- Author
- Geneva Association
- Title
- World Fire Statistics.
- Coporate
- Geneva Assoc., CH-1208 Geneva
- Journal
- Geneva Association Information Newsletter, No. 22,
- Report
- Bulletin 22, October 2006, 10 p.
- Keywords
- fire statistics | fire losses | death | fire fighting | fire insurance | fire protection | costs | fire safety
- Identifiers
- direct fire losses; indirect fire losses; UN scheme endorsed; European parliament and fire costs; European Fire Safety Action; conferences organised and/or sponsored by The Geneva Associaiton; forming a successful fire safety strategy; lessons from Buncefield
- Abstract
- In December 2005 the largest explosion and fire to have occurred in the UK since the Second World War took place at the Buncefield fuel storage depot. Not only were the depot's installations extensively damaged, and vast quantities of fuel lost, but widespread destruction was inflicted on buildings in the surrounding area, where property losses are likely to be well in excess of £80 million. Finally, the site's containment system of dykes and drains was unable to cope with the run-off of fuel and the enormous quantities of contaminated water and foam arising from the fire-fighting operations, posing a serious environmental hazard to the surrounding countryside. At present, government fire safety strategy concentrates on reducing fire deaths and injuries, but it can now be argued that more attention needs to be given to safety at major and potentially hazardous industrial sites such as Buncefield and to reducing the economic costs of fire in general.