The American Petroleum Institute is in the process of setting up an offshore safety organization that will involve offshore companies, and will be based out of Houston. The organization will be called the Center for Offshore Safety, and membership will be open to all companies engaged in oil drilling and exploration in deep waters.
The American Petroleum Institute is basing the Center for Offshore Safety not only on similar such safety boards set up in other countries, but also on nuclear power safety boards in the US. For instance, the American Petroleum Institute has conducted a review of at least five other safety programs, including the British Step Change in Safety, the Institute for Nuclear Power Operations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Warranty Protection Program, and the Responsible Care Program of the US chemical industry.
According to the American Petroleum Institute, the board will analyze lessons from the safety boards which have been highly successful in preventing accidents in their respective fields and countries. The best practices that are devised from these safety boards will be adapted to the unique challenges of the offshore oil and gas filling industry. The board will also have independent auditing and reviews.
Apart from offshore workers and their families, few people would be as invested in offshore oil and gas drilling safety as maritime attorneys. However, we continue to be doubtful about whether a safety board that is set up under the auspices of the American Petroleum Institute will have the capacity to regulate the industry, and prevent repeats of accidents like the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
