Firms accused of putting profit before safety

Offshore oil operators have been accused of sacrificing maintenance and health and safety requirements in order to extract as much oil as possible while the value of the product remains high, it has been reported.

According to the Press and Journal, Liberal Democrat MP Malcolm Bruce made the claim that routine maintenance work has been delayed as company bosses look to maximise profits by taking advantage of the record prices for oil on the world market.

He made the accusation before pensions minister Anne McGuire announced the government has asked the Health and Safety Executive to investigate the standards of offshore rigs, which were criticised in a report earlier in the year.

Mr Bruce said he had been told of concerns that current high oil prices mean "some routine maintenance programmes and shutdowns are being delayed or postponed in order to maximise production at the top price," the news provider reports.

The HSE claims there have been major improvements in safety standards since the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988, when a fire on the North Sea oil platform killed 167 people.