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It is quite obvious that BP bullied hard to push production and schedules. There were a number of things wrong with the rig that all parties involved knew about, the most vital being what they call the BOP
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This can be said for the Alpha Platform, Exxon Valdez, Esso/Exxon Sale plant explosion, the Alaska pipeline and any other organisational accident/incident you care to mention.
The interesting thing is that there is plenty of literature to show that these types of accidents are avoidable - Prof. James Reason, if your familiar with his work, defined organisational accidents 20 years ago - however, they are discussed as an 'event', as though in isolation - memory is short. The issues leading up to this are systemic, and in BP's case chronic. There are few organisational failures associated with this disaster that differ from previous disasters.
Exxon paid out only $500,000 in damages years after the Valdez memory and the people affected had moved on. It will be interesting to see 10 years down the track while BP stall action against them just what the consequences are - I would suggest minimal. It's cheaper for BP to pay out millions in legal costs, than accept responsibility - which was Exxon's strategy.
My guess is that this will bring about reform, and BP will be shown to have a culture inconsistent with the risks that its business involves. The Alaska pipeline affair was sufficient to show that BP's culture is problematic - time for a change of management.