Looks at major disasters and the steps taken to limit the problems which have and may occur, by an adequate training resource. Looks in particular at oil‐rig disasters such as Piper Alpha, Ekofisk, Aleksander Kjelland and Ocean Ranger all of which had contributory shortcomings enhanced by management on‐and off‐shore. Reinforces the concepts that an emergency response or contingency plan must provide the basis for emergency training, and that training for the 1990s will be in simulators.