OIM and master

[Capt_Phoenix]

@"tengineer"

Ah, but Transocean gives everyone “stop work” authority if they feel the plan isn’t right, situation changed, etc. TOI personnel expressed their misgivings and doubts about the plan but did not stop the work. It’s an out the risk management people dreamed up years ago to put the responsibility on the lowest ranking person with job knowledge should things go to hell in a hand basket. Remember the TOI manager Harrell disagreeing with the BP company man and saying “I guess that’s what we have those pincers for” [speaking of the BOP]? Yet he did not stop the job, probably because he wanted to keep his own job at that time. Therefore, according to the way they look at things it was not the guy in Houston’s fault but the fault belongs with the OIM, toolpusher and driller that disagreed but didn’t stop the job.
It’s an insane way to run a very dangerous, highly technical and complicated operation and yet it continues to this day.

Stop work authority is a decent idea but only works if it is encouraged from the top down.