Examines the findings of the Royal Commission into the Esso gas plant explosion at Longford, Victoria, in September 1998. Aims to explain why the Royal Commission decided that it was inappropriate to blame the plant operators and that the accident was really Esso's fault. States the accident was preventable and was caused by a series of organisational failures : the failure the respond to clear warning signs, communication problems, lack of attention to major hazards, superficial auditing and a failure to learn from previous experience. Discussion questions are attached to this record.