Reporting COMAH Accidents and Incidents

Major industrial accidents involving dangerous substances pose a significant threat to human health and the environment. Such accidents can give rise to serious injury to people or serious damage to the environment, both on and off the site of the accident.

The Chemicals Act (Control of Major Accident Hazards involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2015 (S.I. No. 209 of 2015) (the ‘COMAH Regulations’) implement the most recent Seveso Directive (2012/18/EU) and establishments that are subject to these Regulations have additional reporting requirements for -

1. An explosion or fire involving a dangerous substance occurring in an establishment which resulted in the stoppage of any part of the establishment or suspension of normal work in that establishment for more than 24 hours.
2. The uncontrolled or accidental release or the escape of any dangerous substance from any apparatus, equipment, pipework, pipe-line, process plant, storage vessel, tank or tanker, which, having regard to the nature of the substance and the extent and location of the release or escape, might have been liable to cause - (a) serious injury consequences to human health; (b) serious damage to the environment; or (c) damage to property; to the extent that it had the potential to cause a major accident.

Such incidents must be reported immediately to the Central Competent Authority (the Health and Safety Authority) on the approved Notifiable Incident Form and sent by email to comah@hsa.ie.