Incident Report

Subject:           Failings in Safety Management led to UK Gas Terminal Explosion        

Date of Email report:   Mon 27/06/2011

Report Detail:

The British Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) and Environment Agency’s (EA) joint investigation into the explosion and fire at the Bacton gas terminal in Norfolk, UK, in 2008 found safety, environmental control and pollution-prevention failures at the plant leading to the explosion. The operator has just been fined over the incident. The explosion happened when highly flammable hydrocarbon liquid leaked into the terminal’s water treatment plant when a corroded metal separator vessel failed. The liquid entered a concrete storage tank where it was heated by an electric heater. The heater's elements were exposed within the tank, raising the surface temperature significantly causing the explosion and fire. The investigation found that the operator was aware key components had been failing yet there was no appreciation of the potential for an incident to happen.

Additional Documentation:

Video and Article from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-13805763