Dozens of people gathered in Aberdeen to pay their respects to those who died in the Piper Alpha disaster.
The tragedy on July 6 1988, claimed the lives of 167 men and remains the worst in the history of the global oil and gas industry.
North Sea installations also fell silent to mark 35 years since Piper Alpha exploded.
A service at the memorial gardens in Hazlehead Park was led by oil and gas chaplain the Reverend Gordon Craig.
It included the reading of the names of the 167 men lost, followed by a minute’s silence in remembrance. A piper’s lament was played as wreaths were laid.
The annual service provides a space for families to remember those who were killed.
It also shows that Aberdeen and the oil and gas industry have not forgotten their loss.
And it offers a reminder of the need to reinforce lessons from the tragedy all those years ago.
One industry attendee at the latest event later tweeted it gave them goosebumps.
Visited the the Piper Alpha memorial today, 167 souls taken by the sea. 6th July 1988.
This visit gave me goosebumps. Only heard about it during inductions and I am actually here, 35 years later. pic.twitter.com/bW2BvmgCsu
— amn (@amnanadaa) July 6, 2023
Another industry worker, translated from Spanish, tweeted: “Piper Alpha teaches us that there are 167 reasons to ensure safety remains our number one priority – and to make sure it’s the number one priority of everyone else we work with.”
And a space industry employee said: “I was 16 when it happened and I’ll never forget hearing the stories.
“Now I’m working in the space business we keep hearing mention of Piper Alpha and risk mitigation measures. I make sure the young ones know what happened and why it’s still a turning point in H&S (health and safety)”
Safety culture ‘legacy’
Harbour Energy, whose sites observed a silence at 10am, said: “The legacy of Piper Alpha is the safety culture the offshore industry works to now and we remain absolutely committed to playing our part in that”.
Industry leaders delivering tributes included Steve Rae, head of Step Change in Safety and one of the 61 men who survived the disaster.
Mr Rae has urged today’s industry workforce to revisit a 22-minute film – Remembering Piper: The Night that Changed our World – produced by the organisation he leads.
He said: “I need no reminding how fortunate I am to be one of the 61 that survived.
“The film, originally released in 2013 on the 25th anniversary of the disaster provides an impactful account of the events of that night, serving to remind us all why remaining vigilant and playing your part is so important.”
I was 16 when it happened and I’ll never forget hearing the stories. Now I’m working in the space business we keep hearing mention of Piper Alpha and risk mitigation measures, I make sure the young ones know what happened and why it’s still a turning point in H&S.
— Chris (@KosmicKris) July 6, 2023
More pictures from today’s sombre event
