piper alpha chronology
Information on the accident Piper Alpha accident happened in the 6th of July in 1988. In this accident 167 men died including 165 out of 226 workers of the platform and 2 members of the rescue crew. The series of explosions that started at 10.00 pm destroyed the platform in less than one and a half hour. It happened on the production deck which consisted of four modules.
Module A - oil is piped up from the sea
Module B – Process oil and gas
Module C - Process oil and gas
Module D – Power generation
The first explosion took place in module C, subsequently damaging the module B and starting the deadly chain of events. This explosion occurred due to the leakage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. There was a number of critical factors that caused this tragedy. Some of these factors were design failures, and others were simple human errors. (Seconds from disaster, 2004)
Chronology
1988, July 6, 7.40 am – The permit to perform the work on the equipment PSV-504 (safety valve) was issued. 12.00 pm – On the production deck two maintenance workers are removing safety valve. It is the work authorized that morning, which they must finish by the end of the shift (6.00 pm).
5.10 pm – New control room operator starts his shift. The leaving operator has nothing to report, as it was ordinary shift.
6.00 pm – The shift ends, but on the production deck work on the safety valve is not finished. Replacing it will have to wait until morning. The pump A that it is connected to is shut down.
9.45 pm – Control room operator receives an urgent alarm on his panel. The alarm indicated that LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) pump B was tripped. The production crew cannot restart the pump. Lead production operator confirms that the schedule maintenance has not yet began on the second pump B, which was out of service. So he signs the pump A back into service.
9.55 pm – There is an
Module A - oil is piped up from the sea
Module B – Process oil and gas
Module C - Process oil and gas
Module D – Power generation
The first explosion took place in module C, subsequently damaging the module B and starting the deadly chain of events. This explosion occurred due to the leakage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. There was a number of critical factors that caused this tragedy. Some of these factors were design failures, and others were simple human errors. (Seconds from disaster, 2004)
Chronology
1988, July 6, 7.40 am – The permit to perform the work on the equipment PSV-504 (safety valve) was issued. 12.00 pm – On the production deck two maintenance workers are removing safety valve. It is the work authorized that morning, which they must finish by the end of the shift (6.00 pm).
5.10 pm – New control room operator starts his shift. The leaving operator has nothing to report, as it was ordinary shift.
6.00 pm – The shift ends, but on the production deck work on the safety valve is not finished. Replacing it will have to wait until morning. The pump A that it is connected to is shut down.
9.45 pm – Control room operator receives an urgent alarm on his panel. The alarm indicated that LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) pump B was tripped. The production crew cannot restart the pump. Lead production operator confirms that the schedule maintenance has not yet began on the second pump B, which was out of service. So he signs the pump A back into service.
9.55 pm – There is an