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| Scots 'should handle' oil safety | |
| (1 day later) | |
| First Minister Alex Salmond has said the Scottish Government should handle North Sea offshore safety. | First Minister Alex Salmond has said the Scottish Government should handle North Sea offshore safety. |
| He was speaking as an investigation got under way into the cause of a major fire that broke out on a platform. | He was speaking as an investigation got under way into the cause of a major fire that broke out on a platform. |
| More than 100 workers were evacuated from the Thistle Alpha platform after Sunday's fire but no-one was hurt. | More than 100 workers were evacuated from the Thistle Alpha platform after Sunday's fire but no-one was hurt. |
| The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said its inspectors would visit the site, 120 miles north east of Shetland, as soon as weather conditions allowed. | |
| Healthy and safety is not a devolved issue. | Healthy and safety is not a devolved issue. |
| Mr Salmond said: "I think the Scottish Government should be responsible for all matters affecting the Scottish people, and that includes the waters around Scotland. | Mr Salmond said: "I think the Scottish Government should be responsible for all matters affecting the Scottish people, and that includes the waters around Scotland. |
| "I'm quite sure our colleagues in London have the same objectives and ambition. But I think closer management of the situation would benefit the industry, would benefit Scotland, and would benefit the workers in the North Sea. | "I'm quite sure our colleagues in London have the same objectives and ambition. But I think closer management of the situation would benefit the industry, would benefit Scotland, and would benefit the workers in the North Sea. |
| "As recent events have shown, the oil and gas industry can be a dangerous one." | "As recent events have shown, the oil and gas industry can be a dangerous one." |
| The HSE warned last week that safety on offshore oil and gas installations must be improved. | The HSE warned last week that safety on offshore oil and gas installations must be improved. |
| All our people are safe. There was nobody injured. Our emergency systems worked very well John MethvenPetrofac | All our people are safe. There was nobody injured. Our emergency systems worked very well John MethvenPetrofac |
| But it is understood the HSE found no serious problems when it inspected Thistle Alpha in May and again earlier this month. | But it is understood the HSE found no serious problems when it inspected Thistle Alpha in May and again earlier this month. |
| A spokesman for Petrofac, which operates Thistle Alpha for the Swedish company Lundin Petroleum, said it was carrying out its own investigation into the fire. | A spokesman for Petrofac, which operates Thistle Alpha for the Swedish company Lundin Petroleum, said it was carrying out its own investigation into the fire. |
| The Unite union, which represents workers in the offshore oil industry, said it would co-operate with the inquiry and with looking at evacuation procedures. | The Unite union, which represents workers in the offshore oil industry, said it would co-operate with the inquiry and with looking at evacuation procedures. |
| The blaze took hold in the turbine module of the remote platform shortly after 0800 GMT on Sunday and smoke and flames billowed up from at least three levels. | The blaze took hold in the turbine module of the remote platform shortly after 0800 GMT on Sunday and smoke and flames billowed up from at least three levels. |
| 'Root cause' | 'Root cause' |
| Seven helicopters, including two from Norway, and an RAF Nimrod were called in to help. | Seven helicopters, including two from Norway, and an RAF Nimrod were called in to help. |
| Some 116 of the 159 people on board were airlifted to safety on two neighbouring oil platforms, Petrofac said. | Some 116 of the 159 people on board were airlifted to safety on two neighbouring oil platforms, Petrofac said. |
| The fire was put out by 1045 GMT and the rescue operation was scaled down. | The fire was put out by 1045 GMT and the rescue operation was scaled down. |
| Jake Molloy of the OILC union said the fixed firefighting systems on the platform were having difficulty coping with the blaze. | Jake Molloy of the OILC union said the fixed firefighting systems on the platform were having difficulty coping with the blaze. |
| "Normally on a platform you have fixed systems which prevent the need to put people in to fight fires," he said. | "Normally on a platform you have fixed systems which prevent the need to put people in to fight fires," he said. |
| "Those systems should be able to cope. It would appear that wasn't happening." | "Those systems should be able to cope. It would appear that wasn't happening." |
| Thistle Alpha is more than 30 years old but Alan Curran, managing director of Lundin Britain, said age was not a factor. | Thistle Alpha is more than 30 years old but Alan Curran, managing director of Lundin Britain, said age was not a factor. |
| He added: "Of course, the investigation that we conduct over the next few days will get to the root cause of the incident but I do believe that the age of the platform had absolutely nothing to do with the situation." | He added: "Of course, the investigation that we conduct over the next few days will get to the root cause of the incident but I do believe that the age of the platform had absolutely nothing to do with the situation." |
| Emergency systems | Emergency systems |
| John Methven, director of health and safety for Petrofac, said the oil installation manager reacted correctly to events onboard. | John Methven, director of health and safety for Petrofac, said the oil installation manager reacted correctly to events onboard. |
| He said: "The Thistle platform is perfectly safe, the emergency systems are all still working and we would not have upmanned the platform if that had not been the case. | He said: "The Thistle platform is perfectly safe, the emergency systems are all still working and we would not have upmanned the platform if that had not been the case. |
| "All our people are safe. There was nobody injured. Our emergency systems worked very well. | "All our people are safe. There was nobody injured. Our emergency systems worked very well. |
| "We have a situation where initially the manager took a decision based on what he thought he saw at that time, which was perfectly correct, and now we are downscaling that whole incident significantly." | "We have a situation where initially the manager took a decision based on what he thought he saw at that time, which was perfectly correct, and now we are downscaling that whole incident significantly." |
| An HSE report released earlier this month said maintenance of many appliances in the North Sea was not being given enough attention. | An HSE report released earlier this month said maintenance of many appliances in the North Sea was not being given enough attention. |
| Almost 100 North Sea installations were targeted in the three-year HSE inspection. | Almost 100 North Sea installations were targeted in the three-year HSE inspection. |
| In more than half of the platforms the overall state of the plant was found to be poor. | In more than half of the platforms the overall state of the plant was found to be poor. |