- News comes amid EU attempts to change safety rules. The UK government unit responsible for monitoring offshore safety has become increasingly active in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, according to international law firm Pinsent Masons. Energy specialists at the firm say that the number of inspections carried out by the Offshore Environmental Inspectorate (OEI), part of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, have increased by over 70% since 2007. Inspections are also on course to rise by around a third since the Gulf of Mexico spill.