In late 2017, the Department of the Interior began to revise and modify the existing safety regulations put in place by the Obama administration in 2010, following the Deepwater Horizon explosion that claimed 11 lives and injured 17.
Unfortunately, a few years after the Trump administration made changes to these rules, there has been an increase in offshore oil and gas accidents, according to the Center for American Progress (CAP).
CAP, an independent non-partisan policy institute, investigated the budget documents of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and collected data on the number of offshore injuries that occurred per hour in 2018 and 2019.
BSEE, a regulatory agency monitoring offshore drilling, was placed under the leadership of Scott Angelle in 2017. Angelle is a former secretary of The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and 2015 gubernatorial candidate. He has deep connections with the oil & gas drillers and was on the front line advocating for better offshore drilling safety measures during Obama’s era.
The decline in Number of Inspections and Enforcement Actions
The BSEE president claims the inspections have been on the rise under the Trump administration. However, the findings from the Center for American Progress say otherwise. The data established that the inspection trips to offshore oil and gas facilities declined by 13 percent between 2017 and 2019. When compared to the last three years (2014-2016), BSEE recorded almost 2,000 fewer visits. The data also reveals a 38 percent drop in enforcement actions against offshore operators.
21% Rise in Oil and Offshore Injuries
A CAP review shows the rate of offshore injuries on a declining slope between 2015 and 2017. However, that took a sharp turn after weakening oversight and reducing enforcement, with a significant change seen in 2018. The rate of injuries per 200,000 hours worked shot up by 21 percent in 2018 and 2019 compared to the period between 2016 and 2017.
Data used for the research on offshore injuries does not take into account the self-inflicted injuries or those resulting from illness and natural causes.
Even though 2019 had fewer injury cases compared to 2018, the injuries were more severe. The local media reports analyzed by The Times-Picayune indicate at least nine offshore workers died in 2019, which translates to 8 percent the number of those injured. Each year between 2014 and 2018, BSEE reported one fatality case. This means the offshore deaths in 2019 are more than fatality cases from the previous five years combined.
Consult a trusted Louisiana Offshore Accidents Lawyer
Regardless of how you interpret the data, it remains clear that working offshore comes with a host of risks. The move to relax the safety rules and reduce enforcement doesn’t look like it’s making the working environment safer. If you or some close to you has been injured or tragically killed while working offshore, call (504) 564-7342 to talk to Mike Mahone and request a free case evaluation. Mike is an experienced and respected offshore accident lawyer in Louisiana. He’s dedicated to helping victims understand their rights and seek the compensation they deserve.
