UK oil titan BP has appointed L Duane Wilson as the independent expert who will monitor the company's progress in implementing the recommendations of the Baker Panel to improve safety performance at the group's five US refineries.
BP said that the panel, an independent body chaired by former US secretary of state James Baker, was established by the company on the recommendation of the US Chemical Safety Board to examine safety management systems at the group’s US refineries following the explosion and fire at Texas City in March 2005.
The panel is also intended to look into BP’s corporate safety culture at its US refineries, which are owned and operated by BP Products North America. BP said that Mr Wilson was one of the panel’s 11 members.
BP said that the report, which was published in January 2007, contained 10 recommendations to improve safety, all of which BP is implementing. The recommendations included the appointment of an independent expert for a period of at least five years to monitor and report annually on the company’s progress.
BP said that Mr Wilson, who is the retired vice president of refining, marketing, supply and transportation, and fuels technology for ConocoPhillips, will report to the chairman of BP’s Safety, Ethics and Environmental Assurance Committee.
The committee will produce a publicly available report based on Mr Wilson’s assessment of BP’s progress in implementing the panel’s recommendations at its US refineries.