ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explains the story of the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The special presidential commission investigating that disaster charged that BP had engaged in a "culture of complacency" regarding safety protocols. The book also explains the story of how thousands lost their lives in what is known as "the Night of the Gas": the explosion of a Union Carbide pesticides facility in Bhopal, India, on December 3, 1984. It offers portraits of three environmental heroes who brought leadership, courage, integrity, grit, and dedication to their efforts on behalf of the greater environmental good. The book discusses the nature of industrial disasters, what constitutes a normal accident versus one caused by organizations that have neglected safety and environmental standards, and the principles that shape high-reliability organizations.
