1/2/25 - SafeOCS Newsroom Item
SafeOCS Releases Updated Offshore Well Control Equipment Failure Reporting Form and GuidanceAs part of its responsibility to continually improve the quality, efficiency, and value of the safety data it collects, the SafeOCS program has released an updated form and accompanying guidance documents used for required reporting of well control equipment (WCE) failure events in the oil and gas industry operating on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
The form update improves the accuracy and completeness of reported data, reduces the time needed to complete the form, and supports deeper understanding of WCE events and supporting ongoing efforts to improve safety in offshore operations. The revised form incorporates valuable feedback from industry stakeholders and incorporates the latest safety best practices.
Specific form updates include clarifying field titles, including mutually exclusive choices, clarifying potentially confusing terminology, and reducing the use of free text fields by providing additional dropdown choices. In addition, SafeOCS has streamlined form functions by regrouping fields into sections that emphasize equipment details and removing unnecessary fields.
Along with an updated form, SafeOCS has revised associated guidance documents to further clarify instructions for operators about how to accurately and efficiently report WCE events using the online system.
SafeOCS is sponsored by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and independently administered by Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ (BTS) Precursor Safety Data Analysis Program.
BSEE requires all oil and gas operators on the OCS to report failures of WCE under 30 CFR § 250.730(c) of BSEE's Well Control Rule. Under the rule, operators must submit WCE failure reports directly to BTS as BSEE's designee under regulations for collecting WCE failure data and reports. Operators must also follow the failure reporting procedures contained in API Standard 53 (incorporated by reference in 30 CFR § 250.198).
BTS operates the SafeOCS reporting system, including the online reporting form. As an independent federal statistical agency, BTS has the authority and obligation under the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act and the agency's authorizing statute to protect the confidentiality of your data, including but not limited to company information, personally identifiable information, and sensitive or proprietary information. By submitting to BTS, your data are protected from release to the public, BSEE, and other non-CIPSEA federal agencies.
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