The Baker Panel Report - ABSA

RECOMMENDATION #10—INDUSTRY LEADERBP should use the lessons learned from the Texas City tragedy and from the Panel’s report to transform the company into a recognizedindustry leader in process safety management.Commentary(1) “transform the company into a recognized industry leader”—The Panel recognizes that in some areas, notably reduction of greenhousegases and promotion of alternative forms of energy, BP is seeking a leadership position in the energy sector. The Panel challenges BP to do thesame in the area of process safety management. Such leadership can help make not only BP’s refineries safer, but also encourage othercompanies in the refining, chemicals, and other process industries to make their plants safer for workers and the public. BP has shown anability to respond to challenges by taking leadership positions in the past; the lessons learned from Texas City and the Panel’s report provideanother important opportunity to do so.(2) “in process safety management”—The Panel believes that in order to become an industry leader in process safety management, BP shouldtake a leading role in existing or new industry organizations to promote process safety. In taking such a leading role, BP should be informed bythe efforts of public interest organizations and/or organizations from other industries, such as the INPO in the nuclear electric generatingindustry. Leadership opportunities for making ongoing changes and improvements in process safety include the following:(a) improving reviews and inspections of refineries against applicable legal and leading industry practices. While the reviews and inspectionswould be based on applicable OSHA, EPA, and recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices, the goal should be to go beyondminimum requirements and to achieve excellence;(b) improving process safety training standards, refinery workforce and management knowledge and expertise, and process safetymanagement audits, management reviews, and inspections; and(c) sharing within the refining and chemicals industries information about learnings from near miss and accident investigations.Panel’s Recommendations C 257