Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico

The starting point would be effective risk identification and appropriate contingency planning where accidents are statistically predictable, or identifiable from previous experiences and this should form part of effective risk and project management. From a governance point of you the project should not be approved unless this has been fully signed off, and then from that perspective you have an individual who has said they have 'done the risk management' and has takes responsibility, and the individual who signs to give the Project authority to proceed; two accountable individuals.