. OSD continues to work with Step Change as a member of the Step change Leadership Team and on many of the working groups.
Other Offshore Regulators: Our objective is to exchange our intelligence and share approaches to help consistency of regulatory approach and sharing of best practice, not only from a European perspective but on a global front.
Offshore publications
Research reports
Offshore statistics