Last week’s explosion and sinking of an oil rig was just the latest in a series of disasters that have plagued petroleum giant BP. With several safety measures failing on their most high-tech and “safe” rig, the company will face investigations and questioning from several different sources. A quote from the Times Online UK elaborates:
The accident was the deadliest for America’s offshore industry in more than two decades. The question now is who gets the blame.
Tony Hayward, BP’s chief executive, has staked his reputation on cleaning up the company’s act. When he took over three years ago, the oil giant’s image was still tainted by the 2005 explosion at its Texas City refinery that killed 15 people and injured many more. The company paid millions in fines and pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
BP had just six men on the Deepwater Horizon. The rest were employees and contractors of Transocean, the firm that owned the rig and was responsible for the drilling. US authorities, Transocean and BP have all launched investigations to work out what went wrong.
It’s never safe to assume that your worst-case scenario can’t or won’t happen. Although obviously we all hope for the best, it’s good crisis management to prepare for disaster.
The BCM Blogging Team
https://www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com/