The Department of the Interior (DOI) today announced steps to ensure workplace safety on outer continental shelf (OCS) renewable energy facilities. The new policy, which will be published in the Federal Register on Oct. 18, clarifies that DOI will act as the principal federal agency for the regulation and enforcement of safety and health requirements for OCS renewable energy facilities.
“This policy statement is a major milestone in advancing the renewable energy program on the OCS,” said Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement Director Scott Angelle. “Further, it reinforces the department’s commitment to set high standards for a safe environment for renewable energy workers offshore.”
DOI will continue to collaborate with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Coast Guard to share relevant safety and training information and promote safety on the OCS.
“Ensuring the development of U.S. renewable energy resources helps solidify the Nation’s energy independence,” said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Acting Director Dr. Walter Cruickshank. “This vision can only be realized if safety and health requirements are priorities for future offshore wind development projects.”
To date, DOI has leased approximately 1.7 million acres in the OCS for offshore wind development and currently has 15 active leases in the Atlantic, from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras.
For more information and guidance related to the workplace health or safety of employees on renewable energy facilities on the OCS, visit BSEE’s webpage at https://www.bsee.gov/what-we-do/renewable-energy and BOEM at https://www.boem.gov/Regulatory-Framework/.
