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The Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999 (COMAH) (www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19990743.htm) require a site operator to produce on-site emergency plans for establishments where·a dangerous substance is stored in quantities listed in Schedule 1 of the Regulations or·if a specified dangerous substance could be produced in threshold quantities following the loss of control of an industrial chemical process. Medway Council is responsible for producing an off-site plan that outlines the co-coordinated response of agencies to an emergency that has off-site implications. The on-site and off-site plans need to correspond to ensure that an effective multi-agency response to an emergency affecting the site and the surrounding area is achieved. The objectives of these, as determined in the COMAH regulations, are: - to contain and control incidents so as to limit damage to persons, the environment and property;
- to implement the measures necessary to protect persons and the environment from the effects of major accidents;
- to communicate the necessary information to the public and to the emergency services and authorities;
- to provide for the restoration and clean–up of the environment following a major accident.
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It is a requirement of the COMAH regulations that the emergency plans, on-site and off-site, should be tested and reviewed at least once every three years.
A major accident, as defined in the COMAH regulations, means “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 the establishment and involving one or more dangerous substances”.
There are currently three top tier COMAH sites within Medway:
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