Safety Alert 357 - Reporting Unsafe Work Conditions

SAFETY ALERT Safety Alert No. 357 Contact: Jason Mathews July 1, 2019 Phone: (504) 731-1496

Required Posting of Signs regarding the Reporting of Unsafe Work Conditions

Sign that fulfills requirement of 30 CFR 250.1933

During recent inspections, BSEE personnel identified multiple signs required by 30 CFR 250.1933(b) that were either non-existent or contained inaccurate information.

30 CFR 250.1933(b) details the posting requirements for the reporting information specified in 30 CFR 250.193(e)(2). In accordance with these regulations, all facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf must have a notice at the place of employment in a visible location frequently visited by personnel that contains the following information:

To report hazardous or unsafe working conditions or a possible violation contact BSEE by:

• Phone at 1-877-440-0173 (BSEE Toll-free Safety Hotline), • Internet at https://www.bsee.gov/resources-tools/incident-reporting, or • Mail to: U.S. DOI/BSEE, 1849 C Street NW., Mail Stop 5438, Washington, DC 20240 Attention: IRU (SIID) Hotline Operations

In some instances, BSEE identified signs that prioritized operator or contractor contact information over BSEE. Although these signs meet the minimum requirements of the regulation, they do not accurately convey the intent of the regulation, because they can be construed as influencing personnel in favor of contacting the operator or contractor. The BSEE contact information is the primary avenue for reporting unsafe working conditions.

Therefore, BSEE recommends that operators consider the following:

• Verify all “Reporting of Unsafe Work Conditions” signs on offshore facilities are in compliance with 30 CFR 250.1933 and located in a visible location frequently visited by personnel;

• Ensure all information on notices is accurate per 30 CFR 250.193. To assist personnel with internet access, BSEE suggests you post the longer version of the pertinent internet location, https://www.bsee.gov/resources-tools/incident-reporting;

• Clearly distinguish BSEE contact information from the contact information provided by an operator representative or its independent third party;

• Notify all personnel of procedures to report unsafe working conditions in accordance with 30 CFR 250.193; and,

• Encourage personnel to sign up for BSEE!Safe to receive Safety Alert and Bulletins directly via text message. To sign up, personnel should visit: https://www.bsee.gov/bseesafe.

-- BSEE--

A Safety Alert is a tool used by BSEE to inform the offshore oil and gas industry of the circumstances surrounding a potential safety issue. It also contains recommendations that could assist avoiding potential incidents on the Outer Continental Shelf.