OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL 

U.S.DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

CARES Act Flash Report 

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s

Safety Inspection Program COVID-19 Response 

We reviewed the guidance BSEE 

developed to mitigate inspectors’

exposure to COVID -19, and we 

reached out to its regions, 

districts, and individual 

inspectors to see how they 

implemented the guidance. 

We found that BSEE: 

• Developed, communicated, and

updated COVID -19 guidance fo

all personnel involved with 

offshore inspections 

• Continued to complete its

required inspections

• Adapted its practices and

remotely witnessed operators’

blowout preventer tests by

accessing the operators ’

software systems

Number of BSEE Inspectors 

by Office 

r 

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s (BSEE’s) 

mission is to promote safety, protect the environment, and conserve 

resources offshore through vigorous regulatory oversight and 

enforcement. BSEE’s Safety Inspection Program assists in 

implementing BSEE’s mission by performing safety and environmental 

inspections of offshore oil and gas production operations. BSEE’s 

Inspectors typically travel via helicopter to inspect operations and 

equipment on offshore oil and gas production platforms, drilling rigs, 

and other facilities. Annually, BSEE conducts more than 20,000 

inspections at over 2,300 facilities. 

Given the importance of inspections to public safety and environmental 

protection, we reviewed the actions BSEE’s three regions—the Gulf of 

Mexico Region (GOMR), Pacific Region, and Alaska Region—have 

taken to protect its inspectors and offshore employees from COVID-19 

and evaluated any impacts the virus had on inspections BSEE conducted 

since March 2020. 

Results of Our Review 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, BSEE continued to fulfill its mission 

by performing safety and environmental inspections for offshore oil and 

gas operations. 

We found that BSEE implemented mitigating measures to protect its 

inspectors from the transmission of COVID-19 and that the virus did 

not impact BSEE’s ability to follow its annual inspection plan. We also 

noted that BSEE adapted its blowout preventer (BOP) test process to 

allow remote inspections to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. 

BSEE’s COVID-19 Mitigating Measures 

BSEE developed and implemented COVID-19 guidance to protect its 

inspectors from exposure to the virus and updated the guidance as more 

information became available. On March 20, 2020, BSEE issued initial 

guidance to all inspectors and continued to revise its guidance as 

necessary. Many of the district managers and supervisors told us they 

held regular meetings to keep the inspectors informed of any changes. 

CARES Act Flash Report • No. 2020-CR-047 • Issued September 21, 2020 1 

26

25

20

17

16

5

2

New Orleans

Houma

Lafayette

Lake Charles

Lake Jackson

Pacific

Alaska
 

 

Offshore Operators 

Committee COVID -19 

Personnel Screening Levels 

for Travel to Offshore 

Facilities Include: 

• Level 1: Questionnaire related

to Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention guidance

• Level 2: Individual body

temperature screening with

medical screening by a medical

professional if warranted

• Level 2+: Level 2 screening

plus self -monitored onshore

quarantine protocols 

• Level 3: Required COVID -19

test screening to detect the

virus and test for antibodies

• Level 3+: Level 3 screening

plus self -monitored onshore

quarantine protocols 

BSEE Communications 

Direct communication proved 

beneficial when an operator 

notified BSEE that one of its 

employees had a confirmed 

case of COVID -19. Within an 

hour, BSEE had identified and 

notified the two inspectors who 

were potentially exposed. Both 

BSEE inspectors were sent for 

COVID -19 tests and 

quarantined until the test 

results were returned; the two 

BSEE inspectors did not 

contract the virus. In another 

instance, an inspector told us 

that the operator had notified 

BSEE that there was a 

confirmed COVID -19 case while 

the inspectors were traveling to 

the offshore facility; BSEE 

contacted the pilot and directed 

them to return to shore. 

BSEE has implemented the following mitigating measures: 

• Inspectors and aircraft pilots complete a screening process.

• Certain operators request inspectors to be quarantined 7 to 14 days

prior to conducting an inspection.

• BSEE provided personal protective equipment (e.g., masks, gloves,

face shields) to inspectors.

• BSEE inspectors follow the procedures for the COVID-19

screening levels each operator has implemented at its facility (see

sidebar for the Offshore Operators Committee COVID-19 screening

levels).

In addition, BSEE informed us that officials work closely with operators 

to stay informed about any virus outbreaks that have occurred offshore. 

Specifically, BSEE’s GOMR implemented a documented process where 

BSEE officials contact each operator the day before and the day of 

every inspection to ensure that there were no reported COVID-19 cases. 

BSEE officials in the Pacific and the Alaska regions, likewise, told us 

that they regularly communicate with the operators about COVID-19 

cases. 

COVID-19 Impacts on Inspections 

According to BSEE officials, the virus did not impact BSEE’s ability to 

fulfill its mission. BSEE personnel told us that while inspections 

initially slowed down at the beginning of March because of COVID-19, 

no inspections were delayed beyond the annual statutory requirement,1

and the regions expect to complete their inspections as planned. BSEE 

conducted 3,581 inspections from March 1, 2020, through June 10, 2020 

(see Figure 1). 

Figure 1: BSEE Inspections Conducted from March 1, 2020, 

through June 10, 2020 

Region No. of Inspections 

Gulf of Mexico 3,519 

Pacific & Alaska* 62 

Total 3,581 

* Pacific and Alaska regions combined.

1 43 U.S.C. § 1348(c). 

CARES Act Flash Report • No. 2020-CR-047 • Issued September 21, 2020 2 
 

Drilling Rigs by Region 

0 

12 

21 

GOMR Pacific Alaska 

Production Platforms by 

Region 

BSEE Adapted Its Blowout Preventor Inspection Process 

BSEE inspectors informed us that they modified one of their annual 

inspection practices to perform it remotely rather than placing the 

inspectors and operators at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. 

Specifically, BSEE is required to annually witness operators’ BOP tests. 

The BOP is designed to prevent and mitigate loss of well control events 

during offshore drilling operations. As an important safety system, 

operators perform regular testing of the BOP to ensure it is functioning 

properly and that it meets the design requirements. 

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, BSEE inspectors would go offshore 

for multiple days to witness the operators’ BOP test and ensure that it 

met safety requirements. Because going offshore for multiple days could 

increase potential exposure to COVID-19, inspectors told us that they 

remotely witnessed operators’ BOP tests as a mitigating measure. The 

inspectors performing the virtual inspections have been remotely 

monitoring the BOP test by accessing the operators’ software testing 

systems and viewing the data in real time. 

We found that inspectors performed 17 remote BOP inspections since 

March 1, 2020. BSEE inspectors informed us that the typical in-person 

process involves observing the operators’ software testing systems and 

equipment during the test. We learned that most operators do not have 

the ability to remotely display the equipment in real time, and BSEE did 

not provide the inspectors with guidance on how to witness the BOP 

remotely. Because observing the equipment during the test has proven to 

be challenging, we recommend that BSEE determine what is practical 

and develop guidance for inspectors witnessing BOP tests remotely. As 

of July 15, 2020, BSEE officials told us that they were developing this 

guidance. 

Key Action: Considering the COVID-19 exposure risks for personnel 

conducting offshore inspections and the potential impact on safety, it is 

imperative that BSEE continue to update its COVID-19 guidance, work 

with operators to limit the risks to its inspectors, and finalize its guidance 

on conducting remote witnessing of operators’ BOP tests. 

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GOMR Pacific Alaska