Buncefield Joint Task group calls for immediate action

E102:06 12 October 2006

A joint Industry and COMAH Competent Authority (CA) Task Group today called for industry to take immediate measures to implement eight key action points at major petroleum storage facilities. The actions to further improve safety and environmental standards can be found in the Buncefield Standards Task Group: Initial Report at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/comah/alert.htm

The actions, provide a significant challenge to industry, and are in response to findings contained in the Buncefield Major Incident Investigation Board's (MIIB) initial report published in July. These recommendations, based on the latest information available, are believed to be precautionary and prudent to offer worthwhile additional public and environmental protection. The actions relate to:

• Pipeline transfers;
• Tank overfill prevention - operating safety margins and level alarms;
• Fire safe shut-off valves and remotely operated shut off valves;
• Containment - bunds and other measures; and
• Shift handover.

The CA are also reviewing the emerging outcomes from the safety and environmental reviews of fuel depots carried out by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Environment Agency (EA) and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) earlier this year. The CA will report their findings later this year. These may well include the need for industry to take further measures.

The Task Group recommends and the CA requires sites that have bulk tanks storing petroleum that could be overfilled leading to a significant vapour cloud to take immediate action. These sites will now have to implement the recommendations by the deadlines set out in the report. Industry representatives have agreed to complete them and the CA will be monitoring industry progress closely to ensure the enhanced safety standards are introduced on time.

Under the CA's direction, the Task Group set out to undertake a comprehensive and thorough review of facilities like Buncefield to ensure they operate correctly. The actions detailed above are the first results of this work. The Task Group will make final recommendations to industry aimed at enhancing safety and environmental standards by July 2007.

The CA acknowledges the commitment industry members of the Task Group have shown. It is important that these changes to further improve safety are implemented by the deadlines stated.

Notes to editors

1. The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999 are enforced by a joint Competent Authority: HSE and EA in England and Wales, and HSE and Scottish SEPA in Scotland.
2. The Petroleum Industries Association (UKPIA) represents the oil refining and marketing companies operating in the UK, which also own approximately 2,500 of the UK's 9,764 service stations, and own and operate the nine crude processing oil refineries in the UK.
3. The Task Group was established in June 2006 and is made up of key industry trade association representatives as well as the Competent Authority, which is providing appropriate oversight and direction. The Task Group includes representation from members of: UKPIA; Tank Storage Association (TSA); Chemical Industries Association (CIA); HSE; EA; SEPA and Cogent Sector Skills Council. Ken Rivers, Shell UK Oil Manufacturing Director and former President of UKPIA, chairs the group.
4. The Major Incident Investigation Board's Initial report, published on 13 July 2006, into the Buncefield fuel depot fire and explosion on 11 December 2005 can be found at: http://www.buncefieldinvestigation.gov.uk/reports/index.htm
5. HSE issued precautionary advice in February to operators of fuel storage sites following the publication of the first progress report to the Buncefield Major Incident Investigation Board on the joint investigation by HSE and the Environment Agency. HSE requested that operators with consent to store quantities of oil or other fuels that make them subject to the COMAH Regulations 1999, review their operations in the light of information obtained from the investigation at that point and report the outcomes of those reviews to HSE by Easter 2006. HSE inspectors also carried out inspections at these sites. Full details of the safety alert's findings can be can be found on the HSE's website at: www.hse.gov.uk/press/2006/e06019.htm

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