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A storage tank at the Buncefield oil depot was overflowing for more than 40 minutes before a series of explosions last December, a report produced by the Buncefield Major Investigation Board chaired by Lord Newton,has said.
The report adds: "Calculations show that the tank would have been full by about 5:20am, overflowing thereafter." However, no-one noticed and 41 minutes later the explosions began, injuring 43 people. The investigation board says the report focuses on the "physical processes" but does not seek to address any shortcomings in the design and operation of the Buncefield plant "in order to avoid prejudicing future legal considerations". The report, quoted in detail in the Daily Mail goes on: "The separate high level protection system which should have automatically closed the valves to prevent overfilling did not operate. Between 5.20am and 6am the fuel would have flowed from eight breather holes in the roof of the tank." It adds: "Seismological evidence shows the main explosion occurring at 06.01:32. Eyewitness accounts also describe the main explosion being followed by a number of smaller explosions."
The alarm also initiates a trip function to close valves on the relevant incoming pipeline. The report notes: "The ultimate high-level safety switch on the tank sensed when the liquid reached its specified maximum level should all other alarms and controls fail to prevent this." But crucially, "Automatic shutdown did not take place." Full Stories at BBC News Daily Mail
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