Ministerial Message - 20^th Anniversary of the Ocean Ranger Disaster

On February 15, 1982, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians witnessed the worst offshore drilling accident in Canadian history. The Ocean Ranger, an exploratory offshore drilling platform, sank during a severe winter storm at the Hibernia oil discovery site. Eighty-four lives were lost on that dreadful night and many lessons were learned.

The tragedy of the Ocean Ranger continues to be a major influence on our offshore industry. Government has continually examined the safety issues that contributed to this disaster and has implemented numerous changes to enhance the safety of our offshore workforce. Major legislative and regulatory changes were made to the Atlantic Accord Acts by the federal and provincial governments to establish strict safety guidelines that must be followed from the initial design of an offshore project to the actual implementation of safety systems during the operations phase of development. These regulations govern the necessary requirements of offshore safety.

Over the past two decades, government and industry players have worked together to ensure that the necessary funding is available to facilitate the important research needed to improve escape, evacuation and rescue systems. New technologies have been introduced including cold water survival suits and improved methods of lifeboat deployment. Training requirements for offshore workers have increased significantly and new facilities have been established to ensure that these workers have the necessary safety skills to avoid tragedy.

The North Atlantic Ocean is a very unpredictable and unforgiving environment. Industry players have worked with government to improve offshore health and safety. Their initiative and success in preventing major incidents is encouraging. New technologies continue to evolve and are regularly implemented. Government will continue to work with industry players to ensure that offshore safety remains the highest priority.

On behalf of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, we wish to remember the eighty-four lives that were lost 20 years ago. May they never be forgotten.

2002 02 15                       10:40 a.m.