Welcome to the SafeOCS Confidential Reporting System
In August 2013, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) signed an Interagency Agreement (IAA) to develop and implement SafeOCS, as a voluntary program for confidential reporting of 'near misses' occurring on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Subsequently, SafeOCS was expanded to develop an industry-wide data repository for equipment failure data as referenced in recently issued BSEE regulations at 30 CFR 250.730 and 30 CFR 250.803.
This safety program collects and analyzes reports of equipment failure and near-miss events on the OCS. Currently, SafeOCS has two components:
- Mandatory reporting of equipment failure data, as required by 30 CFR 250.730 and 30 CFR 250.803.
- Voluntary reporting of near-miss incidents occurring on the OCS.
Whether you are an employee, operator, or employer in the offshore oil and gas industry, your participation is vital.
Help us keep the OCS safe! If you observe a near-miss, report it. Reporting is easy, confidential, and essential to preventing similar events from recurring. Safety begins with you!
SafeOCS Confidential Reporting System
The SafeOCS Confidential Reporting System collects and analyzes data to advance safety in oil and gas operations on the OCS. Developed under the joint auspices of BSEE and BTS, SafeOCS will expand the ability of BTS, BSEE, and the offshore oil and gas industry to capture essential information about accident precursors and potential hazards associated with offshore operations, including risks related to pipeline safety and transport in offshore.
This new safety program collects and analyzes reports of equipment failure and near-miss events on the OCS. Currently, SafeOCS has
two components:
- Mandatory well control equipment failure reporting, as required by the BSEE Well Control Rule at 30 CFR 250.730
(c).
Well control equipment failure reporting will enable BSEE, the industry, and all stakeholders to gain information on leading and lagging indicators of these equipment failures, identify trends in those failures, and use that information to prevent incidents.
BSEE is providing operators with the option of reporting information directly to the SafeOCS reporting system. Companies are encouraged to use SafeOCS to confidentially report information about these failures.
- Voluntary reporting of near-miss events by employees and operators/companies.
A near-miss is an incident or condition that could have resulted in human loss or injury, environmental damage, or asset/monetary loss, but did not. Information about near-misses can be viewed as opportunities to improve safety practices.
Any employee working in offshore oil and gas operations on the OCS can report.
Reporting to SafeOCS will save lives, reduce injuries, and help prevent potentially serious safety and environmental accidents on the OCS. In addition, it will increase the awareness and encourage the reporting of safety issues in offshore operations and foster a culture of transparency within the offshore community among BSEE, industry, and other stakeholders.
- Your identity and report are confidential and protected by law.*
- BTS will maintain control of the individual confidential reports.
- Trends and other important findings identified from statistical analyses of equipment failure data and near-miss reports will be published in annual reports at www.safeOCS.gov.
- When statistically significant results are indicative of critical emerging issues those findings will be published in Special Topic reports. The reports will be shared with the industry and other stakeholders for the development of countermeasures and strategies to improve safety and reduce risk in oil and gas operations on the OCS.
Well Control Equipment Failure
(Click here for instructions for filling out the form)
1. Click here to report equipment failure online (Recommended Method), or
2. Download and complete the WCR Equipment Failure Form in an Excel file (click to download). Then, submit the completed form to SafeOCS in the following ways:
- Upload it online here, or
- Fax it to:
SafeOCS
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
(202) 366-9898 (fax) - Mail it to:
SafeOCS
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
P.O. Box 23295
Washington, DC 20026-3295
Safety and Pollution Prevention Equipment (SPPE) Failure Reporting
1. Click here to report equipment failure online (Recommended Method), or
2. Download and complete the SPPE failure form in a Word file (click to download). Then, submit the completed form to SafeOCS in the following ways:
- Upload it online here, or
- Fax it to:
SafeOCS
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
(202) 366-9898 (fax) - Mail it to:
SafeOCS
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
P.O. Box 23295
Washington, DC 20026-3295
1-844-OCS-FRST
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
P.O. Box 23295
Washington, DC 20026-3295
- Employees
- Companies
- What is the SafeOCS
Program?
SafeOCS is a voluntary, confidential reporting program that collects and analyzes information about near-misses. SafeOCS then utilizes this information to identify industry-wide safety trends for advancing safety in oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Near-miss reports are voluntary and confidential and can be submitted by all offshore workers at all levels. The identity of the reporters is protected by Federal law and cannot be released.
- What is a near-miss?
A "near-miss" is any unsafe condition(s) or event(s), or combination thereof that could have resulted in human injury, environmental damage, or negative business impact.
- Why do we need the
SafeOCS Program?
Currently, private companies operating oil and gas facilities offshore utilize their own proprietary near-miss safety programs. However, SafeOCS collects and analyzes data about near-misses in offshore oil and gas operations and make industry-wide patterns, trends, other safety related information accessible to all companies in the industry. In addition, because this information is reported voluntarily and thereafter kept strictly confidential, this type of program leads to the collection of new information and the development of new safety decisions and measures to reduce events. This near-miss data is vital in identifying opportunities and innovative solutions for improved operational safety, security, health, and environmental protection.
- What is in it for
me, an offshore worker?
Your report is the first step toward safety. SafeOCS gives offshore workers or any witness a confidential way to report events or conditions in confidence that could have led to an accident or loss—near misses. These reports can help prevent near-misses from becoming real incidents in the future. Your name—and your company’s— are protected by law. If you have concerns about reporting a near-miss in a secure environment while offshore, you have the option to report online or by phone when you’re off the facility and onshore.
- How can I be sure my
identity will be protected?
SafeOCS operates under a Federal law, the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA), which requires that the program, under strict criminal and civil penalties for noncompliance, protect your identity and treat your report confidentially. Information voluntarily submitted under this statute also is protected from release to other government agencies, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and subpoena. Even the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) cannot have access to your identity or your report. In addition, the information from individual records cannot be used for enforcement purposes. Information voluntarily submitted to the program by companies or other organizations under CIPSEA will also be subject to CIPSEA protections.
- How will the
near-miss reports be used?
Once identifying information has been removed, the near-miss reports will be reviewed by SafeOCS staff and subject matter oil and gas experts, working as agents for SafeOCS under CIPSEA regulations. Individuals who report near-misses also will have the opportunity, on a voluntary basis, to participate in a confidential follow up interview with these subject matter experts. If and only if a reporter has indicated that he/she may be contacted for additional information, an interview may be conducted to collect details about the event. Based on its review of individual and aggregated near-miss reports, SafeOCS will make its own analytical reports publicly available periodically for use in identifying innovations to improve safety. Understanding near-misses is essential to reducing risks and hazards in the offshore workplace.
- Who can report?
Anyone can report a near miss. The system is targeted for employees working in offshore oil and gas operations on the OCS. However, any employee can report, whether a line employee or a supervisor. Individual companies are encouraged to submit near-miss data as well.
- How will I be able
to submit a near-miss report?
Reporting is easy.
- You can file a near-miss report online at https://safeocs.gov/, or
- You can send a paper report to:
SafeOCS
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
P.O. Box 23295
Washington, DC 20026-3295
- Or call us 1-844-OCS-FRST (1-844-627-3778) for assistance.
- Is there a time
limit on how soon a near-miss should be reported?
There is no limit on how soon a near-miss should be reported from the time when it happened. However, you are encouraged to report it as soon as possible. Timely reporting is crucial for assuring the quality of the information and data collected about a near-miss event.
- What opportunities
will I have to participate in the development of the SafeOCS
Program?
SafeOCS is sincerely committed to continually improving the near-miss reporting system. A feedback button is available online to provide comments and input on the system (near- miss.bts.gov).
- When will SafeOCS
become active?
Individual reporting will begin soon. For details on the date please check safeocs.gov or 1-844-OCS-FRST (1-844-627-3778).
- What is the SafeOCS
Program?
SafeOCS is a voluntary, confidential near-miss reporting program that collects and analyzes information about near-misses to identify industry-wide safety issues and trends that can be used by all stakeholders to advance the safety of oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
- Why has BSEE
initiated SafeOCS?
In order to effectively identify, analyze, and address the current and future safety and environmental risks of OCS oil and gas operations, both industry and government need information about conditions and events associated with everyday activities on offshore facilities that could cause or contribute to negative consequences to personnel, the environment, or property. This information will help us identify current safety issues and emerging trends that we can use to reduce the potential risk of future adverse events. By closing a gap in risk management, SafeOCS will reduce major events, loss of life, injury, property, and negative impacts on the environment. Other industries, such as the aviation industry, have realized the benefits of improved safety through sharing near-miss information industry-wide. These programs have led to increased operational safety and protection of the environment. So the information is helpful to all and harmful to none.
- How will the system
operate?
BSEE has entered into an Interagency Agreement with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to develop and operate the system. As a statistical agency, BTS has considerable data collection and analysis expertise and the statutory authority to protect the confidentiality of the reported information and the reporters. BTS has also developed and operated confidential near-miss reporting systems for the railroad and metro transit industries. BTS will collect and analyze near-miss reports submitted by individuals, companies, and others involved in OCS activities. Working with subject matter experts, BTS will aggregate and further analyze these reports to identify causal factors and trends. The results of these aggregated analyses will be distributed by BTS through public reports.
- How does BTS ensure
confidentiality of those who submit near-miss reports?
BTS will operate SafeOCS under the Confidential Information Protection Efficiency Act (CIPSEA). Under CIPSEA, it is a Class E felony, punishable by up to $250,000 in fines and up to 5 years in jail, for BTS or its agents to release identifiable data confidentially submitted in reports by individuals, companies or other entities. BTS has very strict protocols in place for collecting and protecting such data.
- Will BSEE use
SafeOCS for enforcement or other regulatory activities?
No, the express purpose of the near-miss reporting system is to provide information that can be used to improve safety and environmental protection and support reducing risk offshore. And, BSEE will not have access to and cannot use SafeOCS reports for regulatory enforcement action. Under CIPSEA, BTS is required to ensure the individual reporter or reporting entity remains anonymous, even to BSEE. The data published in the public reports will be aggregated and no information will be published unless it is sufficiently masked in order to protect the individuals, companies, and other entities who submit near-miss reports. BSEE will receive the aggregated analyses at the same time that BTS releases them in public reports.
- Will there be
specific recommendations identified in the published reports
for industry to act on?
BTS’s involvement will end after the aggregated trends report is published. BSEE and BTS are working on a framework with industry involvement on how to best identify recommendations and potential actions resulting from SafeOCS public reports.
- Is SafeOCS
duplicative of other near-miss reporting programs operated by
companies or other industry groups?
No, near-miss programs operated by individual companies are generally not shared across the industry. Furthermore, near-miss information collected by industry groups is often limited in scope to a specific industry sector or to the industry group membership. Information from these near-miss reporting systems may offer a rich source of safety information that, if shared, could significantly enhance risk management for OCS activities. The goal of SafeOCS is to help develop the widest possible universe of near-miss information from all segments of OCS operations and make it available to industry, government, and the public. It will complement other near-miss efforts and add to the combined knowledge that will make the OCS a safer place to work and operate.
- How does SafeOCS
relate to my SEMS Subchapter S requirements?
BSEE’s SEMS rules require facility management to investigate those events that have the potential for serious safety or environmental consequences. The SEMS regulation leaves the determination of what issues to investigate to the discretion of facility management. It also does not capture near-misses that are not reported to facility management. And the results of individual company investigations typically would not be shared with the rest of the OCS industry or workforce. SafeOCS will complement the SEMS requirement: it will cover a broader universe of near-miss events from an OCS-wide perspective; the results will be shared with all stakeholders and the general public, and it will add to the body of information that will make the OCS a safer place to work and operate.
- How can immediate
threats be addressed if industry must wait for BTS to have
sufficient data to publish aggregated information?
The aggregated published reports will allow the public to see trends that appear across the industry. However, companies should keep conducting their own company-wide near-miss reporting. SafeOCS will provide supplemental information and identify trends.
- What if both an
individual employee and a company report on the same event?
The data review process includes confidential interviews for individuals who submit near-miss reports so that subject matter experts can validate data and get additional details, if needed. The interviews are completely voluntary. To avoid duplication, using advanced data matching and data mining techniques, BTS will consolidate information from employee reports and company reports on the same event.
- When will BTS make
the SafeOCS active?
Individual reporting will begin soon. For details on the date please check safeocs.gov or 1-844-OCS-FRST (1-844-627-3778). BTS will work with companies and appropriate organizations to encourage meaningful company reporting through SafeOCS.
- How can companies
submit near-miss data to BTS?
Companies interested in participating in the SafeOCS program can do so by entering into a Cooperative Agreement with BTS. BTS will issue a confidential access code unique to each company that can be used to transfer company near-miss data to the BTS secure, near-miss data system. A template cooperative agreement can be found on safeocs.gov website. The Point of Contact is Demetra.Collia@dot.gov at (202) 366-1610.
- How can I
participate in SafeOCS?
We strongly encourage all companies to take full advantage of the positive benefits that are to be gained by sharing company near-miss information and by joining BSEE and BTS in the efforts to encourage individuals to report the near-misses that they observe. BSEE and BTS are actively working with individual companies and industry groups to identify the best tools and procedures that will provide appropriate support to companies that are willing to share their near-miss or other safety information for the benefit of all. As part of this effort, BSEE and BTS are currently working with the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) to host an industry-wide summit on the sharing of Exploration and Production safety data. BSEE will encourage and seek to incentivize company near-miss reporting through the BTS program.
Click here to report a safety event online (Recommended Method)
For additional information, call the
confidential
toll-free line:
1-844-OCS-FRST (1-844-627-3778)