Essay Example on Deep Water Horizon Disaster: The Deadly Oil Spill of 2010

Introduction

The Deep Water Horizon disaster occurred in the year 2010, whereby eleven employees died and caused the most significant marine spill known in history (Burggren, Dubansky, Roberts, and Alloy 2015, p.8). For eighty-seven days, oil from the company's wellhead flowed in summer releasing many liters of natural gas and oil that fouled the Mexico Gulf landscape as well as the shoreline. The oil spill caused an explosion that caused death to the people onboard and a continued emotional effect on the 115 individuals present during the disaster. The Deep Water Horizon disaster posed severe health risks to many people and created enormous damages to wildlife, marine life, and the tourism sector. Based on the occurrence of the accident, the company was not ready to identify and control the risk on time.

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Analysis

Theories

The systems theory framework is useful in evaluating the complicated and dynamic interactions between elements or factors in an organization, users, society, and the environment. According to Skoko (2013, p.95), the systems theory framework of risk management asserts that organizations and operations that take place there create complex systems that must be adapted to deal with the dynamic changes and exchanges. The ability to control the flow of information and activities in an organization enhances the capability to reduce preventable hazards. All participating elements in a system are essential and should be considered when making decisions. Every condition of the system should be evaluated to establish and respond to change when necessary. One event is not enough to make a prediction and effects of operations taking place within the system. Therefore, creating a risk factor model is required to identify and control risk in advance.

The disaster sequence model of risk and risk management explains that the occurrence of disasters in an organization takes place through a series of events. Toft and Renolds (1997, p.22) stated that the existence of a tragedy takes place over a considerable period including various stages such as the starting point, incubation period, precipitating event, onset, rescue, and savage. The starting point provides individuals in the organization with a typical environment where everyone has their acceptable believes regarding hazards. There are set laws, folkways, and codes of practice to guide decisions regarding risk control (Borodzicz 1996, p.133).

During the incubation period, there are strange events taking place within the company which may go unnoticed. These activities are not in conformity with the current beliefs regarding hazards and rules of avoidance. The precipitating event makes it evident in the emanating disaster and brings attention to the management to transform the existing perception of risk in the incubation period (Borodzicz 1996, p.133). The onset of the hazard is the stage when the immediate effect of the tragedy becomes apparent. What the people need to do is to adopt the next phase of rescue and salvage. In this stage, the management of an organization adjusts to deal with the situation whereby rescue and salvage works begin. In the last step, disaster and risk management are addressed by full readjustment of beliefs and rules about hazard(s). Precautionary norms are given to assess the situation and adjust to the newly obtained information.

How the Case Studies Enlighten the Theories

The two case studies of the Bhopal Tragedy Disaster and Deep Water Horizon oil spin enlighten the theories by recognizing the various events that take place before the occurrence of a hazard. The Bhopal Tragedy Disaster and Deep Water Horizon oil spin are examples of preventable hazards that the management at the companies and the government could have helped in one way or the other. The systems theory framework and the disaster sequence model help the researcher in identifying the events that led to the tragedies. For instance, the theories outline the importance of recognizing human participants in the organization who control the various systems.

In the systems theory framework, the interaction of people and the organization brings about risk aspects that must be monitored and assessed frequently to see how they relate with other parts of the system (Skoko 2013, p.95). The Bhopal Tragedy and Deep Water Horizon oil spin disasters enlighten the systems theory framework by explaining the various factors in an organization that contributes to the occurrence of an accident. The case studies recognize the significance of human participants in an organization system and the management of risk. According to Blockley (1996, p.34), many of the system failures in any organization are usually caused by different factors, and the conditions for the catastrophes do not take place instantly. Instead, there are combinations and accumulation of multiple causal factors that may not be noticed or understood over time.

The case studies inform the systems theory since the interaction of individuals, the environment, and society determine the aspects of risk that increase the probability of disaster occurrence (Skoko 2013, p.95). T the case studies, it is easy to explain how the theories associate interactions between disaster risk factors as well as the effects to the environment and human beings. The theories recognize the outcomes of disaster as demonstrated in the case studies whereby a specific system and how its managed explains the risk perception, exposures, and disaster occurrence. These are aspects that help a person to understand the cause of disaster in the two case studies and

These case studies also inform the disaster sequence model by recognizing that describing the process of risk identification and the ability to take essential measures to control eminent disasters. The strength of the organization management to acknowledge the starting point, incubation period, precipitating event and onset of accident provides the basis of taking action to rescue and salvage the situation that may cause tragedy (Skoko 2013, p.95).

How the Case Studies Answer the Essay Question

The case studies answer the essay question that risk c...