Transocean - Crew Treatment Post Incident

[cmjeff]

Note: this thread was originally titled "I hate Transocean" but we changed the name at cmjeff's request. -gCaptain
____________

Feel free to start an "I Love Transocean" thread if you feel strongly the other way ( I'll even write a post or two in their support) but this one just really irritated me.

I hate transocean because...

Because they made the guys sign this BS waver before letting them contact their families.

(P.S. Feel free to reply with your frustrations.)

[cmjeff]

The background story:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...26650691&ps=rs

and video:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/sh...ews01s3f56qeaa

[tengineer]

That they wanted everyone to sign a waiver shouldn't surprise anyone, lawyers for TOI were just doing their job which is to protect the corporation[s] .
What happened if you refused to sign it?

[cmjeff]

Actually I could care less about the form itself, It's the fact they held these guys while the lawyers typed up and printed the form.

If they had time to type up and print 100 forms then they had time to pass around a clipboard to write down wife's phone numbers so they could be contacted.

[Steamer]

" ... the fact they held these guys ..."

Are you saying Transocean held the crew incommunicado and physically restrained them from leaving or phoning their families? I don't think T.O. is into kidnapping or unlawful restraint. I won't comment on folks who think they have to stick around and sign something just because some suit tells them to ...

If they were held until the CG finished drug and alcohol testing, that is unfortunate but it's part of the times we live in and government we have to live with.

[abergeron]

I hate transocean because they won't hire me

[tengineer]

I understand that none of the crew were allowed to phone home from the Bankston though BP people from the rig were making phone calls from there. I also am told TOI escorted their people to a hotel for some paper signing and it was about 12 hours before anyone could call home.
Asking dazed, shocked and confused crew to sign a legal document before being "released" is inexcusable and if TOI did not call the families of the crew while holding them incommunicado and tell their familes they were OK then TOI deserves to be strung up by their privates.

[Steamer]

" ... if TOI did not call the families of the crew while holding them incommunicado and tell their familes they were OK then TOI deserves to be strung up by their privates."

I completely agree with that. I would suggest anyone who suffered that hire a lawyer and sue TOI off the face of the planet for every psychological insult known to the medical arts. I would also go for criminal charges of unlawful restraint if they were physically or psychologically restrained. Go for more than testicles, go for blood and cash, name the TOI executives personally and hurt them where they will hurt the most.

I also understand very well that those men and women were traumatized and effectively in shock, and that makes the crime even worse but surely someone at some time said to themselves or someone else "this is just plain wrong" and threatened to make a pulp of the first company SOB who stood between him and the door or a phone.

Something is missing in this story. I worked for a couple of years in the Gulf and most of the hands I knew were not the sort to let some office clown stand between them and their family, especially at a time like that.

[richard8000milesaway]

I agree with previous post: it appears missing information is hindering our proper analysis and therefore we can't make proper conclusions.
or something like that.

[RiverPirate]

I have read some of the same things you are discussing re; delays at the dock. What I don't understand is what was the delay in the return to shore from the accident? It was very late in the afternoon before they left for Fourchon. I understand there was a lot going on but it just seems like there were enough vessels out there that they could have got that crew out of there and back to their families.

[offshoremackem]

Feel free to start an "I Love Transocean" thread if you feel strongly the other way ( I'll even write a post or two in their support) but this one just really irritated me.

I hate transocean because...

Because they made the guys sign this BS waver before letting them contact their families.

(P.S. Feel free to reply with your frustrations.)

Please find below a statement from T.O. Kinda blows a hole in your argument, always get the facts not second hand info.

As many of you know, there have been an unfortunate number of inaccurate reports in the past several days relating to the manner in which Transocean treated crew members immediately following the April 20, 2010, explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon. Among these erroneous allegations is one that asserts that crew members were asked to sign “waivers” relating to possible injuries.

We clearly are concerned about these types of allegations and the impressions they cause. As a result, we issued a news release a few minutes ago to clarify the facts regarding the series of events that transpired that evening and the days after the incident.

Specifically, it is important that you understand the following:

·The U.S. Coast Guard, as on-scene incident command, and not Transocean, was in control of rescue vessel: We are indebted to the Coast Guard for their efforts at sea. In fact, all decisions aboard the rescue boat, the Damon Bankston, were made solely by the Coast Guard, which also coordinated all efforts to transport crew members from the rig to shore. At all times, the Coast Guard utilized standard maritime procedures.

Our immediate concern, of course, was to account for all those aboard the rig and to search for those 11 men who were ultimately determined lost. All decisions aboard the rescue boat were made solely by the Coast Guard, including the length of time crew members were kept at sea, the final destination port and decision not to allow them use of the satellite phones aboard the boat. As you know, those crew members who were critically injured were immediately transported by Medevac to the appropriate medical facilities.

·Our crew members were treated with courtesy and respect upon arrival at Port Fourchon. Crew member comfort and needs were our top priority at the docks. As a result, upon arrival, crew members were given an opportunity to go home or to accept transportation to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kenner, Louisiana, which had been set up as our base location. Contrary to several erroneous reports, Transocean did not distribute any sort of incident response forms or “waivers” to the crew members at that time.

·Crew members returning to the hotel were offered medical care, rooms or a second opportunity to go home: The Crowne Plaza Hotel served as a central location for the crew members and their families, and our goal was to meet their personal and medical needs, while obtaining as much information about the incident as possible. Upon arriving at the hotel, crew members were offered the opportunity to meet with qualified medical professionals, to retire to private rooms where they could eat, shower and sleep, or go home.

Only then did we ask crew members to voluntarily fill out a simple-language, one-page incident report document. The document asked them to describe – in a few words – where they were at the time of the incident and what they were doing. Each person also was asked to affirm, if true, that he was not a witness and/or that he was not injured. There was no elaboration required. Crew members were free to complete this form at their leisure; in fact, they were free not to complete it at all. Some crew members even took the forms home and returned them later.

We are hopeful that the news release we issued will help to stop the erroneous reports and get the facts out into the public domain. We also hope that this letter provides each of you with clarity on any inaccurate statements that you may be hearing and empowers each of you to provide these facts to others.

In closing, I want to reiterate that Transocean’s first commitment has always been and will continue to be to the safety and well-being of our people. All actions and decisions taken by our Company representatives, as well as those by the Coast Guard, on the evening of the incident and throughout the days following, were made with a focus on meeting the personal and medical needs of all those aboard the Deepwater Horizon. It is important that everyone understands the facts regarding the events that transpired and the decisions that were made.

As always, our thoughts and prayers remain with the friends and families of our lost co-workers. We continue to be deeply grateful for the tremendous support and respect that each of you has shown your fellow co-workers.

Sincerely,

Steven Newman
President and CEO

[Jemplayer]

My only question is why did they put them on a slow ass work boat when they could have loaded everybody on 2 or 3 crew boats and been back at Fouchon or better Venice in less then half the time?

As for the reports that people were held until signing a waiver, even if true a half decent lawyer could tear it apart claiming it was signed under duress. End of story.

[Steamer]

"As for the reports that people were held until signing a waiver ..."

That the waiver is worthless given that it was signed under duress and without access to medical or legal advice should be a no brainer. But, if anyone was held against their will in that hotel then I would hope to see criminal charges against management as well as a pack of junkyard dog lawyers going for every throat above janitor at TOI. And not just TOI as a corporation, a human being decided how events would proceed once the CG was done, that person and his/her superiors and subordinates should be named in each and every lawsuit.

TOI is a public company, RIG on the NY exchange, buy a couple of shares and attend stockholder's meetings, make noise, decapitate the management. Keep their treatment of crew in the news and play the PR game the way they do, don't let the individuals responsible hide behind a corporate shield.

[offshoremackem]

"As for the reports that people were held until signing a waiver ..."

That the waiver is worthless given that it was signed under duress and without access to medical or legal advice should be a no brainer. But, if anyone was held against their will in that hotel then I would hope to see criminal charges against management as well as a pack of junkyard dog lawyers going for every throat above janitor at TOI. And not just TOI as a corporation, a human being decided how events would proceed once the CG was done, that person and his/her superiors and subordinates should be named in each and every lawsuit.

TOI is a public company, RIG on the NY exchange, buy a couple of shares and attend stockholder's meetings, make noise, decapitate the management. Keep their treatment of crew in the news and play the PR game the way they do, don't let the individuals responsible hide behind a corporate shield.

Hey you are a million miles away with your assumptions and quotes. You must be an ex employee with an axe to grind. If you and anyone else is happy at listening to embelished stories which have now grown arms and legs you are just as bad as them.

Any story has an element of fiction in it, the trouble is people like you are the coffee shop lawyers, who know nothin!.

[Steamer]

What are you afraid of my little shill? Who signs your paycheck?

I have never worked for TOI, never plan to, so step carefully when ranting about assumptions. And a quote is a quote is a quote. My statements about what I feel is shabby treatment of employees is as valid as the offense you take from reading them. If you are bothered by my position, you should stop reading my posts because as more information comes out you probably won't like what I have to say or suggest.

If you don't like the idea of TOI executives being held responsible for the way they treated employees during such a critical period then that says more about you than me or others who are equally outraged.

[offshoremackem]

What are you afraid of my little shill? Who signs your paycheck?

I have never worked for TOI, never plan to, so step carefully when ranting about assumptions. And a quote is a quote is a quote. My statements about what I feel is shabby treatment of employees is as valid as the offense you take from reading them. If you are bothered by my position, you should stop reading my posts because as more information comes out you probably won't like what I have to say or suggest.

If you don't like the idea of TOI executives being held responsible for the way they treated employees during such a critical period then that says more about you than me or others who are equally outraged.

If you have never worked for them then you are in no position to comment on how employees are treated, as for who signs my paycheck, I work for the highest bidder. Hearsay from people like you do more damage than it helps. I believe TO have 20,000 employees and I don't hear complaints from them.
Again get your facts right before criticising.

[Steamer]

What hearsay my little shill? A quote is a quote is a quote. If you have reading comprehension problems take them elsewhere. Before you go you might want to have someone read the thread to you.

[cmakin]

I understand that none of the crew were allowed to phone home from the Bankston though BP people from the rig were making phone calls from there. I also am told TOI escorted their people to a hotel for some paper signing and it was about 12 hours before anyone could call home.
Asking dazed, shocked and confused crew to sign a legal document before being "released" is inexcusable and if TOI did not call the families of the crew while holding them incommunicado and tell their familes they were OK then TOI deserves to be strung up by their privates.

Just a thought here. Now, I don't know how many lines the BANKSTON may have had, but in this kind of situation, I would imagine that the BP folks wanted to keep them free so that they could handle the emergency at hand.

[cmjeff]

Ok, I apologize for posting this thread, lot's of emotions here with most for very good reasons. While I still have questions, given the choice to "go home" isn't much of an option since driving home after that wouldn't be safe and your family hasn't been contacted to pick you up, the fact that the CEO is taking a personal interest sends a strong, positive, message.

So I'm asking the admins to change the title of this thread in the hopes of toning down the conversation.

[john]

Done......