Regulators call for offshore industry ‘stand down’
By Laura Barron-Lopez
Regulators are calling for an industry "stand down" to review safety precautions after investigating a Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion that resulted in three deaths.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement released a report on Thursday that found rig operator Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations and contractors at fault for the 2012 explosion and fire. There were multiple decisions and actions that led to the incident, according to the report.
"The death and serious injuries of the workers on the Black Elk facility remind us of the grave consequences that can arise from offshore operations," Brian Salerno, director of the safety and environmental bureau, said in a statement.
"These failures reflect a disregard for the safety of workers on the platform and are the antithesis of the type of safety culture that should guide decisionmaking in all offshore oil and gas operations."
