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BP boss 'not interested in safety'



By Upstream staff 

BP chief executive John Browne reportedly "showed little interest in safety" at the company's US facilities, according to leaked evidence to an internal investigation into last year's deadly Texas City refinery blast.

The blast, on 23 March 2005, killed 15 workers and seriously injured 180.

Former vice president for BP's health, safety and environmental programmes Greg Coleman told the internal inquiry Browne had "no passion, no curiosity, no interest" in safety issues at the UK-based supermajor's US facilities, excerpts from Coleman's evidence published in the Wall Street Journal revealed.

The interview was conducted on 21 June this year. Coleman has since left the company.

Sources inside BP said the evidence and results of the internal investigation were not meant to be made public, and could embarrass the company as it struggles to repair damage to its image in the wake of a number of accidents and maintenance failures at its US facilities.

A BP source in London confirmed the authenticity of the leaked documents to The Times in London.

However, a BP spokesman rejected Coleman's comments.

"It is certainly not true that Lord Browne showed little interest in safety. The safety of staff featured prominently in his many messages to the organisation,” Roddy Kennedy, BP’s chief spokesman, told The Times.


Wednesday, 13 December, 2006, 18:03 GMT  | last updated: Wednesday, 13 December, 2006, 20:36 GMT

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