The most recent edition of Underwater Magazine listed some of the highlights of this year's Underwater Intervention, including the keynote address from Tiburon Swansea's Tim Taylor. At the end of the day, however, a panel that took place at the same time a little off of the beaten path also managed to attract attention.
Although it wasn't held in the same hall as the convention itself or associated with it, a panel at the nearby Hyatt hotel provided some important discussion about issues that impact commercial diving professionals. Fisk Marine Insurance and JCRoat Subject Matter Services hosted the event.
Since the talk tackled Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and United States Coast Guard regulations, it was only fitting that we had members of each organization there: Dennis Farr, from USCG, and Robert Carroll, of BSEE.
Kyra Richter, member of the Divers Association Board, recapped the main points of the panel, including Safety and Environmental Management Systems, avoiding BSEE violations and the difference between diving regulations in the U.S. and the U.K.
"The talk tackled Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and United States Coast Guard regulations."
Regarding potential BSEE fines, John Roat of JCRoat emphasized the importance of consistency. As Richter noted, Roat outlined some key principles for surviving an audit.
"Currently, under the USCG, the supervisor holds all responsibility; but under BSEE regulation it is the operator's responsibility to follow regulations," Richter noted. "This means a company can be fined for non-compliance if the BSEE finds a violation." Preventing this includes taking full notation and, in Roat's words, making sure that operators "do what you say you do."
This February, the BSEE announced that it would gain $196,00 in funds under next year's proposed fiscal budget. According to a release from the organization, this contains $190 million specifically for oil spill research.
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