Page 37: of Marine News Magazine (November 2013)

OUTLOOK : BSEE, USCG TO COLLABORATE ON SAFETY U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Joseph Servidio said in June that his agency and BSEE are committed to working across boundaries toward a shared goal of keeping offshore workers safe. In June, the USCG and BSEE signed a joint memorandum regulating mobile offshore drilling units and said they?ll collaborate on similar projects in the future. At Fleet Operators, worker safety will remain the top priority, Barousse said. Throughout the Gulf, however, vessel operators have scrambled to adjust to BSEE?s new rules, while also acknowledging that the deadly Macondo explosion and other accidents in the Gulf of Mexico have justi ed tighter regulations. Regulatory oversight will only increase, going forward. To its credit, the commercial ma- rine industry got on board early in the game. Those that did should have no trouble meeting new, tighter regulatory requirements. Conversely, those that did not are not neces- sarily going to like ?the new normal.? Susan Buchanan is a New Orleans-based business writer, specializing in energy, maritime matters, agriculture, the environment and construction. She holds a master?s degree from Cornell University in agricultural economics and an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. www.marinelink.com MN November2013 Layout 32-49.indd 37MN November2013 Layout 32-49.indd 3710/29/2013 10:18:42 AM10/29/2013 10:18:42 AM