That was the day the Deepwater Horizon oilrig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and injuring 17 more.
The rig experienced an initial blowout releasing an uncontrollable flow of oil and gas from the well.
Hydrocarbons then ignited, causing the explosion and fire.
It caused a massive offshore oil spill of over 4 billion barrels and is considered the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
British Petroleum was the main operator responsible for the well design.
The drilling contractor, TransOcean owned and operated the rig.
A handful of smaller companies were also involved.
While company and governmental officials initially argued the explosion was unforeseeable and then subsequently blamed each other, there were warning signs in the months leading up to the explosion.
Multiple equipment failures, design deficiencies, poor preventative maintenance, bad engineering decisions and a chase for profits that emphasized low worker injuries at the expense of process safety, all combined to create the disaster.
As well, regulations and standards enforcement were weak in an almost totally deregulated industry.
One phrase used by investigators to characterize the explosion was the Normalization of Deviance.
From workers, to managers to executives, none saw the explosion coming.
There were dozens of contributing factors as the Chemical Safety Board investigation noted.
They listed 57 key technical, human and regulatory factors in their 2016 final report.
However, engineers had raised concerns about the potential failure of key equipment.
Workers were sensitive to the fact they could be fired for raising safety concerns that delayed drilling.
BP was found ultimately responsible and racked up over $70 billion in fines, clean up and settlement costs.
December 29 - The Day Work Was Made Safer
December 28 - Heroes in Space
December 27 - Musicians Fight Back
December 26 - Garment Workers Rise Up
December 25 - Debs Released; Real Gift is His Message
December 24 - A Christmas Eve Beating for Striking Workers
December 23 - The High Cost of Low Wages
December 21 - Red Scare Deportations Begin
December 20 - THE UNION IS DISSOLVED!!!
December 19 - Solidarity Gets the Goods!
December 18 - No More Beer
December 17 - Unraveling Anti-Japanese Hysteria
December 16 - No Justice, No Bagels!
December 15 - Troops Put Down the Mother’s March
December 14 - Another Hard Fought Victory
December 13 - The Beginning of the End of Apartheid
December 12 - We Disaffiliate!
December 11 - Right to Work is a Lie!
December 10 - August Spies is Born
December 9 - The Cordiner Doctrine
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Navigating Life After 40
Teaching Learning Leading K-12
Regenerative Skills
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast