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BP’S outgoing chief executive Tony Hayward yesterday defended the oil giant against revelations the company had not followed safety guidelines.
Hayward told a committee of MPs that inspections by the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Health and Safety Executive had not exposed “any fundamental weakness”.
Inspectors found BP had not met guidelines on training operators on North Sea platforms and had not conducted oil-spill exercises properly. BP shares fell 11p to 404p.
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In his first UK public appearance since the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Hayward said: “We have a very strong record in the North Sea. It is better than the industry average.”
The MPs are looking at whether the North Sea safety standards are up to the mark in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Hayward, who is being replaced by Bob Dudley next month, said he had been “personally devastated” by the Gulf spill. He said the failings that led to the disaster reflected industry-wide flaws. “It’s been easy for some parties to suggest that this is a problem with BP. I emphatically do not believe this is the case,” he said.
BP said the failure to comply with North Sea guidelines was the result of “administrative errors” and the group was now in full compliance.