For more info, see:
http://www.raib.gov.uk/publications/current_investigations_register/100720_raigmore.cfm
Archive for the ‘Current Events’ Category
The UK RAIB announces an accident investigation into runaway and collision near Raigmore, Inverness on 20 July 2010
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Did BP Counsel acknowledge that BP was “Grossly Negligent”?
Thursday, July 29th, 2010Here’s a quote from a Houston Chronicle story:
“‘We know this because, during a conference call with Gulf Coast attorneys general, BP General Counsel Jack Lynch acknowledged that gross negligence would be revealed as a cause of the explosion that led to the oil spill.””
Wow! That’s an “explosive” admission.
However, a BP spokesperson said that the letter that admitted gross negligence was “incorrect.”
Here’s what the article said:
“‘While BP respects Governor Perry and Attorney General Abbott and appreciates the opportunity to work with them, the recitation in their letter is simply incorrect,’ said spokesman Daren Beaudo.”
“‘During the conference call, neither Jack Lynch nor any other BP representative stated that gross negligence would be revealed as the cause of Deepwater Horizon tragedy.‘”
“Gross Negligence” is a legal term. The Legal Dictionary at thefreedictionary.com defines gross negligence as:
“gross negligence n. carelessness in reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others, which is so great it appears to be a conscious violation of other people’s rights to safety. It is more than simple inadvertence, but it is just shy of being intentionally evil. If one has borrowed or contracted to take care of another’s property, then gross negligence is the failure to actively take the care one would of his/her own property. If gross negligence is found by the trier of fact (judge or jury), it can result in the award of punitive damages on top of general and special damages.”
The on-line reference also says:
“Gross negligence is a conscious and voluntary disregard of the need to use reasonable care, which is likely to cause foreseeable grave injury or harm to persons, property, or both.”
Why is the admission of gross negligence a big deal?
Because:
1) The fine for an oil spill goes from $1,100/barrel to $4,300/barrel. If this spill is estimated at 3 million barrels of oil, the difference is the fine could be $9.9 billion.
2) The cap on liabilities at $75 million that BP has voluntarily waived becomes void. (Some might say this is moot because BP waived the liability, but otehrs would say that is why BP waived the liability because they knew the would be found “grossly negligent.”
3) The contracts with Anadarko (part owner of the well) let’s Anadarko out of paying their share of damages if BP is found to be guilty of “gross negligence.”
4) If BP admits gross negligence, every Deepwater Horizon related lawsuit will seek punitive damages. Although the finding of gross negligence does not guarantee punitive damages, it is a step along the path to awarding them. This could double (or more) the civil penalties that BP is liable for.
All of those reasons mean a finding of gross negligence will cost BP big bucks.
How much can an accident cost? A lot more if you are found to be grossly negligent. The $20 Billion currently set aside by BP may be a drop in the bucket if they are found to be “grossly negligent.”
“Hands-only CPR, pushy dispatchers are lifesavers”
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
Read more here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100728/ap_on_he_me/us_med_hands_only_cpr
Can You Lose Your CEO Job After an Accident? Ask ex-CEO Tony Hayward
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010Of course, major accidents have bad outcomes. Now, many CEO’s should feel less secure after the recent BP Deepwater Horizon accident outcomes.
What and I talking about? Tony Hayward is “Standing Down” and accepting retirement after his leadership was questioned (see the BBC report at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10434908).
Previous BP CEO, Lord Browne, also “stood down” after the BP Texas City accident and a lawsuit over court testimony (personal in nature and not related to his BP work).
There are heated debates in many quarters about the criminal and personal liability that CEO’s should have for accidents at their companies, these developments should make CEO’s think about the risks that their employees face and their efforts to improve safety and environmental performance.
We already know that the BP Deepwater Horizon and BP Texas City accidents were preventable. We already know how to set up a world class performance improvement program. We already know how to apply advanced root cause analysis to analyze small problems and prevent big ones.
A CEO should make sure that his/her company is applying these improvement techniques and stopping major accidents before they happen.
What if they don’t?
They risk following in the footsteps of Lord Browne and Tony Hayward.
19 Dead in “Love Parade” Stampede In Duisburg, Germany
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010German prosecutors are investigating the causes of a crowd control failure that lead to the deaths of 19 at the Love Parade techno music festival in Duisburg, Germany.
For more information, see a Reuters story at:
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE66P0W2.htm
Are Cataracts the Root Cause of Several Sentinel Events?
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010A Canadian Health Unit report said that a doctor’s cataracts are partly to blame for incorrect pathology reports that led to an unnecessary colostomy, two mastectomies, and at least four other cases of “serious concern.”
The story was reported by healthzone.ca. See the whole story at:
How would you detect the gradual decline of someone’s visual acuity/performance that what a key part of their job?
With corrective surgery for cataracts so common and available, why didn’t the doctor act before his performance declined noticeably?
Should hospitals have a requirement for periodic eye test for older physicians whose practice required visual acuity?
Medical device problems hurt 70,000+ kids annually
Monday, July 26th, 2010..”About one-fourth of the problems were things like infections and eye abrasions in contact lens wearers. These are sometimes preventable and can result from wearing contact lenses too long without cleaning them.”
..”Other common problems found by researchers at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration include puncture wounds from hypodermic needles breaking off in the skin while injecting medicine or illegal drugs; infections in young children with ear tubes; and skin tears from pelvic devices used during gynecological exams in teen girls.”
..”The most serious problems involved implanted devices such as brain shunts for kids with hydrocephalus (water on the brain); chest catheters for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at home; and insulin pumps for diabetics. Infections and overdoses are among problems associated with these devices. Only 6 percent of patients overall had to be hospitalized.”
…”Malfunction and misuse are among possible reasons”
I read the article and then asked “AND”? There is so much more information that needs to be collected and compared.
… “is there damage with this equipment for children and adults?”
… “is there a difference between different manufacturers for the same types of equipment?”
…”what allowed 70,000 incidents to occur without having the root causes listed already?” …. yes I know there are patient and company privacy issues but that is not a good excuse!
So what would your next steps be? (more…)
Monday Accident & Lessons Learned: UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch Publishes Bulletin About a Train Collision with a Level Crossing Gate
Monday, July 26th, 2010The UK RAIB’s report had three “Learning Points”:
1. Repeated occurrences of the same or closely related faults are likely to be a symptom of an underlying problem. Systems should be in place to identify repeated faults and to implement effective remedial action.
2. Maintenance requirements, particularly those applying to equipment connected with safety (such as the maintenance of gate stops (paragraph 13)), should not be left to local interpretation but should be determined by a competent person and recorded in a maintenance document.
3. It is important that signallers and crossing keepers at crossings of this type are given an unobstructed view of the gates, where it is practicable to do so.
To read the whole article, see:
http://www.raib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Bulletin%20(Stow%20Park)%2010-2010.pdf
BBC Reports Tony Hayward Prepares to Leave BP
Sunday, July 25th, 2010The report says:
“Hayward’s departure could be formally announced within 24 hours, the BBC reports today, adding that his U.S. colleague Bob Dudley — now in charge of the spill’s cleanup — will likely be his successor.”
To read the whole story, see:
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/bps-tony-hayward-quitting/1
Major accidents ruin careers. Now is the time to apply advanced root cause analysis to stop major accidents by learning all that you can from incidents and near-misses. Send your investigators to TapRooT® Training.
One more idea … Make sure you have folks at the TapRooT® Summit. Share best practices to improve performance and prevent accidents. See:
BBC Reports 1 Dead, 41 Injured in Swiss Train Accident
Saturday, July 24th, 2010Zinc Plant Accident Kills Two
Saturday, July 24th, 2010See the KDKA Channel 2, Pittsburgh, story at:
PRESS RELEASE from the Chemical Safety Board: CSB Issues Report on 2009 Explosion at Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C. Hazardous Waste Facility; Waste Industry Urged to Improve Safety Standards; Recommendations Issued to Ensure Safer Siting of Buildings
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Washington DC, July 21, 2010 – A U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) case study released today on the 2009 explosion and fire at the Veolia ES Technical Solutions L.L.C. facility in West Carrollton, Ohio, calls on the industry to improve safety standards covering hazardous waste processing, handling, and storage facilities. The Board also recommended that fire protection codes be revised to require companies to determine safe distances between occupied buildings and potentially hazardous operating areas.
The accident occurred on May 4, 2009, when flammable vapor was released from a waste recycling process, ignited, and violently exploded. The blast seriously injured two workers and damaged 20 nearby residences and five businesses. CSB investigators found that the north wall of the lab and operations building – where the victims were injured – was less than 30 feet from the waste recycling processing area where the flammable vapor was released.
CSB Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso said, “This accident should not have happened. Our report notes that OSHA cited the company for inadequate attention to process safety management practices in the handling of flammable liquids. But in case of an accident, I believe it is absolutely critical that buildings at chemical facilities be sited safe distances from process equipment to maximize the safety of workers. We are making recommendations that would help ensure that operating areas with occupied buildings such as control rooms be sufficiently separated from process areas containing flammable liquids and gases that have the potential to explode.”
The Board issued a recommendation to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which develops codes and standards for industry, urging NFPA to require companies to perform engineering analyses to determine safe separation distances between buildings occupied by administrative and other personnel not essential to process operations, and buildings housing the potentially hazardous process equipment.
The Board also revised a previous recommendation to the Environmental Technology Council, a hazardous waste industry trade group, to petition the NFPA to develop a standard specific to hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities. This would include guidance on reducing the likelihood of fires, explosions, and releases of hazardous waste.
Dr. Moure noted, “The Environmental Technology Council did not respond adequately to our 2007 recommendation, which we issued following an explosion and massive fire at the Environmental Quality hazardous waste facility in Apex, North Carolina, to work for more stringent standards in the hazardous waste industry. I strongly urge the industry to act now. These facilities, by their nature, contain wide varieties of flammable and toxic materials that can cause significant injury to workers and threaten the well being of nearby communities. Facility owners and operators need stricter technical requirements to improve the safety of life and property.”
The report notes that after a normal run of the tetrahydrafuran (THF) solvent recovery process at the Veolia facility, the unit operator began a routine shutdown. Completing the process required blowing nitrogen back through the circulation piping to clean it, prior to closing valves.
CSB lead investigator Johnnie Banks said, “At the time of the shutdown, witnesses reported hearing the sound of a sudden, loud vapor release and smelling a very strong odor of THF solvent which knocked several employees to their knees. It was a matter of just a couple of minutes until the highly flammable vapor ignited.”
The vapor drifted to the laboratory and operations building and found an ignition source inside the building. A worker in the control room reported being enveloped in a fireball that went through the building. The first explosion knocked over a bank of lockers, severely injuring an employee and pinning him underneath.
Because of the extensive fire damage, the CSB was unable to conclusively determine the exact initiating event for the vapor release, concluding one of two possible scenarios likely occurred. In the first scenario, air may have been drawn into a tank containing THF residue and peroxides, causing increased pressure in the tank and forcing flammable vapor from the tank to escape through a manway cover or a vacuum breaker.
In the second possible scenario, CSB investigators believe a line hose, intended to send pressurized nitrogen into a different tank, may have instead been connected to a tank containing unprocessed, flammable liquid. When the nitrogen was applied, it forced flammable vapor out through the tank vent. In either scenario, the vapor drifted to the operations building and ignited, causing the injuries.
In addition to issuing recommendations to NFPA and the hazardous waste industry, the Board also issued recommendations to Veolia, which is rebuilding the plant. The CSB called on the company to restrict occupancy in buildings in close proximity to the operating plant to personnel trained in the safe operation and orderly shutdown of the plant. The Board also called on the Center for Chemical Process Safety, a division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, to revise control room siting guidelines to address the characteristics of all Class 1B flammable liquids.
For more information, contact Public Affairs Specialist Hillary Cohen, 202-261-3601, or Sandy Gilmour, 202-261-7614, cell 202-251-5496
Do you have $200K for Safety Violations?
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010South Carolina manufacturing plant fined by OSHA for fall and electrical hazards…. I believe the term of the day was “willful” violations.
Read more here:
http://heraldbanner.com/local/x315773731/Local-plant-fined-197k-for-safety-violations
Unexpected Events: Investigators Discover that WV Mine Filled Suddenly with Methane
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010Every once in a while, investigators discover something unexpected. This seems to be the case in the Massy Energy Company mine explosion in West Virginia.
See:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/22/west.virginia.mine.explosion/index.html
Early investigation guesses focussed on Massey’s history of safety violations. This new information may show that past safety violations had nothing to do with this accident.
Wire Update Reports: Accident at North South Africa Mine Kills Two Workers
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010Justice News Flash Reports: Miami Train Accident: Downtown Metromover Collision Sends 16 to Hospitals
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Reuters Reports BP CEO Tony Hayward is Scheduled to Resign
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010See the MSNBC report of the Reuters story about a Times of London report at:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38335887
I would give you a direct link but the Times of London is by subscription only.
Quotes from the Times of London story include:
“‘You would be hard-pushed to find anyone within the company who does not think he is irreparably damaged – both by his own performance and by the event itself,’ a company insider was quoted as telling the paper.”
The story says that this is part of a strategy called “Future BP” and his resignation should come within 10 weeks.
BP has denied that Mr. Hayward is resigning ever since the rumors started back in June and a BP spokesperson said today that Mr. Hayward has the “… full support from the board and will remain in place.”
Interesting internal politics after a major accident.
Equipment Failure Event: Cracks that could cause the engines to fall off on the Boeing 767
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010“The FAA safety order affects 138 planes registered in the United States out of a global fleet of 314 planes. Aviation officials in other countries usually follow the FAA’s lead on safety of U.S.-manufactured planes.”
“The order only applies to 767s that have the original pylon design. Boeing changed the design after the problem first became known…. FAA issued a safety order for these planes in 2005 requiring inspections for cracks every 1,500 flights. The new order accelerates that schedule to every 400 flights or every 90 days, whichever is later.”
read more here:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100721/ap_on_bi_ge/us_boeing_safety_order
UK Rail Accident Investigation Branch Releases Two Reports Detailing the Root Causes of Recent Rail Accidents
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010Oil Spill in China
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010“China rushed to keep an oil spill from reaching international waters Tuesday, while an environmental group tried to assess if the country’s largest reported spill was worse than has been disclosed.
Crude oil started pouring into the Yellow Sea off a busy northeastern port after a pipeline exploded late last week, sparking a massive 15-hour fire. The government says the slick has spread across a 70-square-mile (180-square-kilometer) stretch of ocean.”
Read more here:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100720/ap_on_bi_ge/as_china_pipeline_explosion
White House Announces Bad News: Capped Well Leaking
Monday, July 19th, 2010Wall Street Journal Reports on Mistake Made in Final Hours before the BP/Transocean Deepwater Horizon Blowout
Monday, July 19th, 2010The Wall Street Journal article discusses twenty “anomalies” signaled that a blowout could be coming and unexpected pressure increase triggered disagreements between BP and Transocean employees. See:
Third Round of Hearings by the Joint Panel of Coast Guard & Bureau of Ocean Management, Regulation and Enforcement into the Causes of the BP/Transocean Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Explosion, & Spill Start Today
Monday, July 19th, 2010
(hearing photo)
Today was the day that BP Well-Site Manager Don Vidrine was suppose to testify. However, he was removed from the list of witnesses. Later this week the other Well-Site Manager, Robert Kaluza, is scheduled to testify. Previously, he “took the fifth” (self incrimination) and declined to testify.
These hearings, although probably the worst way to interview witnesses, are still extremely interesting.
For an article about today’s hearings, see:
http://blogs.chron.com/newswatchenergy/archives/2010/07/update_coast_gu.html
Here’s the investigations web site where you can see live and recorded testimony:
Monday Accident and Lessons Learned: OGP SAFETY ALERT NO. 225: PIPE HANDLING OPERATIONS RESULT IN FATALITY
Monday, July 19th, 2010SAFETY ALERT NO. 225: PIPE HANDLING OPERATIONS RESULT IN FATALITY
Country: USA
Location: OFFSHORE : Other offshore
Type of Activity: Lifting, Crane, Rigging, Deck operations
Type of Injury: Caught In, Under or Between
Function: Drilling
Applicabale Filter Categories: Caught between
Recently a fatality occurred during pipe handling operations on a deepwater drilling unit. A rig employee’s head was caught between the pipe handler’s lower travel assembly and a vertical support stanchion (pinch/crush point of 4 inches) as the pipe handler was being traversed across the pipe bay to the catwalk to retrieve a joint of pipe. The deceased was acting as a spotter for the pipe handler operator at the time of the incident and the pipe handler operator did not observe the incident due to his obstructed view of the spotter.
What Went Wrong?:
The BOEM (formerly MMS) investigation revealed that unidentified crush points existed between the lower travel assembly and the vertical support stanchions of the trolley system. It was concluded in part, from the investigation that the pipe handler operator failed to confirm an “all clear” with the spotter and failed to exercise his Stop Work authority when he lost site of the spotter. The Lessee/Operator failed to provide the necessary additional oversight to ensure that the pipe handler operation was conducted in accordance with their lifting policy. The drilling company’s line management also failed to:
Provide a more formalized training program to include the hazards associated with the operation of the pipe handler.
Identify the specific pipe handler operational tasks, hazards and respective mitigations in order to develop and implement guidelines for personnel working around the strong-back area.
Provide additional onsite supervision to both the Operator and Spotter during the pipe handler operation.
Properly implement their Management of Change policy with respect to new personnel in new positions. The company’s Management of Change policy was also identified as being too complex to implement.
Corrective actions and Recommendations:
Therefore, BOEM recommends the following to Lessees/Operators and their Drilling Contractors for any type of overhead trolley beam mounted crane (trolley crane) operation, including but not limited to a pipe handler:
Inspect trolley crane operations with the intent to identify all potential hazards and mitigations (including pinch/crush points), and communicate these findings with all necessary personnel.
Review Stop Work authority programs with their personnel, while stressing the importance of the individual’s responsibilities and authority to exercise Stop Work as necessary.
Review trolley crane training programs to ensure that the program covers not only the proper operation of the equipment, but also includes the limitations, capabilities and potential hazards. If the training includes onsite hands-on training, the verification/certification should be done by senior facility management.
Review the Management of Change policy for clarity and to ensure the program recognizes and manages changes, conditions and inactions in a given situation or unexpected events.
Install and maintain safety barriers (signage, red zones, tiger striping, temporary barrier tape, handrails, etc.) to prevent access to the trolley crane’s traversing path.
Clear the trolley crane’s path of general storage. Telephone, intercoms or stored items located under the trolley crane should be removed and relocated to a safer area.
Consider the feasibility of installing cameras or mirrors in areas where the trolley crane operator’s view is obstructed.
Consider the feasibility of re-engineering the trolley crane to possibly eliminate any additional Spotter involvement.
Conduct pre-tour meetings for all tours, including short change crews. The short change crew involves multiple employees filling new roles and/or not working on their normal crew shift.
A Press Release from the Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation
Saturday, July 17th, 2010Witness lists of fact-finding joint investigation available for July 19-23, 2010
NEW ORLEANS – The following are links to witness lists for July 19-23, 2010 for the third round of public hearings in this fact-finding joint investigation. The purpose of this joint investigation is to develop conclusions and recommendations as they relate to the Deepwater Horizon MODU explosion and loss of life on April 20, 2010. The facts collected at this hearing, along with the lead investigators’ conclusions and recommendations will be forwarded to Coast Guard Headquarters and BMOE for approval. Once approved, the final investigative report will be made available to the public and the media. No analysis or conclusions will be presented during the hearing.
Click on the dates to link to individual witness lists:
For Deepwater Horizon joint investigation information: www.deepwaterinvestigation.com
For Deepwater Horizon oil spill response information: www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com
More About the Well Integrity Test
Friday, July 16th, 2010United States Steel Coke Oven Explosion Injures 20 Workers
Friday, July 16th, 2010The Associated Press reported that an explosion of a coke oven at a plant in Pittsburg injured 20 people, at least six critically. The explosion happened during maintenance on the B “battery” (bank) of the ovens.
For more info, see:
Finally Success: Oil Flow Stopped!
Friday, July 16th, 2010I heard it yesterday afternoon but I waited until this morning just to be sure…
Looks like the well in the Gulf is finally capped.
Here’s the picture from the site:
Here’s a picture from that site:
The worry now is that pressure will build and rupture the well casing. This could make future efforts to use relief wells to finally permanently stop the flow more difficult or impossible. But government scientist approved this latest effort.
Let’s cross our fingers and pray this goes well!
Wall Street Journal reports: “Oil Industry To Form Accident Group Following BP Spill”
Thursday, July 15th, 2010For details, see:
Wall Street Journal Takes Up Qualifications of the President’s Independent Commission to Investigate the BP Deepwater Horizon Accident
Thursday, July 15th, 2010On June 16th, we published a blog article about the qualifications of the President’s Independent Commission to investigate the BP Deepwater Horizon accident. Many of the readers here commented on the qualifications and the overall response was that they didn’t seem particularly well qualified to find the root causes of the well blowout, explosion, and spill. See the comments here:
Last week, the Wall Street Journal published an article, “The White House Get’s Drilled,” that pointed out the bias of the Commission. It said:
“By contrast, the President’s seven-member commission contains not a single expert on drilling or petroleum engineering and is instead loaded with such anti-oil and antidrilling activists as Natural Resources Defense Council President Frances Beinecke and former Florida Senator Bob Graham.”
The also quoted Louisianna Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, who said:
“I would suggest to my Democratic friends that if the shoe were on the other foot, and President Bush was the President and he had submitted a list of names like this to us and everyone was related to the defense of oil companies, we would say this is not fair.”
In reviewing the commissions qualifications, the Journal article points out the following:
About Commissioner Reilly: “Mr. Reilly is well known as a green activist who once ran the World Wildlife Fund, which is precisely what made him attractive as a GOP political appointee and for ConocoPhillips. Both were looking for environmental cover.”
About Commissioner Beinecke: “‘Offshore drilling is a needless risk,’ said Ms. Beinecke in 2008, as part of her push for cap-and-trade legislation.”
About Commissioner Boesch: “‘We should be redoubling our efforts to get off oil,’ said fellow commission member Donald Boesch in May. He wants ‘transportation not powered by liquid petroleum.’”
About Commissioner Garcia: “Appointee Terry Garcia of the National Geographic Society rapped the Bush administration in 2008 for not doing more to ‘protect’ oceans from ‘commercial and recreational fishing, oil and gas exploration or deep-sea mining.’”
About Commissioner Murray: “Harvard’s Cherry Murray is president of the American Physical Society that recently rejected calls from 160 physicists to alter its doomsday position on climate change, which demands immediate reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions to avoid ’significant disruptions in the Earth’s physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health.’”
About Commissioner Ulmer: “The University of Alaska’s Fran Ulmer is on the board of the Union of Concerned Scientists, which wants the U.S. to curb its ‘oil addiction’ by requiring that cars get at least 42 miles to the gallon.”
The article goes on to comment of the Commission’s new Executive Director, Richard Lazarus. The article says:
“Underscoring its biases, the President’s commission has chosen prominent environmental litigator Richard J. Lazarus as its staff director. Mr. Lazarus has made a career out of suing private companies and governments to impose stricter environmental regulation.”
This week, the Commission’s Executive Director wrote back to the Wall Street Journal. In an editorial, published today, he said:
“The commission is co-chaired by two highly regarded public servants, former Sen. Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator Bill Reilly. They are individuals of enormous integrity and highly respected by industry, by members of Congress and by state officials, regardless of formal political affiliation.”
He also said:
“You may also note that the commission recently named Richard Sears, a widely respected oil industry expert with 35 years experience, as its adviser on science and engineering, to augment the oil industry expertise of Mr. Reilly, who has served on the Conoco-Phillips board for over 15 years.”
So, I thought I would look for Bio’s of Mr. Lazarus and Mr. Sears. Here’s what I found…
First, Mr. Lazarus. Here’s a link to his bio:
http://www.sandiego.edu/law/academics/faculty/bio.php?id=749
The bio seems to confirm the Wall Street Journal’s rhetoric.
Next, Mr. Sears. The first thing I found was this presentation he gave at TED:
The I found a bio attached to a Washington Post Viewpoint paid discussion. I quote it here:
“Richard Sears is Vice President and Extra-mural Research Coordinator for Shell International Exploration and Production Inc. He is currently on loan to MIT for a period of three years, where he serves as Visiting Scientist in the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment. The intent is to create a research and technology relationship model for Shell with major US universities and manage Shell energy research activities at MIT as well as other research relationships in the Americas.”
“In his more than 30 years with Shell, Richard has gained significant domestic and international experience, frequently representing Shell to partners, governments and national oil companies, including presentations to governmental authorities and ministers of eleven countries. He has been an invited and keynote speaker at industry conferences in the US, UK, Africa and Asia.
Prior to his current assignment, he shared responsibility for developing Shell strategy for deepwater exploration and development worldwide and was one of three vice presidents within Shell E&P responsible for the work of over 800 technical professionals across the globe from over 15 distinct geoscience, engineering and business disciplines.”
“Previous positions within Shell have included exploration geophysicist, technical instructor, economist, strategic planner, and general management.”
“He is the author of numerous internal publications including field studies and case histories, geophysical research reports, and technical training manuals.”
“Richard has been a member of the Stanford University School of Earth Sciences Advisory Board since 2004. He is a Licensed Professional Geoscientist in the State of Texas, an active member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers.”
“He earned his Master of Science degree in Geophysics and his Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Stanford University.”
To me, he seems well qualified. But I wish I knew more about his oil drilling (not just oil exploration geophysical) experience and his experience leading accident investigations.
With that said, what influence does a consultant to the Commission have? He isn’t a commission member. I guess his influence is yet to be seen.
What do you think?
Does a well qualified consultant change your opinion on the qualifications of the President’s Independent Commission to investigate the BP Deepwater Horizon accident? Let me know by posting your comments here.
Monday Accident & Lessons Learned – BP/Transocean Deepwater Horizon Explosion & Spill
Monday, July 12th, 2010We’ve been posting lots of information about this accident since it happened. It’s now been over two months and the question I would like to ask is …
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?
Here’s a review of what’s been posted so far. Review it and then leave a comment with what you think we can learn so far.
APRIL
First Coverage on the TapRooT® Blog
Amazing New Root Cause on Oil Rigs: “Human Error”
First Estimates of Cost – $1.6 Billion
Slow Motion Disaster in the Gulf
New Idea: Consider Oil Company’s Environment and Safety Record When Leasing Drilling Rights
Cost of an Accident: Legislative Costs
MAY
TV News Coverage of the Oil Spill Off Louisiana
BP/Transocean Rig Explosion: Amazing Accident Pictures and Interview with Survivor
Blame Before the Investigation: Looking for Villians Before the Oil Stops Flowing
More Blame and Reprecussions: BP/Transocean Rig Explosion and Oil Spill
BP/Tranocean Rig BOP Failure: The Smoking Gun Paper
BP/Transocean Rig Explosion: Interview with Survivors on ABC
Very Critical Article of Offshore Drilling
Interesting Blog Article about BP/Transocean Rig Accident
BP “Culture of Incompetence” says Congressman Bart Stupack
Is This an Investigation Technique or a Liability Reduction Technique
First Congressional Hearings – McKay
60 Minutes Report on the BP/Transocean Deepwater Horizon Explosion
Newspaper Calls for Investigation of “Safety Culture” at BP
The Cost of an Accident: More Lawsuits for BP
Monday Accident & Lesson Learned: Either You Are Leading the Solution or You Are Part of the Problem
MSNBC Investigates Scandal of BP Deepwater Horizon Incident – Corporate Homicide?
Top Kills Fails – BP to Try New Plan
Bad News After an Accident: BP Can’t Get Much Worse Press Than This…
For Those Who Want to Know More About Cementing
JUNE
Interesting Analysis of Regulatory Process in the Off-Shore Oil Industry … What Do You Think?
CNN Reports on “Criminal” Conduct by BP in Story Titled: “Rig survivors: BP ordered shortcut on day of blast”
Great Letter to the Editor in the Wall Street Journal Lays Out Causal Factors Immediately Before the Well Blowout
How Long Must We Wait to Learn?
The Cost of an Accident – Your Reputation and $20 Billion Dollars
Well Design & Construction Causal Factors of the Deepwater Horizon Accident
More Bad PR for BP – CNN Story: “BP documents highlight PR strategy after deadly Texas blast”
Second Congressional hearings – Hayward
How Bad is the BP PR Impact? It Can’t Get Much Worse Than This…
Do Exxon and BP Take Different Approaches to Risk?
Cost of an Accident: Costs Sometimes Go Far Beyond the Company Involved
Are We Blaming BP Rather Than Learning From What Went Wrong?
CSB Press Release: CSB to Investigate Root Causes of BP Deepwater Horizon Blowout Accident
Joint Coast Guard & MMS Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Web Site
Lessons About Safety Culture from the BP Deepwater Horizon Accident that We Can Learn NOW
Columnist Laura Parker Comments on Multiple Deepwater Horizon Investigations
CBS News Reports: “BP’s Disaster: No Surprise to Folks in the Know”
The Wall Street Journal Reports: “Safety and Cost Drives Clashed As CEO Hayward Remade BP”
JULY
BP Investigation Presentation from the Deepwater Horizon Accident
BP Deepwater Horizon Fault Tree
Here’s a PDF of Robert Bea’s Preliminary Findings About the BP/Transocean Deepwater Horizon Accident
Anadarko Withholds Payment of BP Spill Bill
That catches us up with what is known so far.
Now tell me what we can learn by leaving your ideas as a comment here…
Anadarko Withholds Payment of BP Spill Bill
Sunday, July 11th, 2010The Houston Chronicle reports that Anadarko Petroleum is withholding payment on a bill sent by BP to help pay for the spill.
The article says:
“The company has argued that it’s not responsible for costs arising from an operating partner’s ‘negligence’ or ‘willfull misconduct’ — something it accuses BP of in relation to the spill.”
The article also said:
“Last month, Anadarko CEO James Hackett said BP should shoulder the costs of the spill. BP has said it strongly disagreed with Anadarko’s allegations.”
For more info, see:
New BP Spill – This one in Michigan
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010Here’s a PDF of Robert Bea’s Preliminary Findings About the BP/Transocean Deepwater Horizon Accident
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010Click the document below to open…
My evaluation of the preliminary findings is that they are at the level of the causal factors. Still more work to be done to get to root causes.
Robert Bea’s Investigation
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010Here’s a video about the preliminary findings of Robert Bea’s investigation of the BP/Transocean Deepwater Horizon accident.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Happy Independence Day!
Sunday, July 4th, 2010
Here is a reminder that the freedoms we enjoy in the US aren’t “free.” They came at a cost. I’ve seen this article reprinted several places and have seen some research on some of the claims. The reason I pass it along is to remind everyone of the responsibility we have to support continued freedom.
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Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants.
Nine were farmers and large plantation owners:
men of means, well educated.
But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall and straight, and unwavering, they pledged:
“For the support of the declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books told you a lot of what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn’t fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn’t. So take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: Freedom is never free! I hope you show your support by sharing this with as many people as you can. It’s time we get the word out that Patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
~Author Unknown~
Also, here is another interesting web site with facts about the American Revolution:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/printable/section.asp?id=1
Union Calls for Root Cause Analysis of Fatal Accident in Guyana
Saturday, July 3rd, 2010Here’s a quote from the West Indian News:
“As the worst accident in the Kwakwani area, resulting in deaths, critical injuries and traumatized workers, it cannot be swept under the carpet as a simple road accident. While the Union is encouraged at the efforts made to save lives, it will not be satisfied to be told that this is as far as it goes. We need a root cause analysis to determine all factors contributing to this very sad loss of lives and injury and immediate short and long term measures to be implemented so that such situations of hazards are removed or minimized in the daily lives of bauxite workers.”
See the whole article at:
BP Deepwater Horizon Fault Tree
Thursday, July 1st, 2010A TapRooT® Instructor forwarded this to me. What do you think? Does this add to your knowledge of the accident?
BP Investigation Presentation from the Deepwater Horizon Accident
Thursday, July 1st, 2010Here’s a PDF of the preliminary BP Investigation downloaded from the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce web site:
Review the slides and see what you think.
Compare their four “critical factors” to the multiple Causal Factors at these two links:
http://www.taproot.com/wordpress/2010/06/11/great-letter-to-the-editor-in-the-wall-street-journal-lays-out-causal-factors-immediately-before-the-well-blowout/
http://www.taproot.com/wordpress/2010/06/17/well-design-construction-causal-factors-of-the-deepwater-horizon-accident/
What are they missing if they don’t look at additional Causal Factors?
Anything else that you see about this investigation presentation that makes it easy or hard to understand?
Please leave your comments.
NTSB PRESS RELEASE: DR. EARL F. WEENER SWORN IN AS NTSB MEMBER
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010************************************************************
NTSB PRESS RELEASE
************************************************************
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 30, 2010
SB-10-25
************************************************************
DR. EARL F. WEENER SWORN IN AS NTSB MEMBER
************************************************************
Earl F. Weener, Ph.D., took the oath of office today as a
Member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Dr. Weener is a licensed pilot who has dedicated his entire
career to the field of aviation safety. He most recently has
been a consultant and fellow for the Flight Safety
Foundation, where he worked to reduce accidents through
coordinated industry programs.
From 1984 to 1999, Dr. Weener held a series of positions
with The Boeing Company, including three Chief Engineer
positions, in Airworthiness, Reliability and
Maintainability, and Safety; in System Engineering; and in
Safety Technology Development. He also served four years as
Boeing’s Manager of Government Affairs.
He has served as a general aviation flight instructor and
Part 135 pilot.
Dr. Weener earned all three of his academic degrees in
Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan – his
bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate.
Among his awards are a 1994 Laurel Award from Aviation Week
and Space Technology magazine and, in 2005, the Honeywell
Bendix Trophy for Aviation Safety.
Dr. Weener’s term as a Member of the NTSB expires December
31, 2015.
