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31 March 2005 - Call for Inquiry as Oil
Giant Shell Admit Safety Breach
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Union Leader, Mr. Jake Malloy of the Offshore Industry Liason
Committee (OILC), has called for a fatal accident inquiry after the oil giant
Shell admitted yesterday (Wednesday, 30 March 2005) to breaching 3 health and
safety charges.
In September 2003 at the Brent Bravo oil platform, 2 oil
workers, Mr. Sean McCue and Mr. Keith Moncrieff, lost their lives following a
gas leak.
Mr. McCue and Mr. Moncrieff were working on the inside leg of
the North Sea platform 116 miles North-East of Lerwick when there was a gas
escape.
It is reported that one of the victims had previously been
concerned over health and safety practices and had made his opinions known prior
to the incident.
Mr. Malloy, of the OILC said:
"It is no surprise that Shell have pled guilty because by
doing so it avoids a lengthy, drawn-out and quite possibly exposed hearing,
which some operators are keen to avoid.
"This only serves to stifle and prevent the detail of what
occurred, both in the run-up to the incident and the incident itself, and these
are questions that the families and the workers would really like answered."
Mr. Graham Tran, Officer for Offshore Workers with Amicus
commented:
"We welcome the guilty pleas but we fear the penalties may
not provide sufficient punishment for the loss of two lives.
"It is vital we have corporate manslaughter legislation that
imposes the most sever penalties, including jail terms, on those senior people
who have responsibility for ensuring the highest health and safety standards for
their workers.
"Amicus was part of a delegation to the Health and Safety
Executive in Aberdeen in March 2003 where we raised concerns about lack of
maintenance and other issues on Shell platforms and in particular the Brent
Field, including Brent Bravo.
"It is worrying that no strong action was taken at that time,
and then - only five months later - we had this avoidable incident, resulting in
the death of two workers."
Shell admitted charges yesterday (Wednesday) at Stonehaven
Sheriff court, where the case has been deferred until next month.
A Shell spokesman said that a plea of guilty to 3 amended
charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act had been submitted, but he could
not give any further information as proceedings were ongoing.
Article by Alexandra Johnston
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