THE NEW YORK TIMES: Court Fines Shell Over Workers' Deaths: “A Scottish court on Wednesday fined oil giant Shell $1.7 million for the deaths of two workers on an offshore platform in the North Sea. Shell U.K. Limited, part of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching health and safety legislation in relation to the deaths of workers Sean McCue and Keith Moncrieff.”: “Shell's European production director Greg Hill said the company accepted 100 percent responsibility for the men's deaths.” (ShellNews.net) 28 April 05
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON (AP) -- A Scottish court on Wednesday fined oil giant Shell $1.7 million for the deaths of two workers on an offshore platform in the North Sea.
Shell U.K. Limited, part of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, had earlier pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching health and safety legislation in relation to the deaths of workers Sean McCue and Keith Moncrieff.
McCue, 22, and Moncrieff, 45, were killed on Sept. 11, 2003, as they inspected pipework at Shell's Brent Bravo offshore platform, 180 miles east of the Shetland Islands, off Scotland's northern coast.
The pair died from suffocation after a faulty valve caused a massive leak of hydrocarbon gas.
Sheriff Patrick Davies told Stonehaven Sheriff Court, in northeast Scotland, he hoped the fine would act as a warning to other large companies not to neglect health and safety issues.
Shell's European production director Greg Hill said the company accepted 100 percent responsibility for the men's deaths.
''It is clear that a complex series of factors led to this incident. It is also clear that we had failures in our systems,'' Hill said. ''Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of Keith and Sean.''
The company also said in a statement that following the incident at Brent Bravo they were upgrading all European offshore installations and had implemented new maintenance compliance procedures.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Britain-Shell.html?
Click here for ShellNews.net HOME PAGE