Piper Alpha 20th Anniversary

[zeolite]

I worked on the scummy rustbucket and I lost colleagues and friends.

Lets spare a thought with our next dram.

I can't believe 20 years have gone already.

[bigal024]

Terrible Accident mate. All the best.

Al

<Raises his bottle of Peroni>

[cullenmin]

Extremely tragic what happened. Lets only hope that this kind of thing never happens ever again.

[HairyDJ]

makes it real to hear from those personally involved - at least the media are remembering and not helping keep things covered up.

[andy]

20 years. Blimey. I was a daft young laddie at the time working as a storeman at John Menzies in the St. Nicholas Centre (now WH Smith). I recall going up to the loading bay for a fly smoke and seeing the flags over Marischal College flying at half-mast. I've never seen a town so much like a ghost town as Aberdeen was that week. Absolutely everybody was walking around head down and in silence. I'll never forget it.

[DR Motosport]

I worked on the scummy rustbucket and I lost colleagues and friends.

Lets spare a thought with our next dram.

I can't believe 20 years have gone already.

My uncle was killed on it, doesn't seem like 20 years.

My dad is going to the services in Aberdeen on Sunday.

STV are doing programmes all this week, during the 6pm Reporting Scotland News. My dad was interviewed about a month ago for it. So should be on it later in the week.

I hope lessons were learnt, but I fear not.

[graeme_mcfarlane]

bloody heck didnt think it had been that long. my brother was on Bravo the week before it happened, was not nice when the programs were on about it the first time round sitting next to my brother as he named just about every face that was shown on the telly.

This would explain why my brother has been is such a foul mood of late

I always remember him ranting on about some guy on another rig (sort of pumping hub?) not initilising the emergency shut down untill he received the ok from the beach even though he knew the rig was on fire and he was pumping fuel into it. not sure how accurate the story was but made him feel a bit better being able to blame somebody at the time.

Tragic needless loss of many lives

Graeme

[iainc]

Aye, remember the day well. My uncle worked on rigs at the time but I hadn't a clue which one. We were on holiday in Callander at the time and dad came back with the papers

It's good it's still being remembered but although safety seems to be more to the forefront I dunno just how far its come since then? Guess the guys who're offshore all the time now would have a better idea (but maybe wouldn't like to say due to their jobs).

[tommo9375]

Extremely tragic what happened ;- but i must say things have improved in the last 10 years that i've been offshore ,but there is sill a bit to go yet to eliminate all accidents/incidents offshore.A guy who lived up the road from me was on Piper alpha,didn't know him very well but his death still seemed to affect me as i used to muck around with his son.My thoughts goes out to all the families at this time.

[sczscoob]

My Old man was there and survived. He never talks about it, he also received a medal of Gallantry from the Queen for his actions during that horrible night. But i'm pretty sure he would quite happily hand it back if it were to change things that night.

I remember it if was yesterday, things have improved offshore but it's a pity it came at the cost of lives.

Something that will never leave me

[hosstheboss]

I was a Casing Hand with Weatherford at the time and like some of you knew some of those that were lost - tragic for sure, such a waste. We are having a bike run to Ullapool this weekend and will have a minutes silence in respect of, and to remember those who were lost.

[plsteve]

There will be a couple of services held on the 6th July - more info here..

www.oilchaplaincy.com/piper

Also broadcast on Northsound I believe.

I work for the company that run Piper now - we are laying a floral tribute on teh water close to the site, and all our offshore installations are having a minutes silcence on the 6th at 2pm as a mark of respect.

Steve.

[thefastone]

Wow I would never have thought it was 20 years either... I remember thinking the same thing when it was 10 years and 15 years too...

I've been thinking about it lately too, as I was only up there a few months ago...

Very Sad.

[col666]

Even though I was only a kid when it happened, being in the industry and talking to older members of my crew it really brings a lump to your throat.

A real tragedy that could have been avoided.

Theres a minutes silence planned on board for Sunday.

[zeolite]

The anniversary is tomorrow.

I had just started working offshore 4 months before it happened and I was involved in the refit of the logging unit in the sack store. This involved running cables throughout the rig. The mcts were old and brittle and frequently missing rubber blocks. The main stairwell firewall was full of holes. In short it was a rustbucket and not fit for purpose. I heard of the accident when I was 100 miles North on the Ninian Central. I will never forget that night.

As Andy said, Aberdeen was a sad sad place for weeks after and I went and stayed in Fife for a week just to get away for a while.

The industry DID change for the better and I am sure the rigs ARE a safer place to work. The 167 men deserved no less.

We will not forget!!

[Naughty T]

my cousin tragically died on the piper,will never forget the tragedy of that night