This part is intended to promote workplace safety and health by establishing requirements relating to personnel, workplace activities and conditions, and equipment on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

(a) Each holder of a lease or permit under the Act shall ensure that all places of employment within the lease area or within the area covered by the permit on the OCS are maintained in compliance with workplace safety and health regulations of this part and, in addition, free from recognized hazards.

(b) Persons responsible for actual operations, including owners, operators, contractors, and subcontractors, shall ensure that those operations subject to their control are conducted in compliance with workplace safety and health regulations of this part and, in addition, free from recognized hazards.

(c) “Recognized hazards”, in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, means conditions which are—

(1) Generally known among persons in the affected industry as causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to persons exposed to those conditions; and

(2) Routinely controlled in the affected industry.

(a) Any person may report a possible violation of any regulation in this subchapter or any other hazardous or unsafe working condition on any unit engaged in OCS activities to an Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection.

(b) After reviewing the report and conducting any necessary investigation, the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection, notifies the owner or operator of any deficiency or hazard and initiates enforcement measures as the circumstances warrant.

(c) The identity of any person making a report under paragraph (a) of this section is not made available, without the permission of the reporting person, to anyone other than those officers and employees of the Department of Transportation who have a need for the record in the performance of their official duties.