[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 127 (Wednesday, July 2, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37837-37838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15455]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket Number DOT-OST-2014-0112]
Agency Information Collection Activity; Notice of Request for
Approval To Collect New Information: Voluntary Near Miss Reporting in
Oil and Gas Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), U.S.
Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of section 3506(c)(2)(A)
of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the
intention of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to request the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the following
information collection: Voluntary Near Miss Reporting in Oil and Gas
Operations on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This data collection
effort supports a multi-year program focused on improving safety in the
OCS by collecting and analyzing data and information on near misses and
other unsafe occurrences in all oil and gas operations on the OCS. In
August 2013, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)
and BTS signed an Interagency Agreement (IAA) to develop and implement
a voluntary program for confidential reporting of `near misses'
occurring on the OCS. BTS will analyze and aggregate information
provided under this program and publish reports that will provide BSEE,
the industry and all OCS stakeholders with essential information about
accident precursors and other hazards associated with OCS oil and gas
operations so that all stakeholders can use that information to reduce
safety and environmental hazards and continue building a more robust
OCS safety culture. This information collection is necessary to aid
BSEE, the oil and gas industry and other stakeholders in identifying
root causes of potentially unsafe events.
DATES: Written comments should be submitted by September 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once
into the docket, submit comments by only one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for sending your
comments electronically. Docket Number: DOT-OST-2014-0112.
Mail: Docket Services, U.S. Department of Transportation,
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building, Ground Floor, Room W12-140,
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: (202) 493-2251.
Identify all transmission with ``Docket Number DOT-OST-2014-0112'' at
the beginning of each page of the document.
Instructions: All comments must include the agency name and docket
number for this notice. Paper comments should be submitted in
duplicate. The DMF is open for examination and copying, at the above
address from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of
your written comments, please include a self-addressed, stamped
postcard with the following statement: ``Comments on Docket Number DOT-
OST-2014-0112.'' The Docket Clerk will date stamp the postcard prior to
returning it to you via the U.S. mail. Please note that all comments
received, including any personal information, will be posted and will
be publicly viewable, without change, at www.regulations.gov. You may
review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register
published on April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; pages 19477-78) or
you may review the Privacy Act Statement at www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Demetra V. Collia, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of
Advanced Studies, RTS-31, E324-302, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC 20590-0001; Phone No. (202) 366-1610; Fax No. (202) 366-
3383; email: [email protected]. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Data Confidentiality Provisions: The confidentiality of near miss
data submitted to BTS is protected under the BTS confidentiality
statute (49 U.S.C. Sec. 6307) and the Confidential Information
Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2002 (Pub. L.
107-347, Title V). In accordance with these confidentiality statutes,
only statistical and non-identifying data will be made publicly
available by BTS through its reports. BTS will not release to BSEE or
any other public or private entity any information that might reveal
the identity of individuals or organizations mentioned in near miss
reports without explicit consent of the respondent and any other
affected entities.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. The Data Collection
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35; as
amended) and 5 CFR part 1320 require each Federal agency to obtain OMB
approval to initiate an information collection activity. BTS is seeking
OMB approval for the following BTS information collection activity:
Title: Voluntary Near Miss Reporting in Oil and Gas Operations on
the Outer Continental Shelf
OMB Control Number: TBD.
Type of Review: Approval of data collection.
Respondents: Employees working in the oil and gas industry on the
OCS.
Number of Potential Responses: Based on near miss reporting trends
in other industries, BTS expects to receive no more than two responses
per calendar day during the first three years of the program
(approximately 730 responses per year).
Estimated Time per Response: not to exceed 60 minutes (this
includes estimated time for a follow up interview, if needed.)
[[Page 37838]]
Frequency: Intermittent for three years. (Reports are submitted
when there is a qualifying event, i.e., when a near miss occurs in oil
and gas operations on the OCS.)
Total Annual Burden: 730 hours.
Abstract: Collecting transportation safety data, including data on
precursors to adverse events, is an important component of BTS's
responsibility to the transportation community and is authorized in
BTS' authorizing statute (49 U.S.C. 6302). To that end, BTS has entered
into an IAA with BSEE to establish and operate a voluntary,
confidential near miss data collection program. In 2013, the National
Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill recommended, among
other things, that BSEE develop a system for reporting near miss events
in oil and gas operations on the OCS. BSEE evaluated various near miss
reporting systems that have proven successful in improving safety in
major industries (such as commercial airlines, railroads, and
firefighting programs) and identified BTS as an agency with experience
in developing and operating such systems to improve safety.
It is estimated that the time for an individual respondent to
complete a near miss report and, if needed, participate in a brief
confidential interview will be no more than 60 minutes for a maximum
total burden of 730 hours (730 reports*60 minutes/60 = 720 hours).
Reports may be voluntarily submitted to BTS when there is a qualifying
event, i.e., when a near miss occurs in oil and gas operations on the
OCS. Potential respondents include employees of OCS oil and gas lessees
and operators and their contractors. It should be noted that not all of
the potential respondents will submit information at any given time and
some may submit multiple times.
II. Background
Under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), 43 U.S.C.
1331-1356a, the Secretary of the Interior (the Secretary) is authorized
to regulate oil and natural gas exploration, development, and
production operations on the OCS. The Secretary has assigned BSEE the
responsibility for offshore safety and environmental enforcement under
OCSLA (see 76 FR 64432, Oct. 18, 2011). The BSEE promotes safety,
protects the environment, and conserves offshore oil and gas resources
through regulatory oversight and enforcement, research activities,
public outreach, information sharing, and appropriate cooperation with
industry and other OCS stakeholders. BSEE's goals include building and
maintaining a culture of safety and risk reduction on the OCS.
In 2013, the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil
Spill recommended, among other things, that BSEE develop a system for
near miss reporting for oil and gas operations on the OCS. BSEE has
decided to implement that recommendation through a system of voluntary
reporting of near miss information. BSEE has also decided to encourage
participation in that system by ensuring the confidentiality of such
reports, including the reporter's identities (if provided) and other
identifying information.
BSEE evaluated various near miss reporting systems that have proven
successful in improving safety in major industries (such as commercial
airlines, railroads, and firefighting programs) and identified BTS as
an agency with experience in developing and operating such systems, on
a confidential basis, to improve safety. In August 2013, BSEE and BTS
signed an IAA to develop and implement a voluntary program for
confidential reporting of `near misses' occurring on the Outer
Continental Shelf (OCS).
The goal of the voluntary near miss reporting system is to provide
BTS with essential information about accident precursors and other
hazards associated with OCS oil and gas operations. BTS will develop
and publish aggregate reports that BSEE, the industry and all OCS
stakeholders can use--in conjunction with incident reports and other
sources of information--to reduce safety and environmental risks and
continue building a more robust OCS safety culture.
A near miss is an event and/or condition that could have resulted
in loss, or had the potential for additional safety, environmental or
other consequences, but did not result in an adverse event. This
adverse event was prevented only by a fortuitous break in the chain of
events and/or conditions. The potential loss could be human injury,
environmental damage, or negative business impact. Knowledge about a
near miss presents an opportunity to address unsafe work conditions,
prevent accidents, and improve safety and environmental protection in
the workplace. Near miss systems in other industry sectors have shown
that voluntary reporting of near misses to a confidential system can
become a tool to identify safety issues and help prevent accidents by
providing a cooperative, non-punitive environment to communicate safety
concerns.
BTS will: Collect near miss reports voluntarily submitted by
employees and other respondents working on the OCS; conduct follow-up
interviews as needed, develop an analytical database using the reported
data and other pertinent information; conduct statistical analyses and
develop public reports; and protect the confidentiality of the near
miss reports in accordance with BTS' own statute and CIPSEA.
Accordingly, only statistical and non-sensitive information will be
made available through BTS' publications and reports. Those
publications and reports will potentially provide the industry, BSEE,
other OCS stakeholders, and the public with valuable information
regarding precursors to safety risks and contribute to research and
development of intervention programs aimed at preventing accidents and
fatalities in the OCS.
Respondents who report a near miss event will be asked to fill out
a report and participate in a brief, confidential interview for further
clarification, as needed. Respondents will have the option to mail or
submit the report electronically to BTS. Respondents will be asked to
provide information such as: (1) Name and contact information
(optional); (2) time and location of the event; (3) a short description
of the event; (4) contributing factors to the reported near miss; and
(5) any other information that might be useful in determining a root
cause of such event.
Some of the information collected through this voluntary initiative
will also help inform the continuing effort to work with oil and gas
companies and other entities that already collect offshore near miss
data.
III. Request for Public Comment
BTS requests comments on any aspects of this information collection
request, including: (1) The accuracy of the estimated burden of 730
hours detailed in Section I; (2) ways to enhance the quality,
usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (3) ways to
minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of the
information collected, including additional use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
Patricia Hu,
Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Research and Technology.
[FR Doc. 2014-15455 Filed 7-1-14; 8:45 am]
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