Seveso II in the UK

1
Seveso II in the UK

• Mark Maleham
• tel [phone]
• e-mail mark.maleham_at_environment-agency.gov.uk
• www.environment-agency.gov.uk

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Seveso II Article 3 5Definition of Major
Accident

• major accident shall mean an occurrence such as
  a major emission, fire, or explosion resulting
  from uncontrolled developments in the course of
  the operation of any establishment covered by
  this Directive, and leading to serious danger to
  human health and/or the environment, immediate or
  delayed, inside or outside the establishment, and
  involving one or more dangerous substances
• http//ec.europa.eu/environment/seveso/index.htm

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Competent AuthoritySeveso II duties

• Assess safety reports
• Prohibit use if measures are seriously
  deficient
• Organise inspections
• Take enforcement
• Provide information

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Seveso I to Seveso II

• Seveso I UK Competent Authority Health Safety
  Executive
• http//www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm
• Seveso II UK Competent Authority Health
  Safety Executive and the Environment Agency
  England Wales

http//www.sepa.org.uk/
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Seveso I to Seveso IIWhy a joint Competent
Authority ?

• Seveso II introduced more explicit requirements
  for the environment
• dangerous for the environment generic category
• Industry integration of health, safety and
  environment policy and practice
• Overlap of IPPC accident prevention objectives
  with COMAH
• Formation of Environment Agency

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Implementation of Seveso II

• Single Implementation Products
• Assessment of safety reports http//www.hse.gov.uk
  /comah/sram/index.htm
• Inspection planning and procedures
• Enforcement and prosecution policy
• Analysis of reportable major accidents
• Land Use Planning
• Emergency planning
• Providing information
• Guidance
• CA communications internal and external
• Training

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Joint Competent Authority

• The underlying factors of a Major Accident lie
  in aspects common to human safety and the
  environment, be these mechanical, electrical
  and control, process safety or human factors. In
  the context of major accidents and their
  prevention environment is not treated as a
  separate discipline to health and safety.

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UK Joint Competent Authority organisation
Government Minister Department of Work and
Pensions
Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs.
Health Safety Commission
HSE Board of Directors
EA Board of Directors
Joint Coordination Group HSE Deputy Chief
Executive Environment Agency Director of
Operations SEPA - Director of Environmental
Protection
Joint Steering Group HSE Unit Head Chemical
Industries Division Environment Agency Policy
Manager SEPA Unit Manager
Operational Review Group HSE, EA and SEPA
officers group providing links to field teams
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Joint Competent AuthorityAssessment and
Inspection teams
HSE 13 teams England, Wales and
Scotland Chemical Industries Division Specialised
Industries Division
EA 21 teams England and Wales Area Operations
323 Top Tier sites 645 Lower Tier sites England
and Wales
Safety Report Assessment teams
Assessment Manager Predictive assessors Technical
assessors Control Instrumentation Mechanical
Engineering Human Factors
Assessment Manager Site inspector Environmental
Risk Assessment Environmental modelling
Intervention Plans Intervention topics from
assessment Plans over 5 year
Inspection programmes HSE and EA site
inspectors Plus specialist support where required
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• THE COMAH COMPETENT AUTHORITY - VISION AND AIMS
• The Vision is to
• To promote and enforce COMAH in an efficient and
  effective manner to protect people and the
  environment.
• The Aims are
• To improve Health and Safety and Environmental
  Performance.
• To enforce the regulations in a firm,
  proportionate and consistent way by means of a
  clear and agreed enforcement policy.
• To ensure the level of effort required of the
  Competent Authority, industry and stakeholders is
  commensurate with the hazards and risks.
• To be responsive to industry and other
  stakeholders.
• To have clear, consistent and open communication
  with industry and other stakeholders.
• To provide an effective and consistent service
  with no unnecessary duplication.
• To have excellent receptive relationships between
  all parts of the Competent Authority which are
  supported by consistent communications.

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Seveso II 1999 2008
http//www.hse.gov.uk/comah/accidents.htm
12
Buncefield December 2005
13
Buncefield December 2005
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Performance of the UK Joint Competent Authority

• Combining health and safety with environment
  expertise
• Time taken to assess safety reports
• Operation of safety report assessment teams
• Integrated intervention planning
• Integrated decisions making of the Joint
  Competent Authority
• Is Seveso II strong enough?

15
Seveso II in the UK

• Mark Maleham
• tel [phone]
• e-mail mark.maleham_at_environment-agency.gov.uk
• www.environment-agency.gov.uk