Buncefield fire fuels safety debate
Health & Safety Group hosts 19 October 2006 event
Following the massive
explosion at the Buncefield oil depot in Hertfordshire, UK,
that resulted in a fire that
burned for more than two
days, SCI’s Health & Safety
Group is organising a conference
to assess the aftermath
(click here for details).
Although there were no serious
injuries, it caused significant
damage and disruption to businesses
and residents nearby.
Many had to leave their homes
and others lived in fear while
the fire was tackled and put
out. They still have reservations
about living near the depot.
On 19 October 2006 at SCI
International Headquarters in
Belgrave Square, Commander
Paul Blande of Watford Fire Station
and Chief Superintendent
Jeremy Alford of Watford Police
Station will give first-hand
accounts of the problems
encountered during the two
days it took to extinguish the
fire. Mike Penning, MP for Hemel
Hempstead and a former fire
officer, will talk about the problems
that had to be addressed to
help relocate and reassure his
constituents and how they all
dealt with the media.
In the UK there are
many similar sites where
highly flammable fuels are
stored and dispensed. There
are also petrol stations, airports,
transport by tankers on
our roads, oil rigs and gas terminals
where highly flammable
fuels and gases have to be
stored and handled safely.
So what went wrong? The
public needs to know that safety
systems are reliable and
checked regularly and that
steps will be taken to ensure a
similar incident will never happen
again. It is also essential
that, if back-up systems are
needed, safety will not be compromised
to save money in the
interest of shareholders. This
applies also to personnel regularly
checking when fluid is
transferred to and from tankers.
During a Q&A session those
attending were able to
engage in free and full discussion
in a lively debate with
experts from the UK Health
and Safety Executive and others
to discuss steps that will
have to be taken to ensure
safety when the Buncefield site
reopens, and on other UK sites.
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