UK Petroleum Industry Association

Tank Storage Association         

                                                                                                     24th July 2007

Buncefield Standards Task Group – final report on safety and environmental standards for fuel storage sites

Today, the Buncefield Standards Task Group⁽²⁾ publishes its final comprehensive four-part report ( www.hse.gov.uk/comah/buncefield/final.htm), which sets out the minimum expected standards of control expected of all establishments storing large volumes of petroleum products capable of giving rise to the formation of a large flammable vapour cloud in the event of a product escape.

Ken Rivers, chair of the Steering Group, commented “Petroleum products play a vital role in the day-to-day life of everybody and confidence in the safety of the industry’s operations is paramount. However, when an incident on the scale of Buncefield occurs, how the industry and the regulators respond demonstrates our effectiveness to society. In this case, a decisive and dynamic response with all parties co-operating, was achieved and this comprehensive report is one of the key outcomes. I urge everyone to take on board its recommendations and turn them into action.”

He continued ” Our industry involves potential risks that are greater than those in many other sectors and therefore stakeholders have a right to expect compliance with a higher set of minimum standards concomitant with the relevant risk. The BSTG has been working in parallel with the Buncefield Major Incident Investigation Board⁽³⁾ . Many of the MIIB’s recommendations have been addressed and improvements implemented, although in some areas there remains work to do, in part because of the early decision by the BSTG to address those areas requiring immediate improvement, rather than delay and await the MIIB’s own report. These outstanding matters and the ongoing work of maintaining sector leadership on safety and standards, will be taken up by the Petrochemical Process Safety Leadership Group, the successor organisation to BSTG whose role concludes with publication of this report.”

Ken Rivers concluded “ The collaborative but mutually challenging relationship between the industry and the regulator, demonstrated by the BSTG, is, I believe, a model for the future embodying the approach of the industry and the regulator being “aligned but not joined”. Critical to this approach is the building of trust based upon delivering on agreed actions; this requires the industry to “say what we will do” and “do what we say”. The publication of the BSTG report is a significant step and I thank everyone from the industry who has committed so much hard work over the last year to producing these standards and guidance.”

Ends

Enquires:         UKPIA Nick Vandervell,  0207 632 9880 or Chris Hunt, 020 7240 0289

                        TSA     Martyn Lyons, 01737 775602             

Notes to editors:

1.         UKPIA represents nine oil refining and marketing companies operating in the UK, which also own approximately 2,200 of the UK's 9,382 service stations, and own and operate the nine major crude oil processing refineries in the UK.

            Tank Storage Association is an industry based organisation whose members are dedicated to the professional provision of third party bulk liquid storage in the UK.  TSA’s members own and operate 35 terminals across the UK. Products stored typically include crude oil, petroleum and chemicals as well as potable liquids, edible oils and fats

2.         The joint industry/Competent Authority Buncefield Standards Task Group was established in June 2006 in the aftermath of the explosion and fire at the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Buncefield terminal in December 2005, to make recommendations to enhance safety and environmental standards at major petroleum storage facilities. The Steering Group is chaired by Ken Rivers of Shell UK. The report issued today covers the key areas of:

·         Actions required by site operators, including timescales

·         Detailed guidance on standards for the transfer and storage of fuel

·         Work in progress on process standards

·         Comparison of BSTG recommendations with MIIB Design & Operations report

3.         The independent MIIB, chaired by Lord Newton of Braintree, was set up to supervise the investigation into the explosions and fires at Buncefield. The investigation is directed by the Health and Safety Commission. The MIIB’s work covers:

·         Design and operation of fuel storage sites (recommendations issued March 2007)

·         Emergency response and preparedness (recommendations issued July 2007)

·         Advice to planning authorities

·         Examination of the roles of the Competent Authorities in regulating activities at Buncefield.

4.         The main process safety regulation of refineries and terminals in the UK is the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999. Refineries and larger oil storage terminals are categorised as top tier sites. These regulations require all such sites to have a major accident prevention plan and, in addition, top tier sites must produce a safety report to show that risks have been systematically reviewed and controlled, and necessary measures taken.

5.         COMAH Regulations are enforced by a joint Competent Authority: the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency in England and Wales; and HSE and Scottish Environment Protection Agency in Scotland.