Enforcement Policy
Offshore oil and gas exploration is one of the most capital and human resource intensive industries. Significant health and safety (H&S) risks are associated with working in offshore oil and gas fields. Dermatitis, inhalation of hazardous substances, mental and physical health, isolation, injury, and loss of life and common H&S risks associated to offshore operations. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is the federal regulatory body that regulates offshore oil and gas operations for health, safety, and environmental protection. Safety and Environmental Management System (SEMS) program is the fundamental regulatory framework that is implemented by BSEE. The SEMS regulation has outlined many regulatory requirements related to H&S of employees and safe operations in offshore oil and gas industry. BSEE is also vested with enforcement authority within a broad framework that allows the regulator to issue non-compliance notices to operators, initiate probationary and disqualification procedures, and impose civil penalties. The paper briefly explains relevant issues of SEMS program.
Introduction
The U.S. meets significant portion of its energy demand from oil and gas reserves situated at Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and Pacific. There are high stakes involved in oil and gas industry, both financially and strategically. Major risks are faced by those directly working at offshore exploration sites of gas and oil sites. Health and safety of workers at rigs, well-heads, and key operational sites remain challenging task for exploration companies and regulatory bodies. The remoteness of sites where these employees work is a significant barrier to providing an assisted backup medical and safety service. The locational barriers arise from exploration wells being areas such as deep-water locations ranging from Arctic to tropical weather conditions. Many hazards such as physical, chemical hazards, ergonomic hazards, and psychological hazards pose serious threat to health of employees working at off-shore oil and gas exploration sites. International Labor Organization (ILO) identified these hazards some 20 years ago and since then, employers along with state and federal governments are expected to minimize and mitigate health-safety risks in the sector. Various chemical hazards include exposure to hydrogen sulphide, wielding fumes, acids, and chemical coatings. Mechanical hazards involve exposure to heavy machinery in off-shore sites. Physical hazards are those related to thermal extremes. Psychological health hazards are those that emancipate from working in isolation and for long hours (Gardner, 2003).
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), formed in 2011 after the fateful incident of death of 11 workers at April 20, 2010 in Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) at Deep water Horizon. This resulted in oil spill at Macondo well managed by British Petroleum (BP) in the Gulf of Mexico. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) were formed after devolving BOEMRE. Regulations and enforcement policies and programs are devised and implemented by BSEE. Lately, there has been much criticism over BSEE's role in minimizing the role of Coast Guard (CG) and Organization of Health and Safety (OHSA) to monitor and regulate offshore oil and gas industry compliance with health safety requirements of employees. The major field in which BSEE is expected to ensure compliance and initiate enforcement proceedings is the Safety and Environmental Management System (SEMS). In order to mitigate health and safety risks associated with offshore oil and gas exploration activities, SEMS program is an industry-wide process safety standard to address the issue. It was initially developed by oil and gas exploration industry as Safety and Environment Management Program (SEMP) in 1993, also published by American Petroleum Association (API) in 2004 under the same title. Following is an overview and requirements of the program.
Health risks
Several health risks have been long identified and associated with the working condition at offshore sites of oil and gas reserves. Inhalation risks arising from hazardous substances are the most obviously reported incidents of health risks. Dermatitis is also another major health risk posed to the personnel working in the wells and at rigs of oil and gas fields. Due to the nature of structures established at oil fields...
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