The Origin Story
BORN FROM A PREVENTABLE DISASTER
On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez, filled to capacity with more than 1.4 million barrels of crude oil, struck a reef as it entered Alaska’s Prince William Sound, tearing a gaping hole in the hull, and releasing 11 million gallons of oil into the environment.
Today, more than 30 years later, the Exxon Valdez incident continues to rank as one of the costliest accidents on record, and crude oil still lingers just inches below the surface along the rocky shoreline of Prince William Sound. Most sources put the total cost of the accident at more than $7 billion including environmental damage, clean-up costs, and the loss of local economic viability of an entire region.
The cause: an impaired captain who left an under-experienced, third mate to pilot the tanker through the treacherous passageway.
Henry Bowles was a strategic planner at Crowley Maritime when the Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef, and in that position, he would ultimately be instrumental in the development of the double-hull. But the gross preventability of the accident stayed with him and served as the inspiration behind the founding of Bowles-Langley Technologies, a company that develops systems for testing human brain function and performance.
Our concerns were two-fold: workers reporting without an adequate amount of sleep, as well as impairment due to substance use. We found the AlertMeter satisfied both our needs. An added benefit has been that since employees know that they will be tested daily they are reporting to work in better condition and ready to go to work.
Gary Ostermueller
General Manager, Prudential Stainless & Alloys
