Hazardous Sites

Certain industrial process sites are identified as high risk / hazardous sites due to chemicals, explosives, or other dangerous substances, which they may store or use for manufacturing.

Hazardous sites are risk assessed in accordance with the CCA duties.

The Health & Safety Executive and Environment Agency regulate hazardous sites under the COMAH Regulations (Control of Major Accident Hazards, 1999), and establishes a duty on such sites to prepare for emergencies.

The following are classified as top tier COMAH sites in Worcestershire:

• Polymer Latex Westonhall Road Stoke Works Nr Bromsgrove click here
• Potter Group Ltd Site 7, Kidderminster Road, Cutnall Green, Droitwich, Worcs.click here
• Roxel (UK Rocket Motors) Limited Summerfield Kidderminster Worcs

How do Emergency Planning get involved?

COMAH site operators must have emergency plans in place to deal with all potential hazards identified in their Safety Reports.

Worcestershire County Council has a duty under COMAH 1999 (amended 2005) to prepare an off site emergency plan in collaboration with the Emergency Services and other responding agencies to mitigate the external impact of any perceived on site accident.

The Regulationsrequire Site Operators to inform those living and working within the Public Information Zone(PIZ)* about the alarm that would be sounded in the event of an accident, the scheduling of alarm testing and advice they would heed. The advice given to all Worcestershire is, GO In, Stay In and Tune in.(Go indoors,stay indoors and tune into the local radio station/ television news)

Each site publishes and distributes information to its neighbours that is unique to its area and the risks relating to its site.

General information relating to COMAH sites and the related legislation can be found at the HSE website by clicking here

* The PIZ is the area surrounding the site where it is deemed people will be liable to be affected by a major accident. It does not extend to an area that might suffer environmental impacts.