INQ189

In order to improve the effectiveness of National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA), with similar benefits for State or Territory regulators, attention should be given to the following actions.

To ensure that NOPSEMA is in a strong position to perform its functions effectively:
a) NOPSA (and NOPSEMA) should continue and strengthen ongoing, constructive engagement, directly and through their representatives, with the industry and the offshore workforce;

NOPSA should:
a) maintain effective policies and procedures that ensure that NOPSA inspectors and other decision makers interpret and apply the OPGGS legislation and NOPSA’s policies fairly and consistently in similar circumstances; and

In developing and improving its policies and practices for stakeholder engagement, NOPSA should ensure that:
a) they are underpinned by a clearly stated commitment to representative, tripartite and consultative engagement (this could be included in a service charter 5);

a) For the purposes of designing and implementing its regulatory activities, National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) should continue to identify priority hazards and risks and their underlying causes, in consultation with the NOPSA Advisory Board and stakeholders (see Theme 9, Stakeh

The review team recommend that:
a) NOPSA examine, in consultation with industry stakeholders, developing a program of workshops based on the safety case guidance notes, to provide further face to face information to operators about complying with safety case regulatory requirements;

The review team recommend that the safety case system be strengthened by including provisions for a design notification scheme along the lines of that under the British Offshore Safety Case Regulations.

The review team recommend that:
a) legislative action to resolve the issues of the interface between the OPGGS legislation and Commonwealth maritime laws should continue to be given priority attention; and

Equipping the regulator with a wider range of compliance tools under the legislation should continue to be a policy priority. The aim should be to enhance the regulator’s capacity to secure compliance in an appropriately graduated way.