Overview

• Disaster At Sea: The Piper Alpha Story is a three‑part BBC2 series that tells the 1988 catastrophe through actors reading inquiry transcripts intercut with archival rescue footage.
• The disaster killed 167 men and left 61 survivors, making it the deadliest offshore oil rig accident on record.
• Testimony presented in the programme highlights firefighting systems described as virtually useless and a fear‑driven culture where raising safety concerns risked being marked NRB (not required back).
• Accounts revisit the limits of rescue efforts, including the Tharos support rig’s inability to position its water cannons in time, with flames reportedly visible 120 miles away.
• Families report compensation letters that required waivers against prosecuting Occidental, and no criminal charges were brought; survivors such as Ed Punchard later pursued safety advocacy.