Major accident hazards

The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) which came into force on 1 April 1999 and are amended by the Control of Major Accident Hazards (Amendment) Regulations 2005 from 30 June 2005.

The aim of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (COMAH) and the Control of Major Accident Hazards (Amendment) Regulations 2005 is to prevent and mitigate the effects on people and the environment of those major incidents involving dangerous substances.

Details of Service

The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 (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.

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 sites.

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. Wiltshire has two COMAH sites and off-site plans are prepared in conjunction with the other members of the Local Resilience Forum (LRF).

Health and Safety Executive - COMAH