[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 150 (Friday, August 5, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19127]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 5, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service

30 CFR Part 250

RIN 1010-AB99

 

Training of Lessee and Contractor Employees Engaged in Oil and 
Gas and Sulphur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service, Interior.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Minerals Management Service (MMS) intends to revise 
regulations governing the training of lessee and contractor employees 
engaged in drilling, well-completion, well-workover, well-servicing, or 
production operations in the OCS. Current requirements may restrict the 
ability of companies to use new technology and innovative programs to 
meet the needs of a changing industry. The revisions will attempt to 
provide more flexibility to companies and provide them with the ability 
to better integrate their training program into their overall 
operations.

DATES: Comments should be received or postmarked by September 19, 1994 
to be considered for this rulemaking.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand-carry comments to the Department of the 
Interior; Minerals Management Service; Mail Stop 4700; 381 Elden 
Street; Herndon, Virginia 22070-4817; Attention: Chief, Engineering and 
Standards Branch.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jerry Richard, Information and Training Branch, telephone (703) 787-
1582 or FAX (703) 787-1575.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3 of the OCS Lands Act establishes 
that operations in the Outer Continental Shelf should be conducted in a 
safe manner by well-trained personnel using technology, precautions, 
and techniques sufficient to prevent or minimize the likelihood of 
blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, physical obstruction 
to other users of the waters or subsoil and seabed, or other 
occurrences which may cause damage to the environment or to property, 
or endanger life or health. (43 U.S.C. 1332)
    The MMS implements this authority largely through the establishment 
and enforcement of the regulations in 30 CFR part 250, Subpart O, 
Training. These regulations require that lessees and contractors 
properly train employees engaged in drilling, well-completion, well-
workover, well servicing, or production operations in the OCS. Current 
training requirements include the proper operation of equipment, 
operating procedures, and techniques to avoid hazards to people, 
property, and the environment.
    This training takes place at MMS approved training schools. To 
obtain MMS approval, training schools submit all training programs to 
MMS for approval. The MMS reviews the program for compliance with 
requirements of the regulations and conducts an onscene review of a 
class and training equipment. Based on the findings, MMS either 
certifies that the school meets MMS requirements or informs the 
training company of the deficiencies. Once a school is approved, MMS 
conducts unannounced audits of classes to ensure that the schools 
continue to comply with the regulations.
    Workers must successfully complete an approved course in the 
appropriate area (e.g., drilling well control) and then must repeat the 
basic course or an advanced course once every 4 years. Additionally, 
drilling, well-completion, well-workover, and well-servicing workers 
must successfully complete a well control refresher course each year 
between the required basic courses. Production workers must 
successfully complete a refresher course 2 years after completion of 
the basic course.
    The existing regulations at 30 CFR part 250, Subpart O, Training, 
determine the content and set the length of courses. These are either 
basic, advanced, or refresher courses in drilling, well completion, 
well workover, well servicing, or production safety systems. Drilling, 
well-completion, and well-workover courses include an option for 
surface or subsea operations. Well servicing is a term used to refer to 
coil tubing, small tubing, and snubbing operations. Courses may address 
one of the well-servicing areas, a combination of two of the areas, or 
all three areas.
    Although MMS has never done so, the existing regulations allow MMS 
to test workers at the worksite or trainees at the training facility to 
evaluate the effectiveness of the approved training programs.
    The MMS established minimum requirements for training of drilling 
operation workers in December 1977. For production operation workers, 
MMS established fewer minimum requirements leaving more latitude to the 
training companies to determine what a training course would include 
and how often courses would be repeated.
    Some production companies developed training programs for 
production workers that provided training at a level equivalent to that 
mandated for drilling. Other production companies developed minimal 
courses and did not require their workers to repeat training on a 
periodic basis. In January 1991, MMS expanded the training provisions 
to establish requirements for well-completion, well-workover, well-
servicing, and production operation workers which were similar to 
requirements for drilling operation workers.
    The current system ensures that minimum standards are met by all 
workers in the OCS and requires submittal of training courses from 
schools to MMS for review and approval. The MMS reviews plans and 
attends one of the courses to ensure that the course properly 
implements the submitted plan. While the system has provided for the 
training of offshore workers, it may also limit the flexibility 
available to lessees and contractors and their ability to integrate 
their training requirements into their overall safety program.
    The MMS is seeking ways to ensure that lessees and contractors 
continue to properly train offshore workers, while reducing paperwork 
and providing more flexibility. This notice is the first step in that 
process. To help generate comments, MMS has identified five approaches 
to modifications of the regulations--listed below as options 1 through 
5. Questions follow each option to solicit specific information. These 
options and questions are intended to provide a basis for comments and 
are not intended to limit ideas. In addition to comments on the five 
options and answers to questions, interested parties are encouraged to 
submit other approaches which will meet the needs of MMS and of lessees 
and contractors, other ideas, and any available information to support 
the ideas.
    Option 1. The MMS is aware of other training standards based solely 
on testing. Under Option 1, MMS would eliminate its current system of 
school certification in favor of a more performance-based system and 
measure the performance of the school through testing of students. The 
system could either provide for testing by schools, testing by an 
independent third party, or testing by MMS.
    1. If approach 1 is used, how can MMS measure the performance of a 
school? Are written tests and hands-on testing conducted at a facility 
the best way to measure performance of schools?
    2. If MMS-developed tests are used to determine performance, should 
tests be prepared by MMS and administered either by schools or by an 
independent third party, or should the tests be developed and 
administered by MMS?
    3. Are there aspects of training that need to be included but 
cannot be adequately tested?
    Option 2. As with option 1, MMS would eliminate its current system 
of school certification in favor of a more performance-based system. 
This would require MMS to assess the ability of a worker to safely 
perform in the OCS. This option might include testing of personnel at 
an offshore location (including use of a simulator) or the use of 
drills with MMS personnel observing the actions of workers during these 
drills. If deficiencies are found, MMS would require lessees and 
contractors to determine the changes needed to provide for safety in 
the OCS. Changes may include more training, better training, better 
simulators and training facilities, or different operational conditions 
that better match the training to the operation. Identifying 
deficiencies in a given school would then be the responsibility of the 
lessees and contractors.
    4. What methods should MMS use to assess the effectiveness of the 
training that has been received by offshore personnel?
    5. Is testing at the worksite practical? Is it a good measure of 
the effectiveness of training? Should individuals or teams be tested?
    6. If MMS specialists are used to observe operations and to 
determine the need for further training of personnel, can the process 
be sufficiently objective to be fair to lessees and contractors?
    Option 3. Under option 3, MMS would retain the current training 
system--i.e., submission of programs to MMS for review and approval and 
onsite review of programs by MMS personnel--but would modify 
requirements, where possible, to replace prescriptive requirements with 
performance requirements. In other words, standards would attempt to 
specify the performance that was necessary rather than specifying 
detailed requirements for courses. If MMS chooses this option, lessees, 
operators, and training institutions need to identify possible changes 
to the current regulations.
    7. What specific changes should MMS make to current training 
regulations contained in 30 CFR part 250, Subpart O, Training?
    8. Individualized or self-paced training programs allow each worker 
to learn at his or her own pace and allows training to be customized to 
meet a worker's specific need. The availability of computers and the 
rapid development of interactive computer technology may make 
individualized, self-paced training more effective. Since responding to 
emergencies during drilling or other operations is a team effort, 
interaction between personnel has always been an important aspect of 
training and drills. Does individualized training impede the ability of 
a worker to learn to work as a member of a team? Should MMS allow the 
use of individualized training (such as in an interactive computer 
format) as a means of complying with these training requirements, and 
if so, how should MMS ensure that workers are properly trained in 
working as a team member?
    Option 4. Under option 4, an independent third party would certify 
training institutions using MMS standards or standards established by 
other organizations. The third party could establish a program for the 
United States, or it could establish an international program. Workers 
who completed a training course at a school approved by the third party 
would be considered to be properly trained for work in the OCS. The MMS 
would review the standards established to ensure the system established 
properly addressed areas of concern to MMS.
    9. Should a single independent third party be the only group that 
could certify training schools or should MMS establish a system that 
allows other groups to establish alternative training certification 
programs?
    10. Under current training requirements, courses cover MMS 
regulations as part of the required curriculum. Will having courses 
approved on a broader basis make it impractical to ensure that workers 
are adequately trained in MMS regulations governing OCS operations?
    Opton 5. Option 5 is intended to be used in combination with one of 
the other options and would provide that any lessee or operator, on a 
case-by-case basis, could develop and document a training program and 
petition MMS to be exempt from MMS requirements. Option 5 would take 
advantage of the fact that many companies are developing safety and 
environmental management plans. The objective of a safety and 
environmental management program is to reduce the risk of accidents and 
pollution from OCS operations by incorporating safety management 
practices into facility management and procedures. A safety and 
environmental management program could describe the syllabus and 
responsibilities of a company's training program and provide the means 
for ensuring compliance with MMS regulations. If MMS approved the 
company's program, MMS would use that program as a standard and would 
require that the company follow its own program.
    11. If MMS allows companies to develop their own training program, 
how will MMS monitor performance?
    12. If MMS allows companies to develop their own training program, 
would problems occur if a worker transfers from one company to another?
    The MMS seeks responses to the questions and an assessment of which 
option is considered to be the most effective and efficient. After 
analyzing the comments received from this notice, MMS will determine 
the need for a public workshop to further exchange ideas. The MMS 
encourages all interested parties to respond to these questions and to 
provide comments on the various options.

    Dated: July 22, 1994.
Nancy K. Hayes,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Land and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 94-19127 Filed 8-4-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MR-M