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HSE marks Buncefield anniversary.

A HSE Health and Safety Executive product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Dec 12, 2006

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued information on the activities it has carried out and its on going programme of work.

A year on since the explosion and fire that devastated the Buncefield fuel depot the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued information on the activities it has carried out and its on going programme of work to learn lessons from the investigation into the incident.

A full table that charts the activity can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/comah/buncefield/oneyear.htm The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) directed HSE and EA to investigate the incident and asked for an independent Major Incident Investigation Board (MIIB) to be established to supervise the investigation.

Since then there has been three progress reports from the investigative team and an initial report from the MIIB.

The highly complex investigation continues and will inform a final decision by HSE about any possible criminal prosecutions.

As information about the cause of the incident has emerged, HSE has followed this up with substantial actions for industry, which has included the issuing of two Safety Alerts in February and July.

These required operators to review aspects of their operations and report their findings to HSE and were followed up by targeted inspections by HSE staff of over 100 fuel storage sites.

In addition, a Task Group comprising industry, trade association and employee representatives has been established, to which the COMAH Competent Authority provides regulatory oversight and direction to ensure enhanced safety standards are developed and implemented.

The Task Group developed eight initial recommendations to enhance standards.

Industry agreed to implement these within a very tight timescale.

Further recommendations to improve safety will be produced.

The incident has important implications for the advice that HSE gives Planning Authorities on proposed developments around hazardous sites, and HSE will consult early in the new year on how we may need to modify our advice in light of Buncefield.

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