Oil spill investigation begins as Shell plugs North Sea leak | Environment | guardian.co.uk
An investigation by the Sunday Herald found that Shell had been officially censured 25 times in the past six years for breaking safety rules, giving it one of the worst safety records of any major oil company in the UK. Infringements by Shell include repeatedly failing to maintain pipelines - similar to the one that gave rise to the Gannet leak - as well as for failing to report a dangerous incident, and failing to protect workers from hazardous chemicals. The revelations cited come from records held by the government's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and include incidents in which Shell was fined or received an official reprimand.
Since 2005, Shell has been prosecuted four times: for an explosion at Bacton gas terminal near Norwich; an accident at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire; a collision at the Mossmorran gas plant in Fife; and a fatality on the Clipper rig in the North Sea. The company has been forced to pay out nearly £1m in fines and legal costs. No other major oil company has faced as many prosecutions in the last six years, according to the HSE. Talisman was prosecuted twice in the period, while BP, Total, Amec and Nexen were each prosecuted once, the Sunday Herald reported.
Oil Company Score Card (UK)
Oil company / prosecutions since 2005 / enforcement notices since 2005
Shell / 4 / 21
Maersk / 0 / 33
BP / 1 / 20
Talisman / 2 / 12
Petrofac / 0 / 15
Total / 1 / 7
Chevron / 0 / 9
Nexen / 1 / 5
Rowan / 0 / 8
Amec / 1 / 4
Amoco / 0 / 7
Esso / 0 / 6
Conoco / 0 / 5
Marathon / 0 / 5
Keep up the good work
SM. At least you're a leader in the UK.