Although there have been improvements in health and safety offshore since the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988 the risks are ever present – fire, explosion, release of gas and structural failure all have the potential to cause major loss of life. Specific legislation exists to deal with the hazards arising from the operation of fixed/mobile installations, wells and pipelines. The oil and gas sector is a dynamic rapidly changing industry but with an ageing infrastructure and increasing cost pressures as the available oil and gas declines. These issues, together with the geographically isolated workforce, and the inherent hazards in working offshore require high standards of management of health and safety.