diff --git a/app/Console/Commands/ImportPostcodes.php b/app/Console/Commands/ImportPostcodes.php
index 78968d6..722564e 100644
--- a/app/Console/Commands/ImportPostcodes.php
+++ b/app/Console/Commands/ImportPostcodes.php
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ namespace App\Console\Commands;
 use Illuminate\Console\Attributes\Description;
 use Illuminate\Console\Attributes\Signature;
 use Illuminate\Console\Command;
+use Illuminate\Database\Schema\Blueprint;
 use Illuminate\Support\Facades\DB;
+use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Schema;
+use Throwable;
 
 #[Signature('postcodes:import {--file= : Path to ONSPD CSV file}')]
 #[Description('Import UK postcodes (ONSPD) into the local postcodes and outcodes tables')]
@@ -79,56 +82,78 @@ final class ImportPostcodes extends Command
 
         $hasDoterm = isset($columns['doterm']);
 
-        DB::table('postcodes')->truncate();
-        DB::table('outcodes')->truncate();
+        // Stream into a staging table first. Only swap into the live
+        // postcodes / outcodes tables once the full CSV has been consumed —
+        // a mid-stream failure leaves production data untouched.
+        Schema::dropIfExists('postcodes_staging');
+        Schema::create('postcodes_staging', function (Blueprint $table): void {
+            $table->string('postcode', 7);
+            $table->string('outcode', 4);
+            $table->decimal('lat', 10, 7);
+            $table->decimal('lng', 10, 7);
+        });
 
         $buffer = [];
         $imported = 0;
 
-        while (($row = fgetcsv($handle)) !== false) {
-            if ($hasDoterm && trim((string) ($row[$columns['doterm']] ?? '')) !== '') {
-                continue;
+        try {
+            while (($row = fgetcsv($handle)) !== false) {
+                if ($hasDoterm && trim((string) ($row[$columns['doterm']] ?? '')) !== '') {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                $lat = trim((string) ($row[$columns['lat']] ?? ''));
+                $lng = trim((string) ($row[$columns['long']] ?? ''));
+
+                if ($lat === '' || $lng === '') {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                $pcd = strtoupper(preg_replace('/\s+/', '', (string) $row[$columns[$pcdColumn]]));
+
+                if ($pcd === '' || strlen($pcd) < 5) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                $buffer[] = [
+                    'postcode' => $pcd,
+                    'outcode' => substr($pcd, 0, strlen($pcd) - 3),
+                    'lat' => (float) $lat,
+                    'lng' => (float) $lng,
+                ];
+
+                if (count($buffer) >= self::CHUNK_SIZE) {
+                    DB::table('postcodes_staging')->insert($buffer);
+                    $imported += count($buffer);
+                    $buffer = [];
+                }
             }
 
-            $lat = trim((string) ($row[$columns['lat']] ?? ''));
-            $lng = trim((string) ($row[$columns['long']] ?? ''));
-
-            if ($lat === '' || $lng === '') {
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            $pcd = strtoupper(preg_replace('/\s+/', '', (string) $row[$columns[$pcdColumn]]));
-
-            if ($pcd === '' || strlen($pcd) < 5) {
-                continue;
-            }
-
-            $buffer[] = [
-                'postcode' => $pcd,
-                'outcode' => substr($pcd, 0, strlen($pcd) - 3),
-                'lat' => (float) $lat,
-                'lng' => (float) $lng,
-            ];
-
-            if (count($buffer) >= self::CHUNK_SIZE) {
-                DB::table('postcodes')->insert($buffer);
+            if ($buffer !== []) {
+                DB::table('postcodes_staging')->insert($buffer);
                 $imported += count($buffer);
-                $buffer = [];
             }
+
+            // Swap: empty live tables, copy from staging, derive outcodes.
+            DB::table('outcodes')->truncate();
+            DB::table('postcodes')->truncate();
+            DB::statement(
+                'INSERT INTO postcodes (postcode, outcode, lat, lng)
+                 SELECT postcode, outcode, lat, lng FROM postcodes_staging'
+            );
+            DB::statement(
+                'INSERT INTO outcodes (outcode, lat, lng)
+                 SELECT outcode, AVG(lat), AVG(lng) FROM postcodes GROUP BY outcode'
+            );
+        } catch (Throwable $e) {
+            $this->error('Import failed — live tables left untouched: '.$e->getMessage());
+
+            return self::FAILURE;
+        } finally {
+            fclose($handle);
+            Schema::dropIfExists('postcodes_staging');
         }
 
-        if ($buffer !== []) {
-            DB::table('postcodes')->insert($buffer);
-            $imported += count($buffer);
-        }
-
-        fclose($handle);
-
-        DB::statement(
-            'INSERT INTO outcodes (outcode, lat, lng)
-             SELECT outcode, AVG(lat), AVG(lng) FROM postcodes GROUP BY outcode'
-        );
-
         $this->info("Imported {$imported} postcodes.");
         $this->info('Derived '.DB::table('outcodes')->count().' outcode centroids.');