Background checks for BP spill workers

background checks on the workers hired by BP to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf has apparently led to a convicted sex offender raping a co-worker. Sheriff Mike Byrd, of Jackson County, Mississippi, believes that had a simple background check been done, the rape could have been prevented. The man charged in the case, Charles Rundy Robertson, had failed to register as a sex offender. He was also on probation for a felony. But because no checks were done, he was hired as a supervisor. BP blame the company Aerotek, who hired workers for the clean up, while Aerotek blame BP. It seems another case of corporate finger pointing – a common occurrence throughout this environmental disaster since it began in April, when an explosion on an oil rig killed 11 people and caused oil to start rushing into the Gulf of Mexico. While the corporate blame game is expected, it is appalling to learn that a company of the stature of BP fails to perform the most basic and essential background checks on their employees. A decision to cut corners, and a failure to ensure their employees safety, has resulted in a tragic situation that has emphatically dented the reputation of BP further, and caused someone considerable pain and suffering. Yet another example of why pre-employment background checks are an essential for all business, big or small, in the modern day. They must take every step to ensure the safety of their employees, the reputation of their business and future security. BP ought to be setting an example. I guess in a way they are – an example of how to get things very, very wrong. Don’t follow in their footsteps.]]>