FOUR MAJOR ACCIDENTS AT MAJOR HAZARD SITES IN 2001/02 DETAILED IN NEW HSE REPORT

HSE press release E217:03 - 4 November 2003

There were four major accidents in 2001/02 at industrial premises subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999, according to a new report published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Two of the four accidents resulted in serious and fatal injuries but none caused environmental damage.

'COMAH major accidents notified to the European Commission, England, Wales & Scotland 2001-2002', is published by HSE, the Environment Agency for England and Wales (EA), and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), who together form the Competent Authority (CA) which enforces the COMAH Regulations.

The report describes four EC Reportable Accidents (ECRAs) that occurred during the period April 2001 - March 2002, and provides a summary of each incident, including their consequences and enforcement action taken by the CA. The report, published on the HSE website, is in line with regulations giving greater public access to information on major accident hazards. It is the third report to be published following the launch of the series with the report covering 1999/00.

The number of reportable accidents in 2001/02 is similar to the average number for recent years. Whilst recognising that it is difficult to draw conclusions from such a small sample, these can be used as a crude measure of safety performance. The Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) for the period April 2001 to March 2002 is 3.6 ECRAs per thousand COMAH establishments per annum. Alternatively this can be expressed as 1 ECRA per 277 COMAH establishments per annum. There is concern at the magnitude and frequency of these accidents and at the repeated underlying causes of major accidents. HSE, EA and SEPA will continue to use the regulations to improve corporate governance of major hazard sites.

The COMAH Regulations require the CA to notify the European Commission (EC) of certain major accidents. The criteria include: the release of a specified quantity of a dangerous substance; specified harm to persons (such as a death); specified harm to the environment (such as significant damage to more than 10km (6 miles) of river) or in some circumstances a 'near miss' of particular technical interest. The EC then uses the data to inform its decisions on future changes to major accident hazard legislation.

The COMAH Regulations apply to approximately 1,100 establishments that have the potential to cause major accidents because they use, or store, significant quantities of dangerous substances, such as oil products, natural gas, chemicals and explosives. The general duty of the regulations is that: 'Every operator shall take all measures necessary to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences to persons and the environment'.

'COMAH major accidents notified to the European Commission, England, Wales & Scotland 2001- 2002' and a factsheet summarising the report's contents are available to download and print at the HSE website - www.hse.gov.uk/comah.

Notes to editors

1. The COMAH Regulations 1999 (S.I. 1999 No.743) impose requirements for the control of major accident hazards involving dangerous substances. The Regulations implement Council Directive 96/82/EC (known as the Seveso II Directive) and came into force in April 1999 in England, Wales and Scotland, replacing the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards (CIMAH) Regulations 1984. They apply to establishments where dangerous substances are present in quantities equal to or exceeding scheduled quantities.

2. A Competent Authority (CA), comprising HSE working jointly with the EA and SEPA implements the COMAH Regulations. This arrangement reflects the requirements to ensure the protection of both persons and the environment.

3. A major accident is defined as an occurrence (including in particular, a major emission, fire or explosion) resulting from uncontrolled developments in the course of the operation of any establishment and leading to serious danger to human health or the environment, immediate or delayed, inside or outside an establishment, and involving at least one dangerous substance. Where a major accident meets the criteria in Schedule 7 of COMAH it is reportable to the EC.

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