Paradigm shift

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Nick Jackson, head of consulting at Lloyds Register.

Nick Jackson, head of consulting and Richard Nott, manager, compliance and engineering service of Lloyds Register explain the pervasive effect Piper Alpha had on the offshore industry.

What immediate impact did Piper Alpha have on the industry?

The Piper Alpha tragedy forced a wide-ranging review of safety offshore. In particular, the need to ensure that equipment was appropriate to the particular major accident hazard scenarios applicable to a specific installation - as opposed to simply complying with pre-existing prescriptive legislation.

Principles of inherent safety were established - the layout and positioning of escape routes, muster points and temporary refuge in relation to the main sources of hazard were of particular focus. The provision and rating of blast walls and passive fire protection arrangements also came under significant scrutiny.

Did the industry re-examine escape procedures?

The impact continues to be highly significant and goes well beyond the provision of robust procedures, training and equipment. The Cullen Report into the disaster made numerous recommendations relating to escape and evacuation which ultimately resulted in the implementation of the PFEER regulations.

PFEER requires offshore operators to implement and maintain structured risk-based systems and competencies aimed at securing an installation's systems in the event of an emergency. The offshore legislative climate now demands greater scrutiny of emergency provisions and standards.

The real impact has been the evolution of societal expectations and behaviour at an organisational and individual level. Acceptable norms have changed - the offshore workforce will no longer tolerate any risk they perceive as less than acceptable.

Has Lloyds Register contributed to safer environments for rig workers?

As Independent Verification Body for the majority of installations in the UK Sector, Lloyd's Register EMEA has been at the forefront of developments in these areas.

We have worked alongside duty-holders in re-examining the safety provision on their existing installations and with operators, design contractors, equipment suppliers and fabricators to help ensure that, in design and operation, the right equipment is provided in the right places to ensure the major accident hazard prevention goals of the installation's safety cases are achieved.

What standards now govern the types of equipment and safety training operators must provide?

In the UK sector - and in other areas where the safety case methodology has been adopted as best-practice - the types and quality of safety equipment is governed by codes and standards which demonstrate that the equipment will be suitable for the specific circumstances of an installation.

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