Safety and emergency advice - Runcorn Site, UK
This section of the website is aimed at people who live and work near to the INEOS operations at Runcorn Site, UK.
Introduction
In the UK, chemical production sites such as that operated by INEOS at Runcorn Site are strictly regulated to ensure that there are adequate safety and emergency plans in place to protect people and the environment from any potential hazards. The Health & Safety Executive (the government agency responsible for protecting public safety) and the Environment Agency implement these regulations.
By law, we have to provide people who live or work near to Runcorn Site with information about our safety and emergency procedures. This is because Runcorn Site is regulated under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH).
Under the COMAH Regulations, INEOS remains obliged to send safety and emergency advice to people who live and work in the Public Information Zone for Runcorn Site. The information was last issued to residents in September 2008 and is due for re-issue in 2013. If you receive such information, it is very important that you read it carefully and retain it for future reference.
The Public Information Zone for Runcorn Site
The area to which we must distribute safety and emergency information for Runcorn Site is set by the Health & Safety Executive. The Public Information Zone for Runcorn Site has been set to cover five electoral wards in Halton (Beechwood, Grange, Halton Lea, Mersey and Heath) and a section of Frodsham nearest to our site. If you would like to check whether your property is located within the Public Information Zone, or you live or work in the Zone and do not currently have a copy of the safety and emergency information, please contact us:
INEOS ChlorVinyls
(Public Relations Department)
Runcorn Site HQ
South Parade
PO Box 9
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 4JE
Tel:
01928 515227 or 01928 511528
Email: janet.ward@ineos.com
So what is the safety and emergency information?
Emergency instructions for those in the Public Information Zone are issued in the form of a Safety Advice Card. The Safety Advice Card explains what local residents should do if there is a major emergency involving INEOS at Runcorn Site. In addition to the Safety Advice Card residents will receive a more detailed Safety Information Sheet that provides information about the substances we make, store or handle at Runcorn Site and the measures we take to prevent major accidents and emergencies.
Local residents and workers should take time to familiarise themselves with the information given on the Safety Advice Card and keep it in a place where it can be found quickly during an emergency. They should also make others in their home or place of work aware of the card. The emergency instructions for Runcorn Site are as follows:
If you become aware of a serious emergency or hear the warning siren* you should:
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Go immediately into a house or building.
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Close all doors and windows and keep away from windows.
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Switch off fresh air and air conditioning systems.
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Stay in a room away from the industrial area.
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Tune in to Radio Merseyside (95.8 MHz FM, 202m/1485 KHz AM), Radio City (96.7 MHz FM, 194m/1548 KHz AM) or Wire FM (107.2 FM) that will be used to broadcast emergency information or instructions.
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Avoid using the telephone until the emergency is over to ensure lines are free for the emergency services.
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Please co-operate fully with the instructions given by the emergency services.
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Remain indoors until the emergency is over when the doors and windows should be opened to restore ventilation.
*
A 'warning' is given by three short blasts on a siren. This warning will be sounded periodically throughout an incident.
When the emergency is over
When the major emergency is over the siren will sound a single long blast, which means that it is to go outside again.
Testing of the major emergency alarm
Tests on the siren are done weekly on a Monday at 13:00hrs and are characterised by one short blast.
How do we prevent emergencies?
To reduce the risk of an emergency at Runcorn Site we build in safety measures at every stage of our operations. We also carry out training programmes to make sure our employees are competent in the duties they have to perform.
Inspectors from the Health & Safety Executive and the Environment Agency regularly visit our site to make sure we are working safely and with respect for the environment.
In addition to external regulation we also regularly audit (check) our facilities and our safety management systems.
Where can I get more information about COMAH?
If you live in Halton you can contact the Risk and Emergency Planning Division at Halton Borough Council at the following address: -
Risk and Emergency Planning Division
Halton Borough Council
Municipal Building
Kingsway
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 7QF
Telephone: 0151 471 7391
If you live in Vale Royal you can contact Vale Royal Borough Council at the following address: -
Vale Royal Borough Council
Emergency Planning Unit
Wyvern House
The Drumber
Winsford
Cheshire
CW7 1AH
Tel: 01606 867621
Other contacts:
The Environment Agency
Appleton House
430 Birchwood Boulevard
Birchwood
Warrington WA3 7WD
Telephone: 01925 840000
The Health & Safety Executive
Hazardous Installation Directorate
HID 2.2 Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
L20 7HS
Tel: 0151 951 3540
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