Certain industrial activities involving dangerous substances and materials have the potential to cause accidents although the scale and the nature of the accident may vary considerably. Some of these accidents may cause serious injuries to people or environmental damage.
Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea are not considered to be more at risk than any other part of the country. However there are industrial sites, fuel and gas pipelines running through the area and storage depots that have the potential to cause a major incident.
Certain industrial activities involving dangerous substances and materials have the potential to cause accidents although the scale and the nature of the accident may vary considerably. Some of these accidents may cause serious injuries to people or environmental damage.
Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea are not considered to be more at risk than any other part of the country. However there are industrial sites, fuel and gas pipelines running through the area and storage depots that have the potential to cause a major incident.
HISTORY
In November 2001, the explosion of a blast furnace at CORUS (now known as Tata Steel) Port Talbot, led to the tragic deaths of three employees and injury of a number of other people. The explosion caused widespread alarm and concern throughout the locality.
On June 16th 2011, a tyre flock fire in an industrial unit in Fforestfach, Swansea became an incident that lasted for 23 days and had a significant impact on the responding agencies, local businesses and a large community. The incident proved to be one of the most challenging to occur in Wales.
LEGISLATION
The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 1999 aim to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substances and to limit the consequences to people and the environment. Similarly the Pipeline Safety Regulations were established in 1996 to assist in minimising the consequences to the health and safety of people in the event of an emergency involving a major pipeline.
The Pipeline Safety Regulations put responsibility on the Local Authorities to compile and review emergency response plans to alleviate the effects on the local community if such an accident was to occur.