In memory of those lost may they rest in peace.
06 July 1988
Location: Occidental’s Piper Alpha Platform, North Sea.
Accident: Workers on the Piper Alpha removed pressure safety valve (PSV) number 504 in module C for maintenance. The technicians who removed the valve fitted flange blinds to the pipe work but only tightened them by hand. Condensate injection pump ‘A’ which supplied the pipe work had been electrically isolated to prevent its use. The permit to work for the electrical isolation was returned to the permit office, but the permit regarding the PSV removal was not. Condensate injection pump ‘B’ was running in place of pump ‘A’ to inject condensate into the oil pipeline to be pumped to the mainland. During the nightshift pump ‘B’ tripped out and failed to restart. Fearing that the platform was nearing a total shutdown it was decided to restart pump ‘A’ to continue injecting condensate. Referral to the permit system revealed that the pump was electrically isolated, but as the PSV permit was not present it was unclear that the pipe work containment had been broken. After removing the electrical isolation, pump ‘A’ was restarted. This caused the release of large amounts of condensate gas into module C. This was then ignited by an unknown source which caused an explosion. The fire walls which separated the modules were damaged by the explosion and this disabled the firewater supply and the emergency power supply to the platform. Without the water deluge system operational the fire spread rapidly causing a sequence of explosions. Eventually the gas riser pipes which connect the Piper to the Claymore, Tartan, and MCP-01 platforms failed individually, which caused a sequence of catastrophic explosions. The staff on these platforms, although aware of the explosion and fire on the Piper did not shutdown production immediately, and in effect continued to fuel the fire. The platform continued to burn until it was completely destroyed. 165 staff form the Piper were killed, along with 2 crewmen who were operating the FRC Sandhaven near the platform when one of the risers failed. 61 survivors were rescued; many had serious injuries and burns.
Fatalities 167
Robert Adams, 39, employed as a rigger.
George Anderson, 45, employed as a baker.
Ian Anderson, 29, employed as a dual service operator.
John Anderson, 33, employed as a catering manager
Mark Ashton, 19, employed as a trainee technician by Macnamee Services.
Barry Barber, 46, employed as a diving superintendent by Occidental.
Craig Barclay, 24, employed as a welder.
Amabile-Jim-Borg, 51, employed as an NDT technician
Eric Brianchon, 32, from France. Employed as a technician.
Hugh Briston, 40, employed as a scaffolder.
Henry Brown, 39, employed as a welder
Stephen Brown, 27, employed as a assistant chef/baker.
Gordon Bruce, 52, employed as a helicopter landing officer.
James Bruce, 42, employed as a logger.
Carl Busse, 31, from Navasota, Texas, USA. Employed as a directional drilling supervisor.
David Campbell, 23, employed as a cleaner.
David A. Campbell, 29, employed as a scaffolder.
Alexander Cargill, 39, employed as an electrician.
Alan Carter, 43, employed as a lead production operator.
Robert Cleland, 33, employed as a derrickman.
Stephen Cole, 40, employed as a radio operator.
Hugh Connor, 35, employed as an instrument technician.
Bill Coutts, 37, employed as a chef.
William Cowie, 32, employed as a steward.
Michael Cox, 26, employed as a scaffolder.
Alan Cradock, 31, employed as a drilling supervisor.
Edward Crowden, 47, employed as an electrical supervisor.
Bernard Curtis, 45, employed as a deputy production superintendent.
Jose Da Silva, 26, employed as a steward.
John Dawson, 38, employed as a telecom engineer.
Eric Deverell, 51, employed as a production clerk.
Alexander Duncan, 51, employed as a floorman.
Charles Duncan, 29, employed as a floorman by Bawden International.
Eric Duncan, 49, employed as a deputy production superintendent.
John Duncan, 33, employed as an engineer.
Thomas Duncan, 39, employed as a roustabout.
William Duncan, 38, employed as a crane operator.
David Ellis, 28, employed as a steward.
Douglas Findlay, 38, employed as a supervisor mechanic.
Harry Flook, 51, employed as a production operator.
George Fowler, 40, employed as an electrical technician.
Alex Frew, 41, employed as a plater.
Samuel Gallacher, 30, employed as a pipe fitter.
Miguel Galvez-Estevez, 36, employed as an assistant chef.
Ernie Gibson, 45, employed as a mud engineer.
Albert Gill, 32, employed as a roustabout.
Kevin Gilligan, 35, employed as a steward.
Shaun Glendinning, 24, employed as a painter.
Stephen Goodwin, 22, employed as a geologist.
Peter Grant, 31, employed as a production operator.
Cyril Gray, 49, employed as a safety officer.
Michael Groves, 44, employed as a production operator.
John Hackett, 49, employed as an electrical technician,
Ian Hay, 31, employed as a steward.
Thomas Hayes, 39, employed as
James Heggie, 45, employed as a production services superintendent.
David Henderson, 28, employed as a lead floorman by Bawden International.
Phillip Houston, 35, employed as a geologist.
Duncan Jennings, 28, employed as a geologist.
Christopher Kavanagh, 49, employed as a plater.
William Kelly, 43, employed as an electrical technician.
Ian Killington, 33, employed as a steward.
Brian Kirby, 51, employed as a production operator.
Stuart Knox, 37, employed as a roustabout.
Terrence Largue, 34, employed as a scaffolder.
Graham Lawrie, 39, employed as a roustabout
Brian Lithgow, 34, employed as a photographic technician
Robert Littlejohn, 29, employed as a pipe fitter.
Martin Longstaffe, 22, employed as a logger.
Sidney McBoyle, 36, employed as a motorman.
Robert McCall, 39, employed as a chief electrician.
James McCulloch, 51, employed as a technician.
Alistair McDonald, 33, employed as a mechanical technician.
Thomas McEwan, 38, employed as an electrical chargehand.
William McGregor, 48, employed as a leading steward.
William McIntosh, 24, employed as a floorman.
Gordon McKay, 33, employed as a valve technician.
Charles McLaughlin, 46, employed as an electrician.
Neil McLeod, 47, employed as a quality assurance inspector.
Francis McPake, 49, employed as a steel erector/rigger.
David McWhinnie, 36, employed as a production operator.
Dugald McWilliams, 31, employed as a welder.
Raymond Mahoney, 60, employed as a steward
John Martin, 33, employed as a rigger.
Carl Mearns, 20, employed as a rigger.
Derek Millar, 32, employed as a supervisor.
Alan Miller, 31, employed as an industrial chemist
Frank miller, 33, employed as a scaffolder
Les Morris, 38, employed as platform superintendent.
Bruce Munro, 29, employed as a floorman.
George Murray, 37, employed as a steward.
James Niven, 27, employed as a roustabout.
Graham Noble, 37, employed as a materials man.
Michael O'Shea, 30, employed as an electrician.
Ian Piper, 38, employed as a motorman.
Wasyl Pochrybniak, 37, employed as a lead roustabout.
Neil Pyman, 32, employed as an engineer.
Terence Quinn, 28, employed as a service engineer.
William Raeburn, 38, employed as a maintenance controller.
Donald Reid, 44, employed as a chargehand engineer.
Robert Reid, 27, employed as a roustabout.
Alan Riddoch, 44, employed as a steward.
Adrian Roberts, 28, employed as a roughneck.
Alexander Robertson, 50, employed as a lead production technician.
Donald Robertson, 54, employed as a mechanical technician.
Gary Ross, 29, employed as a roustabout.
Michael Ryan, 23, employed as a roustabout.
Stanley Sangster, 56, employed as a foreman scaffolder.
James Savage, 41, employed as an electrical technician.
Michael Scorgie, 28, employed as a lead foreman.
Bill Scorgie, 46, employed as a pipe fitter.
Colin Seaton, 51, employed as an offshore installation manager by Occidental.
Robert Selbie, 32, employed as a turbo drill engineer.
Michael Serink, 26, employed as a logger.
Michael Short, 41, employed as a foreman rigger.
Richard Skinner, 41, employed as a assistant driller.
William Smith, 43, employed as a maintenance lead hand.
Kenneth Stephenson, 37, employed as a rigger.
Thomas Stirling, 27, employed as a cleaner.
James Stott, 40, employed as a plumber.
Jurgen Stwerka, 36, employed as a research chemist.
Alexander Taylor, 57, employed as a roustabout by Wood Group.
Alastair Thompson, 45, employed as a telecom engineer.
John Wakefield, 35, employed as an instrument technician.
Michael Walker, 24, employed as a technician.
Bryan Ward, 48, employed as a rigger.
Gareth Watkin, 42, employed as an offshore medical attendant.
Alexander Whibley, 28, employed as a roustabout.
Kevan White, 42, employed as a maintenance supervisor.
Robert Whiteley, 39, employed as a roustabout.
Graham whyte, 42, employed as a rigger.
James Whyte, 53, employed as a rigger.
Alan Wicks, 40, employed as a safety supervisor.
Paul Williamson, 24, employed as a floorman by Bawden International.
David Wiser, 65, employed as a technician.
Crew from the FRC Sandhaven
Brian Batchelor, 44, employed as a seaman.
Malcom Storey, 38, employed as a seaman.
Those not recovered
Wilson Bain, 34, employed as a valve technician.
Alan Barr, 37, employed as an electrical technician.
Hugh Brackenridge, 47, employed as a roustabout.
Sandy Bremner, 38, employed as a production operator.
Robert Carroll, 34, employed as a safety operator.
John Cooke, 59, employed as a plater.
John Cooper, 37, employed as an instrument technician.
Ian Gillanders, 50, employed as an instrument pipe fitter.
John Goldthorp, 37, employed as a motorman.
James Gordon, 38, employed as a floorman by Bawden International.
David Gorman, 41, employed as a safety operator.
Kenneth Graham, 40, employed as a mechanical technician.
Harold Green, 44, employed as a rigger.
Jeffrey Jones, 37, employed as an assistant driller by Bawden International.
Alex Laing, 38, employed as a steward.
Findlay Leggat, 37, employed as a scaffolder.
Alexander McElwee, 45, employed as a plater.
Frederick McGurk, 51, employed as a rigger.
John Molloy, 32, employed as an engineer.
Robert Pearston, 25, employed as a mechanic.
Raymond Price, 59, employed as a production operator.
Gordon Rennie, 52, employed as a process operator.
Robert Richard, 45, employed as a production operator.
John Scott, 26, employed as a scaffolder.
James Speirs, 42, employed as a mechanical technician.
Stuart Sutherland, 21, employed as a student/cleaner.
Terence Sutton, 28, employed as a mechanical fitter.
Robert Vernon, 51, employed as a production operator.
Frank Watson, 38, employed as a head chef.
John Woodcock, 29, employed as a technical clerk.
