The Planning (Management of Waste from Extractive Industries) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

PART 5 ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS FOR CATEGORY A WASTE FACILITIES

Major accident prevention policy, safety management system and internal emergency plan

13.—(1) No operations involving the management of extractive waste shall commence unless a major accident prevention policy is drawn up, a safety management system to implement that policy is put into effect, and an internal emergency plan, specifying the measures to be taken on-site in the event of an emergency is put into effect.

(2) A safety manager shall be appointed to ensure the implementation and periodic supervision of the major accident prevention policy.

(3) The major accident prevention policy and safety management system shall be proportionate to the major accident hazards presented by the waste facility and account shall be taken of the following factors—

(a) the major accident prevention policy shall include the overall aims and principles of action with respect to the control of major accident hazards;

(b) the safety management system shall include the part of the general management system which includes the organisational structure, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for determining and implementing the major accident prevention policy;

(c) the safety management system shall address the following issues—

(i) organisation and personnel, including their roles and responsibilities in the management of major accident hazards at all levels in the organisation, identification of training needs of such personnel and the provision of the training so identified and involvement of employees and, where appropriate, subcontractors,

(ii) identification and evaluation of major accident hazards, including the adoption and implementation of procedures for systematically identifying major accident hazards arising from normal and abnormal operations and assessment of their likelihood and severity,

(iii) operational control, including the adoption and implementation of procedures and instructions for safe operation, including maintenance of plant, processes, equipment and temporary stoppages,

(iv) management of change, including the adoption and implementation of procedures for planning modifications to, or the design of, new waste facilities,

(v) planning for emergencies, including the adoption and implementation of procedures to identify foreseeable emergencies by systematic analysis and to prepare, test and review emergency plans to respond to such emergencies,

(vi) monitoring performance, including the adoption and implementation of procedures for the ongoing assessment of compliance with the objectives set by the major accident prevention policy and safety management system and the mechanisms for investigation and taking corrective action in case of non-compliance and such procedures shall cover the system 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, and

(vii) audit and review, including the adoption and implementation of procedures for periodic systematic assessment of the major accident prevention policy and the effectiveness and suitability of the safety management system and the documented review of performance of the policy and safety management system and its updating by senior management.

(4) The internal emergency plan shall include the following—

(a) names or positions of persons authorised to set emergency procedures in motion and the person in charge of and co–ordinating the on-site mitigatory action;

(b) for foreseeable conditions or events which could be significant in bringing about an accident, a description of the action which should be taken to control the conditions or events and to limit their consequences, including a description of the safety equipment and the resources available;

(c) arrangements for limiting the risks to persons on-site including how warnings are to be given and the actions persons are expected to take on receipt of a warning;

(d) arrangements for providing early warning of the incident to the council, the type of information which should be contained in an initial warning and the arrangements for the provision of more detailed information as it becomes available;

(e) arrangements for training staff in the duties they will be expected to perform, and where necessary, co-ordination with the emergency services;

(f) arrangements for providing assistance with off-site mitigatory action;

(g) arrangements, where appropriate, to communicate the necessary information to the public concerned and to the relevant services or authorities in the area.

(5) Copies of the major accident prevention policy, the safety management system and the internal emergency plan shall be provided to the council.

(6) In the event of a major accident, the council shall be immediately provided with all information required to help minimise the consequences of the accident for human health and to allow the assessment and minimisation of the actual and potential extent of the environmental damage.

(7) The council shall be provided with such further information as it requires to draw up an external emergency plan.