North Sea - HSE report serious safety breaches on North Sea rigs

REVEALED: NORTH SEA SAFETY FLAWS runs todays headline in the Herald

Remember Piper Alpha? Twenty years on, major oil companies are still committing serious safety breaches on North Sea rigs - By Environment Editor Rob Edwards

THE OIL companies guilty of a series of safety breaches on North Sea rigs have been named and shamed by the government's health and safety watchdog - but only after a freedom of information request by the Sunday Herald.

In the past three years, Shell, Total, BP, Chevron, Maersk and other companies have all faced legal action from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), forcing them to fix flaws in their crucial safety and maintenance systems.

Known as the KP3 report, it uncovered safety problems on nearly one-third of the rigs inspected. But the HSE refused to name any of the companies or installations at fault, provoking furious criticism from trade unionists.

The Sunday Herald submitted a request under freedom of information legislation, asking the HSE to lift the veil on the companies. At first it refused, but after an internal review, officials agreed to identify the installations served with improvement or prohibition notices as a result of the inspections.

Late on Friday, the HSE released a list of 18 instances between March 2005 and October 2007 when legal notices had been served. The most frequent offender was the biggest and richest oil company in the North Sea, Shell, which received six notices covering five installations.

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Now go to RoyalDutchShell.com - this is not a company site !

Former Shell Group Auditor Bill Campbell throws down gauntlet to Shell Chairman, Jorma Ollila

Republished today from 02 July 2007

Printed below is an extraordinary email sent today by former Shell International Group Auditor, Bill Campbell (above) to Royal Dutch Shell Plc Chairman, Jorma Ollila and the Company Secretary, Michiel Brandjes.

It was also copied to: -

*Shell executives including Jeroen van der Veer and Malcolm Brinded
*Senior officials of The Health & Safety Executive
*Relevant trade unions
*The news media .............

This is a lengthy and detailed document which you have to read in full - it is evident that there are knowledgeable people with serious concerns about the state of some North Sea oil installations.