Overview

Buncefield: 20 Years On – Lessons That Still Matter

Two decades after one of the UK’s most significant industrial disasters, we revisit the Buncefield explosion with fresh eyes and hard-earned wisdom. What happened that day? What did we learn in the aftermath? And—crucially—what must we re-learn to safeguard the future of the process industries?

Join industry veterans Ken Rivers and Ian Travers, both deeply involved in the original investigations and the shaping of post-incident recommendations. They’ll share powerful insights, personal reflections, and the enduring lessons that must not be forgotten.

This isn’t just history—it’s a wake-up call.

IChemE are happy to make this webinar open to all given the importance of the matter and our role in serving society through sharing of knowledge.

Speakers

Ken Rivers, Non Executive Director, Health and Safety Executive

Ken is a non executive director of the Health and Safety Executive and a past president of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. He is also a member of the Industry Safety Steering Group (ISSG)  monitoring the progress made by the built environment towards achieving culture change following the Grenfell Tower fire. Ken is a former chair of the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) strategic forum.

Ken’s background is in the oil industry. He is a past president of the UK Petroleum Industry Association and chaired the industry/regulator task force in the wake of the Buncefield terminal explosion. He also chaired the government and industry task force , which considered ways of improving the resilience of oil product supplies following a government review.

Ian Travers, Former Deputy Director, Chemicals Regulation, Health and Safety Executive 

Ian retired from the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2015 as deputy director, chemicals regulation. Ian now runs his own risk management consultancy service supporting industry around the world adopt best practice in process safety risk management. Ian also works with the World Bank and the OECD in supporting government agencies in risk-based safety regulation.

Ian is a world expert on process safety management, leadership and the establishment and implementation of key performance indicators for major hazard industries. Ian holds the Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Franklin Medal for his outstanding contribution to Process Safety.

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Safety and Loss Prevention Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.