Death Investigated on Brent Bravo Platform

An inquiry has been launched into the death of an electrician in the same utility shaft on the Shell operated Brent Bravo platform where two men were killed 15 months ago.

Graeme Burns, a John Wood Group employee, had been carrying out maintenance work with a colleague on the Shell owned platform on New Year's Day. Both men evacuated the leg of the oil rig after smelling gas at 2.30 am but Graeme Burns collapsed. He was later pronounced dead by medical staff on the platform, 116 miles to the north-east of Lerwick, Shetland.

Shell said it was investigating the death with Grampian Police and the Health and Safety Executive. Shell said the smell detected may have been a naturally occurring gas and it did not believe there had been a leak in the leg of the platform.

In September 2003, oil workers Sean McCue and Keith Moncrieff died after a sudden escape of gas when they were working inside the same shaft. A spokesman for Grampian Police said: "We can confirm that we have officers at Brent Bravo making inquiries into the death of a crew member on that installation. Obviously it is too early to speculate on the circumstances surrounding the death."

Posted 08/01/05

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