The United States Chemical Safety Board released the results of their investigation into the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill recently, citing two companies as being overly concerned with smaller personal injury risks and ignoring the possibilities of a much larger accident.
According to CNN, the companies—BP and Transocean—in conjunction with U.S. regulators, were more concerned with employees’ “dropping objects, slips, trips and falls” than on the potential for an oil spill.
“A number of past CSB investigations have found companies focusing on personal injury rates while virtually overlooking looming process safety issues — like the effectiveness of barriers against hazardous releases, automatic shutoff system failures, activation of pressure relief devices, and loss of containment of liquids and gases,” CSB Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said.
“The emphasis on personal injury and lost work-time data obscures the bigger picture: that companies need to develop indicators that give them realistic information about their potential for catastrophic accidents. How safety is measured and managed is at the very core of accident prevention,” said CSB investigator Cheryl MacKenzie. “If companies are not measuring safety performance effectively and using those data to continuously improve, they will likely be left in the dark about their safety risks.”
Companies that operate refineries and similar facilities in the oil production, drilling, and processing industries, have to have their eyes on all potential accidents —both minor and major–because all accidents have the potential to cause injury and even death.
Kevin Krist, Houston Catastrophic Accident Attorney
When you work in the oil industry, you may encounter accident risks on a daily basis. Depending on the location of your job, there is the risk of explosions, falls, and large-equipment accidents at every turn. Fortunately, if something like this happens, I may be able to help.
When you are hurt on the job, your employer can often be held responsible. If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt, contact me today to discuss your options. Fill out the online contact form or call me at 81-677-3962.
