The CSB (U.S. CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARD) is an independent federal agency investigating chemical accidents to protect workers, the public and the environment.

On April 13th. 2016 the CSB sent an e-mail to all subscribers with the following title: The U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s investigation into the Macondo (Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Explosion in the Gulf Of Mexico that left 11 of the 126 workers dead and critically injured at least 17 others) Disaster Finds Offshore Risk Management and Regulatory Oversight Still Inadequate in the Gulf of Mexico.

Report: The CSB’s draft report found, “A culture of minimal regulatory compliance continues to exist in the Gulf of Mexico and risk reduction continues to be elusive —” “In the aftermath of a catastrophe, the individuals immediately involved in the activities that precipitated the event receive much of the focus and subsequent blame,” the draft report said, but the problem really rests with the companies’ entire safety culture.

Comment: It is interesting and somewhat disturbing that after a multi-million dollar, 6 year investigation by the CSB that one of the major factors in the Deepwater Horizon ($48 billion+) Disaster was the company’s safety culture.

Organizations that make an effort to develop a “Positive Safety Culture” are pro-active in a culture of prevention, a culture of ownership and responsibility throughout the entire workforce, which greatly reduces the risk of a disaster.