COS Accreditation Program

Accreditation Program

COS implemented a program to accredit qualified Audit Service Providers (ASP) in 2012 to perform independent audits of offshore energy operators’ Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) against the requirements of the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 75 (API RP 75) Safety and Environmental Management System for Offshore Operations and Assets, 3^rd Edition.

Today, ASPs can be accredited by COS to perform audits of offshore energy facilities whether they are inside or outside the United States. Offshore oil and gas operations are audited against either the 3^rd or 4^th Editions of API RP 75. Offshore wind and other renewables operations are audited against API RP 75W.

COS-accredited ASP are also authorized to issue, jointly with COS, SEMS Certificates to organizations after verifying completion of their corrective action (see About SEMS Certificates).

COS’s Accreditation Quality Policy states how the Accreditation Program is conducted “in compliance with all applicable requirements and regulations, the highest level of integrity, and to give confidence in our accreditation of ASP.” To accomplish this, COS implements its Accreditation Program to conform with the requirements of the:

• Internationally accepted standard for accreditation bodies (i.e., ISO/IEC 17011 Conformity Assessment – General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, Second Edition, November 2017);
• 2015 Memorandum of Understanding between COS and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE); and
• COS’s Accreditation Management System Manual.

More information about COS Accreditation Body processes, such as requirements for ASP, and those for managing complaints, appeals, program funding, and control of the COS mark can be found on the ASP Requirements web page, and in the Frequently Asked Questions here.

BSEE Recognizes COS as an Accreditation Body for SEMS Audits in the US OCS

The United States Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) regulations for oil and gas operations on the US Outer Continental Shelf (US OCS) (30 CFR 250 Subpart S) require operators to establish, implement, and maintain a SEMS meeting the requirements of API RP 75 (3rd Edition). Operators must also have their SEMS regularly audited by an accredited ASP. COS remains the Accreditation Body recognized by BSEE to accredit ASP to perform SEMS audits under BSEE’s program for oil and gas operators on the US OCS.

While COS may issue SEMS certificates to other operator classes (e.g., under API 75W) and outside of the US OCS in accordance with its procedures, the COS Accreditation Body is recognized by BSEE only as it relates to accrediting ASP for SEMS Assessments conducted in the US OCS for oil and gas operators.