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There may be some rig bosses willing to put not just their jobs but their careers on the line by facing down a boss. I don't think there are that many. If the rig boss had felt safety was being compromised, maybe he'd have pushed back harder. But unless he KNEW the rig would blow and take eleven men with it, he'd more likely follow the procedure hardwired into all primates: submit to the louder voice of the alpha male.
As technical writers, we appeal to the intellects of our readers. I think that blinds us to the fact that 95% of human behavior is instinctive, unconscious, and reactionary. Written documentation can only go so far; we're fighting millions of years of evolution here.
We do what we can. That's all we can do. While we may strive to improve procedures and policies, we have to remember to account for human nature.
Sarah
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+sstegall=bivio -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+sstegall=bivio -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of McLauchlan, Kevin
Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 1:33 PM
To: Ken Poshedly; Combs, Richard; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Unsubstantiated and/or false allegations (was RE: Nobodyreviewed the manuals)
Given that the scenario below is true, it says all that
needs to be said about the documentation angle.
That is, this kind of thing has happened over and over
and over in various industries and other environments,
and the incidents - somebody overrode good sense and
established procedure, there was an argument, authority
prevailed - have been endlessly presented in the various
media, including print, broadcast, and online. Yet here
were these guys on the rig following exactly the
historic scenario and NOT taking the elementary precautions
of:
a) recording the scene (who DOESN'T have a cellphone capable
of at least still photos, if not several minutes of video??)
b) getting a signature on a brief statement of the override
order.
You can't tell me you get to be a rig boss and not have
both the smarts and the self-confidence to push back (hell,
they were reportedly having a loud argument, so _somebody_
was pushing back) to say: "Yessir! I'll be happy to
override/bypass procedure on your authority if you'll just
sign here, and here, and put your thumb-print in this space."
So that leaves only the horrible realization that everybody
on the rig has never read a newspaper, viewed a newscast,
etc., and have learned nothing from history. Thus I surmise
that the chance they'd notice - let alone actually read -
a dense manual of procedures, is vanishingly small.
No techwriter can get past that kind of impenetrable unwillingness.
Only an enforced culture change can do that.
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> techwr-l-bounces+kevin -dot- mclauchlan=safenet-inc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr
-l.com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+kevin.mclauchlan=safenet-> inc -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Ken Poshedly
> Sent: Thursday, June 10, 2010 2:57 PM
> To: Combs, Richard; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Unsubstantiated and/or false allegations (was
> RE: Nobody reviewed the manuals)
>
> I recall hearing an interview on the radio several weeks ago
> where an employee of the operating company described a
> meeting on the rig also attended by what he called "the
> company man"; he later said that meant a "BP representative"
> who had total authority to make things happen the way BP wanted.
>
> In the interview, the first guy describes a drilling
> procedure being discussed and how the BP rep said that no,
> and that the procedure would be done differently. The first
> guy described how the BP procedure was recognized as
> hazardous by the rig workers and how a rather loud argument
> ensued, but with BP getting its way in the end.
>
> I just don't remember if the contested procedure was for
> actually capping or drilling, but in any case, BP -- which
> pays the bills -- was said to act with great disregard for
> people and safe procedures (at least by those who worked the rig).
>
> Sorry I can't be more specific.
>
> -- Ken in Atlanta
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