Buncefield: Safety reviews for 100 UK sites

London -- Operators of major fuel depot facilities should review the safety of their operations and report the outcomes of their reviews to the Health & Safety Executive by Easter 2006, the HSE announced 21 Feb.

The reviews are to be carried out in the light of information from the Buncefield Major Incident Investigation Board, including its 21 Feb progress report on the joint investigation by HSE and the Environment Agency. HSE inspectors will also be carrying out targeted inspections at those sites over the next three months.

According to HSE, there are nearly 100 sites around Great Britain with permits to store quantities of oil or other fuels that make them subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999.

“HSE has formed an inspection team charged with developing a targeted and nationally consistent action plan, based on operators revisiting the safety reviews at their sites, said Kevin Allars, head of HSE’s Chemical Industries Division, in a press statement.

According to Allars, HSE’s advice to industry therefore centres on containment integrity issues, such as tanks, pipework and bunds. It will also look at the management arrangements for dealing with normal and abnormal operating conditions.

The aim is to ensure “that relevant good practice precautions are in place and fully operational and that appropriate measures are implemented for responding to, and dealing with, emergencies involving loss of containment,” he added.

HSE plans to meet with key industry trade associations, including the UKPIA, TSA, CIA and BCDTA, to ensure that the programme gains maximum industry support.