Review of Failures, Causes & Consequences in the Bulk Storage Industry

The cataclysmic events, which occurred at the Buncefield Oils Storage Depot in Hertfordshire on Sunday 11 December 2005, resulted in what is widely regarded as the largest explosion in Europe since the Second World War. This event placed the bulk storage industry in the spotlight, raising many yet unanswered questions. Accidents of this nature involving the catastrophic failure of tanks used for the storage of hazardous liquids are rare, and the risk of such incidents occurring is estimated to be low, somewhere in the region of 5 x 10 per tank year (Thyer et al 2002). In contrast to this statistical approach, Michels et al (1988) adopted the view that “a tank will fail somewhere sometime”. Causalities of such events vary; the consequences however are ordinarily the same, incurring environmental, financial and infrastructure losses. A review of the various causes of failures aims to highlight the extent of the problems, which have occurred in the bulk storage industry together with the environmental and human impact of such incidents. Through a process of spill modelling the magnitudes of such losses have been identified across a range of scenarios. Recent results have indicated that the losses incurred during less dramatic modes of failure can ultimately be significant. This gives rise to the conclusion that a suitably practicable means of mitigation has to be identified and implemented if the levels of potential risks are to be suitably controlled.