Keeping Offshore Operators Honest to Promote Safety

In an ideal world, offshore operators would do everything in their power to insure the safety of their employees and the environment. But in reality, this is not the case. Many operations engage in illegal activities such as dumping dangerous substances into the water or ignoring safety regulations that prevent employee accidents. These illegal activities are very dangerous but are, unfortunately, hard for regulators and government officials to prevent. As a result, the best people to stop illegal offshore activities are often the individuals who work for these companies and are first hand witnesses to every-day activities.

A great example of employee vigilance happened recently during a routine Coast Guard inspection of a ship docked in the Baltimore harbor. While everything appeared compliant to the group of inspectors, an employee secretly passed a note to the chief of the team. Inside the note, he revealed that some crew members were illegally dumping oily water and sludge overboard, a fact the Coast Guard officers would never have known without being explicitly told. The worker even had pictures and videos to support his claim. As a result of the man's actions, the ship's operators were held accountable for their crimes and were made to pay $1.2 million in penalties and fines.

Reporting your employer's illegal activity like the Baltimore crew member did is known as "whistleblowing;" it is just one of the options available to workers who notice dangerous or illegal activities at their place of business. Workers are also able to file reports to upper management or supervisors, who may not be aware of problems in day-to-day operations.

Whatever action you take, the most important thing is to do something so that dangerous conditions will not go unnoticed. Illegal activities left unchecked can cause accidents or even environmental disasters. If you have been injured offshore as a result of unsafe or illegal activities, there are laws that entitle you to seek compensation for your injuries. An experienced Texas offshore accident attorney will have the resources to investigate the cause of your accident and secure the maximum compensation on your behalf. Contact a Texas offshore accident attorney from Arnold & Itkin today for a free and confidential consultation regarding your case.