Additional emergency measures in respect of dangerous substances
16.—(1) Subject to paragraph (4), in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons arising from an accident, incident or emergency related to the presence of a dangerous substance in or on the premises, the responsible person must ensure that—
(a)information on emergency arrangements is available, including—
(i)details of relevant work hazards and hazard identification arrangements; and
(ii)specific hazards likely to arise at the time of an accident, incident or emergency;
(b)suitable warning and other communication systems are established to enable an appropriate response, including remedial actions and rescue operations, to be made immediately when such an event occurs;
(c)where necessary, before any explosion conditions are reached, visual or audible warnings are given and relevant persons withdrawn; and
(d)where the risk assessment indicates it is necessary, escape facilities are provided and maintained to ensure that, in the event of danger, relevant persons can leave endangered places promptly and safely.
(2) Subject to paragraph (4), the responsible person must ensure that the information required by article 15(1)(a) and paragraph (1)(a) of this article, together with information on the matters referred to in paragraph (1)(b) and (d) is—
(a)made available to relevant accident and emergency services to enable those services, whether internal or external to the premises, to prepare their own response procedures and precautionary measures; and
(b)displayed at the premises, unless the results of the risk assessment make this unnecessary.
(3) Subject to paragraph (4), in the event of a fire arising from an accident, incident or emergency related to the presence of a dangerous substance in or on the premises, the responsible person must ensure that—
(a)immediate steps are taken to—
(i)mitigate the effects of the fire;
(ii)restore the situation to normal; and
(iii)inform those relevant persons who may be affected; and
(b)only those persons who are essential for the carrying out of repairs and other necessary work are permitted in the affected area and they are provided with—
(i)appropriate personal protective equipment and protective clothing; and
(ii)any necessary specialised safety equipment and plant,
which must be used until the situation is restored to normal.
(4) Paragraphs (1) to (3) do not apply where—
(a)the results of the risk assessment show that, because of the quantity of each dangerous substance in or on the premises, there is only a slight risk to relevant persons; and
(b)the measures taken by the responsible person to comply with his duty under article 12 are sufficient to control that risk.