The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) is seeking input from the public as it updates safety rules for helicopters, helidecks and aviation fuel safety on fixed offshore facilities.
Last year the Centers for Disease Control said transportation to and from work sites was the leading cause of death for offshore oil and gas workers between 2003 and 2010. Forty-nine people died in 17 incidents involving helicopters during that time. BSEE received nearly 100 incident reports related to helicopters, helidecks and fuel on fixed facilities in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean from 1998 to mid-2014.
BSEE is considering whether to require or modify certain industry standards related to design, construction and maintenance of helidecks and aviation fuel safety or create new rules. BSEE also said it could require offshore facility owners to develop individual aviation-related safety plans in lieu of requiring compliance with specific standards.
BSEE is the lead authority for helideck and aviation fuel storage safety on fixed offshore facilities. Helideck and fuel safety on floating offshore facilities fall under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard.
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