British energy body says safety could be better offshore

The British offshore oil and gas sector is not where it needs to be in terms of preventing releases, industry body Oil & Gas U.K. said in a report.

Oil & Gas U.K. published its annual safety report Thursday, which found there's been a 49 percent reduction in the number of reportable releases in the three years ending March 2013. That narrowly missed a 50 percent industry target.

Robert Paterson, health and safety director for the group, said the industry is working with regulators on preventative strategies to ensure targets are met. Nevertheless, Oil & Gas U.K. found the rest of 2013 beyond March saw an overall increase in the number of releases and a slight increase in the number of injuries offshore.

"Despite the ongoing and encouraging decrease in major and significant releases over the last year -- the industry is not yet where it needs to be," he said in a statement.

The group said the industry's health and safety record was mixed. Safety indicators in particular have deteriorated recently, it said.

Four workers were killed in a North Sea helicopter accident in August.