Safety fear at 'Buncefield' sites

Changes were recommended following the Buncefield disaster

Safety measures that should have been introduced at oil depots in the wake of the 2005 Buncefield explosion have not been fully implemented, it has emerged.

Inspectors from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) found nine Scottish depots did not "fully comply" with recommendations.

The changes were put forward after the explosion at the Hertfordshire plant four years ago.

The blast happened after fuel overflowed from a storage tank.

More than 40 people were hurt in the explosion and subsequent fire, which burned for several days.

The incident caused hundreds of millions of pounds worth of damage.

Following the inspections, carried out last year, Sepa's reports showed a "high" risk of a major environmental accident at Scottish sites in the event of an oil or fuel leak from a storage tank.

Gaps and cracks

The inspections assessed containment measures should such a leak occur.

Officials looked at nine "Buncefield-type" sites in Scotland and found BP in Inverness, GB Oils in Lerwick in Shetland, Simpson Oils in Scrabster, Thurso, and Nustar in Grangemouth were considered to be in a poor condition.

They also found there was a "high" risk of a major environmental accident if a leak occurred.

BP Aberdeen, Ineos Grangemouth, and Ineos Finnart in Argyll were rated as having a "medium" risk and Shell Mossmorran in Fife and Nustar Clydebank were classed as being of "low" risk of an accident.

Sepa officials said that while the sites fell short of the standards set out, there had been considerable improvements.

Problems at the sites included gaps and cracks in containment walls.

There were also concerns about the capacity of containment units should the primary tanks fail.

The companies which run the sites have until Tuesday to submit plans for how they will bring standards up to scratch.