Explosion in the North Sea (Piper Alpha)

00:46:54
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwbw5PHZnqk

Summary

TLDRThe Piper Alpha disaster, which occurred on July 6, 1988, was a catastrophic event on an oil platform in the North Sea, resulting in the deaths of 167 men. The incident began with a series of gas leaks and explosions, triggered by a missing safety valve during routine maintenance. Despite safety protocols, a flawed permit system allowed workers to start a pump without knowledge of the valve's absence, leading to a chain reaction of explosions. The investigation revealed critical failures in safety procedures and communication, prompting significant changes in offshore oil operations to prevent future disasters.

Takeaways

  • ⚠️ The Piper Alpha disaster occurred on July 6, 1988.
  • 💔 167 men lost their lives in the incident.
  • 🔧 A missing safety valve triggered the catastrophic chain of events.
  • 📜 The flawed permit-to-work system was a major factor in the disaster.
  • 🔥 The disaster unfolded in just 1 hour and 30 minutes.
  • 🔍 Investigations revealed critical failures in safety protocols.
  • 🌊 The Piper Alpha platform ultimately sank into the North Sea.
  • 📈 The incident led to significant changes in oil industry regulations.
  • 😔 Survivors faced emotional and psychological challenges after the disaster.
  • 🔒 No criminal charges were filed due to insufficient evidence.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:00

    The Piper Alpha oil platform, one of the most productive in the North Sea, supports over 200 workers and operates continuously. However, on July 6, 1988, a routine day turns tragic as 167 men perish in a disaster that unfolds in just 1 hour and 30 minutes. This summary will explore the critical events leading to the catastrophe.

  • 00:05:00 - 00:10:00

    Located 176 km from Aberdeen, Piper Alpha is designed to withstand severe weather conditions. On the day of the disaster, the platform is calm, with 226 men on board. Maintenance work is underway, and safety protocols are in place to ensure the safety of the crew. However, as the day progresses, a series of events begins to unravel the safety measures in place.

  • 00:10:00 - 00:15:00

    As the night shift begins, a malfunction occurs with the condensate pump, which is crucial for the platform's operations. Despite the urgency, the crew remains unfazed, believing it to be a minor issue. However, the situation escalates when multiple gas leaks are detected, leading to a series of alarms that signal a growing crisis on the platform.

  • 00:15:00 - 00:20:00

    The alarms indicate a small gas leak, but as more alarms sound, the crew realizes the severity of the situation. An explosion occurs, marking the beginning of the disaster. The platform is engulfed in flames, and the crew is trapped, leading to chaos and panic as they attempt to escape the inferno.

  • 00:20:00 - 00:25:00

    As the explosions continue, the crew is forced to make desperate attempts to escape the burning platform. Some manage to find their way to safety, while others are trapped and face dire circumstances. The situation worsens as the platform begins to collapse, and rescue efforts are hindered by the raging fires.

  • 00:25:00 - 00:30:00

    Survivors recount their harrowing experiences as they navigate the flames and smoke. Many are rescued from the sea, but the toll of the disaster is devastating. The platform, once a bustling hub of activity, is now a scene of destruction and loss, with 167 lives claimed by the tragedy.

  • 00:30:00 - 00:35:00

    Investigators begin to piece together the events leading to the disaster, focusing on the gas alarms and the sequence of explosions. They identify module C as the starting point of the catastrophe, where a small explosion of condensate triggers a chain reaction that leads to the platform's destruction.

  • 00:35:00 - 00:40:00

    The investigation reveals a series of failures in safety protocols and maintenance procedures. A critical safety valve was removed for maintenance, and a loose sealing disc allowed condensate to leak, leading to the initial explosion. The flawed permit-to-work system is identified as a significant factor in the disaster.

  • 00:40:00 - 00:46:54

    The Cullen inquiry highlights the need for changes in offshore operations to prevent future disasters. The lessons learned from the Piper Alpha tragedy have far-reaching implications for the oil industry, emphasizing the importance of safety protocols and effective communication to protect workers in high-risk environments.

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Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What caused the Piper Alpha disaster?

    The disaster was caused by a series of gas leaks and explosions triggered by a missing safety valve during maintenance work.

  • How many people died in the Piper Alpha disaster?

    167 men, including two rescue workers, perished in the disaster.

  • What safety measures failed during the incident?

    The permit-to-work system failed, allowing workers to start a pump without knowing the safety valve was missing.

  • What were the main findings of the Cullen inquiry?

    The inquiry criticized the flawed permit system and recommended massive changes to offshore oil operations.

  • What was the impact of the disaster on the oil industry?

    The disaster led to significant changes in safety protocols and regulations in the oil industry worldwide.

  • How long did the disaster last?

    The disaster unfolded over a period of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

  • What was the role of the safety valve in the disaster?

    The missing safety valve allowed condensate to leak, which triggered the initial explosion.

  • What happened to the Piper Alpha platform?

    The platform ultimately collapsed and sank into the North Sea.

  • Were any criminal charges filed after the disaster?

    No criminal charges were brought due to insufficient evidence.

  • How did survivors cope after the disaster?

    Survivors experienced feelings of guilt and significant changes in their outlook on life.

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  • 00:00:02
    hyper Alpha One of the most productive
  • 00:00:04
    oil Platforms in the North Sea it's a
  • 00:00:07
    city anchored in the ocean supporting
  • 00:00:09
    more than 200 workers and pumping oil 24
  • 00:00:12
    hours a
  • 00:00:13
    day then a routine working day ends in
  • 00:00:17
    disaster 167 men perish in 1 hour and 30
  • 00:00:22
    minutes now using Cutting Edge computer
  • 00:00:25
    technology we reveal exactly what went
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    wrong
  • 00:00:32
    disasters don't just happen they're
  • 00:00:34
    caused by a sequence of critical events
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    Locked In
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    Time unravel the Fateful decisions in
  • 00:00:42
    those final seconds from
  • 00:00:48
    disaster
  • 00:00:50
    Europe
  • 00:00:52
    Scotland the North
  • 00:00:54
    Sea Wednesday July the 6th 1988
  • 00:01:00
    Piper Alpa is stationed 176 km out from
  • 00:01:04
    the city of abedine in the middle of the
  • 00:01:06
    infamously rough North
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    Sea it's built to survive Winds of up to
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    185 kmph and waves as high as 28.5
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    M with more than half of it hidden below
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    the waves the entire structure Towers
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    230 m above the sea floor 2 and a half
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    times the height of the Statue of
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    Liberty but today the North Sea is
  • 00:01:36
    having one of its Kinder days there are
  • 00:01:39
    226 men on board Piper Alpha electrician
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    Bob Ballentine is one of them was one of
  • 00:01:46
    these absolutely beautiful Summers they
  • 00:01:47
    getting the nor sea it was calm it was
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    traful to keep the massive rig running
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    smoothly the complex Machinery requires
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    regular
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    servicing it's a NeverEnding
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    job 7:45
  • 00:02:08
    a.m. lead production operator Bernard
  • 00:02:10
    Curtis issues permits for the day's
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    maintenance
  • 00:02:13
    wor they strictly enforce the rule that
  • 00:02:16
    no one can work on the platform without
  • 00:02:19
    one it's just one of many systems in
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    place to ensure safety on the massive
  • 00:02:24
    rig with 226 men living and working so
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    close to such volatile fuel
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    it's
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    vital Piper Alpha has been in service
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    for 12 years its main job is processing
  • 00:02:39
    oil this happens on the production deck
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    it's made of four modules module D
  • 00:02:45
    contains power
  • 00:02:47
    generation module C and B process oil
  • 00:02:50
    and
  • 00:02:51
    gas in module a oil is piped up from
  • 00:02:54
    below the sea
  • 00:02:56
    floor sitting on top of all this is a
  • 00:02:59
    self contained City with living quarters
  • 00:03:01
    and entertainments for the small army of
  • 00:03:03
    workers for whom Piper Alpha is a home
  • 00:03:06
    away from
  • 00:03:07
    home it all happens 24 hours a day 7
  • 00:03:11
    days a
  • 00:03:15
    week 12:00
  • 00:03:18
    p.m. on the production deck two
  • 00:03:21
    maintenance workers are removing a
  • 00:03:22
    safety
  • 00:03:23
    valve it's a routine job authorized that
  • 00:03:26
    morning they're due to finish by the end
  • 00:03:28
    of the shift at 6
  • 00:03:31
    p.m. for control room operator Jeff
  • 00:03:33
    bollins it's just another regular
  • 00:03:36
    day was men doing maintenance the oil
  • 00:03:39
    wells were flowing oil the machines were
  • 00:03:42
    running compressing gas it was a hive of
  • 00:03:48
    activity 510 p.m. Jeff bollins begins
  • 00:03:52
    his final shift in the control room
  • 00:03:54
    before leaving the rig it was a good
  • 00:03:56
    shift cuz we all happy on it it was our
  • 00:03:58
    last shift and we were going home in the
  • 00:03:59
    morning so it was always a good shift
  • 00:04:01
    last
  • 00:04:02
    one Jeff talks to the control room
  • 00:04:05
    operator he's relieving to familiarize
  • 00:04:07
    himself with the day's
  • 00:04:09
    business there's nothing out of the
  • 00:04:11
    ordinary to
  • 00:04:19
    report 6:00 p.m. the day shift ends but
  • 00:04:24
    on the production deck work on the
  • 00:04:25
    safety valve isn't finished replacing it
  • 00:04:28
    we'll have to wait until morning it's
  • 00:04:30
    not a problem the pump it's connected to
  • 00:04:33
    is shut
  • 00:04:35
    down there are now 62 men running Piper
  • 00:04:38
    Alpha on the night
  • 00:04:40
    shift the other 164 are off duty eating
  • 00:04:44
    relaxing or sleeping in their living
  • 00:04:48
    [Music]
  • 00:04:52
    quarters 9:45
  • 00:04:55
    p.m. suddenly an urgent alarm disrupts
  • 00:04:58
    Jeff ballin's rout R
  • 00:05:01
    shift it's an audable sound which brings
  • 00:05:04
    your attention to it you loate then on a
  • 00:05:07
    visual basis what's happened and what we
  • 00:05:09
    call the condensate pump and
  • 00:05:12
    trimed condensate is the oil man's term
  • 00:05:16
    for LPG liquefied petroleum gas a
  • 00:05:19
    volatile and highly flammable liquid the
  • 00:05:22
    pump compresses it to a pressure of 78
  • 00:05:25
    atmospheres that's 45 times the pressure
  • 00:05:28
    in a car tire
  • 00:05:31
    the pump has stopped working but Jeff is
  • 00:05:33
    still
  • 00:05:35
    unfaced I seen the condenser pump Tri
  • 00:05:37
    that many times I couldn't tell you
  • 00:05:39
    about 20 30 100 200 and it was something
  • 00:05:43
    that needed attention and something that
  • 00:05:45
    wasn't a major problem and the quicker
  • 00:05:48
    you attended to it the less of a problem
  • 00:05:50
    it
  • 00:05:51
    was lead operator Bob Vernon goes down
  • 00:05:54
    to the pump 9 M below the control
  • 00:05:57
    room it should be straightforward to Res
  • 00:06:00
    started but tonight the production crew
  • 00:06:03
    can't get it
  • 00:06:07
    going Piper Alpha continues to produce
  • 00:06:10
    liquid
  • 00:06:12
    condensate there's now barely half an
  • 00:06:14
    hour left before the storage tank fills
  • 00:06:16
    up and the Safety Systems shut down the
  • 00:06:18
    entire
  • 00:06:20
    rig this could lead to a complete loss
  • 00:06:23
    of electrical power on the platform
  • 00:06:25
    although not dangerous it'll stop the
  • 00:06:27
    rig producing oil and the crew will go
  • 00:06:29
    to almost any lengths to avoid this
  • 00:06:32
    they're feeling the
  • 00:06:34
    pressure things became more and more of
  • 00:06:36
    the problem so what started off as quite
  • 00:06:39
    a routin incident and a minor problem
  • 00:06:42
    was
  • 00:06:44
    snowballing normally a second pump would
  • 00:06:47
    be available but tonight it's out of
  • 00:06:49
    service for
  • 00:06:50
    maintenance if they can start that one
  • 00:06:53
    it should solve the
  • 00:06:55
    problem Vernon quickly checks the work
  • 00:06:57
    permit and confirms that the schedule
  • 00:06:59
    maintenance hasn't yet
  • 00:07:02
    begun so that it can take over from the
  • 00:07:04
    broken pump the lead production operator
  • 00:07:07
    signs this pump back into
  • 00:07:12
    service but then at 9:55 p.m. a new
  • 00:07:16
    problem complicates the situation
  • 00:07:19
    further an alarm sounds warning Jeff
  • 00:07:22
    bollins of a small gas leak on the deck
  • 00:07:24
    above the
  • 00:07:27
    pump he silences the alarm and informs
  • 00:07:29
    another member of the crew who's also
  • 00:07:31
    downed by the Broken
  • 00:07:33
    pump the situation now escalates rapidly
  • 00:07:36
    as bollins receives several more alarms
  • 00:07:38
    in quick succession warning of further
  • 00:07:40
    small gas leaks these are followed by
  • 00:07:43
    something more ominous they just coming
  • 00:07:45
    in one after the other then next thing
  • 00:07:47
    we need we're getting high gas alarms
  • 00:07:49
    which is very rare very
  • 00:07:52
    serious it's 10
  • 00:07:56
    p.m. Captain Michael CLE is aboard the
  • 00:07:58
    maintenance sh Lan Cavalier stationed
  • 00:08:01
    just 25 M from the southwest leg of
  • 00:08:03
    Piper
  • 00:08:05
    Alpha suddenly he sees an explosion as a
  • 00:08:08
    flash of blue flame shoots out below the
  • 00:08:14
    platform in the housing block Bob
  • 00:08:16
    Valentine is carrying a hot drink on his
  • 00:08:18
    way to his
  • 00:08:20
    bunk this omighty
  • 00:08:22
    explosion look at the platform right up
  • 00:08:25
    it seemed to lift it right up for nor
  • 00:08:26
    sea and just shake it about like
  • 00:08:30
    like by sheer chance on another nearby
  • 00:08:33
    vessel Charles Miller is taking pictures
  • 00:08:36
    for his son's school project when he
  • 00:08:38
    hears the
  • 00:08:40
    explosion as he clicks the shutter a
  • 00:08:43
    second explosion rocks the
  • 00:08:46
    platform he catches the first evidence
  • 00:08:48
    of what will become a major
  • 00:08:53
    disaster there are 226 men stranded on
  • 00:08:56
    the rig and it's on fire
  • 00:09:00
    on July the 6th 1988 at 1 p.m. an
  • 00:09:03
    explosion shatters the Cal of evening on
  • 00:09:05
    the North Sea oil rig Piper Alpha 226
  • 00:09:09
    men are working on
  • 00:09:13
    board 1 p.m. in the control room of
  • 00:09:17
    Piper Alpha operator Jeff bollins thinks
  • 00:09:19
    he's on a routine shift until the
  • 00:09:22
    explosion throws him from his desk my
  • 00:09:25
    experience of the explosion was finding
  • 00:09:27
    myself 152 foot up the other end of the
  • 00:09:30
    control room lights going out turbines
  • 00:09:33
    tripped everything's down lot of
  • 00:09:36
    small immediately Jeff does what he's
  • 00:09:39
    trained to do he hits the rig emergency
  • 00:09:42
    shutdown controls and stumbles out of
  • 00:09:44
    the wct control
  • 00:09:47
    room valves automatically close all the
  • 00:09:50
    main oil and gas lines the huge
  • 00:09:53
    electricity generators shut
  • 00:09:57
    down but the main alarm panel has has
  • 00:09:59
    been destroyed so no emergency alarm
  • 00:10:03
    sound an eerie silence descends on the
  • 00:10:06
    normally noisy
  • 00:10:15
    plantform 10:05
  • 00:10:18
    p.m. this Amad home movie shot from a
  • 00:10:21
    nearby ship shows Piper Alpha just after
  • 00:10:24
    the first
  • 00:10:26
    explosions on the Blazing platform Jeff
  • 00:10:29
    bollin and 20 of his colleagues are
  • 00:10:31
    surrounded by flames and
  • 00:10:34
    smoke they're trapped 29 m above the
  • 00:10:38
    waves they need to think
  • 00:10:40
    fast and there was nowhere to go except
  • 00:10:44
    downwards one LS found a rope which he
  • 00:10:46
    tied to the hand rail and we started
  • 00:10:48
    climbing down the
  • 00:10:50
    Rope they scrambled down to a deck just
  • 00:10:53
    6 m above the water and jump into the
  • 00:10:57
    sea a safety boat is is always close to
  • 00:11:00
    the rig and tonight other ships are also
  • 00:11:02
    nearby laying undersea
  • 00:11:04
    pipes they all launch small rescue craft
  • 00:11:07
    to pick up
  • 00:11:08
    survivors within 5 minutes Jeff and his
  • 00:11:11
    colleagues are plucked from the water
  • 00:11:14
    they are some of the lucky
  • 00:11:18
    ones 10:20 p.m. Piper alfha is shaken by
  • 00:11:22
    a second colossal explosion captured on
  • 00:11:25
    this
  • 00:11:28
    video a large section of the rig is
  • 00:11:30
    engulfed by a roaring
  • 00:11:34
    Fireball Jeff bollins sees it all from
  • 00:11:37
    the rescue
  • 00:11:38
    boat the heat was just intense even
  • 00:11:41
    though maybe's 100 yards away the
  • 00:11:43
    platforms just s like the kind of things
  • 00:11:45
    you see in a disaster
  • 00:11:48
    movie about 100 men have gathered in the
  • 00:11:53
    canteen it's one of the main emergency
  • 00:11:55
    meeting points because it's close to the
  • 00:11:57
    helicopter landing deck
  • 00:12:00
    but they don't know that the heli deck
  • 00:12:02
    is already engulfed by smoke and Flames
  • 00:12:05
    a helicopter rescue is
  • 00:12:09
    impossible smoke begins to creep in the
  • 00:12:13
    trapped workers now fear for their lives
  • 00:12:16
    somebody shouted out that they were
  • 00:12:19
    afraid and I heard the boys coming back
  • 00:12:22
    said you're afraid everybody's
  • 00:12:26
    afraid the evacuation plan calls for
  • 00:12:29
    them to wait in the canteen for rescue
  • 00:12:31
    but it doesn't
  • 00:12:34
    come as the situation worsens rigger Jim
  • 00:12:37
    McDonald decides to make a run for it
  • 00:12:39
    but others trapped with him cling to the
  • 00:12:41
    belief that help will
  • 00:12:44
    arrive I said well I'm going to try and
  • 00:12:46
    get off myself and I say if you make it
  • 00:12:48
    fair enough I says that I'm going to try
  • 00:12:52
    it Jim's had 12 years experience on
  • 00:12:55
    Piper
  • 00:12:57
    Alpha he thinks there's an escape rout
  • 00:12:59
    through the laundry
  • 00:13:02
    room went into the laundry but when I
  • 00:13:05
    got into the laundry I wasn't in the
  • 00:13:06
    laundry I was in somebody's room she oh
  • 00:13:09
    Jesus God I just sat in the corner the
  • 00:13:12
    corridor in the
  • 00:13:14
    corner disoriented by the Thick Smoke
  • 00:13:17
    Jim McDonald is lost and every moment he
  • 00:13:20
    sits there the odds against him grow
  • 00:13:30
    10:30
  • 00:13:32
    p.m. Dave Lambert and some colleagues
  • 00:13:34
    also flee the
  • 00:13:35
    canteen unlike Jim they find their way
  • 00:13:38
    out onto the Blazing deck but they're
  • 00:13:40
    surrounded by the
  • 00:13:43
    fires the Flames are get closer and
  • 00:13:45
    closer and closer and the only option
  • 00:13:47
    will we either go back into the platform
  • 00:13:49
    or go into the this little metal hut but
  • 00:13:53
    once they're inside the hut it hits them
  • 00:13:56
    there's no way
  • 00:13:58
    out didn't think we had a chance to get
  • 00:14:00
    out to be quite honest we were blocked
  • 00:14:02
    with fire there was no exit basically we
  • 00:14:05
    were
  • 00:14:11
    trapped in the living quarters Jim
  • 00:14:14
    McDonald comes to the growing
  • 00:14:15
    realization that he's one deck higher up
  • 00:14:18
    than he should be he makes one last
  • 00:14:21
    effort to find the Escape Route through
  • 00:14:23
    the laundry
  • 00:14:29
    opens the door and I says please God be
  • 00:14:32
    there be the laundry and I just don't
  • 00:14:35
    just touched it oh the washing
  • 00:14:39
    machines once outside he runs across the
  • 00:14:42
    Blazing deck and down to a platform on
  • 00:14:44
    one leg of the rig he jumps 21 M into
  • 00:14:48
    the bitter cold North Sea so I went when
  • 00:14:51
    I hot the water I went right down and it
  • 00:14:53
    was great feel that was very very quiet
  • 00:14:57
    and uh very very very still and then all
  • 00:15:00
    of a sudden I just shot back
  • 00:15:04
    up Jim grabs onto the leg of the rig
  • 00:15:07
    until the fast rescue craft picks him
  • 00:15:12
    up the tears run through my nose and
  • 00:15:14
    this young lad he he didn't have to cry
  • 00:15:16
    you mister he says you're safe I says
  • 00:15:19
    I'm just crying with happiness was that
  • 00:15:20
    was that happy you
  • 00:15:25
    know working under the platform on
  • 00:15:28
    another rescue boat is Ian letham these
  • 00:15:31
    photographs show his crew in action they
  • 00:15:34
    managed to haul six survivors out of the
  • 00:15:36
    water we picked up the last two people
  • 00:15:39
    and thought right we'll we'll take off
  • 00:15:41
    now but as we went to leave we realized
  • 00:15:45
    we're entangled amongst de from the
  • 00:15:48
    platform with The Inferno blazing out of
  • 00:15:50
    control overhead they battled
  • 00:15:52
    desperately to clear the debris
  • 00:15:59
    33 m above them electrician Bob
  • 00:16:01
    Ballentine and a group of colleagues are
  • 00:16:03
    also escaping down the rig but Bob decid
  • 00:16:07
    he doesn't like this Escape Route I
  • 00:16:09
    don't know why I changed my mind and I
  • 00:16:12
    just said no I don't want to go that
  • 00:16:15
    way while his friends climb down the
  • 00:16:18
    west side of the platform Bob begins to
  • 00:16:20
    climb precariously down the east
  • 00:16:24
    side it's a choice that will save his
  • 00:16:27
    life
  • 00:16:31
    10:49
  • 00:16:33
    p.m. beneath Bob on the water rescue
  • 00:16:36
    boat driver Ian letham is trying to free
  • 00:16:38
    his craft from the debris the heat is
  • 00:16:42
    Relentless it was like being under a
  • 00:16:44
    giant Grill I mean it was so hot I can
  • 00:16:47
    remember saying to my colleagues you
  • 00:16:49
    know we're going to have to get out of
  • 00:16:50
    here this is getting really
  • 00:16:52
    bad and I think it was about a split
  • 00:16:55
    second after that there was just a huge
  • 00:16:56
    whoosh
  • 00:16:59
    and I woke up in the water I came to in
  • 00:17:01
    the
  • 00:17:04
    water 10:50 p.m. another colossal
  • 00:17:08
    explosion tears through the platform
  • 00:17:11
    scattering deavy over 800 M ships 1 and
  • 00:17:14
    A2 kilometers away feel the
  • 00:17:17
    vibrations the fireball engulfs Ian
  • 00:17:20
    Lam's
  • 00:17:22
    boat Ian never sees the boats his crew
  • 00:17:26
    or the six men they picked up again
  • 00:17:30
    he swims to a leg of the Blazing
  • 00:17:32
    platform another Survivor is clinging to
  • 00:17:38
    it I S of looked around one side and the
  • 00:17:41
    gentleman in question was Bob Balentine
  • 00:17:43
    was on the other side of the
  • 00:17:45
    leg so e came floating down the platform
  • 00:17:49
    wag pulled him in beside me just for a
  • 00:17:51
    human company that you needed someone
  • 00:17:54
    there with
  • 00:17:56
    you Bob and Ian cling to the structure
  • 00:17:58
    structure and the whole platform Shakes
  • 00:18:01
    as the fires devour it where every bang
  • 00:18:03
    went off this thing shook I mean this
  • 00:18:05
    leg was immense it was huge and we were
  • 00:18:07
    hanging on to it and it was getting
  • 00:18:08
    hotter and hotter and hotter I mean it
  • 00:18:10
    was getting really hot my ears were
  • 00:18:11
    starting to
  • 00:18:13
    blister Bob and in leap into the sea
  • 00:18:17
    with the last of their strength they
  • 00:18:18
    swim to a nearby ship and the crew haul
  • 00:18:20
    them out they're suffering from Burns
  • 00:18:23
    and
  • 00:18:27
    exhaustion up on the blazing platform
  • 00:18:30
    Dave Lambert is trapped in a steel
  • 00:18:32
    Hut but the Colossal explosion at 10:50
  • 00:18:35
    p.m. rips the end of it and opens up a
  • 00:18:38
    new Escape
  • 00:18:41
    Route if that explosion hadn't have
  • 00:18:44
    blown the end off it I don't think we'
  • 00:18:45
    just survived we there's another no
  • 00:18:47
    other way
  • 00:18:49
    out Dave races out of the Hut and onto
  • 00:18:52
    the Blazing platform 45 m above sea
  • 00:18:56
    level as he reaches the guard rail
  • 00:18:58
    another explosion blows him over the
  • 00:19:00
    edge and into the
  • 00:19:04
    sea amazingly he survives the fall and
  • 00:19:07
    can see the rescue
  • 00:19:09
    boats but totally exhausted from his
  • 00:19:12
    ordeal he can't reach them I had no
  • 00:19:15
    energy left and I got to the stage
  • 00:19:18
    thinking God don't let me get this far
  • 00:19:20
    and
  • 00:19:22
    drown but Dave's incredible luck holds
  • 00:19:25
    out at the last moment a rescue boat
  • 00:19:27
    spots him and hauls him from the
  • 00:19:30
    water as the last survivors are picked
  • 00:19:33
    up Piper Alpha begins to
  • 00:19:38
    collapse 11:20
  • 00:19:41
    p.m. another violent explosion shakes
  • 00:19:44
    the
  • 00:19:45
    platform hyper Alpha is now in its death
  • 00:19:51
    throws one of the cranes
  • 00:19:53
    collapses then the drilling Derek the
  • 00:19:56
    whole platform begins to tilt to the
  • 00:20:00
    East the main living area containing the
  • 00:20:02
    canteen where the workers gather to be
  • 00:20:04
    rescued tips to the north and slips
  • 00:20:07
    below the waves there'll be no
  • 00:20:11
    rescue the rest of the platform follows
  • 00:20:14
    it into the North
  • 00:20:16
    Sea by 12:45 a.m. the 20,000 ton Piper
  • 00:20:20
    Alpha platform is
  • 00:20:24
    gone this tiny piece part of a section
  • 00:20:27
    called module a is All That Remains
  • 00:20:31
    there were 226 men on Piper
  • 00:20:34
    Alpha 167 including two rescue workers
  • 00:20:39
    [Music]
  • 00:20:40
    die the tragedy takes Everyone by
  • 00:20:44
    surprise North Sea oil is the pride of
  • 00:20:47
    Britain the country earns huge profits
  • 00:20:49
    from it no offshore platform has ever
  • 00:20:51
    been lost before
  • 00:20:54
    anywhere suddenly oil rig workers
  • 00:20:57
    worldwide cons sense a new
  • 00:21:02
    threat the piper Alpha disaster takes
  • 00:21:04
    just 1 hour and 30
  • 00:21:07
    minutes now by rewinding events and
  • 00:21:10
    going deep into the investigation we can
  • 00:21:13
    discover what truly
  • 00:21:16
    happened what started the catastrophic
  • 00:21:18
    chain of events and how had this massive
  • 00:21:21
    rig that had operated reliably for 12
  • 00:21:23
    years become an Inferno
  • 00:21:29
    Advanced computer simulation will take
  • 00:21:31
    us where no camera can go into the heart
  • 00:21:34
    of the disaster
  • 00:21:38
    Zone when the UK government launches one
  • 00:21:40
    of its biggest ever inquiries senior
  • 00:21:43
    judge Lord Cullen brings in 89 expert
  • 00:21:45
    advisers to analyze every second of the
  • 00:21:53
    disaster but the extent of the
  • 00:21:55
    destruction leaves very little evidence
  • 00:21:58
    Sylvester Evans spent 2 years working on
  • 00:22:01
    the
  • 00:22:03
    investigation there was no scene left
  • 00:22:05
    apart from part of module a which was
  • 00:22:08
    standing proud from the ca the rest of
  • 00:22:11
    the uh the platform all the areas of
  • 00:22:13
    Interest had in fact been
  • 00:22:17
    lost with the wreckage of the rig
  • 00:22:19
    scattered across the sea floor 145 M
  • 00:22:22
    below the surface all they have is
  • 00:22:25
    eyewitness testimony plus Charles
  • 00:22:27
    Miller's vital photographs
  • 00:22:29
    from these scraps of information they
  • 00:22:31
    have to solve the entire
  • 00:22:33
    mystery investigators begin to interview
  • 00:22:37
    [Music]
  • 00:22:38
    survivors of crucial importance was the
  • 00:22:41
    evidence of the control room operator Mr
  • 00:22:44
    Bolan and he had witnessed a series of
  • 00:22:47
    gas alarms that had come up just before
  • 00:22:49
    the first
  • 00:22:55
    explosion 1 hour 35 minutes to disaster
  • 00:23:02
    these gas alarms are all from the
  • 00:23:04
    production
  • 00:23:06
    deck the investigators study the four
  • 00:23:08
    15x 46 M modules that make up this
  • 00:23:12
    deck they conclude that all of the
  • 00:23:15
    alarms come from one area module
  • 00:23:19
    C another clue confirms this Captain
  • 00:23:23
    Michael CLE on the nearby vessel lolan
  • 00:23:25
    Cavalier sees a blue Flash coming out
  • 00:23:27
    from the same area
  • 00:23:30
    these two pieces of evidence are enough
  • 00:23:32
    to convince the investigators that
  • 00:23:34
    module C has to be the starting point
  • 00:23:36
    for the
  • 00:23:39
    disaster but the flash of blue flame has
  • 00:23:42
    to have a fuel source what is it Piper
  • 00:23:46
    Alpha produces three highly flammable
  • 00:23:48
    products natural gas liquefied petroleum
  • 00:23:52
    gas or LPG known as condensate and crude
  • 00:23:56
    oil all three are Prime suspects for the
  • 00:23:59
    start of the
  • 00:24:02
    disaster first they investigate the
  • 00:24:04
    platform's main product crude
  • 00:24:07
    oil it burns in a very distinctive
  • 00:24:11
    manner Professor dugall Dale is an
  • 00:24:13
    expert in flame
  • 00:24:16
    Behavior once you ignite it the surface
  • 00:24:19
    is burning the Flames have a
  • 00:24:22
    characteristic appearance in that they
  • 00:24:24
    will tend to be large and suit
  • 00:24:29
    but the initial explosion is not a large
  • 00:24:32
    so flame it's a blue flash so dry
  • 00:24:36
    concludes it cannot be crude oil that
  • 00:24:39
    leaves natural gas and
  • 00:24:42
    condensate because it's lighter than air
  • 00:24:45
    natural gas Rises condensate on the
  • 00:24:48
    other hand is heavier than air so it
  • 00:24:52
    sinks investigators revisit the
  • 00:24:54
    eyewitness testimony from Captain CLE
  • 00:24:56
    and make their first major
  • 00:25:00
    breakthrough he sees The Flash coming
  • 00:25:02
    out from under module C the fuel source
  • 00:25:06
    for the blue flash must be heavier than
  • 00:25:08
    air it can only be
  • 00:25:13
    condensate but investigators believe
  • 00:25:15
    that this explosion was relatively small
  • 00:25:18
    barely the equivalent of one car tank
  • 00:25:20
    full of
  • 00:25:22
    petrol how does a small explosion in one
  • 00:25:25
    module escalate into a disaster that
  • 00:25:28
    wipes out the giant 20,000 ton
  • 00:25:32
    plat a series of massive explosions and
  • 00:25:35
    fires has destroyed the huge oil
  • 00:25:37
    platform Piper Alpha and killed 167 men
  • 00:25:41
    it's a devastating tragedy with
  • 00:25:43
    Worldwide repercussions for the oil
  • 00:25:46
    industry using Advanced Computer
  • 00:25:48
    Graphics based on the official report we
  • 00:25:51
    go deep into the investigation to
  • 00:25:53
    uncover the chain of
  • 00:25:55
    events second by second
  • 00:26:00
    investigators believe that the disaster
  • 00:26:02
    starts with a small explosion of
  • 00:26:04
    condensate or liquefied petroleum
  • 00:26:08
    gas they also pinpoint where the
  • 00:26:10
    disaster starts in part of the platform
  • 00:26:13
    called module
  • 00:26:15
    C but there shouldn't have been any
  • 00:26:18
    loose condensate in that
  • 00:26:20
    module where did it leak
  • 00:26:23
    from to get at the answers investigators
  • 00:26:26
    turn their attention to the gas alarms
  • 00:26:28
    Jeff bollins observed in the control
  • 00:26:30
    room immediately before the
  • 00:26:34
    explosion we were able to
  • 00:26:36
    determine that in
  • 00:26:38
    fact the only possible way of explaining
  • 00:26:42
    the pattern of gas alarms was by a
  • 00:26:45
    condensate release in the Eastern end of
  • 00:26:49
    the
  • 00:26:50
    module the only condensate at the
  • 00:26:52
    Eastern end of module C is contained in
  • 00:26:55
    two safety
  • 00:26:56
    valves but these are safety devices
  • 00:26:59
    designed to withstand more than twice
  • 00:27:01
    normal operating pressures how could
  • 00:27:03
    they
  • 00:27:05
    leak then the investigators make a vital
  • 00:27:09
    Discovery one of these valves had been
  • 00:27:11
    removed for a routine safety check could
  • 00:27:14
    the open pipe be the source of the
  • 00:27:16
    mysterious
  • 00:27:19
    leak they dig deeper and discover that
  • 00:27:22
    in normal safety procedures workers
  • 00:27:24
    insert a flat metal disc to seal the
  • 00:27:26
    hole where the valve has been removed
  • 00:27:29
    and that prevents any
  • 00:27:31
    leaks if the hole was sealed condensate
  • 00:27:34
    could not have come from
  • 00:27:36
    there but they remain convinced that the
  • 00:27:38
    safety valve is the prime suspect to
  • 00:27:42
    check their theories they conduct a
  • 00:27:43
    series of tests on an identical metal
  • 00:27:45
    disc tightening its bolts by varying
  • 00:27:48
    amounts this video from the inquiry
  • 00:27:50
    shows the actual
  • 00:27:56
    tests the test results show that the
  • 00:27:58
    ceiling disc could leak if workers
  • 00:28:01
    tighten the bolts without a wrench
  • 00:28:03
    leaving them just
  • 00:28:05
    fingertight as if the bolts were done
  • 00:28:08
    fairly Loosely you would look done up
  • 00:28:10
    when you looked at it but it was a
  • 00:28:12
    gap this is a vital
  • 00:28:15
    breakthrough investigators now believe
  • 00:28:17
    that a leak from a Loosely fitted metal
  • 00:28:19
    disc is the starting point for the
  • 00:28:21
    entire
  • 00:28:23
    catastrophe but there's a problem with
  • 00:28:25
    this Theory the valve in question was
  • 00:28:27
    undergoing maintenance there should have
  • 00:28:29
    been no condensate in that
  • 00:28:32
    pipe solving this mystery becomes the
  • 00:28:34
    new Focus for the
  • 00:28:37
    investigators using plans of the rig
  • 00:28:40
    they trace the pipe down to a different
  • 00:28:42
    deck where it connects to a
  • 00:28:45
    pump but they know this pump was out of
  • 00:28:48
    service for
  • 00:28:50
    maintenance it should have had no
  • 00:28:53
    condensate in it
  • 00:28:59
    then they talk to the night shift
  • 00:29:03
    workers their evidence reveals that
  • 00:29:05
    another pump in service that night broke
  • 00:29:08
    down 1 hour 45 minutes before
  • 00:29:12
    disaster the lead operator perished so
  • 00:29:15
    they can't question
  • 00:29:17
    him however the evidence suggests he
  • 00:29:20
    intended to swap the pump in maintenance
  • 00:29:22
    for the broken pump to keep production
  • 00:29:26
    flowing but the pump undergoing
  • 00:29:28
    maintenance was missing its safety valve
  • 00:29:32
    because the lead operator was seen
  • 00:29:34
    actually introducing condensate into
  • 00:29:37
    this pump very shortly before the
  • 00:29:39
    accident there was not only the intent
  • 00:29:42
    to start it but there was also the
  • 00:29:44
    opportunity before starting up a new
  • 00:29:46
    pump workers must first fill it with a
  • 00:29:48
    small amount of
  • 00:29:51
    condensate this happens 1 hour and 35
  • 00:29:54
    minutes before
  • 00:29:56
    disaster but but the small amount of
  • 00:29:58
    condensate
  • 00:30:00
    leaked the Loosely fitted ceiling disc
  • 00:30:03
    secured only hand tight triggered the
  • 00:30:05
    first gas alarm Jeff bollins heard in
  • 00:30:07
    the control
  • 00:30:09
    room when the pump was ready to start
  • 00:30:12
    the lead operator released more gas into
  • 00:30:15
    it he would conduct the valves to
  • 00:30:17
    introduce more condensate and it was
  • 00:30:19
    during this period that there was a very
  • 00:30:21
    major
  • 00:30:23
    [Music]
  • 00:30:25
    release up in the control room this much
  • 00:30:28
    larger leak triggered multiple gas
  • 00:30:29
    alarms including the high level alarm
  • 00:30:32
    that Jeff saw just before the first
  • 00:30:35
    [Music]
  • 00:30:38
    explosion at 1 hour 30 minutes to go the
  • 00:30:42
    leaked condensate explodes in module
  • 00:30:50
    C investigators are zeroing in on the
  • 00:30:53
    chain of events but there's a break in
  • 00:30:55
    the
  • 00:30:55
    link module C is protected by huge
  • 00:30:59
    firewalls designed to resist intense
  • 00:31:01
    Flames for up to 6 hours and this first
  • 00:31:04
    explosion is not very
  • 00:31:09
    violent but photographic evidence
  • 00:31:12
    reveals a surprise less than 10 seconds
  • 00:31:15
    after module C explodes the picture
  • 00:31:17
    shows a huge Fireball ballooning out of
  • 00:31:20
    the module next door module
  • 00:31:23
    B how did it break through the firewalls
  • 00:31:25
    and spread so fast
  • 00:31:30
    the investigators carry out a series of
  • 00:31:32
    computer simulations and experimental
  • 00:31:34
    explosions seen
  • 00:31:38
    here the results are
  • 00:31:42
    surprising while the firewalls are
  • 00:31:44
    excellent at resisting fire they can't
  • 00:31:47
    handle explosions even a minor blast can
  • 00:31:50
    tear them
  • 00:31:51
    apart the firewalls are made up of 2.5x
  • 00:31:55
    1.5 M fireproof panels boled together
  • 00:31:59
    the first explosion breaks up the
  • 00:32:00
    firewall launching the panels around
  • 00:32:03
    module B like unguided
  • 00:32:06
    missiles each panel was equivalent to
  • 00:32:09
    driving a one Tong car at 24 mph into
  • 00:32:12
    the PIP workk investigators believe that
  • 00:32:15
    these flying panels rupture a relatively
  • 00:32:18
    lightweight condensate pipe in module
  • 00:32:24
    B that condensate fueled the fireball
  • 00:32:27
    seen in the f
  • 00:32:30
    graph but this Fireball lasted only a
  • 00:32:33
    few
  • 00:32:35
    seconds it may look big but the
  • 00:32:38
    investigators don't believe it was
  • 00:32:40
    Lethal enough to destroy Piper
  • 00:32:44
    Alpha something else caused another
  • 00:32:46
    massive explosion 19 minutes later that
  • 00:32:49
    doomed the 20,000 ton
  • 00:32:52
    platform what was it
  • 00:32:58
    investigators are trying to explain a
  • 00:33:00
    massive series of fires and explosions
  • 00:33:02
    that destroy the gigantic offshore oil
  • 00:33:04
    platform Piper Alpha leaving 167 men
  • 00:33:12
    dead after two explosions a new fire was
  • 00:33:15
    now burning on part of the platform
  • 00:33:17
    called module B it was fueled by
  • 00:33:20
    something but what a sequence of 20
  • 00:33:23
    photographs Chronicles the early stages
  • 00:33:25
    of the fire it's not much but it's the
  • 00:33:28
    very best evidence they have you can see
  • 00:33:31
    the fireball lifting away from the front
  • 00:33:33
    of the platform and that leaves behind a
  • 00:33:37
    a very different type of fire producing
  • 00:33:40
    a huge plume of
  • 00:33:43
    smoke a smoky plume is characteristic of
  • 00:33:46
    a crude oil fire module B was one of the
  • 00:33:49
    worst places to have a fire because it
  • 00:33:51
    contains tanks that store up to 55 tons
  • 00:33:54
    of crude oil
  • 00:34:01
    with 1 hour 10 minutes left the
  • 00:34:03
    situation
  • 00:34:04
    escalates a colossal explosion shakes
  • 00:34:07
    the
  • 00:34:08
    rig it creates an inferno that rages on
  • 00:34:11
    the underside of the
  • 00:34:13
    platform but this new fire is not in
  • 00:34:16
    module B where the first oil fire is
  • 00:34:18
    burning it's below
  • 00:34:22
    it how did it get down through the
  • 00:34:26
    deck once again again investigators
  • 00:34:28
    search for clues in the pictures taken
  • 00:34:31
    just after the
  • 00:34:34
    fireball if you look at the photographs
  • 00:34:36
    it's clear that there is a fire below
  • 00:34:39
    module
  • 00:34:41
    [Music]
  • 00:34:43
    B they realize this can only mean one
  • 00:34:46
    thing flaming crude oil is running
  • 00:34:48
    downwards to fuel this fire they're
  • 00:34:50
    certain that it drips onto an area where
  • 00:34:52
    the rig's divers prepare for work but
  • 00:34:55
    this area is covered by grates
  • 00:34:59
    the burning oil should drip straight
  • 00:35:01
    through the holes and into the
  • 00:35:03
    sea instead it settles there forming a
  • 00:35:06
    large fire again investigators are
  • 00:35:11
    stuck then they discover a vital clue
  • 00:35:15
    the divers have placed rubber matting
  • 00:35:17
    over these
  • 00:35:18
    gratings when they diving they didn't
  • 00:35:20
    want to with bare feet step on very
  • 00:35:23
    sharp grating and unfortunately above
  • 00:35:26
    this area was the high pressure
  • 00:35:28
    collecting line of
  • 00:35:30
    tartan Tartan is another oyal rig close
  • 00:35:32
    to Piper
  • 00:35:34
    Alpha this pipeline carries High Press
  • 00:35:37
    gas to
  • 00:35:38
    it investigators now believe this oil
  • 00:35:41
    forms a burning puddle on the rubber
  • 00:35:43
    matting directly under the pipe
  • 00:35:45
    containing gas pressurized more than 120
  • 00:35:48
    atmospheres 70 times the pressure in a
  • 00:35:51
    car
  • 00:35:52
    tire without this rubber matting the
  • 00:35:55
    fire might have been contained the whole
  • 00:35:57
    catastrophe
  • 00:36:00
    prevented but with it the pipe heats up
  • 00:36:03
    quickly weakening the
  • 00:36:05
    metal intense heat weak metal High Press
  • 00:36:08
    gas the next event is
  • 00:36:11
    inevitable and when it burst there was
  • 00:36:14
    somewhere between 15 and 30 tons of High
  • 00:36:17
    Press gas ejected almost instantaneously
  • 00:36:20
    and that is what is seen in this huge
  • 00:36:23
    Fireball 150 m in diameter completely
  • 00:36:27
    Eng in the whole of the
  • 00:36:30
    C gas pours out of the burst High Press
  • 00:36:33
    pipeline at the rate of half a ton per
  • 00:36:38
    second equivalent to nearly the entire
  • 00:36:41
    domestic consumption of gas in the
  • 00:36:43
    UK it continues to do so for a further
  • 00:36:50
    hour the failure of the high press gas
  • 00:36:52
    pipeline changes
  • 00:36:55
    everything there was no way back
  • 00:36:58
    it's really melting the center out of
  • 00:37:00
    the
  • 00:37:05
    platform there are still two more gas
  • 00:37:08
    pipelines that run from Piper
  • 00:37:10
    Alpha the larger of them contains
  • 00:37:13
    1,120 tons of pressurized gas three
  • 00:37:16
    times as much as the one that has
  • 00:37:17
    already
  • 00:37:19
    burst investigators realize that it was
  • 00:37:22
    now just a matter of time before these
  • 00:37:24
    other gas pipes
  • 00:37:25
    failed 1 hour 10 minutes before the
  • 00:37:28
    breakup of the rig there was no hope of
  • 00:37:30
    stopping The
  • 00:37:32
    Inferno an even larger explosion shakes
  • 00:37:35
    Piper alpha one of the two remaining
  • 00:37:37
    pipelines has burst Bob Valentine
  • 00:37:41
    survives it his friends on the other
  • 00:37:42
    side of the rig are not so lucky there
  • 00:37:45
    was an explosion and they were caught up
  • 00:37:47
    in a
  • 00:37:48
    fireball and
  • 00:37:51
    incinerated Ian Lam's rescue boat was
  • 00:37:53
    Tangled in Davy below the
  • 00:37:55
    rig the explosion destroyed the boat and
  • 00:37:58
    killed everyone on board except Ian I
  • 00:38:02
    ended up in the water looked around the
  • 00:38:04
    place and the whole place was just a
  • 00:38:05
    light the sea was a light everything was
  • 00:38:07
    a
  • 00:38:08
    light by now the fire is so great
  • 00:38:11
    photographic evidence is
  • 00:38:14
    useless so investigators gather
  • 00:38:16
    electronic data from other oil rigs
  • 00:38:18
    connected to Piper
  • 00:38:21
    Alpha 40 minutes to
  • 00:38:25
    go the investigators discover that the
  • 00:38:28
    gas pressure in the larger of the two
  • 00:38:29
    remaining pipelines begins to fall
  • 00:38:32
    rapidly it's this which is now
  • 00:38:35
    burst only one gas line connecting Piper
  • 00:38:38
    Alpha to the Claymore platform 35 km
  • 00:38:41
    away remains
  • 00:38:46
    intact 10 minutes remaining there's
  • 00:38:49
    another massive gas
  • 00:38:52
    explosion It's the final pipeline
  • 00:38:54
    failing
  • 00:39:00
    1 hour and 30 minutes after the chain of
  • 00:39:02
    events Begins the disaster claims its
  • 00:39:05
    final
  • 00:39:09
    victims the living quarters where so
  • 00:39:12
    many workers took Refuge slips off the
  • 00:39:14
    platform and down to the bottom of the
  • 00:39:16
    North Sea taking with it the last of the
  • 00:39:18
    crew of Piper
  • 00:39:20
    alpha 1 hour after the housing block
  • 00:39:22
    collapses there's nothing left of Piper
  • 00:39:25
    Alpha except for the burnt out wreckage
  • 00:39:27
    of module
  • 00:39:29
    a from Tiny scraps of evidence the
  • 00:39:32
    investigators have managed to piece
  • 00:39:34
    together a coherent explanation of the
  • 00:39:37
    catastrophe but there is still one more
  • 00:39:40
    shocking Revelation a final Link in the
  • 00:39:42
    chain involving not failed technology
  • 00:39:45
    but simple
  • 00:39:48
    paperwork the gigantic oil and gas
  • 00:39:50
    platform Piper Alpha has been destroyed
  • 00:39:53
    second by second investigators are
  • 00:39:56
    lining up the pieces
  • 00:39:57
    [Music]
  • 00:39:59
    the deadly sequence begins at 9:45 p.m.
  • 00:40:03
    when workers attempt to start a pump
  • 00:40:04
    with a critical safety valve
  • 00:40:09
    missing what investigators don't
  • 00:40:12
    understand is why the workers started
  • 00:40:14
    the pump in this unsafe
  • 00:40:17
    condition the permit to work or PTW is
  • 00:40:20
    designed to alert everyone to
  • 00:40:22
    maintenance work that is underway to
  • 00:40:24
    prevent just this kind of accident
  • 00:40:28
    when investigators analyzed the ptws
  • 00:40:31
    they discovered that a permit was issued
  • 00:40:32
    for routine maintenance on one of the
  • 00:40:34
    pumps at 7:45 a.m. they believe that a
  • 00:40:38
    separate permit was issued later on for
  • 00:40:40
    work on its safety valve but the permits
  • 00:40:43
    that would prove this Theory lied buried
  • 00:40:45
    in the sunken remains of Piper Alpha 145
  • 00:40:48
    M beneath the surface of the
  • 00:40:50
    sea then 3 months after the accident
  • 00:40:54
    Salvage teams raised two blocks of
  • 00:40:56
    living quarters from the sea
  • 00:40:58
    floor 81 bodies are recovered and laid
  • 00:41:01
    to rest and the investigators are then
  • 00:41:04
    able to hunt inside for further
  • 00:41:07
    Clues they find a mass of water logged
  • 00:41:11
    paperwork astonishingly after a raging
  • 00:41:14
    fire and 3 months at the bottom of the
  • 00:41:16
    sea this paperwork yields critical
  • 00:41:20
    evidence and lo and behold yes there was
  • 00:41:24
    a copy of the actual permit to work and
  • 00:41:27
    it was a huge Buzz because we had heard
  • 00:41:30
    that one was probably issued but we
  • 00:41:32
    weren't sure and here it was we actually
  • 00:41:34
    had the actual
  • 00:41:36
    copy this is the original permit
  • 00:41:39
    recovered from the bottom of the North
  • 00:41:40
    Sea permit to work number
  • 00:41:43
    23434 for the maintenance operation on
  • 00:41:46
    valve number PSV 504 dated July the 6th
  • 00:41:52
    1988 it's the first link in the deadly
  • 00:41:55
    chain of
  • 00:41:56
    events it's investigators are now
  • 00:41:58
    certain that there were two permits
  • 00:42:00
    issued one for the pump and a completely
  • 00:42:02
    separate one for its safety
  • 00:42:04
    valve on Piper Alpha the crew stores
  • 00:42:07
    permits in different boxes for each area
  • 00:42:09
    of the platform this seems logical but
  • 00:42:12
    creates a fundamental problem because
  • 00:42:15
    the pump is in one part of the platform
  • 00:42:17
    but its valve is in a completely
  • 00:42:19
    different area and that means the
  • 00:42:21
    permits are stored in separate
  • 00:42:24
    boxes that really starts to be where the
  • 00:42:27
    problem comes the two permits should
  • 00:42:29
    have been held together that simple
  • 00:42:32
    error or clerical mistake perhaps meant
  • 00:42:35
    that these two permits were separate
  • 00:42:38
    when the operator checks the pump's
  • 00:42:40
    permit there's nothing with it to warn
  • 00:42:41
    him that the safety valve has been
  • 00:42:43
    removed that permit is stored separately
  • 00:42:45
    in another box it might as well not have
  • 00:42:48
    existed at
  • 00:42:49
    all so when pump B stopped and there was
  • 00:42:54
    the question asked can I get pump a
  • 00:42:56
    going the maintenance lead hand said
  • 00:42:59
    yeah
  • 00:43:00
    fine as they attempt to start the pump
  • 00:43:03
    they set in motion the chain of
  • 00:43:08
    events investigators believe that the
  • 00:43:10
    workers on duty that night did not know
  • 00:43:12
    the safety valve was missing otherwise
  • 00:43:15
    the experienced operators would never
  • 00:43:17
    have tried to start the
  • 00:43:20
    pump the only permit they see is for the
  • 00:43:24
    pump it doesn't mention the safety valve
  • 00:43:29
    at the heart of this tragedy behind the
  • 00:43:31
    Raging fires the explosions the collapse
  • 00:43:35
    of the 20,000 ton rig and the loss of
  • 00:43:38
    167
  • 00:43:39
    lives behind the entire catastrophe lies
  • 00:43:43
    a flawed system of permits to
  • 00:43:51
    work a tightly linked sequence of events
  • 00:43:54
    leads to the disaster on Piper Alpha
  • 00:43:57
    a break anywhere in that chain could
  • 00:43:59
    have reduced the impact of the
  • 00:44:01
    catastrophe or even prevented
  • 00:44:04
    it if the permit system had been
  • 00:44:07
    effective the night shift would have
  • 00:44:08
    known a safety valve was missing if the
  • 00:44:11
    flat metal disc had been fully tightened
  • 00:44:14
    the condensate would not have
  • 00:44:16
    leaked if the firewalls had been able to
  • 00:44:19
    withstand the explosion the disaster
  • 00:44:22
    would not have
  • 00:44:23
    spread if divers had not placed rubber
  • 00:44:26
    matting on the metal great a pool of
  • 00:44:28
    burning oil would not have formed and
  • 00:44:30
    the massive High Press gas pipe would
  • 00:44:32
    not have exploded sending Piper Alpha
  • 00:44:34
    into the sea and 167 men to their
  • 00:44:40
    deaths the Cullen inquiry criticized
  • 00:44:43
    many aspects of North Sea oil rig
  • 00:44:45
    operations but its most serious
  • 00:44:47
    criticisms targeted the floored permit
  • 00:44:49
    to work system which the inquiry
  • 00:44:51
    identified as the most significant
  • 00:44:53
    culprit in the tragedy
  • 00:44:57
    accidental petroleum Piper Alpha's
  • 00:44:59
    operating company paid millions in
  • 00:45:01
    compensation to victim's families but
  • 00:45:03
    because of insufficient evidence no
  • 00:45:05
    criminal charges were ever
  • 00:45:09
    brought Piper Alpha survivors pay a far
  • 00:45:12
    heavier price Dave Lambert found the
  • 00:45:14
    burden of survival almost
  • 00:45:17
    intolerable I feelings of guilt why may
  • 00:45:20
    why did I survive even though obviously
  • 00:45:23
    I'm might I survived your life actually
  • 00:45:26
    changes
  • 00:45:27
    everything seem to stand still there
  • 00:45:29
    nothing really seemed important um and
  • 00:45:32
    it it took quite a number of years to to
  • 00:45:35
    get over them failings foran letham sole
  • 00:45:39
    survivor of his rescue boat the effect
  • 00:45:41
    has been more
  • 00:45:43
    fundamental I was always happy didn't
  • 00:45:46
    care get on with it bit a laugh now I
  • 00:45:49
    find Life's Too Short now I find I've
  • 00:45:52
    got awful serious you know I don't I
  • 00:45:56
    can't be bothered with insignificant
  • 00:45:57
    things anymore I just crack on with
  • 00:45:59
    important things now that annoys me
  • 00:46:01
    because I I liked the way I was before
  • 00:46:04
    Piper I don't like particularly light
  • 00:46:06
    the way I am
  • 00:46:13
    now the Cullen report recommended
  • 00:46:16
    massive changes to almost every aspect
  • 00:46:18
    of the way that British offshore
  • 00:46:19
    operations are carried out but the
  • 00:46:22
    lessons leared have repercussions for
  • 00:46:24
    the oil industry in Britain and
  • 00:46:26
    worldwide
  • 00:46:27
    the hope is there will never again be a
  • 00:46:29
    disaster like that of Piper Alpha
  • 00:46:41
    [Music]
Tags
  • Piper Alpha
  • disaster
  • North Sea
  • oil platform
  • safety
  • explosion
  • investigation
  • Cullen inquiry
  • permit system
  • survivors