PA NEWS PHOTO 8/7/88 PIPER ALPHA OIL RIG ON FIRE ON THE COAST OF ABERDEEN IN THE NORTH SEA
A three-day conference to review health and safety in the oil and gas industry, marking the 25th anniversary of one of the world’s worst offshore disasters, is taking place.
About 700 delegates from around the world are due to attend the event at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre to reflect on the lessons learned from the Piper Alpha incident which killed 167 people in the North Sea.
The conference, organised by Oil & Gas UK, will also look at changes made to offshore safety since 1988 and reinforce a commitment to continuous improvement.
Lord Cullen of Whitekirk, who chaired the public inquiry into the disaster, will deliver the keynote speech in which he is expected to share his memories of the inquiry, the methodology he used and the importance of involving the workforce in safety management.
Also scheduled to speak on the first day of the conference are Judith Hackitt, chairwoman of the Health and Safety Executive who will stress the need to learn from the past, and Jake Molloy, RMT regional organiser, who will offer a workforce perspective of the Piper Alpha disaster.
