Seveso III Directive: preparing for compliance

The manufacture of chemicals is tightly regulated across the European Union (EU), with companies required to comply with the industrial safety regulations detailed under the Seveso Directive.

This forces all member states to ensure they have policies in place to prevent major accidents and was introduced after a disaster at a small plant just north of Milan in 1976 left the community of Seveso and the surrounding residential areas exposed to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin - later classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a carcinogen for humans.

Initially implemented in 1982, the Seveso Directive was designed to improve the safety of sites containing large quantities of potentially dangerous substances. This was superseded by the Seveso II Directive, which came into force in February 1997, and is to be further amended and replaced by the Seveso III Directive before July 2015.

Under the directive, companies operating within EU member states and handling dangerous substances above certain thresholds are required to regularly inform the public that would likely be affected by any incident - providing safety reports, a safety management system and an internal emergency plan.

The controls are imposed under a tiered approach, with stricter rules on 'upper-tier' establishments as they handle larger quantities than 'lower-tier' plants.

The Seveso III Directive
First published by the European Commission in July 2012, this legislation will, like its predecessor, be enforced across the UK through the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations.

On May 31st 2015, the existing 1999 COMAH legislation will be repealed and replaced by the 2015 version on the following day. While this will cover the vast majority of Seveso III, the land use planning requirements will be implemented through amended planning regulations by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.

With little over six months for companies within the sector to ensure full adherence to the updated legislation, stakeholders are being urged to get prepared as soon as possible. So what changes will the Seveso III Directive bring?

There have been several technical updates to the EU's chemicals classifications in recent years and these have been reflected in the new regulations.

In 2008, the European Council and the European Parliament introduced a new ruling relating to the classification, labelling and packaging (CLP) of substances and mixtures, bringing it into line with the UN international chemicals classification. As a result, the Seveso II Directive required adaptation as its scope was based upon the former chemicals classification.

The latest legislation will ensure citizens are able to access information regarding risks resulting from the activities of nearby companies and the procedures to follow in the event of an accident. Powers are to be put in place to ensure those who are not granted appropriate safety information have access to justice.

Stricter standards of inspection have also been devised in order to ensure the rules are enforced. Furthermore, effective rules on participation have been introduced to govern land-use planning projects concerning plants operating under the Seveso legislation.

As a chemicals manufacturer, Robinson Brothers has always taken its security responsibilities incredibly seriously and has been fully compliant with all iterations of the Seveso Directive through the COMAH regulations in the UK. We will continue to do so and ensure our adherence to Seveso III ahead of the June 2015 launch. The firm is a lower-tier COMAH site and manages its inventories accordingly to ensure that it remains as this way.