BP might have taken an “ultraconservative”

7.                  As noted in the text, top management of BP adopted a “lax” approach to safety in its aggressive pursuit of oil discovery. Consider two alternative safety stances it could have adopted. Emulating Exxon Mobil, BP might have taken an “ultraconservative” approach to safety, implementing extensive training of personnel, allowing for generous margins of error, closely monitoring drilling operations, and formulating backup systems and contingency plans in the event of an emerging drilling problem. Or

it could have taken a “standard” middle-of-road approach, closely following accepted safety practices of other firms in the industry.