BP's Browne bears responsibility - safety panel

16 January 2007 23:49  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--BP chief executive John Browne bears responsibility for the company's lack of emphasis on process safety, an independent investigative panel said in a report released on Tuesday.

In its report, the panel noted Browne’s reputation as an advocate of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and promoting alternative fuels.  “If Browne had demonstrated comparable leadership on and commitment to process safety, that leadership and commitment would likely have resulted in a higher level of process safety performance in BP’s US refineries.”

The panel said that before the March 2005 explosion at the firm's Texas City refinery (which killed 15 workers), BP was more focused on personal safety than process safety. That focus led to improving personal injury rates, the panel said, which created a false sense of achievement regarding process or structural safety measures.

The panel, which was chaired by former US secretary of state James Baker, said that since the Texas accident, Browne has made several public comments regarding BP’s need to improve process safety.

“If Browne continues to champion these messages, and if he and other members of BP management reinforce them with consistent and sustained actions, process safety culture and performance within BP will improve,” the panel said

In a video conference call with members of the news media on Tuesday, Browne said he recognised the need for the company to have a balanced approach to safety – one in which process improvements were given equal weight to staff practices and environmental safeguards.

Browne declined, when asked by a reporter, to comment on his legacy at BP and whether the Texas City accident and other problems would tarnish his reputation. He said his goal was to do what was best for BP in the time he had remaining as the firm’s top executive.

Browne, who was appointed BP’s group chief executive in 1995 and will retire in July, said the Baker panel’s report was a “hard-hitting, critical analysis.”

The panel said that its members interviewed Browne on two occasions, once in person in London and the other time via a conference call.

Baker, who chaired the panel, did not say whether he believed Browne’s departure would have any effect on how well the company implements its recommendations.

By: Joseph Lohan
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