Regulatory Assistance and Liaison
Experience with regulations from OSHA, EPA , US Coast Guard, MMA
and DOT Pipeline
- Practical interpretations and application of regulatory requirements
- Compliance assessments and audits
- Preparation of required documentation systems
- Training in managing compliance reviews
- Consultation during the progress of compliance inspections
- Assistance with legal challenges including service as expert
witness.
US Coast Guard compliance
Risk Reliability and Safety Engineering provides assistance
with US Coast Guard regulations pertaining to vessel inspection
and certification, facility and terminal operations and offshore oil
and gas exploration
and production. These include design and equipment requirements
as well as environmental protection and security measures.
US Coast Guard
Compliance
The US Coast Guard manages a myriad of regulations that
impact nearly all vessels and waterfront facilities in
commercial service. These
regulations are supplemented by extensive internal and
external guidance in the form of Navigation and Vessel
Inspection Circulars (NVICs), the
Marine Safety Manual, Marine Technical Notes and other
letters and policies. The professionals at RRS Engineering
are familiar with this structure
and can help you navigate to the correct answer for your
particular situation.
Service Summary
Certification Assistance: The inspection and certification
of vessels is complex and costly. This process requires
detailed plan review by the USCG or a classification
society followed by inspection
and testing of equipment and systems by the USCG. Our
professionals can manage this process and help you
avoid costly modifications. We
can specifically
track and manage submissions and approvals, determine
most appropriate requirements, codes and standards
and provide liaison with
plan review
and inspection offices.
- Equivalency: This is a term
that broadly applies to the seeking of approvals
for equipment or arrangements that are
different
from that
prescribed in regulation. The USCG regulations are
highly prescriptive and have been surpassed by technology
in many areas. Often
a new technology
provides equivalent or superior performance and safety
but does not meet the prescriptive regulation. Examples
include the use of carbon-composites
and alternative fire protection systems such as watermist.
RRS Engineering can assemble the data necessary to
obtain USCG approval of alternative
standards or technologies that provide a level of
safety equivalent to that provided by regulations.
- Security: The USCG recently published regulations
related to the security of Ports, waterfront facilities, vessels
and offshore facilities. These regulations
require assessment of the facility or vessel,
submission of reports and security plans, and
periodic training and drills related to preventing maritime
security incidents. RRS Engineering can
manage the entire process through evaluation
and assessment,
submission of reports and plans, development
of training programs, and required
record keeping databases.
- Manning and Licensing: The USCG regulations prescribe
requirements that dictate the numbers of personnel
with specific qualifications
necessary to operate commercial vessels (manning)
and the testing and knowledge
requirements necessary to obtain USCG licenses
in those specific categories (licensing).
These regulations are particularly complex. RRS Engineering
can assist companies in determining optimum
staffing levels and qualifications of their maritime personnel
and in getting those
levels accepted by the
USCG.
- Relationship to other Agencies and Regulations: The
Coast Guard has entered into memorandums of Understanding with various
other agencies,
including Minerals Management
Service and the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration in order
to address
certain industrial applications where their
requirements overlap. RRS Engineering
can help
companies that operate under multiple jurisdictions
to avoid duplicative costs of compliance.
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