MHIDAS (Major Hazard Incident Data Service)

The Major Hazard Incident Data Service is a database of incidents involving hazardous materials that had an off-site impact, or had the potential to have an off-site impact. Such impacts include human casualties or damage to plant, property or the natural environment.

MHIDAS was until the spring of 2006 maintained by AEA Technology plc, on behalf of the UK Health and Safety Executive, and featured:

• Searchable codified and textual information on more than 11,000 incidents, involving the transportation, storage and processing of hazardous materials.
• Worldwide coverage, with a focus on incidents occurring in the UK and US.
• Comprehensive coverage of incidents that have occurred during the last twenty years, plus significant earlier incidents.
• New data made available on a quarterly basis.

Certain types of incident, such as those involving radioactive materials, were specifically excluded from the database.

Each MHIDAS incident is coded in a standard format to include details such as:

• the hazardous material involved in the incident;
• the number of fatalities, injuries and evacuations attributable to the incident;
• a brief description of the circumstances of the incident.

Until the ongoing support arrangements are finalised you should direct any enquiries about accessing the MHIDAS database to HID’s Business Assurance and Operations Analysis Team , 5N2, Redgrave Court, Bootle, telephone 0151 951 3091