Got a safety problem? Sell it to someone else

February 3, 2011 by Fred Hosier

Posted in: BP, Fatality, fire/explosion, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Who Got Fined and Why?

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just give your workplace safety challenges to someone else? BP’s Texas City plant has provided the oil giant with many challenges. BP’s current solution? Sell it.

BP said it plans to sell its Texas City refinery where 15 people were killed and more than 170 were injured in a March 2005 explosion.

The plant has been very expensive for BP, including these costs:

$1.5 billion to settle civil lawsuits related to the explosion
$50 million in OSHA fines, with another $30 million yet to be negotiated, and
more than $1 billion in improvements.

The oil company also faces a lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general for illegally releasing contaminants from the plant.

In his business blog for the Houston Chronicle, Loren Steffy opines, “It certainly seems that BP can’t afford to keep operating the refinery, given that it seems unable to operate it safely.

“The new owners will have to recognize that they still need to invest in improving the safety culture at the refinery,” Steffy wrote.

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Tags: BP Texas City plant, explosion, OSHA fines, safety challenge

http://www.metalcoaters.com Alvaro Angel

I really hope BP makes the major improvements needed to operate that facility for the safety of all their emplyees. Wether they sale the facility or not is not the question, that facility as well as any other business, needs to run with ALL the appropriate safety measures necessary to preserve human safety!!!
Wish all the best to BP and the prospective new owners!
Jason

I had the same thought, pass the buck. But the story on another site included… “BP CEO Bob Dudley said the company’s immediate priority is to complete the process of installling world-class safety and operational risk management throughout its operations.”

The sale is expected to be finalized by the end of 2012 so they have two years to make it right. I’m still skeptical, but hopeful they will do the right thing now that the spotlight is on them.