Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)

In West Berkshire there are two upper tier COMAH sites:

• Petroleum Storage Depot in Padworth
• Frontier Agriculture in Hermitage

These sites are classified as COMAH sites because they store and/or use a certain level of chemicals, and therefore, must abide by the COMAH Regulations 2015. These regulations ensure the sites take all necessary measures to prevent major accidents involving the dangerous substances that they store and/or use.
 

The COMAH regulations

The COMAH Regulations 2015 apply mainly to the chemical industry, but also explosives and nuclear sites, or other industries where more than the threshold quantities of dangerous substances are identified, such as some storage sites.

More information on the regulations and thresholds can be found on the Health and Safety Executive website.
 

West Berkshire Council's responsibilities

West Berkshire Council have created specific emergency plans, in compliance with the legal requirements. These plans set out the emergency arrangements for a multi-agency response to any on-site emergency with actual or potential off-site consequences. The plans have been written and are reviewed by the Multi-Agency Planning Group, led by West Berkshire Council.

The plans are held by West Berkshire Council's Emergency Planning Service and contains information on responding, coordinating and recovering from an incident at the site, in addition to training and exercising.