1. DOMINO EFFECTS & OTHER SAFETY CHALLENGES IN INDUSTRIAL PARKS
PETER BAKER
Health & Safety Executive
United Kingdom
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

2. SUMMARY
Implementation of Article 8 in Great Britain through COMAH Regulation 16
Use of ‘consultation distances’ to identify domino groups
Practical problems – case-studies
Definition of ‘control’ in Article 3
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

3. Implementation of Article 8
Control of Major Accident Hazards 1999 ‘COMAH’ – Regulation 16
HSE - as part of COMAH Competent Authority - designates domino groups
Methodology involves use of consultation distances
Domino group members notified in writing with copies available on public registers
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

4. Operators’ duties
Pass appropriate information to other establishments in domino group
Co-operate with each other regarding preparation of offsite emergency plans and provision of public information
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

5. Operators’ duties (2) ‘Appropriate information’
Initiating event need not be a major accident
In writing
Details of types of activities and means by which they could trigger major events at other establishments
Details of substances and their properties
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

6. Designating domino groups
Use consultation distances – CDs -established for advising planning authorities on developments near to major hazard sites
CDs based on:
risk for toxic substances
hazard for flammables and explosives, or
a combination of both
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

7. Domino groups A CDA CDB B CDC C CDD D 1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

8. Using CDs Advantages Limitations Early initiation of process
CDs well understood by parties
Limitations
Focus on risks of people
Does not cover wide-range of major accident initiators
Some very large CDs - based on significant quantities of generic substances
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

9. Using CDs (2) Balanced approach
Avoids unnecessary delays in designating dominos and preparing off-site plans
Ensure operators fully consider implications of domino effects in MAPPs/safety reports
Opportunity for deeper analysis of significance of activities as a source or target of accidents, eg.
Toxic effects on operators in safety critical functions
Environmental effects
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

10. Designating Groups c.1100 COMAH establishments
66 domino groups (at Dec 2002)
Average 3.5 establishments each group
Range 2-10 each group
Much good practice before COMAH
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

11. Domino groups A CDA CDB B CDC C Fig 1 - Domino Groupings
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

12. Implementation challenges
COMAH establishments without CDs
Interim distances:
Flammables/explosives: 500m
Toxic hazards: m
Reviewed when CDs set
Water-borne domino effects
Safety report review and revision
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

13. Other challenges Not necessarily discrete sites
Change of ownership of installations within establishment
Often continued reliance on services, feed-stock, emergency response
Scope for lack of coherence and inconsistency regarding MAPPs, safety reports and on- and off-site emergency plans
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

14. Case Study 1 Establishment B Refinery A 1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

15. Case Study 2
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

16. Operator ‘control’ Article 3 definitions
Establishment: “…whole area under the control of an operator where dangerous substances are present…”
Operator: “…any individual or corporate body who operates or holds an establishment or installation…”
COMAH operator: “...person in control of the operation of an establishment or installation...”
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

17. Operator ‘control’ (2) Extent of ‘control’
Parent company –v- business units
Business direction –v- day-to-day operations
European impact
Lines to take, or countermeasures?
Impact on protection afforded workers and public?
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

18. QUESTIONS?
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia

19. DOMINO EFFECTS & OTHER SAFETY CHALLENGES IN INDUSTRIAL PARKS
PETER BAKER
Health & Safety Executive
United Kingdom
1Oth CCA Meeting
Cagliari, Sardinia