Council Directive 98/24/ECShow full title

Article 7 U.K. Arrangements to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies

1. Without prejudice to the obligations laid down in Article 8 of Directive 89/391/EEC, the employer shall, in order to protect the safety and health of workers from an accident, incident or emergency related to the presence of hazardous chemical agents at the workplace, establish procedures (action plans) which can be put into effect when any such event occurs, so that appropriate action is taken. These arrangements shall include any relevant safety drills which are to be performed at regular intervals, and the provision of appropriate first aid facilities.

2. In the case of the occurence of an event such as is mentioned in paragraph 1, the employer shall immediately take steps to mitigate the effects of the event and to inform the workers concerned thereof.

In order to restore the situation to normal:

• the employer shall implement appropriate measures to remedy the situation as soon as possible,

• only those workers who are essential to the carrying out of repairs and other necessary work shall be permitted to work in the affected area.

3. The workers who are permitted to work in the affected area shall be provided with appropriate protective clothing, personal protective equipment, specialised safety equipment and plant which they must use as long as the situation persits; that situation shall not be permanent.

Unprotected persons shall not be permitted to remain in the affected area.

4. Without prejudice to Article 8 of Directive 89/391/EEC the employer shall take the measures necessary to provide the warning and other communication systems required to signal an increased risk to safety and health, to enable an appropriate response and to launch remedial actions, assistance, escape and rescue operations immediately if the need arises.

5. The employer shall ensure that information on emergency arrangements involving hazardous chemical agents is available. The relevant internal and external accident and emergency services shall have access to this information. It shall include the following:

• advance notice of relevant work hazards, hazard identification arrangements, precautions and procedures, so that the emergency services can prepare their own response procedures and precautionary measures; and

• any available information concerning specific hazards arising, or likely to rise, at the time of an accident or emergency, including information on procedures prepared prusuant to this Article.