6 July 2026
RMT Press Office:
Offshore union RMT has marked the 38th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, in which 165 offshore workers and two seafarers lost their lives.
The tragedy, which remains the world's deadliest offshore oil disaster, transformed the UK's offshore safety regime and led to the landmark Cullen Inquiry.
Its recommendations fundamentally reshaped health and safety regulation across the North Sea, placing greater emphasis on workforce involvement and independent safety oversight.
Nearly four decades on, RMT said the lessons of Piper Alpha must never be forgotten and warned that strong regulation, effective safety representatives and a workforce able to raise concerns without fear remain essential to preventing future tragedies.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: "Thirty-eight years after Piper Alpha, we remember the 167 workers who never came home and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring their legacy is one of safer workplaces for every offshore worker.
"The disaster exposed the devastating consequences of failures in safety management and the dangers of putting commercial pressures ahead of workers' lives. Those lessons remain as relevant today as they were in 1988.
"The offshore industry continues to face significant challenges, from ageing infrastructure to the transition to new forms of energy. Throughout that change, there can be no compromise on safety, investment or workforce protections.
"RMT will continue to campaign for robust regulation, properly empowered safety representatives and the right of workers to speak out on safety concerns without intimidation. That is the best way to honour those who lost their lives on Piper Alpha.
"We also encourage employers across the offshore sector to allow workers the opportunity to remember those who died and to reflect on the importance of maintaining the highest possible safety standards across the industry."
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