Buncefield response

Reports and recommendations arising from the Competent Authority's response to the Buncefield incident

In the early hours of Sunday 11 December 2005, a number of explosions occurred at Buncefield Oil Storage Depot, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. At least one of the initial explosions was of massive proportions and there was a large fire, which engulfed a high proportion of the site. Over 40 people were injured; fortunately there were no fatalities. Significant damage occurred to both commercial and residential properties in the vicinity and a large area around the site was evacuated on emergency service advice. The fire burned for several days, destroying most of the site and emitting large clouds of black smoke into the atmosphere.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environment Agency (EA) investigated the incident and secured convictions against five companies, who were were ordered to pay almost £10m in combined fines and costs.

Reports and recommendations

The following reports and recommendations are available from The National Archive:

Research reports relevant to Buncefield

The following research reports are available from our research section:

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2023-02-22