BP, under pressure because of a refinery explosion that killed 15 workers, suffered from systemic safety failures, according to a report by a committee headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The Baker panel found fault with the handling of safety issues by upper management at London-based BP, including top executives, said a person who has seen the report and asked not to be named because it is not yet public. The committee was set up after a March 2005 blast at BP’s Texas City, Texas, plant.

The report may bolster the view of lawyers who are suing on behalf of those killed or injured in Texas City. They have argued that more senior BP executives should shoulder the blame for the safety failings. BP spokesman Neil Chapman said he would have no comment on the Baker report before its formal publication in Houston today.

“We have always maintained throughout this litigation that the ultimate responsibility for the tragedy of March 2005 fell at the feet of corporate executives high in the chain of command, from the plant manager in Texas City to CEO Lord John Browne,” said Houston attorney Brent Coon, who won more than $38 million for a client who lost both parents in the accident.

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