Major accident hazards

The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) came into force on 1 April 1999 and are amended by the Control of Major Accident Hazards (Amendment) Regulations 2005 from 30 June 2005. Local authorities play a key role by preparing, reviewing, revising and testing off-site emergency plans for dealing with the off-site consequences of major accidents at top-tier COMAH sites.

Details of Service

The aim of the COMAH Regulations is to prevent and mitigate the effects on people and the environment of those major incidents involving dangerous substances. COMAH applies mainly to the chemical industry, but also to some storage activities, explosives and nuclear sites, and other industries where threshold quantities of dangerous substances identified in the Regulations are kept or used. Top tier sites are not only required to submit a safety case and on-site plan, but must also provide the local authority with information to enable it to produce an off-site emergency response plan. Presently no top tier COMAH sites are located in East Renfrewshire

Community Risk Register

The Strathclyde Emergencies Co-ordinating Group has created a community risk register of risks that have been identified within the Strathclyde area. The register has been created to provide public information about the hazards, which exist within the Strathclyde area and those control measures in place to mitigate their impact. These hazards do not represent forecasts or predictions relating to particular incidents or sites but rather indicate the scale of potential problems relating to that type of hazard and for which relevant services and agencies may be expected to plan. A copy of the register can be accessed via the Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Service website at: http://www.strathclydefire.org/