UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF

MARINE ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT 2

The Piper Alpha Disaster:

Long-Term Moral Impact of Safety Failures

LGB32302 – ETHICS FOR TECHNOLOGIST

SEM FEBRUARY 2023

(L01)

LECTURER NAME: TS. DR AZMAN BIN ISMAIL

___________________________________________________________________________

STUDENT NAME STUDENT’S ID

AINUL SUFIAH BINTI AN ZAWAWI 56218120220

SUBMISSION DATE: 16th MAY 2023

Instruction
Search for one case.
Give a brief explanation about the selected case.
Discuss the ethical issue involved in that particular case.

Table of Contents
No table of contents entries found.
INTRODUCTION

The Piper Alpha Disaster was one of the deadliest accidents involving an offshore oil
rig in history. A gas leak on the Piper Alpha platform in the North Sea on July 6, 1988,
resulted in a devastating explosion and fire that killed 167 of the 229 persons aboard. The
accident happened due to a mixture of technical and management negligence, including
inadequate maintenance practices, poor communication, and a crew that lacked emergency
training. The disaster caused the offshore oil and gas industry to completely revamp its safety
procedures.
THE FAILURE OF PIPER ALPHA
A thorough investigation into the tragedy uncovered the terrifying situations that brought in
its untimely conclusion. Over the course of a two-year study, the main sources used to
determine the exact cause of the accident consisted of statements from witnesses and
coincidental pictures acquired from neighbouring boats. Furthermore, this was in accordance
with the reported series of alarms that had been ringing off in the control room. Identifying
the condensate leaks of exact location led investigators to the safety valves and condensate
pumps.

The most important detail in this case is the possibility of a high-pressure leak and explosion
in a pipe with a temporary sealing disk which is not linked to a working pump. The
replacement disk was possibly barely fitted and tightened by hand rather than by a wrench,
causing gaps through which any accidental pressurized material could release. The loose disk
pipe's connection to the inactive reserve pump, which had been brought back into operation
in order to maintain production, caused the initial explosion in Module C by causing a
significant condensate release. Further, the fire wall between Modules B and C was unable to
withstand explosions, leading to debris from the explosion in Module C ruptured a weak
condensate pipe in Module B.

The fireball that consumed the platform was unable to have been caused by the explosions in
the first two neighbouring modules. A grated floor was revealed to be an unforeseen third
location of the fire through photographic evidence. Rubber matting accumulated burning oil
and heated a pipeline that carried a high-pressure gas link, releasing 15 to 30 tons of fuel.
Most tragically is where the automatic fire drench system on Piper Alpha was in manual
mode the night of the fire which is happened to be no water was released from the Piper
Alpha platform itself to put out the fire.

The Piper Alpha investigation found that two different permits to work were given for the
maintenance of the safety valve and the condensate pump, respectively. None of it in the
consent to work for the pump that operators were able to observe pointed out that the safety
valve had been replaced with a simple, loosely fitting flat disk.
LESSONS FROM PIPER ALPHA DISASTER
The Piper Alpha disaster has resulted to has resulted in 167 lives being lost, loss of property
as well as threats to the environment especially, the ocean. This disaster highlights some
important lessons that can be learnt and sufficient exposure to the company related with this
field of operation from making the same mistakes that threaten the safety of workers and the
environment. The lesson is as following:

i. To ensure that enough measures are implemented in place to prevent accidents and
protect workers, companies must place a higher priority on safety than on profitability
and production goals.
ii. To prevent disasters such as those experienced by Piper Alpha, companies are
responsible for making sure they have effective systems established for identifying,
assessing, and managing risks.
iii.
ETHICAL ISSUES

The oil company that was running the platform prioritized cost-cutting over safety, which
was one of the ethical issues related to the Piper Alpha Disaster. In order to cut expenses and
increase profits, the company allegedly ignored warning indications and neglected to make
the needed maintenance and safety improvements.

The company's decision of putting cost-cutting ahead of safety raises significant ethical
issues regarding the duties of companies and the necessity of establishing a balance between
financial concerns and safety concerns. This example serves as a reminder of the value of
ethical judgment in the oil and gas industry as well as the possible implications of neglecting
safety.

Another significant ethical question raised by this case is the long-term moral consequences
of safety issues. The pain and survivor guilt that followed the tragedy had a significant impact
on both the affected survivors from the tragedy and the families of those who died. This
emphasizes how crucial it is to consider the long-term ethical implications of safety issues,
taking into account not merely the psychological effects on survivors and society at large but
also the loss of human lives.
CONCLUSION

The accident emphasizes the value of making ethical decisions in the oil and gas industry,
particularly when balancing financial concerns with safety issues. Furthermore, it emphasizes
the long-term ethical consequences of safety failures, not just in terms of the lives lost, but
also in terms of the psychological suffering and survivor guilt that individuals engaged in the
disaster went through.
REFERENCES

ACS Chem. Health Saf.  2020, 27, 2, 88-95