Notice2026-08119
Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Oil and Gas Industry Safety Data Program
Primary source
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Published
April 27, 2026
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentTransportation Statistics Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, BTS announces its plan to submit the information collection request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its review and approval and invites public comment. BTS is requesting approval to renew an existing ICR 2138-0048, Industry Safety Data Program. The Oil and Gas Industry Safety Data (ISD) program is a component of BTS' SafeOCS data sharing framework, which provides a trusted, proactive means for the offshore oil and gas industry to report sensitive and proprietary safety information and to identify early warnings of potential safety issues not previously exposed from analysis of reportable accidents and incidents. The program is sponsored by the Department of the Interior and operated independently by BTS. Companies participating in the ISD program voluntarily submit safety data; there is no regulatory requirement to submit such data. The renewal of this ICR will enable BTS to continue collecting voluntary reports of near misses and other safety information, enabling analyses that provide the industry and other stakeholders with valuable information regarding precursors to safety risks and that contribute to research and development of intervention programs aimed at preventing accidents and fatalities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 80 (Monday, April 27, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 80 (Monday, April 27, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22573-22574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-08119]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2026-1783]
Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of a Previously
Approved Information Collection: Oil and Gas Industry Safety Data
Program
AGENCY: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: 60-Day notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, BTS
announces its plan to submit the information collection request (ICR)
described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for its
review and approval and invites public comment. BTS is requesting
approval to renew an existing ICR 2138-0048, Industry Safety Data
Program. The Oil and Gas Industry Safety Data (ISD) program is a
component of BTS' SafeOCS data sharing framework, which provides a
trusted, proactive means for the offshore oil and gas industry to
report sensitive and proprietary safety information and to identify
early warnings of potential safety issues not previously exposed from
analysis of reportable accidents and incidents. The program is
sponsored by the Department of the Interior and operated independently
by BTS. Companies participating in the ISD program voluntarily submit
safety data; there is no regulatory requirement to submit such data.
The renewal of this ICR will enable BTS to continue collecting
voluntary reports of near misses and other safety information, enabling
analyses that provide the industry and other stakeholders with valuable
information regarding precursors to safety risks and that contribute to
research and development of intervention programs aimed at preventing
accidents and fatalities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted until June 26,
2026.
ADDRESSES: To ensure that your comments are not entered more than once
into the docket, submit comments by only one of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> and follow the instructions for sending your
comments electronically. Docket Number: [DOT-OST-2026-1783].
<bullet> Mail: Dockets Operations; U.S. Department of
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, 5th Floor,
Room W58-213, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
<bullet> Hand Delivery: Deliver to mail address above between 9
a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and
docket number. Note that all comments received will be posted without
change to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, including any personal
information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or
comments received, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, and follow the
online instructions for accessing the docket, or go to the street
address listed above.
Privacy Act: In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits
comments from the public to better inform its
[[Page 22574]]
rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, including
any personal information the commenter provides, to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, as described in the system of records notice (DOT/
ALL-14 FDMS), which can be reviewed at <a href="http://www.dot.gov/privacy">www.dot.gov/privacy</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Fischman, Bureau of
Transportation Statistics, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Research and Technology, USDOT, RTS-35, E36-302, 1200 New Jersey Avenue
SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cdaca1a1a4bea2a3e3aba4beaea5a0aca38da9a2b9e3aaa2bb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d0b1bcbcb9a3bfbefeb6b9a3b3b8bdb1be90b4bfa4feb7bfa6">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The objective of the ISD program is to
increase data sharing to augment the offshore oil and gas industry's
capability to identify safety risks and address them before an accident
occurs. The ISD program includes a broad range of safety data and
information from offshore oil and gas operators, including near-miss
events and observations of unsafe conditions or actions, as well as
incidents that result in safety consequences with potential learning
value. BTS administers the ISD program and provides the repository for
the data, analyzes and aggregates information given under this program,
and publishes aggregated information on potential causal factors and
trends or patterns.
Title: Oil and Gas Industry Safety Data (ISD) Program.
OMB Control Number: 2138-0048.
Type of Review: Renewal of information collection.
Respondents: Oil and gas industry companies involved in
exploration, development, and production operations on the Outer
Continental Shelf.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 60.
Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
Frequency: Quarterly.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 240 hours.
Abstract: The Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency Act (CIPSEA) of 2018, codified at 44 U.S.C. 3561-3583, can
provide strong confidentiality protection for information acquired for
statistical purposes under a pledge of confidentiality. CIPSEA guidance
from the Office of Management and Budget advises that a non-statistical
agency or unit that wishes to acquire information with CIPSEA
protection may consider entering into an agreement with a Federal
statistical agency or unit. BTS and the Department of the Interior have
determined that it is in the public interest to collect and process ISD
reports and any other data necessary to administer the ISD program
under a pledge of confidentiality for statistical purposes only.
Working with subject matter experts, BTS aggregates and further
analyzes these reports to identify potential causal factors and trends.
All data reviewers are subject to nondisclosure requirements and
training mandated by CIPSEA. The results of these aggregated analyses
are distributed by BTS through public reports and data products.
Periodic industry workshops may be scheduled by BTS, the industry, or
the Department of the Interior to discuss the data analysis and trend
results, as well as share ideas and process improvements for preventing
recurrence.
Background: The ISD program is a voluntary confidential reporting
program that collects and analyzes data to advance safety in oil and
gas operations on the OCS. The program was developed under a
partnership between the Department of the Interior and BTS in
collaboration with the oil and gas industry, with the aim of improving
the capture and sharing of essential information about accident
precursors and other hazards associated with OCS oil and gas
operations.
A related goal of the ISD program is to provide a mechanism whereby
participating companies can submit safety data in whatever format they
currently use, to reduce burden on the company. To realize the optimum
benefits from an industrywide framework, all organizations associated
with offshore oil and gas exploration and production activities (e.g.,
operators, contractors, original equipment manufacturers, critical
service providers) are encouraged to submit data voluntarily.
Respondents submit safety data files by uploading them to a secure
portal at <a href="http://www.SafeOCS.gov">www.SafeOCS.gov</a> or by secure file transfer protocol. Data
submitted includes a broad range of safety data and information from
offshore oil and gas operators, including near-miss events and
observations of unsafe conditions or actions, as well as incidents that
result in safety consequences with potential learning value.
BTS conducted an ISD program pilot and shared results with the
public in a report released in 2019. Subsequently, BTS worked with
participating companies to develop a public data dashboard showing
potential causal factors and trends, as well as participant data
products allowing companies to benchmark performance against
industrywide totals, segmented by operational characteristics. BTS is
currently exploring the application of advanced data science
techniques, including large language models and AI-informed analysis
within a secure analytical environment, to advance the mission of
SafeOCS in areas such as improved identification and communication of
hazards associated with high-risk, complex operations; drawing unique
insights regarding safety trends and potential hazards; and enhanced
understanding of causal and contributing factors to safety incidents.
Data Confidentiality Provisions: This data collection provides
parties in the oil and gas industry a trusted means to report sensitive
or proprietary information related to safety and fosters trust in the
confidential collection, handling, and storage of the raw data.
SafeOCS, including the ISD program, operates under CIPSEA, which
requires BTS to protect the identity of the reporter and treat reports
confidentially. BTS also protects the confidentiality of submitted ISD
information under the BTS confidentiality statute (49 U.S.C. 6307(b)).
Using BTS as the data steward for the ISD program is designed to
promote the sharing of safety data and information while protecting
sensitive identifying information. Data protected under CIPSEA may be
used only for statistical purposes. This provision means that BTS can
publish only summary statistics and data analysis results; incident
microdata collected by SafeOCS may not be shared or used for any
nonstatistical purpose, including any administrative, regulatory, law
enforcement, adjudicative, or other purpose. Information submitted to
BTS under this statute is protected from release to other government
agencies, including the Department of the Interior, and from Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) requests.
Public Comments Invited: You are asked to comment on any aspect of
this information collection, including: (1) ways to enhance the
quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (2)
ways to minimize the collection burden without reducing the quality of
the information collected.
Allison Fischman,
Director, Office of Safety Data and Analysis, Bureau of Transportation
Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2026-08119 Filed 4-24-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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