Piper Alpha’s survivor has returned to an environment that involves flames for the first-time since the tragic incident 33 year ago in order to raise safety awareness.
Joe Meanen was among the 61 survivors in the worst offshore disaster, which claimed the lives and 167 others in 1988.
For a Safety In Mind event held in Montrose this month by AIS Survivex and RigDeluge, Mr Meanen discussed the psychology of offshore safety.
It included entering a simulated oil-burning module with a failed sprinkler system.
He said to Energy Voice: I was slightly nervous before I started but once I got going I was fine. Ive never been too frightened about facing up to things…
I thought I would remind myself of what it was like, face up to it, and see the benefits for my own good if I have to speak up and present.
The event was attended by workers from both supply chain and operators. Its purpose was to emphasize the importance of competence and hands-on experience offshore.
Ian Garden, RigDeluge managing Director, stated that offshore fire safety mindsets played an important role.
Today, you expect everyone to take care of their safety. Because everyone talks about safety.
You get a snowblindness and you think it will never happen.
© Supplied by RigDelugeMr Meanen added: “Its just in peoples psychology. This incident or that disaster will never happen to us. It will happen to someone else. During the event, that was our response.
People are correct 99 percent of the time. I thought that before Piper Alpha. It can make a huge impact on the lives of everyone who was involved.
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