Wireline Issue 42 - Summer 2018

News Round-Up | Oil & Gas UK

14. Shining a light on safety More than 700 people attended the Safety 30 Conference on 5 and 6 June in Aberdeen – marking 30 years since Piper Alpha. The conference held a mirror up to the industry’s current performance and considered how to make further improvements. Lord Cullen, the judge who chaired the public inquiry into the disaster, delivered the keynote address where he reflected on lessons from Piper Alpha as well as other major accidents around the world. Delegates tailored their conference agenda under the themes of people, plant or process and heard from a variety of leaders on the industry’s relentless focus on safety and need to ensure offshore skills and experience is passed to the next generation. The finale was a session with Steve Rae, a Piper Alpha survivor, Sam Ash, 2017 apprentice of the year, and Jo Reynolds, 2017 graduate of the year, symbolising the handing of the baton from one generation to the next. They challenged everyone to commit to take action in their own workplace following the conference.

A timeline of events Oil & Gas UK launched an animation of the post-Piper timeline that outlines the significant events that followed the 1988 disaster and the changes that have since been made. Watch the animated timeline at https://vimeo. com/273507670 and share on social media.

Deirdre Michie, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, comments: “From Lord Cullen opening Safety 30 to Piper Alpha survivor Steve Rae sharing safety reflections with two of industry’s next generation, it has been an engaging and insightful conference. The tragedy of Piper Alpha left a safety legacy that must remain with us – as we have highlighted these last two days – and I sincerely hope that we all now go back to our workplaces better informed, motivated and committed to doing our part to improve process safety across the industry.”

Paul Wheelhouse MSP tours the exhibition hall

Delegates hear fromMartin Temple of the HSE

Lord Cullen delivers the keynote speech

Trialling DNV GL’s virtual reality technology

Inside BP’s virtual reality dome

Panel session with Steve Rae (right), Piper Alpha survivor

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| W I R E L I N E | SUMMER 2018