COMAH Notifications

The aim of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) and the Control of Major Accident Hazards (Amendment) Regulations 2005 is to prevent and mitigate the effects on people and the environment of those major incidents involving dangerous substances.

The Regulations are enforced by a Competent Authority (CA) consisting of:

• HSE and the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales
• HSE and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in Scotland

From 30 June 2005, operators who come into the scope of the Regulations because of an increase in the quantity of dangerous substances present must submit a notification before the start of construction and/or operation.

Operators who come into scope for other reasons, such as a change in classification or qualifying quantity of a substance in Schedule 1 or a change in knowledge about dangerous substances generated during loss of control of an industrial chemical process, should submit a notification within three months.

There are also other duties placed on operators (see Background notes and brief guidance for operators).

Notification is essential to enable the CA to plan its assessment and inspection programmes and to ensure that operators comply with their duties under the Regulations.

• Who must notify the Competent Authority
• The notification requirements
• How do I notify

Who must notify the Competent Authority (CA)?

Companies subject to COMAH are those which manufacture, store or transport dangerous chemicals (including petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals) and explosives in excess of threshold quantities specified in Schedule 1 of the Amendment Regulations.

First you need to determine if the Regulations apply to you. Check your (existing and likely) inventory of dangerous substances against the list in Schedule 1 of the Amendment Regulations.  A route map is available to help you work your way through the Regulations and schedule and determine if COMAH applies to your organisation.

If you think that COMAH may apply but you are not sure, you are advised to make the notification and include with it a covering note to the effect that the notification is subject to clarification on the applicability of the Regulations.

• The notification requirements
• How do I notify

The notification requirements

Essentially, what is needed is information about the operator, site, processes and inventory.

Schedule 3 requires that you inform the CA of:

• the name and address of the operator
• the address of the establishment concerned
• the name or position of the person in charge of the establishment
• information sufficient to identify the dangerous substances or category of dangerous substances present
• the quantity and physical form of the dangerous substances present (or likely to be present)
• a (brief) description of the activity or proposed activity of the installation concerned
• details of the immediate environment liable to cause a major accident or to aggravate the consequences thereof.

Guidance on the amount of information required under each heading is in the "Guide to the COMAH Regulations 1999". If the Regulations do apply to you, you are strongly advised to obtain this publication. Abbreviated guidance is given in the template for notifications on this web site.

If you have any query about the preparation of your notification, you can refer your question to the Competent Authority by e-mail comah.notifications@hse.gov.uk.

• Who must notify the Competent Authority
• How do I notify

How do I notify

There is no special form on which you have to provide the notification. It may be on paper by post, by e-mail or, coming soon, via this web site. The information to be provided is set out in The notification requirements. However, to make thing easier for you and for the CA, two notification templates have been prepared your use,

Part A: should be used for statutory information required by the CA;

Part B: is for non-statutory information and statutory information which may not be placed on the Public Register.

We would prefer you to use the template and submit your notification electronically, but remember that electronic forms of communication cannot be guaranteed as secure.

Your notification will be acknowledged. If you do not receive an acknowledgement within 10 days, please contact us by phone (0151 951 4694) or e-mail comah.notifications@hse.gov.uk .

The CA does not charge a fee for receiving notifications.