An offshore safety conference is being planned to mark the 25th anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster.

167 men died in 1988 in an explosion and fire at the North Sea oil platform, the worst such incident ever.

Piper 25 will be a three-day event at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre from 18 June, run by industry body Oil & Gas UK.

With Piper Alpha as a central theme, the conference will also explore broader safety issues and will feature high profile international speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds.

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The keynote speaker has been confirmed as Lord Cullen, who chaired the public inquiry into the disaster. Lord Cullen's report made 106 recommendations which have since transformed the way safety is managed offshore - to the point where the UK regime is now regarded as a global exemplar.

Judith Hackett, chair of the Health and Safety Executive has also been confirmed.

The body's health and safety director, Robert Paterson, said: "The magnitude of Piper Alpha and the impact it has had on the oil and gas industry cannot be overstated.

"Therefore Piper 25 will be open to anyone - whether they have a direct interest in Piper Alpha itself or in offshore safety more generally. It promises to serve as a reminder of what can happen when things go wrong and to galvanise the industry's resolve to continuously improve offshore safety to ensure what happened that night in 1988 is never repeated."

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(NE)