On December 11 2005, there was a massive explosion at Buncefield oil depot in the south of England. The black smoke that emerged could be witnessed in the Netherlands according to the BBC. 41 workers sustained a personal injury in the inferno which followed.
The accident at work occurred in the neighbourhood of Hemel Hempstead. Two thousand local residents were evacuated by the local police as a precaution. The natural environment suffered from significant damage. Air and water pollution were severe. The authorities allowed the blaze to burn itself out over several days. At one stage, the fire appeared to be over, but it restarted. Over 60 million gallons of fuel were wasted during the work accident. Although nobody perished in the flames, it was the largest peacetime fire of its kind in Western Europe. The fact that nobody died seems to have been the consequence of good fortune as much as any other factor.
As reported in The Guardian, the Health and Safety launched an investigation into the work accident. It discovered that the fire was caused by human error and mechanical difficulties. The accident at work was on a huge scale and reminds us of the imperative to maintain good health and safety standards in the workplace. Without stringent health and safety procedures, it is highly probable that more employees will sustain personal injuries. A personal injury compensation claim can be one form of redress, yet it would be good public policy to limit serious accidents at work.
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