BP’s safety procedures need to be improved significantly if future tragedies like the explosion at the company’s Texas City refinery in 2005 are to be avoided. This was the conclusion of the Baker Report published on January 16 by the BP US Refineries Independent Safety Review Panel led by James Baker, former US secretary of state.
The report identified deficiencies in process safety performance at BP’s US refineries and, in particular, the report states that BP should give as much attention to process safety as it does to protecting the environment and personal safety. It pointed out that chief executive Lord Browne’s “passion and commitment for climate change is particularly apparent” and that “the panel believes that if Browne had demonstrated comparable leadership on the commitment to process safety, that leadership and commitment would likely have resulted in a higher level of process safety performance in BP’s US refineries”. BP acknowledged that it would “give process safety the same priority” it has “historically given personal safety and environmental performance”. The panel made ten recommendations, which BP has pledged to follow. The panel said in its main statement that the report is also intended for a broader audience: “We are under no illusion that deficiencies in process safety culture, management, or corporate oversight are limited to BP. Other companies and their stakeholders can benefit from our work.” They urge the companies to “review carefully our findings and recommendations for application to their situations.”
Process safety refers to the prevention of the unintentional release of chemicals, energy, or other potentially dangerous materials during the course of refinery processes. Contact BP 020 7496 4000 www.bp.com/bakerpanelreport
Valuing employees essential
Businesses should prioritise the welfare of their employees over that of their customers, according to BusinessWeek’s European 50 Research Survey published in November. One of the main findings was that “those interviewed made the point that their people come first, ahead of the brand and the customer, for example, because they are the ones who create satisfactory customer relationships, and ultimately represent the brand”. The survey carried out interviews with executives from Europe’s top 50 businesses featured in the 2006 European BusinessWeek 50 ranking of the best performing companies from the Standard and Poor’s Europe 350 index. The report was produced by CriticalEYE. Contact CriticalEYE 020 7350 5120 www.criticaleye.net
A diverse workforce is good for business
Business benefits from a diverse workforce, according to a survey carried out for Jobcentre Plus. Over a half (56%) of customers are more likely to use a business if they knew that it has a diverse workforce that reflected the community they live in, the survey found. Of the 2,000 people surveyed, nearly four out of five (79%) believe that it is essential for companies to have diversity policies in place.
Lesley Strathie, chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, said: “This research proves to employers that being committed to diversity is not a business choice, but a business imperative.” He went on to say that by setting diversity policies in place, companies broaden the “scope of their recruitment base, employers can plug skills gaps, improve retention and increase productivity”. Jobcentre Plus has created a Diversity Toolkit that will help companies set policies in place. The survey was conducted on behalf of Jobcentre Plus by ICM Research. Contact Jobcentre Plus www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
HIV/Aids
Aids and the economy
HIV/AIDS is an economic as well as human disaster, according to report published on World Aids day, December 1, by Barclays’ South African subsidiary Absa. The Impact of HIV/AIDS on African Economies looked mainly at South Africa and found that the GDP could be reduced to up to 1.5% a year. Not only will the economy suffer but healthcare expenditure will also continue to increase.
The aim of the study was to act as a “call for action for business”. It found that “employers are clearly in an ideal position to promote access to treatment”. It states that larger companies have good policies but that there is a “widespread lack of response” from SMEs. The majority of workers in Africa are employed by SMEs.
The report concludes with guidelines for businesses, while calling on governments to demand more from the corporate sector. Sharing toolkits and information is essential as well as learning from companies where initiatives have not been successful.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the global epicentre of HIV/Aids and and around half of all adults who acquire HIV, and are living in the region, are infected before the age of 25. More than 50% of these people will die of Aids before they are 35 years old. Contact Barclays 020 7116 4755 www.barclays.com
Aids and hairdressing
L’Oreal launched its website aimed at combating HIV/Aids on December 1. Called Hairdressers of the World Against Aids, the website will facilitate the expansion of the program internationally.
The cosmetics company integrates a HIV and Aids-specific module into all its training programs. The aim is to increase knowledge and understanding of the pandemic. Partnering with UNESCO, L’Oreal believes that “it is essential for everyone to know the facts and thus be able to talk about them openly and behave with understanding and empathy”. Contact Hairdressers of the World Against Aids www.hairdressersagainstaids.com
Mining companies support hiv/aids drug trials
Eight global mining companies are to support clinical trials of an Aids vaccine in South Africa. The companies are supporting a small Australian biotech company – Virax – in trialing the innovative drug. The trial will involve 140 HIV positive people in five HIV clinics in South Africa.
The companies supporting the trial are BHP Billiton, Gold Fields Ltd, Harmony Gold Mining, Lonmin Plc, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Nippon Mining & Metals Co., Sumitomo Metal Mining and Rio Tinto. Contact David Beames Virax 00 61 3 9854 6230 www.virax.com.au
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