Root causes of the loss of containment
18 The immediate cause of this major incident was the failure of both the ATG
and the IHLS to operate as the fuel level in Tank 912 increased. This was a loss of
‘primary’ containment.
19 During and following the fire there were subsequent failures of ‘secondary’ and
‘tertiary’ containment. So what lay behind the immediate cause and subsequent
failures of containment? In other words, what in terms of the overall management
of operations at this high-hazard site led to these failures? What, in the processes
and systems, failed to deliver the necessary high level of control of site operations?
Understanding these root causes will allow those managing high-hazard industries
to learn from the experience of Buncefield.