In June 2023, the internet was taken by storm at the news that the Titan submersible, an experimental project by OceanGate, had gone missing on a trip to the Titanic wreckage. For four days, there had been no communication with the vessel and the search and rescue turned into a recovery mission. It was determined that during the mission, the Titan submersible had imploded, killing all five passengers inside, including OceanGate founder Stockton Rush.
This September, the U.S. Coast Guard began the public hearing investigating the disaster. Each testimony by ex-employees, directors and engineers reveals new and disturbing details that show just how corrupt the company was. As the investigation continues to unfold, the Titan disaster should be a sobering reminder of the indolence and hidden workplace politics that put people at risk every day.
Anyone working on the submersibles at OceanGate would have been able to recognize that the Titan mission was doomed to fail. Whether they were willing to admit it, though, was a different question. According to testimonies by ex-employees, the Titan had experienced a plethora of development issuesleading up to the disaster. From equipment issues to irresponsible storage practices, it was clear that the Titan was not fit for the mission. Former engineering director, Tony Nissen, recognized these issues and did his due diligence, refusing to sign off on a mission to the Titanic wreckage. Soon after, Nissen was fired. He is just one of many engineers and team members that challenged the OceanGate founder and were silenced.
The workplace politics at OceanGate are not the only failure that took the lives of the five passengers. Former director of machine operations, David Lochridge, was bold enough to bring his safety concerns to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after he was fired. Despite promises by OSHA to investigate the company and involve the Coast Guard, nothing came from their inquiries except for a lawsuit and agreement for Lochridge effectively barring him from filing any more complaints. OSHA and other safety agencies failed to do their jobs and did not take seriously the complaints that Lochridge brought up.
Since OceanGate was a private deep-sea exploration company operating outside of territorial waters, they were not required to obtain certifications or safety checks before operating the Titan. OceanGate was able to bypass all safety requirements in the name of engineering and money-generation.
The lack of regulations on submersibles and private companies combined with the failure of safety organizations and responsible individuals underscores a problem we know all too well. There are far too few regulations on all companies that are responsible for human lives here and abroad. The regulations that exist are too full of loopholes and clauses that render them ineffective. Because of these two conditions, OceanGate was the perfect breeding ground for workplace politics that prevented any kind of complaint that might impact their reputation. Even for upstanding employees who valued safety, their efforts were useless.
Far too many companies in recent years have been responsible for outbreaks of illnesses and putting lives at risk. The citizens of America and the world deserve to know that the products and services they enjoy have been properly regulated and investigated. They deserve to know that safety issues are not being buried and hidden away from public knowledge. The greed and indolence of individuals must not overrule our regulatory systems. After all, it was greed and indolence that led five people to a death sentence and a watery grave.