A company man is not a supervisor in the traditional sense. He/she is representing the oil company that is paying for the well amongst other companies performing the services. In matters where safety may be questioned the oil rig workers, who probably aren't employed by the same company as the company man, may refuse to perform an action requested by the company man. In recent years it has become standard safety policy that anyone can ""Stop the Job"" if they feel there is a hazard that has not been properly addressed. This can be found in most contractor safety manuals and is generally encouraged by the drilling company also.