Overview

Disastrous Dinners is an ongoing series of informal events, including a short dinner and a presentation about a past incident, largely focusing on human factors and lessons learnt. The events are intended to encourage discussion with the series including incidents from outside the process industries. As a result there should be something for everyone to learn from, not only chemical engineers.

On the morning of 11 December 2005, the UK experienced its largest explosion since World War Two. The huge blast at the Buncefield fuel depot in Hemel Hempstead was heard as far away as the Netherlands and shrouded much of south-east England in smoke. Almost twenty years later, what has been the lasting impact and lessons learnt?

Speaker

John Reynolds, Founder and Managing Director, Reynolds Training Services

John Reynolds is the man behind RTS. After leaving the military 33 years ago, John moved into the high hazard industries and that’s when his passion for safety and the Bulk Liquid and Gas Storage Sector truly took hold. For the past two decades, John and his team have driven forward and built Reynolds Training into the go to provider for high hazard industries.

As John will tell you, safety doesn’t happen by accident, it happens by knowledge, skills and experience, founded on robust behaviours, both personal and professional.

The material presented at this event has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenters' own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Hull and Humber Members Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.