This week, we will be taking part in a COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations, 2015) exercise at our site in Irlam, Manchester (UK).
The COMAH Regulations are in place to ensure qualifying sites (such as Libra Speciality Chemicals Ltd) that handle hazardous chemicals fully conform to stringent safety, risk control and risk reduction practices and operate in a strictly controlled and safe manner.
This is a mandatory exercise that occurs every 3 years on every Top Tier COMAH operating establishment within the UK chemical industry. The exercise is designed to test the emergency plans of both Libra and the emergency services.
The exercise will take place this Thursday (08/06/23) and will involve our onsite team as well as external organisations within Greater Manchester, such as Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, North West Ambulance Service and more. The response of these external bodies has been organised in advance as part of the exercise scenario and emergency plan testing. They will not be responding to a real-time emergency at our site, it is an exercise.
The completion of this exercise will allow valuable learning for all parties concerned. It allows the emergency plans of both Libra and the emergency services to be enhanced based on those important learnings.