BP has been found guilty of breaching health and safety rules that resulted in the tragic death of a contractor who fell through an open hole on one of its rigs. The jury at Aberdeen's sheriff court reached a verdict within two hours, finding the oil giant guilty of a health and safety failing in 2014. The incident occurred on the Unity offshore platform when Sean Anderson, a 43-year-old father, fell through an open grating. Sheriff Graham Buchanan explained that the delay in bringing the case to court was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and late submission of material by the Crown Office.

On September 4, 2014, Sean Anderson was working the night shift as part of a maintenance team contracted by Cape Industrial Services, responsible for scaffolding and rope access work on the Unity platform. He had just one hour left to work, nearing the end of his two-week stint. Anderson, a skilled scaffolder with rope access qualifications, would have been aware of the safety barrier that had been erected to safeguard the opening on the deck.

During the days leading up to his death, Anderson had been involved in building the hard barrier to protect the fatal hole in the decking, through which he ultimately fell. Due to bad weather, work had ceased after a break at midnight. Around 3:30 am, Anderson, described as a dedicated worker, asked the installation manager if there was anything to keep them busy. He then gathered three other colleagues to tidy up the lower deck. The exact events leading to the incident remain unclear, but at 4 am, Anderson's colleague Tony Omar heard three bangs and immediately raised the alarm for a man overboard.

Omar expressed relief at the verdict and stated that they had been working in pitch-black conditions without proper lighting. He believed that the grating should have been closed or more signs should have been put up to prevent the accident. The court heard that the night of the incident was foggy and dark, and Anderson was found without a life jacket, harness, or survival suit. When he was retrieved from the water, he was unconscious and not breathing. Despite resuscitation attempts by the ship's medic and a paramedic, Anderson was pronounced dead shortly after 6 am.

A post-mortem examination revealed that Anderson's cause of death was severe head and chest injuries sustained during his descent into the sea from the oil installation. Toxicology results showed no presence of alcohol, drugs, or gas poisoning, and there were no signs of natural diseases contributing to his death.

The Unity rig, located in the Forties Field approximately 110 miles northeast of Aberdeen, was owned by BP in 2014 but has since been sold to INEOS. In response to the court's decision, BP expressed its acknowledgment of the outcome and extended its deepest condolences to Anderson's family and friends. The sentencing has been deferred until next week, according to Sheriff Graham Buchanan.