UK Statutory Instrument
1999
United Kingdom
Repealed
The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999
At a glance
Enforced by
What's here
19 compliance obligations
Who this Act binds
Business-side actors with duties under this Act, ranked by how often they appear.
- Operator 12
- Any Person 2
Plus 5 non-business duties on Crown ministers, regulators, local authorities or tribunals — shown collapsed under each section below.
Other Acts binding the same actors
For each actor bound by this Act, the other UK Acts that bind them most often. Useful for understanding the full compliance landscape facing each role.
Operators also bound by 730 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Regulation (EU) No 965/2012 (Air Operations) 2012 138 duties
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2066 of 19 December 2018 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 (Text with EEA relevance) 2018 121 duties
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 of 21 June 2012 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (Text with EEA relevance) (repealed) 2012 112 duties
- Space Industry Regulations 2021 2021 75 duties
- Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’) (Text with EEA relevance) 2016 66 duties
Any Person also bound by 2338 other Acts (top 5 shown)
- Human Medicines Regulations 2012 2012 169 duties
- Merchant Shipping Act 1995 1995 144 duties
- Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 2016 101 duties
- Road Traffic Act 1988 1988 95 duties
- Air Navigation Order 2016 2016 95 duties
What this Act requires
Sections that create concrete duties on businesses or carry penalties. Procedural and definitional sections are folded into the “Browse other sections” expander at the bottom of each group. Click any section title to read the source text on legislation.gov.uk.
Part 1 — INTRODUCTION
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Interpretation
Application
Part 2 — GENERAL
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
General duty
Major accident prevention policy
Notifications
Part 3 — SAFETY REPORTS
Browse 2 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Safety report
Review and revision of safety report
Part 4 — EMERGENCY PLANS
Browse 5 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
On-site emergency plan
Off-site emergency plan
Review and testing of emergency plans
Implementing emergency plans
Charge for preparation, review and testing of off-site emergency plan
Part 5 — PROVISION OF INFORMATION BY OPERATOR
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Provision of information to the public
Provision of information to competent authority
Provision of information to other establishments
Part 6 — FUNCTIONS OF COMPETENT AUTHORITY
Browse 6 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Functions of competent authority in relation to the safety report
Prohibition of use
Inspections and investigations
Enforcement
Provision of information by competent authority
Fee payable by operator
Part 7 — AMENDMENTS, REVOCATIONS, SAVINGS AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
Browse 3 other sections in this Part — procedural / definitional / commencement
Amendments
Revocation and savings
Transitional provision
Schedules
PRINCIPLES TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN PREPARING MAJOR ACCIDENT PREVENTION POLICY DOCUMENT
- Establish a Major Accident Prevention Policy and Safety Management System Operator
INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN A NOTIFICATION
- Notify authorities if you handle large quantities of dangerous substances Operator
EMERGENCY PLANS
- Create and maintain detailed on-site emergency plans Operator
INFORMATION TO BE SUPPLIED TO THE PUBLIC
- Provide major accident hazard information to the public Operator
CRITERIA FOR NOTIFICATION OF A MAJOR ACCIDENT TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND INFORMATION TO BE NOTIFIED
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Notify the European Commission of major accidents or significant near misses Statutory regulator
PROVISION OF INFORMATION BY COMPETENT AUTHORITY
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must maintain a public register of COMAH information Statutory regulator
Browse 46 other Schedules — structural / supplementary
DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES TO WHICH THE REGULATIONS APPLY
For the purpose of implementing the operator’s major accident prevention...
The major accident prevention policy should be established in writing...
The safety management system should include the part of the...
The following issues shall be addressed by the safety management...
the name and address of the operator;
the address of the establishment concerned;
the name or position of the person in charge of...
information sufficient to identify the dangerous substances or category of...
the quantity and physical form of the dangerous substances present;...
a description of the activity or proposed activity of the...
details of the elements of the immediate environment liable to...
PURPOSE AND CONTENTS OF SAFETY REPORTS
name of operator and address of the establishment;
a reference to the off-site emergency plan for the establishment....
details of where further relevant information can be obtained, unless...
identification, by position held, of the person giving the information;...
confirmation that the establishment is subject to these regulations and...
an explanation in simple terms of the activity or activities...
the common names or, in the case of dangerous substances...
general information relating to the nature of the major accident...
adequate information on how the population concerned will be warned...
adequate information on the actions the population concerned should take,...
confirmation that the operator is required to make adequate arrangements...
A brief description of the circumstances of the accident, including...
A brief description of the emergency measures taken and of...
The competent authority shall maintain a register containing the information...
No information relating to the affairs of any individual or...
Where information is provided to the competent authority pursuant to...
A determination under paragraph 11 must be made within the...
Where, under paragraph 11 above, the competent authority determines that...
Subsections (5) and (10) of section 15 of the Environmental...
The Secretary of State may give to the competent authority...
Information excluded from the register shall be treated as ceasing...
Paragraphs 13 and 14 above shall apply in relation to...
Information is, for the purposes of any determination under this...
The Environment and Safety Information Act 1988 shall apply to...
The competent authority may remove from the register information relating...
Any information other than that referred to in paragraph 1...
Where information of any description is excluded from the register...
It shall be the duty of the competent authority—
The register may be kept in any form.
No information shall be included in the register if and...
The Secretary of State may, for the purpose of securing...
The competent authority shall notify the Secretary of State of...
A person may, as respects any information which appears to...
Other sections — not classified into a Part
These sections sit outside the numbered Parts — usually provisions added or moved by later amendments.
General duty
- Prevent major accidents and limit their impacts Operator
Safety report
- Submit and receive approval for safety reports before construction or operation Operator
Review and revision of safety report
- Review and update your major accident safety report Operator
Review and testing of emergency plans
- Review and test your emergency plans every three years Any Person
Implementing emergency plans
- Activate emergency plans immediately during an accident Any Person
Provision of information to the public
- Provide safety information to the public in affected areas Operator
Provision of information to competent authority
- Provide information to the HSE or Environment Agency upon request Operator
Provision of information to other establishments
- Share safety info and coordinate with neighboring high-hazard sites Operator
Functions of competent authority in relation to the safety report
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must review and respond to safety reports Statutory regulator
Prohibition of use
- Comply with any notice prohibiting the use of an installation Operator
Inspections and investigations
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Regulators must inspect major accident hazard sites and investigate accidents Statutory regulator
Provision of information by competent authority
Other duties (1) — Crown / regulator
- Competent authority must notify European Commission of major accidents Statutory regulator
Fee payable by operator
- Pay fees for COMAH regulatory and enforcement activities Operator
Browse 12 other sections
Citation and commencement
Interpretation
Application
Major accident prevention policy
Notifications
On-site emergency plan
Off-site emergency plan
Charge for preparation, review and testing of off-site emergency plan
Enforcement
Amendments
Revocation and savings
Transitional provision
Official guidance
Authoritative sources published by regulators or government explaining this legislation.
- Liquid metal embrittlement by mercury in the refining and allied process industries (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
- Dangerous Substances (Notification and Marking of Sites) Regulations 1990 (NAMOS) (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
- A guide to the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996 (opens in a new tab) from HSE Code of Practice
- A guide to the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH) 2015 (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
- Notification and marking of sites (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
- LNG terminals - Consent and operational issues (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
- Delivery Guide (DG) for the Inspection of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) Strategic Topics (opens in a new tab) from HSE Detailed Guidance
Enforcement and responsible bodies
The regulators that administer or enforce this legislation.
HSE
PrimaryHealth and Safety Executive
Workplace health, safety, and welfare regulation across all industries. Enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and related regulations. Investigates …
Environmental protection in England. Regulates waste, emissions, water quality, flood risk, and environmental permits for industrial activities. Enforces environmental law and issues …
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