BSEE’s Risk‐Based Inspection (RBI) Program is intended to supplement the current annual inspection program; by focusing on higher‐risk facilities and operations, BSEE can more efficiently and effectively manage inspection resources. The RBI Program will use a systematic approach, employing both a quantitative risk model as well as subjective performance and risk related intelligence information, to identify higher‐risk facilities on which to focus inspections and resources.
Once the target facilities are identified, focused inspections, audits, or hybrid reviews concentrating on the identified risk characteristics (i.e., focused, risk based inspections) will be conducted by BSEE. Overall, the objective and scope of the RBI Program is to assist the bureau to possibly develop inspection tasks and techniques to enhance its focus on offshore oil and gas facilities that exhibit a number of distinguishing risk factors; to minimize redundant inspection efforts and cost; to shift from a reactive to a proactive oversight regime; and to implement a risk management tool.
BSEE’s RBI Program consists of two components: (1) Facility Based Risk Inspections (FBRI) and (2) Performance Based Risk Inspections (PBRI). The FBRI currently focuses on low probability, high consequence items at a unique production facility. BSEE conducts a review of facility specific data (Incidents of Noncompliance [INC], Incidents, production, distance to shore, number of components, etc.) and develops a unique protocol to reduce the likelihood of events and compliance issues at the specific facility. This process looks beyond regulations, and it is a very specialized protocol for the specific risk identified at the facility. The PBRI focuses on reducing the likelihood of events and compliance issues on the entire Outer Continental Shelf. BSEE specialists review key performance indicators, such as incident and INC data, to identify any trends that warrant the attention of focused inspections, e.g., gas releases, lifting incidents, compressor fires, etc. The PBRI is very narrow in focus and covers multiple facilities, multiple operators, and multiple districts in a two to three day window.
Click here to view BSEE's May 2019 RBI Program Assessment Report.