Reexamining Safety Measures at BP

The Financial Times group of environmental investigative reporters uncovered disconcerting evidence about BP's recent oil disaster spills. The Financial Times (FT) characterized BP as "accident prone" and raised the question whether "cost cutting had distracted BP from its focus on safety." Former Secretary of State Jim Baker also headed a special commission investigating BP, and reported "serious concerns" about BP's safety culture and safety management. This report, called the Baker Panel Report, found safety issues at all BP sites investigated, noting that there was no consistency in the safety culture of the company across the different sites.

BP is no stranger to oil explosions. A 2005 explosion in BP's Texas City refinery and a 2006 Prudhoe Bay explosion in Alaska were only precursors to the catastrophic oil spill of April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. This chain of disasters has put BP in the spotlight and deservedly so. Subsequent investigations and reports such as the Baker Panel Report found that site managers often viewed maintenance problems as a regular annoyance and unnecessary cost expense. This mindset is carried down from the upper management level, where managers can be more concerned about quarterly earnings than the safety involved with complex offshore oil rigs.

For example, the Texas City refinery had fallen behind in equipment maintenance and had cut 25% from costs in order to maintain profits despite rising oil prices. Over 1,000 BP workers from the Texas City refinery were surveyed about their safety concerns, and the largest complaint was that BP management cared more for making money than for the safety of the workers. In hindsight, workers at both the Texas City refinery and Purdhoe Bay had voiced similar concerns about the safety of working conditions. Unsafe working conditions in oil rigs and offshore machines are putting employees at risk for various types of injuries every day, and it is time to take action.

If you or someone you care about has been injured in an offshore drilling accident, no matter the cause, you should contact an offshore injury lawyer immediately. Many of BP's employees were scared to voice their safety concerns, fearing retaliation from their supervisors. You don't need to live in fear. At Arnold & Itkin LLP, we understand the importance of safety regulations involved and we take safety violations seriously. An offshore injury attorney can help you file your claim, answer your questions, and seek the compensation that you deserve.