Written By Kyle W. Morrison for Safety & Health Magazine. March 11 Edition.Leia este artigo na versao em PortuguesA new report criticizes industry and government regulators for the Deepwater Horizon catastropheThe Deepwater Horizon rig explosion that resulted in the deaths of 11 workers and the largest ecological disaster in U.S. history could have been prevented, according to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling.On Jan. 11, the commission an independent and non-partisan group established by President Barack Obama last May released a report on the April 20 disaster that occurred off the coast of Louisiana.The nearly 400-page report does not identify a sole cause for the blast; instead, it points to a number of errors on the part of the companies involved, the industry and even the government. This disaster likely would not have happened had the companies involved been guided by an unrelenting commitment to safety first, commission co-chair and former senator Bob Graham said in a press release. And it likely would not have happened if the responsible government regulators had the capacity and will to demand world-class safety standards.The companies and the industryThe three companies involved in the drilling operation BP (leased the rig), Halliburton (was hired to cement the well) and Transocean (owned the rig) made a series of mistakes that led to the blowout, according to the commission.Among the reports findings:Risks in well design and procedures were not adequately identified or addressed. The cement slurry used to seal the bottom of the well was not adequately tested. Lessons on similar, earlier near-misses on other rigs were not communicated to the Deepwater Horizon crew. The companies failed to adequately communicate with each other. Tests to identify problems in the operation were incorrectly judged to be a success. The companies did not pay enough attention to signs of the impending blowout. The report indicated financial savings may have played a role in some of these mistakes. Officials made a series of decisions that saved BP, Halliburton and Transocean time and money but without full appreciation of the associated risks, the report said. The companies systematic failures bring into question the safety culture in the entire industry, according to the report.A major industry representative took issue with that assertion. The Washington-based American Petroleum Institute said a single incident the Deepwater Horizon blast should not cast doubt on the industry as a whole.This does a great disservice to the thousands of men and women who work in the industry and have the highest personal and professional commitment to safety, API Upstream Director Erik Milito said in a press release. Since the Deepwater Horizon explosion, the industry has taken several steps to improve safety, API said, and the organization itself is developing a safety program for deepwater operations.The commission was dubious of the trade groups efforts, noting that although API serves as a reliable standard-setter for the industry, that role is compromised through the organizations efforts as the industrys principal lobbyist and advocate. Additionally, the report said, API has for years fought against regulatory approaches such