The UK Government fears that EU plans to shake up offshore safety rules will increase the risk of a major North Sea “disaster”.
Energy Minister Charles Hendry issued the warning at Westminster yesterday as MPs called on the government to go to Brussels and fight the proposals.
The EU has tabled a draft regulation to bring offshore safety standards across Europe to the same level as exists in the UK and Norway, but the industry fears it could derail the North Sea regime in the process.
Mr Hendry revealed it was estimated that the time required to dismantle the existing UK safety regime and replace it with similar rules would add up to “an entire year of work”.
The minister also said he believed that oil and gas workers in Aberdeen knew more about health and safety than in any other city in Europe following the Piper Alpha disaster.
Aberdeen North Labour MP Frank Doran said in the debate that new safety cases would have to be drawn up for 300 installations in the North Sea under the EU plans.
He added: “I think that there are serious risks that European oversight will increase the risk of disaster, not reduce it. That is a very serious claim to make, but I think it’s one that needs to be taken seriously by the government.”
Referring to Mr Doran’s comments later in the debate, Mr Hendry said: “I don’t think he overstates the case when he says there would be an increased risk of disaster. Now I think we would both use those words extremely carefully.”
The minister added: “The lessons which were learned in Piper Alpha, they have learned through awful experience that we must never compromise on high standards.”
After the debate, Labour’s shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex said: “The government now has to go and negotiate – and negotiate hard.”
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