Summary
An explosion and resulting oil and gas fires destroyed Piper Alpha on 6 July 1988, killing 167 people, including two crewmen of a rescue vessel; 61 workers escaped and survived. Thirty bodies were never recovered. The total insured loss was about £1.7 billion, making it one of the costliest man-made catastrophes ever. At the time of the disaster, the platform accounted for approximately ten percent of North Sea oil and gas production, and the accident is the worst offshore oil disaster in terms of lives lost and industry impact.
Key Learnings / Issues
- No clear procedure for shift handovers.
- The permit-to-work system was inadequate and had been habitually departed from.
- Training, monitoring and auditing had been poor.
- Lessons of a previous, relevant accident had not been followed through.
- There had not been adequate assessment of the potential of major hazards or methods of control.
Quote
“Bloody Hell. It’s really on fire, isn’t it.”
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