NOSAC Meeting Highlights

Representatives from the Coast Guard, offshore oil and gas industries, recognized organizations and numerous industry associations attended the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee semi-annual public meeting in Houston, Texas Sept 11, 2018.

Rear Adm. John Nadeau, assistant commandant for prevention policy, attended the meeting and discussed with the Committee the new Coast Guard commandant’s strategic vision for the service as well as the reorganization within the Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance to put an increased emphasis on Third Party Organization oversight.

During the meeting, the Committee heard presentations and discussions on the progress of a variety of issues, including reports and recommendations stemming from the Subcommittees’ deliberations. The Committee will use this information and consider public comments in formulating recommendations to the United States Coast Guard.

Agenda items included:

• The Committee accepted a final report from the Subcommittee on Lessons Learned from the 2017 hurricane season. The 12 recommendations in the report focus on two key areas: (1) understanding communication expectations before, during, and immediately following a hurricane response, and (2) capitalizing fully on available resources for disaster mitigation and recovery.
• The Committee also received addendums to the Regulatory Reform Task Statement Final Reports presented at the spring 2018 public meeting. These addendums prioritized some of the recommendations the Committee had made in its four final reports that were accepted at the previous meeting in March 2018.
• The Committee stood up a new Subcommittee to examine the use of OSVs and other vessels to assist with restoration and recovery operations. The U.S. Coast Guard promulgated CVC Policy Letter 17-06 (CH-1), which expired January 2018, to temporarily address specific relief vessel requirements. This policy letter was predicated on the legal ability for a vessel to be endorsed for multi-service on the certificate of inspection. Also, the Eighth Coast Guard District Policy letter 09-2001, dated July 5, 2001, entitled Certification of Multi-Service Offshore Supply Vessels (OSV’s) provides guidance and a gap analysis for those vessels that wish to operate under different services and has been held as the standard for the industry. The Coast Guard is seeking NOSAC’s assistance with identifying areas that need to be addressed for a national-level compliance standard.
  The Committee received updates from the Office of Operating and Environmental Standards on the 2019 membership slate and the charter renewal efforts.

The next meeting of the Committee is scheduled for March 20, 2019 in New Orleans.

Source: U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Commons