fan_from_texas;404281 wrote:It's generally true that (1) not all risk can be eliminated, and (2) many of the most egregious risks can be mitigated by regulation and oversight. But it's short-sighted to focus on (2) as being an end in itself, without considering the economic impact of that regulation. There is always a trade-off between safety and profit (to some extent and in some degree). We could theoretically make deepwater drilling 100% safe by banning it--which would mean we all pay more for gas, and the hundreds of thousands of people directly/indirectly employed by the industry would be unemployed. It's important to recognize that there are tradeoffs to any decision to regulate.
The curing most egregious violations not being a high priority, really, that is obviously BP’s policy.
“BP's safety violations far outstrip its fellow oil companies. According to the Center for
Public Integrity, in the last three years, BP refineries in Ohio and Texas have accounted for 97 percent of the "egregious, willful" violations handed out by the Occupational Safety and Health The violations are determined when an employer demonstrated either an "intentional disregard for the requirements of the [law], or showed plain indifference to employee safety and health." OSHA statistics show BP ran up 760 "egregious, willful" safety violations, while Sunoco and Conoco-Phillips each had eight, Citgo had two and Exxon had one comparable citation
After a 2005 BP refinery explosion in Texas City, Texas that killed 15 people and injured 180, a Justice Department investigation found that the explosion was caused by "improperly released vapor and liquid." Several procedures required by the Clean Air Act to reduce the possibility of just such an explosion either were not followed, or had not been established in the first place.
BP admitted that its written procedures to ensure its equipment's safety were inadequate,
….
In 2007, a BP pipeline spill poured 200,000 gallons of crude oil into the pristine Alaskan wilderness. In researching the environmental hazard, investigators discovered BP was aware of corrosion along the pipeline where the leak occurred but did not respond appropriately”
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/bps-dismal-safety-record/story?id=10763042&page=1
And they pay some fines that hardly cut into their corporate profits