It was 10 years after the Piper Alpha disaster that Professor David Alexander carried out an extensive study into the psychological effects of the tragedy on those who survived it.
More than 350 onshore and offshore safety representatives from across the UK gathered at Aberdeen’s P&J Live for the recent Safety Rep 30 Conference, which was organised by Step Change in Safety, the UK’s member-led oil and gas safety body, to recognise the 30th anniversary of the SI971 regulations brought in following the Piper Alpha tragedy.
A series of accidents and fatal events in the North Sea were catalysts for the formation of the Offshore Industry Liaison Committee (Oilc) 30 years ago.
A man who has worked tirelessly to improve working conditions in the North Sea after almost perishing on Piper Alpha has been appointed to lead Step Change in Safety.
A leading Aberdeen trade unionist has said he will continue to campaign for an independent probe into helicopter safety in the oil and gas industry- even though the government has rejected calls.
Piper Alpha trauma expert David Alexander has officially joined the support team of a north-east firm offering a range of specialist training services.
Currently, more than a third of global oil and gas production comes from offshore fields. The exploration, development, construction, production, logistics, maintenance and decommissioning operations of these fields are carried out with maritime units, including offshore vessels, installations (fixed, floating and subsea) and pipelines. For many countries, the offshore industry is contributing significantly to the national and global economy.
Trade unions yesterday condemned North Sea workforce conditions claiming signs of the failings that led to Piper Alpha are “coming to the surface again”.
A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune of meeting Steve Rae, one of the 61 survivors of Piper Alpha and, in our conversations, something emerged about an aspect of the UK continental shelf that I’m becoming increasingly concerned about – the threat of overbearing regulation and the problems that it will create sooner or later. Or indeed has done already.