The swift evacuation from the Elgin platform shows the UK offshore safety regime works and should not be changed by Brussels, an MP said last night.
Shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex gave a fresh warning about EU plans to take control of health and safety in the sector after the North Sea gas leak.
MPs and industry body Oil & Gas UK fear the EU proposals could cause “confusion” and undermine the UK’s safety system by requiring regulators and businesses to tie up resources unnecessarily reworking risk assessments with no benefit.
Mr Greatrex said: “Obviously I don’t know yet the detail of exactly what has happened at Elgin-Franklin, the platform and the rig next to it, but it’s obviously good to know that people were evacuated from the platform very quickly by Total.
“This highlights yet again the vital importance of a strong health and safety regime offshore, and the vigilance there has to be in the way that is observed both from the workforce and management.
“It also underlines the concerns around any changes to that regime arising from European regulations.
“Those need to be considered very carefully before there is any change, because the last thing we need in the North Sea is a period of time where there may be confusion around the conditions that are in place.”