Could there be another Piper Alpha?
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.
On 6 July 1988, 167 workers died in an explosion on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha oil and gas platform in the North Sea. The subsequent two-year inquiry chaired by Lord Cullen concluded that the cause was a gas condensate leak, which occurred as a result of maintenance work being carried out simultaneously on a pump and related safety valve on the platform.
In all, Lord Cullen made 106 recommendations for changes to safety procedures in the North Sea. Although his report was critical of Piper Alpha's operator, Occidental, no criminal charges were ever brought against it.
The retired judge told the BBC it was a difficult inquiry to preside over. He said: "I was a relatively young judge, taken out of my normal work to do this, but I was hugely assisted by the team that was assembled to support me, and also by the fact that on all sides – the industry, workforce and those who were affected by what happened – there seemed to be a common will to create something positive out of a terrible disaster."
He continued: "The industry suffered an enormous shock with this inquiry; it was the worst possible imaginable thing. Each company was looking for itself to see whether this could happen to them, what they could do about it.
"This all contributed to a will to see that something better for the future could be evolved."
In the last 25 years, offshore safety has improved significantly, with no major loss-of-life incidents and a sharp fall in the number of worker fatalities.
However, concerns remain over asset integrity, hydrocarbon leaks and workforce engagement. Around half of the fixed platforms on the UK Continental Shelf have exceeded their original design life of 25 years. A report issued by the HSE in December last year particularly emphasised the need to involve workers more in the management of ageing infrastructure.
Lord Cullen believes hydrocarbons are the most important issue and that the focus should be on reducing them. He said: "They could be a signal of something that has gone wrong, which could cause problems later on if they are not attended to."
Asked by the BBC if something like Piper Alpha could happen again, Lord Cullen said: "I wouldn't be so presumptuous to say something really bad couldn't ever happen, but we have done a great deal to reduce the risk and the rest is over to the way in which management handles its safety arrangements."
Lord Cullen is the keynote speaker at Piper 25, organised by Oil & Gas UK and taking place from 18 to 20 June at the Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre. Other high-profile speakers include HSE chair Judith Hackitt, Jake Molloy of the RMT union, and Bob Fryar – executive vice-president of safety and operational risk at BP.
The middle day of the event is Workforce Involvement Day, which is being run jointly by Oil & Gas UK and the HSE.
To find out more about the event, visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/Piper25.cfm
IOSH, together with the Offshore Group, will be remembering the events of 1988 with MSPs at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June, and with MPs at Westminster on 2 July. The Institution will highlight that improved regulation and standards have made the industry much safer than it used to be, but that much more needs to be done.
Said its head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones: "Strong leadership, worker involvement and good health and safety advice – underpinned by effective regulation – are essential to the success of the offshore energy industry. ?
"Progress has undoubtedly been made since July 1988 to protect those working in North Sea oil and gas. To be sure there are no repeat disasters in UK waters, we must now build on that to ensure our offshore energy sector is fit for the future and ready to meet new challenges to its workers' safety and health."
– See more at: http://www.shponline.co.uk/home/news/full/could-there-be-another-piper-alpha-#sthash.m424Y16V.dpuf
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.
On 6 July 1988, 167 workers died in an explosion on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha oil and gas platform in the North Sea. The subsequent two-year inquiry chaired by Lord Cullen concluded that the cause was a gas condensate leak, which occurred as a result of maintenance work being carried out simultaneously on a pump and related safety valve on the platform.
In all, Lord Cullen made 106 recommendations for changes to safety procedures in the North Sea. Although his report was critical of Piper Alpha's operator, Occidental, no criminal charges were ever brought against it.
The retired judge told the BBC it was a difficult inquiry to preside over. He said: "I was a relatively young judge, taken out of my normal work to do this, but I was hugely assisted by the team that was assembled to support me, and also by the fact that on all sides – the industry, workforce and those who were affected by what happened – there seemed to be a common will to create something positive out of a terrible disaster."
He continued: "The industry suffered an enormous shock with this inquiry; it was the worst possible imaginable thing. Each company was looking for itself to see whether this could happen to them, what they could do about it.
"This all contributed to a will to see that something better for the future could be evolved."
In the last 25 years, offshore safety has improved significantly, with no major loss-of-life incidents and a sharp fall in the number of worker fatalities.
However, concerns remain over asset integrity, hydrocarbon leaks and workforce engagement. Around half of the fixed platforms on the UK Continental Shelf have exceeded their original design life of 25 years. A report issued by the HSE in December last year particularly emphasised the need to involve workers more in the management of ageing infrastructure.
Lord Cullen believes hydrocarbons are the most important issue and that the focus should be on reducing them. He said: "They could be a signal of something that has gone wrong, which could cause problems later on if they are not attended to."
Asked by the BBC if something like Piper Alpha could happen again, Lord Cullen said: "I wouldn't be so presumptuous to say something really bad couldn't ever happen, but we have done a great deal to reduce the risk and the rest is over to the way in which management handles its safety arrangements."
Lord Cullen is the keynote speaker at Piper 25, organised by Oil & Gas UK and taking place from 18 to 20 June at the Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre. Other high-profile speakers include HSE chair Judith Hackitt, Jake Molloy of the RMT union, and Bob Fryar – executive vice-president of safety and operational risk at BP.
The middle day of the event is Workforce Involvement Day, which is being run jointly by Oil & Gas UK and the HSE.
To find out more about the event, visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/Piper25.cfm
IOSH, together with the Offshore Group, will be remembering the events of 1988 with MSPs at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June, and with MPs at Westminster on 2 July. The Institution will highlight that improved regulation and standards have made the industry much safer than it used to be, but that much more needs to be done.
Said its head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones: "Strong leadership, worker involvement and good health and safety advice – underpinned by effective regulation – are essential to the success of the offshore energy industry. ?
"Progress has undoubtedly been made since July 1988 to protect those working in North Sea oil and gas. To be sure there are no repeat disasters in UK waters, we must now build on that to ensure our offshore energy sector is fit for the future and ready to meet new challenges to its workers' safety and health."
– See more at: http://www.shponline.co.uk/home/news/full/could-there-be-another-piper-alpha-#sthash.m424Y16V.dpuf
The likelihood of another offshore disaster on the scale of Piper Alpha depends mainly on how duty-holders manage their safety arrangements, according to the man whose inquiry into the 1988 explosion led to a radical overhaul of safety practices in the industry.
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.
On 6 July 1988, 167 workers died in an explosion on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha oil and gas platform in the North Sea. The subsequent two-year inquiry chaired by Lord Cullen concluded that the cause was a gas condensate leak, which occurred as a result of maintenance work being carried out simultaneously on a pump and related safety valve on the platform.
In all, Lord Cullen made 106 recommendations for changes to safety procedures in the North Sea. Although his report was critical of Piper Alpha's operator, Occidental, no criminal charges were ever brought against it.
The retired judge told the BBC it was a difficult inquiry to preside over. He said: "I was a relatively young judge, taken out of my normal work to do this, but I was hugely assisted by the team that was assembled to support me, and also by the fact that on all sides – the industry, workforce and those who were affected by what happened – there seemed to be a common will to create something positive out of a terrible disaster."
He continued: "The industry suffered an enormous shock with this inquiry; it was the worst possible imaginable thing. Each company was looking for itself to see whether this could happen to them, what they could do about it.
"This all contributed to a will to see that something better for the future could be evolved."
In the last 25 years, offshore safety has improved significantly, with no major loss-of-life incidents and a sharp fall in the number of worker fatalities.
However, concerns remain over asset integrity, hydrocarbon leaks and workforce engagement. Around half of the fixed platforms on the UK Continental Shelf have exceeded their original design life of 25 years. A report issued by the HSE in December last year particularly emphasised the need to involve workers more in the management of ageing infrastructure.
Lord Cullen believes hydrocarbons are the most important issue and that the focus should be on reducing them. He said: "They could be a signal of something that has gone wrong, which could cause problems later on if they are not attended to."
Asked by the BBC if something like Piper Alpha could happen again, Lord Cullen said: "I wouldn't be so presumptuous to say something really bad couldn't ever happen, but we have done a great deal to reduce the risk and the rest is over to the way in which management handles its safety arrangements."
Lord Cullen is the keynote speaker at Piper 25, organised by Oil & Gas UK and taking place from 18 to 20 June at the Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre. Other high-profile speakers include HSE chair Judith Hackitt, Jake Molloy of the RMT union, and Bob Fryar – executive vice-president of safety and operational risk at BP.
The middle day of the event is Workforce Involvement Day, which is being run jointly by Oil & Gas UK and the HSE.
To find out more about the event, visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/Piper25.cfm
IOSH, together with the Offshore Group, will be remembering the events of 1988 with MSPs at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June, and with MPs at Westminster on 2 July. The Institution will highlight that improved regulation and standards have made the industry much safer than it used to be, but that much more needs to be done.
Said its head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones: "Strong leadership, worker involvement and good health and safety advice – underpinned by effective regulation – are essential to the success of the offshore energy industry. ?
"Progress has undoubtedly been made since July 1988 to protect those working in North Sea oil and gas. To be sure there are no repeat disasters in UK waters, we must now build on that to ensure our offshore energy sector is fit for the future and ready to meet new challenges to its workers' safety and health."
– See more at: http://www.shponline.co.uk/home/news/full/could-there-be-another-piper-alpha-#sthash.m424Y16V.dpuf
The likelihood of another offshore disaster on the scale of Piper Alpha depends mainly on how duty-holders manage their safety arrangements, according to the man whose inquiry into the 1988 explosion led to a radical overhaul of safety practices in the industry.
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.
On 6 July 1988, 167 workers died in an explosion on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha oil and gas platform in the North Sea. The subsequent two-year inquiry chaired by Lord Cullen concluded that the cause was a gas condensate leak, which occurred as a result of maintenance work being carried out simultaneously on a pump and related safety valve on the platform.
In all, Lord Cullen made 106 recommendations for changes to safety procedures in the North Sea. Although his report was critical of Piper Alpha's operator, Occidental, no criminal charges were ever brought against it.
The retired judge told the BBC it was a difficult inquiry to preside over. He said: "I was a relatively young judge, taken out of my normal work to do this, but I was hugely assisted by the team that was assembled to support me, and also by the fact that on all sides – the industry, workforce and those who were affected by what happened – there seemed to be a common will to create something positive out of a terrible disaster."
He continued: "The industry suffered an enormous shock with this inquiry; it was the worst possible imaginable thing. Each company was looking for itself to see whether this could happen to them, what they could do about it.
"This all contributed to a will to see that something better for the future could be evolved."
In the last 25 years, offshore safety has improved significantly, with no major loss-of-life incidents and a sharp fall in the number of worker fatalities.
However, concerns remain over asset integrity, hydrocarbon leaks and workforce engagement. Around half of the fixed platforms on the UK Continental Shelf have exceeded their original design life of 25 years. A report issued by the HSE in December last year particularly emphasised the need to involve workers more in the management of ageing infrastructure.
Lord Cullen believes hydrocarbons are the most important issue and that the focus should be on reducing them. He said: "They could be a signal of something that has gone wrong, which could cause problems later on if they are not attended to."
Asked by the BBC if something like Piper Alpha could happen again, Lord Cullen said: "I wouldn't be so presumptuous to say something really bad couldn't ever happen, but we have done a great deal to reduce the risk and the rest is over to the way in which management handles its safety arrangements."
Lord Cullen is the keynote speaker at Piper 25, organised by Oil & Gas UK and taking place from 18 to 20 June at the Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre. Other high-profile speakers include HSE chair Judith Hackitt, Jake Molloy of the RMT union, and Bob Fryar – executive vice-president of safety and operational risk at BP.
The middle day of the event is Workforce Involvement Day, which is being run jointly by Oil & Gas UK and the HSE.
To find out more about the event, visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/Piper25.cfm
IOSH, together with the Offshore Group, will be remembering the events of 1988 with MSPs at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June, and with MPs at Westminster on 2 July. The Institution will highlight that improved regulation and standards have made the industry much safer than it used to be, but that much more needs to be done.
Said its head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones: "Strong leadership, worker involvement and good health and safety advice – underpinned by effective regulation – are essential to the success of the offshore energy industry. ?
"Progress has undoubtedly been made since July 1988 to protect those working in North Sea oil and gas. To be sure there are no repeat disasters in UK waters, we must now build on that to ensure our offshore energy sector is fit for the future and ready to meet new challenges to its workers' safety and health."
– See more at: http://www.shponline.co.uk/home/news/full/could-there-be-another-piper-alpha-#sthash.m424Y16V.dpuf
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster. – See more at: http://www.shponline.co.uk/home/news/full/could-there-be-another-piper-alpha-#sthash.m424Y16V.dpuf
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster. – See more at: http://www.shponline.co.uk/home/news/full/could-there-be-another-piper-alpha-#sthash.m424Y16V.dpuf
The likelihood of another offshore disaster on the scale of Piper Alpha depends mainly on how duty-holders manage their safety arrangements, according to the man whose inquiry into the 1988 explosion led to a radical overhaul of safety practices in the industry.
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.
On 6 July 1988, 167 workers died in an explosion on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha oil and gas platform in the North Sea. The subsequent two-year inquiry chaired by Lord Cullen concluded that the cause was a gas condensate leak, which occurred as a result of maintenance work being carried out simultaneously on a pump and related safety valve on the platform.
In all, Lord Cullen made 106 recommendations for changes to safety procedures in the North Sea. Although his report was critical of Piper Alpha's operator, Occidental, no criminal charges were ever brought against it.
The retired judge told the BBC it was a difficult inquiry to preside over. He said: "I was a relatively young judge, taken out of my normal work to do this, but I was hugely assisted by the team that was assembled to support me, and also by the fact that on all sides – the industry, workforce and those who were affected by what happened – there seemed to be a common will to create something positive out of a terrible disaster."
He continued: "The industry suffered an enormous shock with this inquiry; it was the worst possible imaginable thing. Each company was looking for itself to see whether this could happen to them, what they could do about it.
"This all contributed to a will to see that something better for the future could be evolved."
In the last 25 years, offshore safety has improved significantly, with no major loss-of-life incidents and a sharp fall in the number of worker fatalities.
However, concerns remain over asset integrity, hydrocarbon leaks and workforce engagement. Around half of the fixed platforms on the UK Continental Shelf have exceeded their original design life of 25 years. A report issued by the HSE in December last year particularly emphasised the need to involve workers more in the management of ageing infrastructure.
Lord Cullen believes hydrocarbons are the most important issue and that the focus should be on reducing them. He said: "They could be a signal of something that has gone wrong, which could cause problems later on if they are not attended to."
Asked by the BBC if something like Piper Alpha could happen again, Lord Cullen said: "I wouldn't be so presumptuous to say something really bad couldn't ever happen, but we have done a great deal to reduce the risk and the rest is over to the way in which management handles its safety arrangements."
Lord Cullen is the keynote speaker at Piper 25, organised by Oil & Gas UK and taking place from 18 to 20 June at the Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre. Other high-profile speakers include HSE chair Judith Hackitt, Jake Molloy of the RMT union, and Bob Fryar – executive vice-president of safety and operational risk at BP.
The middle day of the event is Workforce Involvement Day, which is being run jointly by Oil & Gas UK and the HSE.
To find out more about the event, visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/Piper25.cfm
IOSH, together with the Offshore Group, will be remembering the events of 1988 with MSPs at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June, and with MPs at Westminster on 2 July. The Institution will highlight that improved regulation and standards have made the industry much safer than it used to be, but that much more needs to be done.
Said its head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones: "Strong leadership, worker involvement and good health and safety advice – underpinned by effective regulation – are essential to the success of the offshore energy industry. ?
"Progress has undoubtedly been made since July 1988 to protect those working in North Sea oil and gas. To be sure there are no repeat disasters in UK waters, we must now build on that to ensure our offshore energy sector is fit for the future and ready to meet new challenges to its workers' safety and health."
The likelihood of another offshore disaster on the scale of Piper Alpha depends mainly on how duty-holders manage their safety arrangements, according to the man whose inquiry into the 1988 explosion led to a radical overhaul of safety practices in the industry.
Lord Cullen broke his silence over his 1990 report in an interview with BBC Scotland, conducted in advance of a major conference to be held in Aberdeen next week (18-20 June) to mark the 25th anniversary of the disaster.
On 6 July 1988, 167 workers died in an explosion on Occidental Petroleum's Piper Alpha oil and gas platform in the North Sea. The subsequent two-year inquiry chaired by Lord Cullen concluded that the cause was a gas condensate leak, which occurred as a result of maintenance work being carried out simultaneously on a pump and related safety valve on the platform.
In all, Lord Cullen made 106 recommendations for changes to safety procedures in the North Sea. Although his report was critical of Piper Alpha's operator, Occidental, no criminal charges were ever brought against it.
The retired judge told the BBC it was a difficult inquiry to preside over. He said: "I was a relatively young judge, taken out of my normal work to do this, but I was hugely assisted by the team that was assembled to support me, and also by the fact that on all sides – the industry, workforce and those who were affected by what happened – there seemed to be a common will to create something positive out of a terrible disaster."
He continued: "The industry suffered an enormous shock with this inquiry; it was the worst possible imaginable thing. Each company was looking for itself to see whether this could happen to them, what they could do about it.
"This all contributed to a will to see that something better for the future could be evolved."
In the last 25 years, offshore safety has improved significantly, with no major loss-of-life incidents and a sharp fall in the number of worker fatalities.
However, concerns remain over asset integrity, hydrocarbon leaks and workforce engagement. Around half of the fixed platforms on the UK Continental Shelf have exceeded their original design life of 25 years. A report issued by the HSE in December last year particularly emphasised the need to involve workers more in the management of ageing infrastructure.
Lord Cullen believes hydrocarbons are the most important issue and that the focus should be on reducing them. He said: "They could be a signal of something that has gone wrong, which could cause problems later on if they are not attended to."
Asked by the BBC if something like Piper Alpha could happen again, Lord Cullen said: "I wouldn't be so presumptuous to say something really bad couldn't ever happen, but we have done a great deal to reduce the risk and the rest is over to the way in which management handles its safety arrangements."
Lord Cullen is the keynote speaker at Piper 25, organised by Oil & Gas UK and taking place from 18 to 20 June at the Aberdeen Conference and Exhibition Centre. Other high-profile speakers include HSE chair Judith Hackitt, Jake Molloy of the RMT union, and Bob Fryar – executive vice-president of safety and operational risk at BP.
The middle day of the event is Workforce Involvement Day, which is being run jointly by Oil & Gas UK and the HSE.
To find out more about the event, visit www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/events/Piper25.cfm
IOSH, together with the Offshore Group, will be remembering the events of 1988 with MSPs at a reception in the Scottish Parliament on 26 June, and with MPs at Westminster on 2 July. The Institution will highlight that improved regulation and standards have made the industry much safer than it used to be, but that much more needs to be done.
Said its head of policy and public affairs, Richard Jones: "Strong leadership, worker involvement and good health and safety advice – underpinned by effective regulation – are essential to the success of the offshore energy industry. ?
"Progress has undoubtedly been made since July 1988 to protect those working in North Sea oil and gas. To be sure there are no repeat disasters in UK waters, we must now build on that to ensure our offshore energy sector is fit for the future and ready to meet new challenges to its workers' safety and health."