BP will link bonus payments to safety

It's not a bad start, but will it continue?

BP's new boss Bob Dudley has told the company's 80,000 employees that safety will be the sole measure for bonus payments in the fourth quarter.

Mr Dudley said in an email that payments would be linked to "reducing operational risks" and "excellent safety and compliance standards".

Existing bonus arrangements would be honoured for the first nine months of the year, he added.

Also of note is that BP has re-agreed to waive the $75 million liability cap. Many were surprised when BP lawyers suggested they may renege on their previous deal of accepting all costs for the Gulf of Mexico disaster.