Case Study
Topic
Repairs to Domestic Properties
Incident / Exercise
Incident - Explosion and Fire at Buncefield Oil Terminal, 11
December 2005
Background and Context
In the early hours of Sunday 11 December 2005, explosions at Buncefield Oil
Storage Depot, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire resulted in a large fire,
which engulfed a high proportion of the site.
Over 40 people were injured; there were no fatalities. Significant damage
occurred to both commercial and residential properties in the vicinity and
2,000 people were 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. Over 16,000 employees
within the adjacent Maylands Industrial Area were unable to access work and
92 businesses were displaced for more than one week. 17 were forced to
permanently relocate.
Overall, the explosion cost local businesses more than £70 million in lost
stock, lost revenue and relocation expenses.
How the Topic was Handled
Building control officers from Dacorum Borough Council were unable to
access the cordoned off area as it was unsafe to do so. Therefore, only a
visual inspection of the most affected area from outside the cordon was
possible. It was initially expected that domestic properties would be
affected most by the explosion. Whilst those domestic properties closest to
the boundary of the site were damaged significantly, given the scale of the
incident and the fact that approximately 350 council houses were damaged
(the number of private properties damaged is unknown), it was largely
restricted to blown in windows and doors. There were also collapsed
ceilings in a small number of properties.
The Borough Council’s emergency contractor was called and instructed to do
what they could in terms of boarding up and making safe domestic
properties. Building control officers and emergency contractors went round
the most affected neighbourhood asking residents if they wanted their
properties making safe. A conscious decision was made to board up and
secure all domestic properties whether public (eg. council housing),
private or rented. Any empty properties were also boarded up and made safe
in the presence of the Police. Local DIY stores in Hemel Hempstead donated
materials to assist in the boarding up of properties. By the end of Sunday,
contractors had effectively managed to board up and make safe damaged doors
and windows in the most affected neighbourhood. On the following day, the
exercise was repeated in another of the affected neighbourhoods. A list of
all repaired properties was maintained, although no efforts were made by
the Borough Council to recover the costs. It is estimated that the costs
came to £14,500. On subsequent days, building control officers were also
involved in escorting people back to their properties.
The responsibility for inspecting both commercial and domestic properties
placed a considerable burden on the Borough Council and, although surveyors
had provided support initially, additional building control officers had to
be drafted in from local authorities in St. Albans, Three Rivers and
Watford. Environmental health officers were also involved in some
inspections, as the presence of asbestos was suspected in domestic
properties.
Lessons Identified
Dacorum Borough Council has identified the inability to gain access through
cordons as a key lesson. On some occasions, the lack of clear communication
between Strategic (Gold) Command and Operational (Bronze) Commands, the
absence of an identity badge system or the lack of Police resources to
provide an escort, meant that building control officers were faced with
considerable delays in terms of obtaining access. On the one hand, building
control officers were being specifically tasked by Strategic (Gold)
Command, but were then unable to undertake these tasks due to the situation
on the ground (e.g. presence of Police cordons).
Contacts for Further Information
Emergency Planning Team, Hertfordshire County Council - emergency.planning@hertscc.gov.uk
