BP (NYSE:BP) Worker Safety Issues?

It's hard to tell if the issues allegedly emerging concerning BP (NYSE:BP) and their handling of worker safety are fair or not.

How can a true measurement be made as to whether or not they are handling it correctly or not? What's the precedent and road-map they are to follow?

Suddenly they have about 22,000 people they enlist to battle the tragedy as quickly as they can, and they're under fire for supposedly not taking the time to have them trained properly.

Assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, David Michaels, wrote this in a memo to Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, “The organizational systems that BP currently has in place, particularly those related to worker safety and health training, protective equipment, and site monitoring, are not adequate for the current situation or the projected increase in clean-up operations.”

My question is what could be adequate in a situation like this? Do they shut down operations and go through a two-week training session? We all know what would happen there.

This is a work as you go and learn as you go operation. To imply they aren't doing enough is a CYA move by Michaels and the government.

The agency is under pressure from outside elements, and are pressuring the Coast Guard to then pressure BP to take care of their supposed "litany of concerns."

As BP spokesman Graham MacEwen rightly noted, the company is ready to respond to developing problems, and “We consider safety a number one priority. We will continue to try to improve our safety record.”

In other words, this is an on-the-fly operation, and things must be responded to as they happen, and not attempt to cover ever eventuality.

What do they want BP to do, shut down all operations and have training sessions?

BP may be guilty of a lot of infractions in this mess, but to include this type of lunacy because the federal bureaucrats are trying to cover their rear-ends is ridiculous.