A government investigative committee says BP and the drilling contractor it hired to operate the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded two years ago focused too closely on personal safety at the expense of preventing major hazards.
The conclusions are contained in the preliminary findings of an investigation into the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill conducted by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
Eleven workers were killed in April 2010 when the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, causing 200 million gallons of oil to gush into Gulf waters.
The board also says that aboard the Deepwater Horizon, BP and rig operator Transocean only partially implemented safety recommendations that had been issued following a deadly 2005 explosion at BP's Texas City refinery.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)