Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

Part I Criteria

(This Part sets out the provisions of Annex VI to the Directive.)

The criteria referred to in regulation 21(1) are as follows—

1.  Any accident covered in sub-paragraph (a) or having at least one of the consequences described in sub-paragraphs (b), (c), (d) and (e) must be notified to the Commission—

(a) substances involved:

• any fire or explosion or accidental discharge of a dangerous substance involving a quantity of at least 5 per cent of the qualifying quantity laid down in column 3 of Parts II or III of Schedule 1;

(b) injury to persons and damage to property:

• an accident directly involving a dangerous substance and giving rise to one of the following events:

  (i)

  a death,

  (ii)

  six persons injured within the establishment and kept in hospital for at least 24 hours,

  (iii)

  one person outside the establishment kept in hospital for at least 24 hours,

  (iv)

  dwellings outside the establishment damaged and unusable as a result of the accident,

  (v)

  the evacuation or confinement of persons for more than 2 hours (person × hours): the value is at least 500,

  (vi)

  the interruption of drinking water, electricity, gas or telephone services for more than 2 hours (person × hours): the value is at least 1000;

(c) immediate damage to the environment:

(i) permanent or long-term damage to terrestrial habitats:

• 0·5 ha or more of a habitat of environmental or conservation importance protected by legislation,

• 10 ha or more of more widespread habitat, including agricultural land;

(ii) significant or long-term damage to freshwater and marine habitats:

• 10 km or more of river or canal,

• 1 ha or more of a lake or pond,

• 2 ha or more of delta,

• 2 ha or more of a coastline or open sea;

(iii) significant damage to an acquifer or underground water:

• 1 ha or more;

  (d)

  damage to property:

  (i)

  damage to property in the establishment of at least ECU 2 million,

  (ii)

  damage to property outside the establishment of at least ECU 0·5 million;

  (e)

  cross-border damage:

  any accident directly involving a dangerous substance giving rise to effects outside the territory of the Member State concerned.

2.  Accidents or ‘near misses’ which Member States regard as being of particular technical interest for preventing major accidents and limiting their consequences and which do not meet the quantitative criteria above should be notified to the Commission.