As the BP oil spill is dragging on for over two months now with no end in sight, there are good reasons to wonder whether the company is compromising its commitment to crucial safety and health standards.
BP made a number of claims that have been proven groundless. According to Fox News BP claimed that there was an unlikely possibility of a catastrophe such as the one that occurred on April 20th. Also, while BP acknowledged its awareness of the detrimental effects of an oil spill on wildlife, it claimed that the distance of the spill from shore (48 miles) and response capabilities would not lead to adverse impacts. When the unexpected happened, BP was ill-prepared to handle the damage. If a company is drilling thousands of feet into the ocean, it needs to be able to manage what it’s doing, especially with wildlife inhabitants nearby. While BP is not drilling in ‘protected areas’ of the world as its website claims, all actual and potential BP fields of operation should be treated as ‘protected areas’ in accordance with laws, regulations, and “best practice” and with attention to responsible monitoring laws, regulations, and “best practice” should also govern the company’s procedures for protecting the health and safety of workers engaged in the cleanup of the oil spill in the Gulf.
However BP’s website does not address the commitments to safety and health of its workers to clean up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. BP workers are falling suspiciously ill as they try to stop the oil leaks 5,000 ft under water. Workers are suffering from severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, and respiratory problems. While there are many potential causes for the illnesses, including oil toxins, such as benzene, company spokespeople are glibly blaming the problems on food poisoning without serious investigations into the situation. After nine workers had fallen ill with severe symptoms Tony Hayward claims “You know, food poisoning is clearly a big issue when you have a concentration of this number of people in temporary camps, temporary accommodation, it’s something we have to be very, very mindful of…” BP needs to take responsibility for the damage the oil spill has caused which includes upholding safety and health standards during the oil spill clean up. BP states on its website that it aims to create a safe working environment for every member of its workforce. Its workforce now includes the fishermen of the Gulf who are working to clean up the mess BP has created. Unfortunately these health and safety standards have not been applied to the oil clean up.
BP hired fishermen to clean up the oil as a way to financially compensate them since the oil has taken their job until further notice. However these fishermen were not provided with the proper gear to protect themselves from the harmful chemicals from the oil and dispersants. According to the LA Times one worker, George Jackson, 53, took on the BP cleanup job because his fisheries closed as a result of the oil spill. Jackson said that he immediately felt sick and his head hurt when he came across the oil filled waters. Furthermore Jackson said that BP officials told them that if they ran into oil it would not irritate them nor were they given gloves to wear.
Fishermen have also complained that they were not supplied with masks while working in an environment intoxicated with dispersant chemicals such as Corexit. Spokesman for BP Graham McEwen said that if the fishermen wanted to wear masks they were free to do so. McEwen added that if the air quality was poor enough BP would require face masks but that currently the air quality is in safe condition. Yet John Wunstell, Jr. suffered nosebleeds, upset stomach and aches after spending a few days on the oil cleanup, without a mask. President of the Louisiana Shrimpers Association Clint Guidry accused BP for not allowing masks to be worn and that they would be fired if they did.
BP’s safety standards as outlined on its website fail to carry out in the oil cleanup. BP is contradicting its commitments to protect its workers which include the fishermen hired in the cleanup.
