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The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environment Enforcement (BSEE) have signed an interagency agreement to develop a confidential near-miss reporting system for use on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). BTS will maintain control of the individual confidential reports but will provide important trend analysis and statistical data to BSEE. The system will expand the ability of BSEE and industry to capture essential information about accident precursors and potential hazards associated with offshore operations.

The confidential near-miss reports will save lives, reduce injuries, and help prevent potentially devastating environmental events on the OCS. In addition, it will encourage learning and reporting within the offshore community, and foster a culture of transparency among BSEE, industry, and other stakeholders.

This approach will augment existing safety programs and be oriented towards gathering previously difficult-to-obtain information on safety incidents. The system will have voluntary reporting by both industry and federal personnel, and will ensure confidentiality for those individuals who report near misses. BTS will be responsible for developing and managing the reporting system, which is expected to be operational within a year.