THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
AUGUST 6, 2009, 3.53 A.M. ET
LONDON (Dow Jones)–The U.K.’s workplace safety regulator said accidents on oil platforms have fallen to their lowest level since at least 1991 but it added that fatalities during related air and sea operations showed risks remained.
Aging infrastructure has led to incidents, including a fatal one at a Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) platform in 2003, and inspired efforts to improve safety.
In a press statement the HSE reported “both the combined fatal and major injury rate and major hydrocarbon releases at their lowest since the Health and Safety Executive [HSE] began regulating the industry” 28 years ago.
“There was a fall in major injuries with 30 reported, a fall of 14 compared with 2007/08 figures,” the HSE added in the release Wednesday.
“No workers were killed while working offshore during 2008/09 – the second consecutive year with no fatalities,” it said.
The HSE said the “number of major and significant hydrocarbon releases, regarded as potential precursors to an incident, also showed marked improvement with 61 in 2008/09 compared with 74 in 2007/08.”
However, HSE chairman Judith Hackitt said the statistics were “overshadowed by the tragic events of 1 April when the Super Puma helicopter crashed with the loss of 16 passengers.” The same day, in a separate incident, a worker received fatal injuries aboard a dive support vessel in transit.
“Even though HSE’s remit does not extend to air and marine transport activities, these incidents show that hazards are ever present offshore,” she said.
Hackitt said the “industry must not take its eye of the ball. Investment in safety must continue despite the current economic climate putting a squeeze on resources,” she said.
-By Benoit Faucon, Dow Jones Newswires; +44-20-7842-9266; [email protected]
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
