After reading the article, please answer the following questions: When all is sa
ID: 2746312 • Letter: A
Question
After reading the article, please answer the following questions:
When all is said and done, it's likely to be one of the worst environmental disasters, if not the worst, in U.S. history. British Petroleum's (BP) Deepwater Horizon offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded in a ball of flames on April 20, 2010, killing 11 employees. This initial tragedy set in motion frantic efforts to stop the flow of oil, followed by a long and arduous cleanup process. Although the impacts of the explo- sion and oil spill were felt most intensely by businesses and residents along the coast and by coastal wildlife, those of us inland who watched the disaster unfold were also stunned and dismayed by what we saw happening. What led to this disaster, and what should BP do to minimize the likelihood of it ever happening again? One thing that has come to light in the disaster investigation is that it's no sur- prise that something like this happened. After Hurricane Dennis blew through in July 2005, a passing ship was shocked to see BP's new massive $1 billion Thunder Horse oil platform "listing precariously to one side, looking for all the world as if it were about to sink." Thunder Horse "was meant to be the company's crowning glory, the embodiment of its bold gamble to outpace its competitors in finding and exploiting the vast reserves of oil beneath the waters of the gulf." But the problems with this rig soon became evident. A valve installed backwards caused it to flood during the hur- ricane even before any oil had been pumped. Other problems included a welding job so shoddy that it left underwater pipelines brittle and full of cracks. "The problemsExplanation / Answer
18-17. Feedforward controls would have been most useful in the situation
Feedforward controls includes involving , identifying and preventing problems in an organization before they occur. Feedforward controls are proactive and preventative. Feedforward controls are helpful to organizations because they allow to plan work effectively; they can regulate resources like employees, raw materials and capital ahead of time. This means that future problems can be avoided. Although feedforward controls can be costly and can slow down the planning process, they help to avoid problems later on.
18-18. Exhibit 18-2 missing
18-19. The employees might not had any information of the warning signals, the red flags, due to inappropriate training to read such signs and act accordingly
Employer should follow the following process:
Firstly, the employee must have a proper understanding of the key elements of the job and the performance standards required by the employer. These should be communicated to the employee at the outset, unless the employee could reasonably be expected to be aware of such standards.
Secondly, upon failing to meet the required standards, the employer should meet with the employee to establish where the problems are and how to address them. In this regard an evaluation should be done, followed by appropriate instruction, training, guidance and counselling.
Thirdly, the employee should be given a fair opportunity to meet the required standards. This implies a reasonable time for improvement, as well as further evaluation and counselling if necessary.
18-20. Learning from BPs mistake:
Business wise:
Organization wise: