RMT REMEMBERS PIPER ALPHA

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: july/august 2021 :: RMTnews 21 RMT marked the inaugural Maritime Safety Week between July 9-13 by remembering the 167 offshore workers who died in 1988 in the explosions and fire that destroyed the Piper Alpha Platform in the North Sea. The union requested that offshore employers allowed all workers to take a moment to remember the 167 offshore workers and the devastating effect that this disaster had on their families and communities, especially in north east Scotland.  RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the men of Piper are gone but will never be forgotten. “This year, the anniversary of Piper Alpha takes place during the UK government’s Maritime Safety Week in July. “We call on Ministers to respect the memory of Piper Alpha’s victims by delivering the offshore safety culture of continuous improvement recommended in the Cullen Report into the disaster,” he said. As part of the week’s activities the union has also produced new posters about Maritime Mental Health and a template letter asking companies whether they have an Employee Assistance Programme in place and emphasised the issue of sleep problems as a result of mental health issues in safety critical roles. The Department for Transport said that Maritime Safety Week would provide an opportunity to share the wealth of knowledge, experience and best practice to increase understanding of what the sector was already doing to respond to the safety challenges it faces as well as plans for the future. RMT REMEMBERS PIPER ALPHA Union marks Maritime Safety Week by remembering those who died in the North Sea disaster in 1988