PiperAlpha: 20 Years on
On 6 July 1988, at about 10.00pm, Occidental's Piper Alpha platform, operating 120 miles off the north east coast of Scotland, exploded in a ball of flames 120m high. 167 people died and many others were horrifically injured as they jumped or fell into the sea 30m below. The insured loss was £1.7 billion. Lord Cullen's ensuing inquiry revealed a catalogue of management failings, as well as construction, engineering and operational inadequacies that would be inconceivable today.
Plant protectors
Facilities managers look after buildings, but how can they mitigate the likelihood of a terrorist attack? Adam Offord examines guidance from the British Institute of Facilities Management
Fit for future
Effective and well-planned factory design and layout can impact operational efficiency, as Mark Venables explains.
Comment: Site to factory
Volvo and Skanska’s project to electrify and automate operations in a Swedish quarry is profiled this month. It’s not the first such project for Volvo, which has tested self-driving mine trucks in Norway and South Africa, at least. This project makes two big changes: swapping diesel engines with a battery-electric powertrain, and removing some drivers through automation. Benefits quoted include pollution and cost reductions.
Bright sparks
Skanska and Volvo Construction Equipment have been testing the viability of an ‘electric site’ at a quarry near Gothenburg, Sweden. The results are in...