Failures of design and maintenance in both overfill protection systems and liquid containment systems were the technical causes of the initial explosion at the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd (HOSL) depot in Buncefield in December 2005, as well as the seepage of pollutants to the environment in its aftermath. However, underlying these immediate failings lay root causes based in broader management failings. For instance, the management systems in place at HOSL relating to tank filling were both deficient and not properly followed, despite the fact that the systems were independently audited.
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