Deepwater Horizon survivors told to take drug test before being allowed to call families

Since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig—owned by Transocean and leased by oil drilling giant BP—the companies involved have been maneuvering to avoid paying damages to the workers killed.

The process started as soon as the disaster occurred. Instead of moving the survivors to land—a two-hour trip—and putting them in contact with their families, they were kept offshore on a separate platform, according to one survivor of the blast, speaking on condition of anonymity.



During this time, the survivors were given no access to the rig’s only satellite phone, which they were told was reserved for official use. As their families waited in agony to find out who was alive, the workers were interrogated by BP lawyers and coast guard personnel.


While they were kept offshore, the men were told to take drug tests. After the ongoing trauma of seeing their co-workers killed, having barely escaped with their lives, the workers were also told to sign forms certifying that they were not injured.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/may2010/deep-m06.shtml

Fuck the worker, protect the operation.

and can be rendered inadmissible in court by one word: duress.

Drug testing is done as soon as possible.

an accident of that magnitude. I believe they are required in certain other industries (DOT drivers, for one) following personal injury accidents. I'm not sure about the forms that they were told to sign.

Since none of them is a medical professional, signing a sttement saying you are unhurt is worthless.