[QUOTE=OldHondoHand;37028]
Furthermore, if there are any lawyers or lobbyists listening, then there needs to be some new legislation written to protect those exercise Stop Work Authority against reprisal. [/QUOTE]
I have mentioned before that there is much that could be adapted from the aerospace world to help on offshore/high risk well operations. Here is one of the things I would recommend. Something like the Aviation Safety Reporting System. http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/ To ensure independence it is even run by NASA, not the FAA or an Operating Aviation Contractor. It is an EARLY Warning System. Let me quote some goals/guidelines/operational procedures:
[ul]
[li]Confidential, Voluntary and non punitive[/li][li]ASRS captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital information to the aviation community.[/li][li]This cooperative safety reporting program invites pilots, controllers, flight attendants, maintenance personnel, and other users of the National Airspace System (NAS), or any other person, to report to NASA actual or potential discrepancies and deficiencies involving the safety of aviation operations.[/li][li]The effectiveness of this program in improving safety depends on the free, unrestricted flow of information from the users of the NAS.[/li][li]Based on information obtained from this program, FAA will take corrective action as necessary to remedy defects or deficiencies in the NAS.[/li][li]The reports may also provide data for improving the current system and planning for a future system.[/li][li]BTW it works. Not flawlessly, but it helps the National Airspace System, and lets you not worry that that flight from CA to Houston quite so much.[/li][/ul]
You gents have sat phones and internet I believe on the rigs. This type of system could be set up in a week from now with presidential authority to proceed, and could be run by NASA for the MMS and the offshore industry. Anyone could inform via phone or internet a significant issue. When trends develop, action gets taken. This is not the stop work authority program that is also needed, it is the early warning system that will identify bad wells, operators, rigs, etc; hopefully before all the pins on the grenades gets pulled. Give it some thought.