Hertfordshire Oil Storage Limited

Buncefield was not simply a tank that overflowed or an alarm that failed. It was a transfer-control system in which a sticking gauge, an inoperable independent switch, inconsistent filling practice, weak fault history, demanding workload, deficient contractor control, permeable bunds, limited tertiary containment and underestimated off-site consequences aligned. The accountability test is whether every owner of a prevention, containment, response or governance barrier can produce evidence that the barrier is independent, available and effective before it is needed.