Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Introduction to Fire Safety Management
➤ Procedures for reporting major accidents or near
misses, particularly those involving failure of protective
measures, and their investigation and follow-up
on the basis of lessons learnt
➤ Procedures for periodic systematic assessment of
the major accident prevention policy and the effectiveness
and suitability of the safety management
system; the documented review of performance of
the policy and safety management system and its
updating by senior management.
15.15.5 Regulations 10–12 – Off-site emergency
plan
The local authority, in whose area there is an establishment,
shall prepare an emergency plan in respect of that
establishment. The off-site emergency plan shall be prepared
no later than 6 months (or such longer period, not
exceeding 9 months, as the competent authority may
agree in writing) after:
➤ The receipt by the local authority of a notice from
the competent authority informing the local authority
of the need to prepare an off-site emergency plan in
respect of the establishment
➤ The time an on-site emergency plan is required to
be prepared for the establishment pursuant to regulation
9.
Once the plan has been prepared it must be tested and
reviewed every three years.
A person who has prepared an emergency plan
must immediately implement the plan when either a
major accident occurs or when an uncontrolled event
occurs which could reasonably be expected to lead to a
major accident.
A local authority may charge the operator a fee for
performing its functions under the Act.
15.15.6 Regulation 14 – Provision of information
to the public
The operator of an establishment that comes within the
scope of COMAH must provide any persons mentioned
in the emergency plans with information relating to the
safety measures provided on site and the role they may
play in the event of an emergency.
The operator must also make salient information
available to the public.
The operator must consult the local authority in
whose area the COMAH site is situated but remains
responsible for the accuracy, completeness and form of
the information he supplies.
The information that is provided by the operator must
be reviewed if there is a relevant change of circumstances
or new information or in any case within three years.
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15.15.7 Regulation 15 – Provision of information
to competent authority
When requested to, site operators must provide suffi cient
information to demonstrate that they have taken all measures
necessary to comply with these regulations, and the
information shall be so provided within such period as
the competent authority specifi es in the request.
15.15.8 Regulation 16 – Provision of information
to other establishments
The competent authority shall, using the information
received from operators of sites where the likelihood or
consequences of a major accident may be increased
because of the location and proximity of other COMAH
sites, pass appropriate information to other sites including
information relating to their major accident prevention
policy documents, safety reports and on-site
emergency plans.
15.16 The Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health Regulations
2002 (SI 2677)
This section summarises the key requirements of
the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations 2002 (COSHH) as amended by the COSHH
(Amendment) Regulations 2004.
COSHH defi nes substances hazardous to health as
a substance:
➤ Which is listed in Part 1 of the ASL (see previous
section on CHIP)
➤ For which the HSC has approved a workplace exposure
limit
➤ Which is a biological agent
➤ Which is a dust of any kind within specifi ed concentrations
in air
➤ Which because of its chemical or toxicological
properties and the way it is used or is present in the
workplace creates a risk to health and safety.
The term ‘workplace exposure limit’ (WEL) means the
exposure limit approved by the HSC for that substance
in relation to the specifi ed reference period when calculated
by a method approved by the HSC as contained in
the HSE publication ‘EH40 – Workplace Exposure Limits’
as updated from time to time (currently EH40 2006).
COSHH does not apply:
➤ To lead or asbestos which are covered by other specifi
c regulations