02 July 08 – Purnell: Piper Alpha must never happen again

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell has today asked the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to review progress made by the offshore industry in tackling issues identified in its safety report on offshore oil and gas installations published last year.

The report, known as KP3, followed a three year programme of interventions by HSE on nearly 100 offshore installations.  Wide variations in performance were found across the industry. In particular, there was need for improvement in the key areas of top level industry leadership where the major accident hazard risks did not appear to be well understood, improved management of installation and asset integrity, and greater value being placed on the role the workforce at all levels can play in improving health and safety and reducing the risks of major accidents.

James Purnell said:

"Much work has been done since the terrible events at Piper Alpha in 1988 and the HSE has worked closely with the off-shore industry to ensure that changes were made to make people's lives safer.

"But we must not become complacent, we have to ensure this work continues, which is why I have asked the HSE to carry out a review of progress on the industry’s response to the issues identified by the 'KP3' Report.

"This will include a look at what improvements have been made to create a stronger safety culture in which, of course, the involvement of the work force is key."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates workplace health and safety and its remit includes the offshore oil and gas sector.
2. HSE’s sponsoring Department is the Department for Work and Pensions.
3. The KP3 report follows a major investigation carried out by HSE’s Aberdeen based Offshore Division into the safety and integrity of offshore installations and the equipment on them. A copy of the report is at http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr089.htm

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