MEDWAY COUNCIL COMAH OFF-SITE EMERGENCY PLAN ...

ABRIDGED - Medway Council Off-site Emergency Plan – National Grid Grain LNG Ltd. 

MEDWAY COUNCIL 

COMAH OFF-SITE EMERGENCY PLAN 

NATIONAL GRID GRAIN LNG Ltd 

IMPORTATION TERMINAL 

ISLE OF GRAIN 

ROCHESTER 

KENT 

ME3 0AB 

(INCLUDING THE SOUTHERN GAS NETWORKS GAS 

HOLDER AT THE SAME LOCATION) 

INFORMATION SHARING 

Document Classification: ABRIDGED 

Issued On: 

COPY NUMBER: 

Storage: Information publicly available. 

All enquires relating to this document should be sent to: 

Emergency Planning Team 

Regeneration, Community & Culture 

Medway Council 

Gun Wharf 

Dock Road 

Chatham 

KENT 

ME4 4TR 

Telephone: 01634 333333 

Email: emergencyplanning@medway.gov.uk 

June 2011 Page 1 of 52


This page has been left intentionally blank. 




OFF-SITE EMERGENCY PLAN FOR 

National Grid Grain LNG Ltd Importation Terminal 

Isle of Grain, Rochester, Kent, ME3 0AB 

This plan has been drawn up in consultation with the organisations listed below. 

ORGANISATION CONTACT SIGNED BY /ROLE DATE 

Natural England Kent Team 

Environment 

Agency 

Grain Parish 

Council 

Health and Safety 

Executive (HSE) 

South East Coast 

Ambulance 

Service 

(SECAMB) 

Emergency Planning 

Officer - Kent and 

East Sussex 

Parish Council Chair 

Emergency 

Preparedness Officer 

Kent Police Head of Operational 

Planning 

Kent Fire and 

Rescue Service 

(KFRS) 

Kent & Medway 

NHS 

Head of Emergency 

Planning Team 


& Business 

Continuity Manager 

Medway Council Emergency Planning 

Manager 

Medway (Peel) 

Ports 

Managing Director 

BP Oil UK Ltd Terminal Manager 

London 

Thamesport 

National Grid 

Grain LNG 

Southern Gas 

Networks 

Terminal Manager 



June 2011 Page 3 of 52 

CONSULTEE BUT NOT SIGNATORY


DISTRIBUTION LIST 

Issued to (including number of copies issued) Copy Number 

Paper Electronic 

Environment Agency (2) 1-2 

Health and Safety Executive 3 

South East Coast Ambulance Service (2) 4-5 

Kent Police (3) 6-8 

Kent Fire Rescue Service (4) 9-12 

Kent & Medway NHS 13 

Medway Council (4) 14-17 

BP Oil UK Ltd 18 

National Grid Grain LNG (3) 19-21 

National Grid Properties 22 

Medway (Peel) Ports 23 

Southern Gas Networks 24 

The following recipients have abridged versions, 

with confidential information removed 

Natural England 25 

Grain Parish Council 26 

Maritime House 27 

Stoke Parish Council 28 

London Thamesport 29 

Network Rail 30 

Swale Borough Council 31 




OFF-SITE EMERGENCY PLAN 


Plan Maintenance Page 

Next review date before April 2014 or prior to the next scheduled exercise or following 

any relevant changes in circumstances. 

Next Plan 

Review Date 

June 2014 


Date Changes Made Date 

Published





Training & Exercise Timetable 

Under COMAH Regulations 1999 (Amended 2005) there is a requirement to review, 

revise and test COMAH Off-site Emergency Plans every 3 years. 

Next exercise due before March 2013 or following any relevant changes in 

circumstances 

Name Date Lead Org. Type/Details 

Exercise 

Popcorn 2 

18.3.10 Medway 

Council 


Multi-Agency Desktop Exercise 

(Domino COMAH Exercise)





Amendments 

Amend. 

No 

Section Amended By Updated By Date 

1 Entire Plan Medway Council 

June 


Team 

2011 






Contents 


Page 

1. Legal Requirements 10 

2. Planning Process 11 

3. The National Grid Grain LNG Importation Terminal 11 

Site Location map 13 

4. Related and Interdependent Plans 15 

5. Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) & Risk Assessment 15 

6. General Public Information Requirements 16 

National Grid Grain LNG PIZ letter and leaflet 19 

National Grid Grain LNG PIZ Map 23 

7. Alerting & Plan Triggers 25 

8. Organisational Responsibilities 26 

9. On-site Control & Co-ordination (including traffic control) 26 

Incident Scene Layout Diagram 27 

10. Off-site Control & Co-ordination 27 

11. Communications 30 

12. Media & Communications/Public Warning & Informing 31 

13. Evacuation & Shelter 31 

14. Vulnerable People 32 

15. Environmental Impact 32 

16. Other Environmental Consequences of a Major Accident 34 

Annex A Outline Responsibilities 37 

RESTRICTED SECTION OF THE PLAN 

Item 1 PIZ & Site Maps 

Item 2 Summary of Potential Hazards 

Item 3 Summary of National Grid Grain LNG’s On-site 

Emergency Response 

Item 4 Alerting & Initial Medway Council Actions 

Item 5 On-site Fire Fighting Equipment and Site Resource 

Summary 

Item 6 Incident Control Points 

Item 7 Evacuation 

Item 8 Rest Centre Details 

Item 9 Maritime Transport & Air Ambulance Information 

Item 10 Key Contacts Sheet (BP Oil) 

Item 11 Kent Police/Medway Highways Traffic Management Plan (A228) 

Item 12 HSE Guidance on FOI Requests (2007)


This page has been left intentionally blank 



1. Legal Requirements 

MEDWAY COUNCIL NATIONAL GRID GRAIN LNG LTD 


1.1 The Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999 (COMAH) 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 

• a specified dangerous substance could be produced in 

threshold quantities following the loss of control of an 

industrial chemical process. 

1.2 The local authority for this area, Medway Council, is responsible for producing an 

off-site plan that outlines the 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. 

1.3 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. 

The “competent authority” responsible for enforcing the COMAH Regulations in 

England and Wales is comprised of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and the 

Environment Agency. 

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”. 



2. Planning Process 

2.1 This plan has been drawn up in consultation with, and signed off by, the agencies 

listed on page 3. Public consultation has been via Medway Council Elected 

Members for All Saints and Grain and with Grain parish council. 

3. The Isle of Grain LNG Importation Terminal 

3.1 The site occupies an area to the north of the A228 approximately 2 km east of 

Lower Stoke. It contains a group of 4 bunded LNG holders (Phase 1), which form 

part of the original site. Three larger LNG tanks (Phase 2) lie to the northwest of 

the site with a similar LNG storage tank (Phase 3) standing alone in the northern 

part of the site. An LNG cryogenic pipeline extends eastward from the main site 

crossing under the A228/B2001 and then southeastward where it terminates at 

two LNG jetties on the Grain shoreline. The total pipeline length is approximately 

4 km. 

3.2 The site is about 16 km from Rochester and Grain village lies to the northeast 

approximately 2.5 km from the main site entrance by road. The terminal is in 

predominantly flat agricultural and former industrial land, inter-dispersed by many 

watercourses between the Rivers Medway and Thames Estuaries. The area is 

very open and subject to the adverse effects of the weather including strong 

winds. The A228/B2001 road between Stoke and Grain villages and a freight 

railway line pass by the National Grid Grain LNG site. (A general site location 

map can be found on page 13 of this plan). 

3.3 The terminal has facilities for importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) brought 

from abroad in specially constructed ships. The LNG is stored in purpose built 

tanks after ship offloading, and is vaporised to form natural gas, which is supplied 

to customers via the high pressure National Grid Transmission System. The 

terminal also generates and handles natural gas for supply to lower pressure 

pipeline systems and this gas is odourised using a propriety odorant compound 

before supply to customers. 

3.4 Recent expansion (Phases 2 and 3) has increased the site capacity to 14.8 

millions tonnes of LNG per annum following the construction of 4 aboveground 

full containment LNG storage tanks and a second LNG jetty. 

3.5 LNG Vessels - Responsibility for moored LNG vessels lies with the vessels 

owners and ships captain. Once berthed however they are treated as a Domino 

Neighbour but under maritime guidance National Grid LNG have a duty to cooperate 

during any incident, e.g. Share resources, emergency plans & 

equipment. Four permanently manned fire tugs are located at Sheerness 

(Garrison Point) for any water-borne response. 

3.6 Southern Gas Networks Gas Holder - The National Grid Grain LNG site also 

contains within its perimeter a Southern Gas Networks gas storage tank. This 

tank is situated on the southwestern edge of the site next to the A228. This plan 

includes the emergency response to this site as well. This site is usually 

unmanned (except for maintenance and safety visits) and operated remotely. 

This COMAH off-site emergency plan includes this site for response purposes. 





3.6.1 National Grid Grain LNG – Location Map 



Main 

Site 

Locatio 

Jetties 8 

& 10 

Site Address: 

National Grid 

Grain LNG Ltd 

Importation 

Terminal 

Isle of Grain 

Rochester 

Kent 

ME3 0AB




ABRIDGED – Medway Council Off-site Emergency Plan – National Grid Grain LNG Ltd. 

4. Related and Interdependent Plans 

4.1 The relationships between response plans are indicated in the diagram below. 

Figure 4.2 - Related and Interdependent Plans 

Medway Council Plans Kent Resilience Forum External 

(KRF) Organisation Plans 


National Grid 

LNG Off-site 

Emergency Plan 


Major 

Emergency Plan 

(MEP) 

4.3 The Plan will be used, where appropriate, in conjunction with the appropriate 

supporting plans – both multi and single agency. 

5. Kent Resilience Forum (KRF) & Risk Assessment 

5.1 The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA) requires the establishment of a Local 

Resilience Forum. Within the County this is known as the Kent Resilience Forum 

(KRF) and is comprised of representation from the majority of organisations that 

would respond to emergencies, including the local authorities. 

5.2 The KRF have a generic response document that outlines the command and 

control structures that would be implemented to a greater or lesser extent in an 

emergency. 

5.3 The CCA also places a duty on the KRF to jointly compile a community risk 

register based on national guidance. 

5.4 Kent Community Risk Register - In the Community Risk Register, reference to 

risk implies a function of both the chance or likelihood of a hazard becoming a 

reality and the consequences or impact of that occurrence. Risk is a product of 

the likelihood and impact of a given hazard or threat. The consequence will 

depend upon the exposure of people and property to the hazard and their 

respective vulnerability to harm. 


Pan Kent 

Response 

Framework 

National Grid On- 

Site Emergency 

Plan 

Emergency Services 

Plans (Kent Police 

and Kent Fire & 

Rescue Service 

A228 Road 

Closure Plan


5.5 The impact will depend upon the exposure of people and property to the hazard 

and their respective vulnerability to harm. 

http://www.kent.gov.uk/publications/community-and-living/kent-community-riskregister.htm 

5.6 The risks are divided into 3 main categories under the Hazard Category of Fire or 

explosion at gas storage site. 

Hazard Sub Category 

Fire or explosion at a 

gas LPG or LNG 

terminal or flammable 

gas storage site. 


gas terminal or 

involving a gas 

pipeline. 


gas terminal as well 

as LPG, LNG and 

other gas onshore 

feedstock pipeline 

and flammable gas 

storage site. 

Risk 

Code 

(H1) 

(HL1) 

(HL25) 

Risk Rating 

MEDIUM 

MEDIUM 

MEDIUM 


Outcome Description 

Up to 3km around site 

causing up to 500 fatalities 

and up to 1500 casualties. 

Gas terminal event likely to 

be of short duration once 

feed limes are isolated; 

event at a storage site could 

last for days if the explosion 

damaged control equipment. 

Up to 3km around site, 


and up to 100 casualties. 

Up to 1km around site, 


and 150 casualties. 

(N.B. the listed outcome descriptions are taken from the National Risk Register and are 

national NOT and not related to any specific site). 

General Public Information Requirements 

6.1 Under the COMAH Regulations the site operator (National Grid Grain LNG) is 

required to provide information to people within a defined area, who may be 

affected by a major accident at the site. This area is determined by the 

competent authority and is referred to as the public information zone (PIZ). 

Information needs to be provided, prior to any accident occurring, on: 

The activities undertaken at the site; 

• The dangerous substances which could give rise to a major accident, its 

potential effects on the population and the environment;


• How the population will be warned and kept informed in the event of a 

major accident; and 

• The actions that the population should take. 

6.2 The limit of the public information zone (PIZ) as defined by the HSE includes the 

majority of residential premises in Grain Village. Also within the PIZ are: 

• BP Oil UK Ltd - top tier COMAH site 

• London Thamesport 

• Maritime Transport Ltd 

• Medway Power Station (SSE) – lower tier COMAH site 

• Grain Power Station (E-ON) – lower tier COMAH site 

• Foster Yeoman Ltd 

• National Grid Property Holdings 

• J Clubb Ltd 

6.3 All these sites plus several other smaller businesses have information provided 

to them by National Grid Grain LNG, on the actions to take in the event of an 

emergency on the site. The village of Grain (population approximately 1,700 - 

2001 Census) also falls almost entirely within the PIZ. National Grid LNG has 

issued a public information notice to all the residents in Grain Village as is 

required under COMAH regulations. The Public Information Zone leaflet issued 

by the National Grid Grain LNG site can be found on the following pages. 

6.4 There are specific emergency procedures shared between National Grid Grain 

LNG and the other top COMAH site BP Oil UK opposite on the southern side of 

the A228 – these sites are designated a DOMINO sites because of their 

proximity. 






6.5 National Grid Grain LNG – Public Information Zone letter and leaflet 








6.6 National Grid LNG – Public Information Zone Map 



Public 

Information 

Zone (PIZ)

The Public Information Zone 

COMAH Regulations (paragraphs 309 & 310 of L111). 



"People and establishments liable to be affected by a major accident at an establishment must be given specified information about the 

establishment, the major accident hazards and the safety measures that are in place. The competent authority determines the area around the 

establishment to which this duty applies but it is the operator who has to provide the information. 

The area which the competent authority determines is known as the public information zone (PIZ), it determines the PIZ by taking into account 

of both the likelihood and effects of possible major accidents at the establishment. It is set on the basis that people outside it are not at 

immediate significant risk from major accidents, although they could be if the accident escalates"


7. Alerting and Plan Triggers 

7.1 In the event of an emergency occurring at the terminal the Site Control room will 

dial “999” giving a pre-agreed message. This will alert Kent Police, Kent Fire & 

Rescue Service and the Southeast Coast Ambulance Service who will respond. 

7.2 The police will alert other organisations including Medway Council (see diagram 

below). Declaration of a major emergency by Kent Police following receipt of the 

notification by the National Grid LNG Grain site will trigger the relevant plans of 

those agencies in involved. 

7.3 Alerting Chart 

BP Oil UK Ltd 

Southern Gas Networks 

London Thamesport 

Scottish & Southern Energy 

(Medway Power Station) 

Maritime Transport Ltd 

National Grid Property Holdings 

E-ON (Grain Power Station) 

Foster Yeoman 

Air Products 

J Clubb Ltd 

Kent Fire & 

Rescue 

Service 

Swale Borough Council (covered by PIZ): 

and other local authorities where 

appropriate 

Kent County Council 

Essex County Council 

Thurrock Council 

Southend-on-Sea Council 

Kent 

Resilience 

Forum 

Relevant 

Council 

Services 

National 

Grid LNG 

Grain 

‘999’ 

Kent Police 

Network Rail Medway 

Council 


Grain Parish 

Council 

Relevant Parish 

Councils (Stoke) 

and Councilors 

Southern 

Water 

Health & Safety 

Executive 

Natural 

England 

Environment 

Agency 

DEFRA 

South Coast 

Ambulance 

Service 

Kent NHS & 

Medway PCT 

Medway (Peel) 

Ports


7. 4 If a Major Emergency involves or threatens vessels using or moored on the River 

Medway, Medway Ports (Port of Sheerness) will be responsible for warning and 

controlling the movements of such vessels. 

8. Organisational Responsibilities (Outline Responsibilities) 

8.1 The organisations required to respond to an incident at the National Grid Grain 

LNG terminal have defined areas of responsibility during an emergency. These 

have been shared, agreed and accepted by the organisations consulted during 

the production of this plan and can be found in Annex A.. 

9. On Site Control & Co-Ordination 

9.1 The specific area of the incident is referred to as the Incident Site and will be 

within the boundaries of the National Grid Grain LNG terminal. 

9.2 Until the arrival of the Site Main Controller (typically the duty manager) the on 

duty Terminal Engineer will be the Incident Controller and direct all operations at 

the site including rescue, evacuation and fire fighting. The on duty Terminal 

Engineer will continue to provide on-site advice throughout the incident. 

9.3 On the arrival of Kent Fire and Rescue Service, the National Grid Grain LNG 

Incident Controller will hand over control of the incident at the site to the Incident 

Commander. The National Grid Grain LNG Incident Controller will remain to 

provide advice about the site and its normal operation. 

9.4 The fire officer in charge will be responsible for implementing the incident 

response strategy. The fire officer in charge will make an assessment of the 

incident and request mobilisation of additional support as necessary. 

Diagrammatic layout of incident scene: see following page. 



9.5 Diagrammatic Layout of the Incident Scene 

SCENE 

All Services/Organisations 

report to Rendezvous Point 

Holding Area for 

vehicles/equipment 

ready to go on-site if 

needed 

Body Holding 

Area 

Temporary 

Mortuary 

Casualty Clearing 

Ambulance 

Loading Point 

SCENE 

NATIONAL GRID GRAIN LNG 

People 

injured 

Hospital 


Incident Control Point 

Evacuation 

Assembly Point- 

EAST or WEST 

Ambulance Medway 

Council 

People 

Evacuated 

Police 

Fire 

SCENE 

Rest Centre Disperse 

GRAIN 

LNG 

Property 

Property 

Store 

NOTE: The Scene takes into account 

the wider aspects of the emergency 

response and its effects beyond the 

Site boundaries. 

10. Off-Site Control & Co-ordination (including traffic control) 

10.1 On receipt of the alerting call from National Grid Grain LNG, a number of control 

points will be established by the emergency services. Strategic, tactical and 

operational Command Centres will be set up as outlined in responding 

organisations major emergency plans. The generic multi-agency command and 

control structures are summarised below: 

10.2 The establishment of: 

• A Strategic Coordinating Group at Kent Police HQ in Maidstone. This 

group would take a strategic lead and will require representation from 

senior officers from responding organisations.


• A Tactical Coordinating Group would be established at Medway Police 

Station to implement strategies as determined by the Strategic Group. 

• Operational Group(s) will be established at the scene, with Kent Fire and 

Rescue taking the lead. 

Medway Council will ensure appropriate representation at the Strategic, Tactical 

and Operational Commands, as well as establishing it’s own Gold and Silver 

Groups, which will address Medway Council specific issues. 

10.3 Multi-Agency Response Structure including Scientific, Technical & Advisory Cell 

(STAC) 

MULTI-AGENCY STRATEGIC 

Strategic Coordination Group 

(SCG) Police HQ Maidstone 

Manage the Multi-Agency response at a Strategic 

decision making level 

Chair: Police Commander 

Liaison Officer: Chief Executive, Director 

RC&C, AD Frontline Services 

Staff Officer: EP Officer 

MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSE STRUCTURE RECOVERY STRUCUTRE 

MEDWAY COUNCIL SILVER 

Medway Silver Emergency Coordination 

Team (ECT) Medway Emergency Centre 

Implement strategies to address a wide range of Medway Council 

issues relating to specific aspects of the emergency 

Chair: Director RCC / AD Frontline Services / AD Adult Social 

Care 

Operations Manager: AD or Service Manager 

Emergency Centre Manager 

Operations Team: Staff as appropriate 

Recovery Advisory Group (RAG) - 

Strategic Recovery Coordination Group 

(SRCG) for recovery phase 

Advise SGC of recovery issues and suggest membership of 

Strategic Recovery Coordination Group. Lead recovery phase 

following formal hand-over 

Chair: Medway AD Frontline Services / Head Safer Communities / 

Head Highways “Recovery Manager” 

MULTI-AGENCY TACTICAL 

Tactical Coordination Group (TCG) 

Medway Police Station or Local Authority Emergency centre 

Implement actions from SCG at a tactical level 

Chair: Police 

Liaison Officer: Medway AD Frontline Services / Head Safer Communities / Head Highways 

Staff Officer: EP Officer 

MEDWAY COUNCIL GOLD 

Medway Gold Management Team 

Medway Offices 

Determine Medway’s response strategies. Ensure a joined-up approach across Directorates. To ensure Business Continuity Plans are 

implemented as per the Corporate Recovery Plan 

Chair: Chief Executive, Nominated Director 

Members: Lead Director, Directors and Ads as per Corporate Recovery Plan 

MEDWAY COUNCIL BRONZE 

Medway Bronze Operational Teams 

Site / Scene 

Perform duties as determined by ECT on the ground 

Incident Liaison Officers 

Welfare Liaison Officers 

Transport Operators 

Building Control 


Medway Silver Business Continuity 

Team (BCT) 

Implement Medway Council’s Business Continuity strategies 

Chair: AD Housing and Corporate Service / AD 

Organisational Services / AD Customer First, Leisure, 

Culture, Democracy and Governance 

Operations Team: Staff as required 

Science and Technical Advisory Cell 

(STAC) 

To coordinate and provide specialist scientific and technical 

advice including on public health and the environment 

Chair: Appropriate specialist 

STAC is replaced by the Environment 

Group in a Shoreline Response Centre 

during an Oil Pollution Incident. 

Business and Economic Recovery 

Assess the economic implications for the affected area and 

provide assistance to enable businesses to resume trading 

Chair: AD Development, Economy and Transport / 

Economic Development and Social Regeneration 

Manager 

Communications (Media / PR) 

To formulate an overall communications strategy to ensure 

the public and media are fully informed and consulted 

Chair: Medway Media and Comms 

Manager 

Community Recovery Committee 

To reflect community concerns and assist with the Impact 

Assessment 

Chair: Assistant Director 

Communications Performance and 

Partnerships 

Environment & Infrastructure 

(Including clean up) 

Use expertise to give viable options for 

cleanup, repair and replacement 

Chair: AD Frontline Services / Head Waste 

Services 

Health and Welfare 

Coordinate the provision of a full-range of welfare and 

health services to those affected by the emergency 

Chair: AD Adult Social Care / AD 

Children’s Care


10.4 Scientific, Technical & Advisory Cell (STAC) 

The STAC will be established by the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) with 

the following remit: 

‘To ensure timely coordinated scientific and technical advice during the response 

to an emergency, local responders are invited to consider collectively through the 

relevant Local Resilience Forum (LRF), arrangements for establishing STAC to 

provide advice to the Strategic Coordinating Group (SGC) when required. They 

will also need to identify a designated STAC lead and alternatives who would 

coordinate the work of the STAC when activated…. 

The establishment of a STAC is likely to be particularly important where there 

may be significant wider health and environmental consequences involving 

chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear material. The STAC should bring 

together technical experts from those agencies involved in the response and who 

may provide scientific and technical advice to the Gold Commander. The 

purpose of the cell would be to ensure that, as far as possible, scientific or 

technical debate was contained within the cell so that SCG (and others involved 

in the response) received the best possible advice based on the available 

information in a timely, coordinated and understandable way….’ 

Cabinet Office guidance (April) 2007 

10.5 Traffic Control - The nature of an incident at the National Grid Grain LNG 

terminal is such that, until the gas has an ignition source, it may not be seen and 

as the gas is odourless (until odour has been added) it is likely that there will not 

be a gas smell either. It is therefore important that organisations responding to 

the emergency are aware of the hazards and that people and vehicles do not 

enter the potential hazard area. Because the A228 is the only road servicing the 

industries and village of Grain, information to them of an off-site incident, actual 

or potential is important even though they are not within the direct hazard area. 

10.6 In order to speed up the road closures National Grid Grain LNG have provided 

Road Closure barriers and roadside “bins” at previously arranged locations on 

the A228 in the Stoke / Grain area: 

The roadside bins contain: 

• Fixed signs (road closed) 

• Blank signs (for written instructions) 

• Cones 

• Slow signs 

• Left & Right Arrows 

• Roadwork lights 

• Sandbags/water filled units (to hold down signs) 

10.7 Traffic Control – Stoke side of A228 –The police will set up traffic control points 

on the A228. This is to prevent the unauthorized entry by pedestrians and road 



traffic to the hazard area and manage emergency service traffic involved in any 

response. 

10.8 Traffic Control – Grain side of A228 – The urgent need to stop pedestrians and 

all road traffic from Grain village entering the hazard area has resulted in 

interagency cooperation between the fire and police services. Retained Fire and 

Rescue personnel from Grain fire station will on the authority of the police put the 

road barrier across and the road closure signs located in a “roadside bin” on the 

section of the A228 between the National Grid Grain LNG terminal and Grain 

village. (NOTE: the location of this fixed road barrier is currently under review 

following recent changes to the National Grid LNG site and future proposed 

developments). Fire and Rescue personnel will advise drivers and pedestrians of 

the situation and either advise them to go home or in the case of displaced 

visitors to go to a Emergency Assistance Centre, dependant on circumstances. 

10.9 Rendezvous Point (RVP) – All response organisation vehicles will report to the 

RVP located at the pre arranged location on the A228. The police will control the 

RVP and all officers attending the incident will report there. This is particularly 

important for non-emergency service personnel, whose attendance will be 

verified before they are allowed to proceed to the Incident Control Point (ICP). 

10.10 Incident Control Point (ICP) – The police and fire and rescue service incident 

control vehicles will be located at a previously designated site on the A228. 

10.11 The ICP will be managed by the police, who will be responsible for security of the 

incident site. Assessments of the situation and any associated risks will be 

carried out at the ICP by the emergency services before entering the hazard 

area. The National Grid Grain LNG Incident Controller will provide advice on the 

hazard to the emergency services. Representatives from Medway Council, the 

Environment Agency and other appropriate organisations may also be present at 

the ICP. 

Note: Due to ongoing road works/changes involving the Stoke railway 

crossing (new bridge) some control and rendezvous points may change 

(Review September 2011). 

11. Communications 

11.1 A snatch bag will be provided by National Grid Grain LNG for use by the Kent 

Fire and Rescue Service, it will contain minimum of four intrinsically safe radios 

for their use in and around the site. All other services should ensure that, if a gas 

cloud is present, any radios or mobile phones used should also be intrinsically 

safe. 

11.2 Telephone communications with Grain village could potentially be vulnerable as 

they follow the A228/B2001 roadway between the hazardous installations. If 

landlines are rendered inoperable there are several alternate methods for 

communication in an emergency situation. These include: 

• RAYNET (Radio Amateurs Emergency Network) 



• MTPAS (Mobile Telecommunication Preference Access Scheme) – of use 

only if mobile networks are functional and hazard criteria in 9.1 are met. 

Further of media and communications details can be found in the Media & 

Communications Section of the Medway Council Major Emergency Plan and the 

KRF Media & Communications Plan. 

12. Media and Communications/Public Warning & Informing 

12.1 The police will lead in providing coordinated information to the media. Multiagency 

press briefings will be held either at police headquarters or at Medway 

Council offices. The other response organisations will issue press releases on 

their own activities as will National Grid Grain LNG. However, press releases 

should be copied between the organisations to ensure an effective information 

service to the public. Variable message signage is also available to further inform 

vehicular traffic. 

12.2 At the outset of an incident requiring the closure of the A228 road residents of 

Grain village would be informed via the parish contacts, listed in the restricted 

section. (The emergency services have joint plans for management of traffic and 

control and coordination of the incident in the event of a closure of the A228). 

Stoke village will be informed by Medway Council of a major incident via either 

the parish council and/or the appropriate council Member. 

12.3 The general public will be given information and guidance through various media 

outlets; these will include television and radio (national and local), also additional 

information will be given through websites such as the Medway Council web site. 

Other possible methods include door knocking by emergency responding 

organisations 

Those people affected by an incident (including site staff), may be required to 

take the following actions; 

• Go in, Stay in, Tune in; or 

• Evacuation to a rest centre or a other place of safety 

• Take any other necessary actions if advised to do so 

13. Evacuation & Shelter 

13.1 Site Evacuation Assembly Points – Personnel at National Grid Grain LNG, 

Southern Gas Networks* and neighbouring sites including BP Oil UK will, if 

appropriate, move to their respective site assembly points and then to agreed 

evacuation assembly points if required. (* The SGN section of the site is usually 

unmanned and operated remotely). 

13.2 In the event of an incident at National Grid LNG Grain, residents of Grain village 

have been advised via a Public Information Zone leaflet issued by the site to Go, 



In Stay In and Tune In, in line with COMAH regulations. This is considered to be 

the safest option in most hazard scenarios. 

13.3 Access to and egress from Grain village may be restricted if the A228/B2001 

alongside the National Grid Grain LNG site is impassable, resulting in the 

temporary displacement of people. This scenario is considered unlikely according 

to hazard information provided by National Grid Grain LNG, for more than 4 

hours. There are 5 hazard scenarios with off-site implications that have the 

potential to result in a closure of the A228/B2001. 

13.4 If the A228/B2001 was closed for a longer period due to a persistent hazard or 

damage to its structure it may became necessary to consider the use of other 

methods of access/egress. These options include the use of maritime transport 

and the air ambulance. Response decisions will be made dependant on the 

scale, nature and location of the incident. 

13.5 Medway Council has procedures to manage nominated Emergency Assistance 

Centres that can provide shelter for those people who, as the result of an 

incident, are temporarily displaced and transport for those who may need 

evacuation to a place of safety. 

13.6 Several sites have been predesignated in this plan and Medway Council 

Emergency Assistance Centre Guideline contains these and other site options, 

dependent on the emergency scenario. 

14. Vulnerable People 

14.1 Medway Council, Kent NHS and other appropriate organisations will share key 

information to assist in the pre-identification of vulnerable people using existing 

datasets and protocols and, where appropriate, consider evacuating those 

individuals/groups. 

15. Environmental Impact (extract from National Grid Grain LNG’s COMAH 

Safety Report) 

15.1 The dangerous substances stored on site, which bring about the requirement for 

a safety case report, are non-toxic. It is therefore considered that the main 

potential major accident hazards to the environment, as defined by the COMAH 

Regulations, are from fires. The two relevant hazards, from flammable gas clouds 

or from sustained levels of thermal radiation, are discussed below. Explosions 

are not considered here, as the consequences of explosions are unlikely to 

extend beyond the site boundary. 

15.2 Either a flammable gas cloud or thermal radiation could cause damage off-site. 

However these scenarios are considered to be extremely unlikely, with the 

highest frequency being that for a severe earthquake which would in itself cause 

widespread devastation to the surrounding area. The hazard would depend on a 

variety of factors including the release event, wind direction, weather conditions 

and sometimes release orientation. The key potential accident hazards to the 

environment are assessed in the following sections. 



15.3 It is universally agreed that it is difficult to predict the effect of fire on an 

ecosystem, because of the problems of understanding fire processes and 

ecosystem responses. Variables that affect fires include moisture levels, fuel load 

and arrangement, prevailing weather conditions, wind and topography. Given the 

fact that every fire is unique it is conceivable that a major accident could be 

caused by some of the incidents described below. However, deciding whether a 

fire had resulted in a Major Accident to the Environment (MATTE) would only be 

possible after detailed studies of the effects of the fire. 

15.4 Flammable Gas Cloud – A flash fire is unlikely to have significant effect on the 

vegetation present on the Medway or Thames Marshes Ramsar, SPA and SSSI 

Sites or Grain Pit. 

15.4.1 To constitute a MATTE, greater than 0.5 ha must be adversely affected, or 

greater than 10% of the area of the site affected (whichever is the greater), or 

greater than 10% of a particular habitat or population of individual species. 

Although approximately 5 ha of marshland is at risk from some damage, any 

damage caused by a flash fire would be expected to be very minor with all the 

species affected recovering rapidly. Similarly, whilst greater than 10% of Grain Pit 

could be affected by a flash fire, damage would be expected to be very minor 

with all the species affected recovering rapidly. All the types of vegetation present 

on the marshland, reed beds, scrubland or grassland around the site are 

expected to grow back in a short time. 

15.4.2 For common flora and fauna present, a MATTE would be caused if 1% of any 

species were damaged, or 5% of any plant species. In addition to common 

species there are a number of protected species present around the LNG site. 

The MATTE thresholds for such species may be lower than 1% or 5%, and 

liaison with the appropriate statutory conservation organisation would be 

necessary to determine the appropriate threshold. Adult birds, reptiles, 

invertebrates and mammals that could be affected by flash fires are generally 

mobile and may be able to avoid the effects of a flash fire. However, the young 

would be more at risk. Following an incident, an investigation of the effects of the 

fires and consultation with the appropriate statutory conservation organisation 

would determine whether a MATTE had occurred. 

15.4.3 Fire can have a wide range of effects on soil, depending on factors such as fire 

intensity and severity, soil moisture levels, soil composition and climatic regime. 

To constitute a MATTE the biological quality of soil must deteriorate such that 

common organisms are absent, the structure of the biological community is 

altered for periods in excess of a season, or normal ecosystem function is 

severely impaired for a period in excess of one year. It is not considered possible 

that a flash fire would have this great an effect. 

15.4.4 There are three Grade 1 listed buildings and three SAMS within 3 km of the site. 

A flash fire would not be sufficiently fierce to cause damage to these buildings 

and structures, and therefore a flash fire arising from the LNG terminal is unlikely. 

15.5 Thermal Radiation - Two thermal radiation hazard criteria are identified: Escape 

distance and Secondary Fires distance. Escape distance is defined as ‘the 

distance from a fire from which able bodied persons can be expected to escape 



without serious injury’. Escape distance is specific to people, and so is not 

considered any further with respect to effects on the environment. Secondary 

fires distance is defined as ‘the distance at which secondary fires may be initiated 

by piloted ignition in buildings made of combustible materials such as wood’. The 

threshold level for piloted ignition of wood is 12 kW/m 2 . Above this secondary 

fires will occur if the receiving material is irradiated for a sufficient length of time. 

Spontaneous combustion of grasses occurs with thermal radiation levels of 

approximately 15kW/m 2 for approximately 15 minutes. Therefore, some 

vegetation within this hazard range could be expected to ignite. 

15.5.1 A secondary fire could present a more significant effect on the vegetation present 

on the Medway or Thames Marshes Ramsar, SPA and SSSI Sites. Marsh 

communities are usually resistant to burning, except in periods of exceptional 

drought, because they are so wet. However, if the fire was severe enough to 

damage the marshland, there is a potential for natural succession to give rise to 

the development of a slightly altered habitat. Following an incident an 

investigation would be undertaken to assess whether a MATTE had occurred. 

Grain Pit is beyond the secondary fires hazard range, and is therefore unlikely to 

be harmed by thermal radiation from the terminal. 

15.5.2 The effects of fire on grassland and agricultural land, and the definition of a 

MATTE have been discussed in previous paragraphs in 12.4.1, and the same 

conclusions apply, although a considerable area may be affected, rapid post-fire 

regeneration is expected. 

15.5.3 It is not considered possible that a secondary fire would cause the soil off-site to 

be heated to such a high temperature to cause sufficient damage to constitute a 

MATTE. Similarly, the SAMs and Grade One listed buildings are beyond the 

secondary fires hazard range from the terminal and are unlikely to be damaged. 

15.5.4 The potential effects of fire on species have already been discussed in the 

section on flammable gas clouds, and it is considered that the same conditions 

would apply to a secondary fire. A post-incident investigation involving 

consultation with the appropriate statutory conservation organisation would be 

carried out to ascertain whether a MATTE had occurred. 

16 Other Environmental Consequences of a Major Accident (extract from 

National Grid Grain LNG’s COMAH Safety Report) 

16.1 Gas Release - The release of gases produced by combustion of natural gas 

(carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons) to the 

atmosphere from an ignition scenario is not considered to be a significant 

environmental effect, compared to the national releases of these gases. 

16.1.1 Release of natural gas without subsequent ignition would result in the emission of 

methane to the atmosphere. Methane is a significant greenhouse gas, with a 

global warming potential 21 times greater than carbon dioxide. However, any 

release of methane from the National Grid Grain LNG Storage site would not 

contribute significantly to global warming. In terms of annual emissions of 

methane from the UK, which are around 3,800,000 tonnes, release of the total 

site inventory would be insignificant. 



16.2 Gasholder Water Overflow – Addition of excess top-up to the above ground, 

water sealed, low-pressure gasholder on site could result in overflow of holder 

water. Holder water can contain concentrations of various chemicals, which could 

be potentially damaging in the environment. However, a study has concluded 

that a release of gasholder water on any scale would not harm the environment. 

16.3 Diesel Release – The release of diesel from the site is considered to be 

extremely unlikely, as diesel would have to escape a bund and two interceptor 

pits in series. However if it were to be released, it would either form pools or soak 

into the ground, or float on the surface of water. The extent of any environmental 

damage is highly dependent on the quantity released, and it should be borne in 

mind that if any diesel left the site it would only represent a small fraction of the 

total inventory. 

16.4 Firewater Runoff – Firewater is the term given to the water used to extinguish 

fires. In some cases the fire service may add surfactant to water used for 

extinguishing fires. This is unlikely to be used in a gas fire, but may be used to 

extinguish a fire involving liquid hydrocarbons. Surfactant may mobilise 

contaminants present in the soil, but the risk at the site is not considered to be 

significant. The effect of firewater without surfactant is not likely to be different 

from the effect of prolonged heavy rain. 

16.5 Firewater Reservoir – The firewater reservoir on site is treated with algaecides 

to control fish and algae. Although commercial algaecides are normally used 

these are not considered to be harmful to the environment under the terms of the 

COMAH Regulations. 

16.6 Conclusions – Under current criteria it is very difficult to predict whether a fire or 

diesel release at the National Grid Grain LNG Terminal could be classed as a 

major accident to the environment due to the number of variables involved. 

However the major accident scenarios (contained in the site’s COMAH safety 

report) that could lead to off-site effects have very low frequencies, the highest 

being that of a major earthquake. 






Outline Responsibilities 


Annex A 

Page 

Annex A - 1. Medway Council 38 

Annex A - 2. Environment Agency 39 

Annex A - 3. Kent Fire & Rescue Service 41 

Annex A - 4. Kent Police 42 

Annex A - 5 Kent And Medway – Health 44 

Annex A - 5.1 South East Coast Ambulance Service Services 46 

Annex A - 6. Medway Ports 48 

Annex A - 7. Network Rail 49 

Annex A - 8. National Grid Grain LNG 50 

Annex A - 9. Health & Safety Executive 52


OUTLINE RESPONSIBILITIES 


1. Provide a 24-hour point of contact for alerts and warnings, and for the 

management of large volumes of public calls 


Annex A - 1 

2. Send an Incident Officer to the Incident Scene to liaise with National grid LNG 

Grain Personnel, emergency services and any other organisation involved in the 

emergency response. 

3. In conjunction with National Grid, the police, the health authorities and the 

Environment Agency, provide information to the public. 

4. In conjunction with Kent Police, manage traffic diversions and road closures 

5. When safe, clear debris / restore highways and arrange for inspection and 

emergency repairs. 

6. Put in place an emergency management structure to oversee Medway Council 

activities. 

7. Provide a service in relation to dangerous structures 

8. Implement animal health measures 

9. Alert and coordinate voluntary organisations 

10. Arrange for military aid to the Civil Community 

11. Open and run emergency assistance centres as required 

12. Provide accommodation for the temporarily homeless 

13. Provide specialist care for vulnerable people affected 

14. Establish, operate and close down emergency mortuaries in cooperation with 

other agencies 

15. Manage the long-term recovery arrangements 

16. Provide representation at multi-agency emergency coordination centres.


ENVIRONMENT AGENCY 



Annex A - 2 

The Agency has responsibilities for the management and regulation of the water 

environment and for controlling industrial pollution and wastes throughout England and 

Wales. It does not deal with all aspects of environmental pollution. With regard to air 

pollution, it is only responsible for those major industrial processes which are subject to 

‘Integrated Pollution Control’ under Part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. 

1. Aside from the duty to investigate major accidents the Agency has no duty under 

the COMAH Regulations to respond to incidents at COMAH establishments. 

However, the wider environmental interests of the Agency (i.e. pollution of the 

environment) require it to be notified about, assess and if necessary make an 

operational response to incidents at such sites. In particular the Agency may act to 

protect the public, controlled waters and the wider environment. 

2. In the event of a major incident at a COMAH site, the Agency expects to be 

informed as soon as possible either by the site operator or the emergency 

services on its 24-hour emergency line. 

3. On being informed of an incident involving a COMAH establishment the 

Agency will: 

a) Refer the incident to an Environmental Protection officer for assessment. 

b) If appropriate, consult with a Process Industries Regulation specialist 

who has knowledge of the site. 

c) If the assessment indicates a significant threat to human health, the 

environment or property, an operational response may be made to minimize the 

impact. 

d) Where a major accident has occurred, undertake an investigation in 

liaison with HSE. 

4. Liaise with Natural England in regard to SSSI and Ramsar sites. 

5. Incident Response Standards 

The Agency will respond to reports of environmental incidents, which have a 

potential to cause harm to the environment or, in specific circumstances, human 

health. These might involve pollution of controlled waters, unauthorised disposal 

of waste, accidents involving radioactive substances, accidents involving major 

industrial processes, flooding, low river flows and drought, fish kills and poaching. 

In responding to incidents the Agency will undertake the following activities: 

• professionally assess all environmental incidents and decide on the speed 

and level of response required; 

• attend all incidents involving a significant or potentially significant


environmental impact, or where its presence is specifically requested by the 

Emergency Services or lead organisation; 

• take appropriate actions and make best efforts to prevent or mitigate the 

effects of an environmental incident, taking remedial action where necessary; 

• take appropriate action to control an incident, or prevent one in the case of 

imminent risk, either in association with outside parties or if necessary acting 

alone; 

• investigate causes of incidents and collect evidence for possible future legal 

action; 

• judge and anticipate what and who are likely to be affected and take action to 

alleviate the effects, including warning appropriate parties; and 

• pass on to other organisations incident notifications which should properly 

have been directed to them. 

6. Standards of Service 

According to the seriousness of the incident, an Agency officer will attend as 

soon as possible following receipt of a report within a maximum of two hours 

during normal office hours and within four hours outside office hours. These are 

maximum times and every effort will be made to attend as quickly as possible. 

7. Emergency Contact 

The Agency operates a 24-hour service for reporting incidents. The local 

Southern Region emergency contact number for other authorities is 0800 252 

676 (Fax: 01903 214571). The public can report pollution incidents on the 

national reporting number 0800 807060. 




KENT FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE 


Annex A - 3 

1. Mobilise and dispatch Fire and Rescue resources to the scene of the major 

emergency. 

2. Implement any pre-determined arrangements relating to the location or nature of 

the major emergency. 

3. Take charge of fire and rescue operations at the site. Establish liaison between 

the Incident Commander and the Company Incident Controller. 

4. Carry out salvage operations where considered necessary to protect goods and 

property. 

5. Establish fire and rescue service controls at the scene of the incident and deploy 

an Incident Command Unit as necessary. 

6. Establish liaison with police, ambulance service and Company Site Main 

Controller at the Incident Control Post. 

7. Provide cutting gear, rescue equipment, winches and emergency lighting for 

rescue operations. 

8. Assist the medical services in gaining access to trapped casualties. 

9. Provide firefighters with protective clothing and breathing apparatus. 

10. Determine an inner cordon and in consultation with Company Site Main 

Controller advise on the need for evacuation. Inform all organisations involved in 

the incident of serious hazards or contamination. 

11. Provide equipment and firefighters for the implementation of decontamination 

procedures for persons involved. 

12. Implement mutual aid arrangements with neighbouring fire and rescue services 

as appropriate. 

13. Provide communication sets for fire-ground communications (the site will be 

responsible for providing intrinsically safe radio equipment). 

14. Contact through the FRCC, local or national firms for the supply of pre-arranged 

specialist equipment . 

15. Consider the use and provision of suitably qualified personnel to assist any major 

emergency investigation that may be necessary.



KENT POLICE 


Annex A - 4 

1. To validate the information received following the initial call. Assess the 

circumstances and deploy resources to an appropriate R.V. Point. 

2. To implement any pre-determined arrangements relating to the location or 

nature of the major emergency. 

3. To activate, as required, Gold Control at Police Headquarters and notify other 

agencies that it is operational. 

4. To establish Silver Control under a Silver Commander either at a suitable 

location, probably the Medway Police Station. Maintain communication with 

Force Communications Centre and/or Gold Control when activated at Police 

Headquarters. 

5. To co-ordinate the activities of all services and organisations at the scene, 

through the Silver Commander. This will in no way affect the specific or 

statutory duties and responsibilities of officers of other services or 

organisations. 

6. To maintain a log of police events and action taken at the scene. 

7. To contact (dependent on incident location) Medway Council and/or Kent 

County Council for local authority and voluntary organisation support. 

8. a) By the implementation of cordons, to protect and preserve the incident site 

for the preservation of evidence, security of property and subsequent 

investigation of crime. 

b) To establish in consultation with site operators where appropriate, a 

rendezvous point and marshalling area for emergency services and other 

vehicles called to the site. 

9 . a) If necessary, to establish a Central Casualty and Information Bureau at 

Police Headquarters as the primary point of contact to deal with all enquiries 

from the public and relatives of casualties. 

b) If necessary, to notify national and local press, radio and television of the 

major emergency, and publish the telephone number of the Casualty and 

Information Bureau. Request them to inform the public that inquiries should 

be directed only to the Bureau and not the hospitals etc. 

10. To inform Network Rail, Southern Water Services and the Environment 

Agency of the major emergency and implement any pre-determined 

arrangements relating to the location.


KENT POLICE - continued 


Annex A - 4 

11. To provide Hospital Documentation Team(s) to attend receiving hospital(s) to 

record casualty details and pass to the Casualty and Information Bureau. 

12. To provide liaison officer(s) to attend the receiving hospital(s) if appropriate, 

to co-ordinate/manage documentation teams. 

13. To identify any victims on behalf of HM coroner. 

14. To provide a Police Press Liaison Officer to co-ordinate through the Gold 

Commander Press releases and Public Information strategy, and to nominate 

a Media Briefing Centre if appropriate. 

15. Together with the National Grid LNG Ltd Incident Officer and the Senior Fire 

Officer, to decide areas for which plans for warning and/or evacuation of the 

public should be implemented. 

16. To establish Evacuation Assembly Points from which non-injured/homeless 

persons can be directed to Survivor Reception Centre/ Rest Centres 

organised by Medway Council. 

Important note: A Survivor Reception Centre may have to be set up very quickly 

before local authority assets can be mobilised. There will be occasions where a 

Survivor Reception Centre will have to be initially set up by the police and then 

taken over by Medway Council. 

17. To agree, in consultation with the Ambulance Incident Officer a Casualty 

Receiving Area and Ambulance Loading Point. 

18. To collect and maintain security or personal belongings found in public areas. 

19. To arrange for military or other specialist assistance required in relation to the 

safety of the public, e.g. at Bomb Incidents. 

20. To manage evacuation, should it become necessary, to the Evacuation 

Assembly Points and advise Medway Council to arrange for the 

transportation and accommodation of evacuees. Provide information and/or 

advice to the public living outside the scene. 

21. To maintain close liaison with all other services and organisations involved. 

22. If necessary, to contact the Meteorological Office (CHEMET) to receive 

early notification of impending changes in weather conditions.


Annex A - 5 


KENT and MEDWAY – NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE 

The role of NHS Lead (Gold) 

In response to a major incident requiring the establishment of NHS Lead (Gold), 

NHS Lead (Gold) will direct and command the response of all NHS resources in 

Kent and Medway. It will focus on strategic management of the NHS during the 

incident by ensuring NHS service delivery for both the incident and normal 

services. DH (2007, Strategic command arrangements for the NHS during a major 

incident. 

A Strategic Coordination Group is the multi-agency group that meets to coordinate 

the response to an emergency. Its representation reflects the membership of the 

Local Resilience Forum. It is normally chaired by the Police and held at Police 

Headquarters in Maidstone. Where a SCG is established, NHS Lead (Gold) will 

provide the mechanism for communication between the SCG and NHS Trusts via 

NHS Lead (Gold). 

NHS Lead (Gold) will provide the upward and downwards communications link 

between Department of Health and NHS Trusts in Kent and Medway via 

communication with South East Coast Strategic Health Authority. 

The establishment of NHS Lead (Gold) 

In the event of a major incident the first point of alert will normally be the NHS 

Emergency Response Management Team (ERMT). The ERMT will contact the 

PCT director on call in the locality where the major incident has occurred and jointly 

decide on the level of response that is required, including the decision to establish 

NHS Lead (Gold). 

Where it is agreed that a major incident is of sufficient scale to require the 

establishment of NHS Lead (Gold) the ERMT will contact the Eastern and Coastal 

Kent Emergency Response Team (ERT) who will deploy to the Incident Control 

Centre Trinity House, Ashford and set up the Incident NHS Lead (Gold) 

Director Roles following the establishment of NHS Lead (Gold). 

Where NHS Lead (Gold) is established there are three roles that on call PCT 

directors will be required to fill: 

• NHS Locality Incident Coordinator. This director will deploy to the Incident 

Control Centre at the PCT in whose area the major incident has occurred. 

They will coordinate the locality response to the major incident and report to 

the Incident Strategic Coordinator at NHS Lead (Gold). 

• NHS Incident Strategic Coordinator and NHS Lead (Gold). This director 

will deploy to the Incident Control Centre at Trinity House, Ashford where 



they will be responsible the Strategic Coordination of the response of the 

NHS in Kent and Medway including decisions regarding the allocation of 

resources for all NHS Trusts responding to the major incident. 

• NHS Gold Representative at the SCG. This director will deploy to Kent 

Police Headquarters in Maidstone. They will provide the link between the 

multi-agency Strategic Coordination Group and the NHS Incident Strategic 

Coordinator at NHS Lead (Gold). 

The response to major incidents needs to remain flexible. The decisions on where 

directors will be best deployed will be dependent of the experience and seniority of 

those on call. However, it is anticipated that the director in the PCT area affected 

will deploy to act as NHS Locality Incident Coordinator with the other roles being 

filled by the unaffected PCTs. Where an incident affects more than one PCT area 

the Lead PCT for Emergency Preparedness and Response (Eastern and Coastal 

Kent) Director on call will default to the role of NHS Incident Strategic Coordinator 

and NHS Lead (Gold) whilst an alternate is identified. 

Support to the NHS Incident Strategic Coordinator at NHS Lead (Gold) 

Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT will provide a fully equipped Incident Control Centre 

and the staff to support the NHS Incident Strategic Coordinator. This will include a 

Communications Lead, Incident Control Support Team Leader, Loggist and Call 

Takers. As the incident develops and more staff become available a Deputy 

Strategic Coordinator will be sourced from the directors and assistant directors 

across the three PCTs. 

Training 

Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT provide biannual training courses to ensure that 

directors are trained to fulfil their roles at NHS Lead (Gold) and the SCG. 



Annex A – 5.1 


SOUTH EAST COAST AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST 

1. Receive emergency calls from the emergency services or other sources. 

2. Dispatch ambulance resources to the scene of the Major Incident. 

3. Alert the appropriate listed hospitals of the possibility of a Major Incident. 

4. Receive from the first ambulance response at the scene, confirmation of the 

nature of the Major Incident. 

5. As appropriate Stand Down or confirm a Major Incident exists with the 

alerted hospitals. 

6. Confirm with the appropriate hospital the requirement for a Mobile 

Emergency Response Incident Team (MERIT) and arrange the provision of 

ambulance vehicles for their transportation to the scene as necessary. 

7. Provide a senior ambulance officer at the scene to act as ‘Ambulance 

Incident Commander’. 

8. Dispatch to the scene sufficient ambulance resources, Incident Support 

Units (ISU) and, as appropriate, the ambulance Incident Control Vehicle 

(ICV) to be located with the Police and Fire & Rescue Service. 

9. Provide identifying accoutrements for the Medical Incident Commander 

(MIC). 

10. Establish communications from the ambulance Incident Control Vehicle to 

the receiving hospitals and, if required to any officer deployed to the relevant 

local authority Emergency Control Centre. 

11. Liaise at scene with the Police and Fire & Rescue Service and any other 

organisations involved. 

12. Forward to the receiving hospitals any information obtained at the scene 

relating to toxic or radiation hazards and possible contamination of 

casualties. 

13. Determine the evacuation priorities for casualties and the hospitals to which 

they are to be sent. (In conjunction with the Medical Incident Commander, if 

deployed). 

14. Advise the receiving hospitals on the prevailing situation and the categories 

and estimated times of arrival of casualties. 



15. Organise additional ambulance cover for the emergency and routine tasks 

by re-deploying resources between ambulance stations or by arrangements 

with other divisions or ambulance services and voluntary organisations. 

16. Provide a Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officer (HALO) at the receiving 

hospitals to supervise the unloading and turn-round of ambulances. 

17. Organise the relief of ambulance crews in the event of a prolonged 

emergency. 

18. To convey to receiving hospitals a ‘scene evacuation complete’ message 

and to receive a ‘Stand down’ from these hospitals when they are in a 

position to stand down their major incident procedure. 

19. As appropriate organise transportation for patients who may require transfer 

or discharge from the receiving hospitals. 




MEDWAY (PEEL) PORTS 

Annex A - 6 

1. Receive alarm call and implement call out and warning procedure as 

detailed in the “Medway Ports Marine Emergency Procedures”. 

2. At the request of National Grid Grain LNG Ltd or the Emergency 

Services, arrange for the services of tugs and/or launches for firefighting 

or the transportation of equipment and personnel. 

3. Establish an Emergency Liaison Point at Medway Navigation Service 

(VTS) or on a Medway Ports launch or tug if required. 




NETWORK RAIL 

AND 

DB SCHENKER RAIL (UK) 

Annex A - 7 

On receipt of information from National Grid Grain LNG Ltd of an incident at their 

site with off-site implications Network Rail will: 

1. Advise the signaling centre that controls rail movements on the Grain 

branch to ensure that rail traffic is stopped at a suitable location. 

2. Inform DB Schenker Rail (UK) of the incident (DB Schenker Rail deals 

with the Grain freight terminal). 

On receipt of information from Southern Gas Networks of an incident at their 

site with off-site implications Network Rail will: 

1. Advise the signalling centre that controls rail movements on the 

branch over Pier Road to ensure that rail traffic is stopped at a 

suitable location. 

2. Provide the link between the emergency services and rail operating 

companies. 

3. Provide advice to the emergency services on rail movements. 

4. Provide advice to the emergency services on matters of rail safety. 



1. Sound the site fire siren. 


NATIONAL GRID GRAIN LNG 

Annex A - 8 

2. Ensure that all personnel not required at the incident leave the site as 

quickly as possible and assemble at the appointed position. 

3. Advise neighbouring industrial premises of the major emergency, each of 

which will undertake on-site emergency procedures and, if required, 

evacuation of site. 

4. Account for all personnel leaving the site and if required action a search. 

5. Direct personnel to the appropriate evacuation assembly point. 

6. Ensure that the automatic emergency call had been received by the Kent 

Fire and Rescue Service by a confirmatory “999” call. 

7. Operate the appropriate emergency equipment on site in order to render the 

process plant safe. 

8. Declare a Major Emergency by the Company Incident Controller notifying 

the Police via the “999” system. 

9. Notify the Kent Ambulance service direct via the “999” call system if there 

are casualties. 

10. Inform site management and senior members of staff. 

11. Provide via the Company Incident Controller any information that the 

Company Site Main Controller may require. 

12. Establish the Company Site Main Controller at the Company Emergency 

Control Centre to liaise directly with senior members of the Emergency 

Services, to communicate with the Company Incident Controller and to make 

relevant decisions for the National Grid Grain LNG Installation. 

13. Arrange for a chronological log to be kept by the Company Incident 

Controller. 

14. Inform all necessary personnel within the National Grid Grain LNG 

Installation of the Major Emergency. 

15. Inform the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector and the Environment 

Agency. 



National Grid Grain LNG - continued 

16. Provide a Press Liaison Officer to attend the scene to deal with media 

queries in liaison with the Company Site Main Controller. 

17. Enter the details of the Major Emergency in all relevant accident report 

forms. 

18. Inform relatives in liaison with the police regarding any accident to 

employees. 




HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE 


Annex A – 9 

1. The HSE working jointly with the Environment Agency as the COMAH 

Competent Authority (CA) is responsible for enforcing the Control of 

Major Accident Hazard Regulations (COMAH) at the LNG terminal. 

2. The CA would investigate any significant incident on site.

MEDWAY COUNCIL COMAH OFF-SITE EMERGENCY PLAN ...

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