BP made a strong defence of its North Sea safety record yesterday after its training of offshore workers came under attack.
Aberdeen-based spokesman Matt Taylor said issues raised by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Health and Safety Executive had now been resolved.
He added: “Let’s not lose sight of the fact that BP’s safety performance in the North Sea continues to improve, at a time when the performance of some rivals isn’t getting better.”
Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show that DECC inspections of BP platforms in the five years to the end of 2009 had led to criticism of some oil spill training processes.
Mr Taylor said: “DECC raised a valid issue with us regarding oil spill response training and the frequency of training exercises.
“Less than 10 people who had not undergone refresher training have been brought up to date and we are fully compliant with regulations.
“DECC points related to the required frequency of offshore oil spill response exercises and the way in which DECC required us to record those exercises.
“These points have now been clarified.”
BP has also come in for criticism after a Health and Safety Executive inquiry into the Clair platform west of Shetland last year found the training of some new personnel to basic safety standards was “ineffective”.
Mr Taylor said: “The Clair platform has a very good safety record and recently achieved six years without an injury resulting in a day away from work.
“The letter from the HSE last year relates to comments made by a contractor which the safety representatives on the platform strongly felt did not reflect the reality of the platform’s safety culture and practices.”
Regarding criticism about training of new personnel, the BP spokesman said the issue was rectified promptly.
Mr Taylor added: “Following further engagement with the HSE, the matter was closed.”
The managing director of BP North Sea, Bernard Looney, said that all criticisms from the authorities were taken “very seriously”.
A spokesman for HSE said: “HSE has a robust but proportionate regulatory relationship with BP and all other companies in the offshore industry.
“With all offshore companies, there is an ongoing dialogue to ensure that hazards are identified and understood and control systems are adequate, effective and maintained.”
He added that, where more significant shortcomings were revealed, formal enforcement notices could be issued.
BP’s Mr Taylor said the company had received only one enforcement notice from the HSE in the last 18 months.
A spokeswoman for DECC said there was a robust environmental regulatory system in UK waters.
She said correspondence between DECC and BP covered a number of issues looked at by DECC.
The spokeswoman added: “Nothing identified compromised the overall integrity of the installation or its pollution response provisions. We wrote to BP and, where appropriate, it has taken corrective action.”
The documents just released also highlighted a lack of clarity among contractors about whether there had been a loss of well control on BP’s Magnus platform, 110 miles north-east of Shetland.
HSE inspectors visiting the installation in January discovered there was confusion about who would order a well shut-off in the event of a blow-out.
BP’s Mr Taylor said contractors had since been issued with clear instructions clarifying roles.
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