Industrial Incident | Lancashire Resilience Forum

What are the risks for Lancashire?

Lancashire has a wide variety of industrial sites that involve the use or storage of hazardous materials as part of their daily business. This creates the potential for incidents to occur such as fire, explosion, and/ or the uncontrolled release of chemicals that may harm people and/ or the environment, within Lancashire. Sites such as Heysham Power Station and Westinghouse Springfields are governed by strict nuclear regulations (REPPIR). Others are regulated under Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH), designed to prevent incidents and limit consequences to the public and environment if they do occur.

What to do if there’s an industrial incident

Know your area - be aware of nearby hazardous sites where you live or work.
If you live close to a large chemical site you will be sent information advising you of the actions to take in the event in an accident, please keep this in a handy place.
Keep a stock of essential supplies - remember to check the use by dates of perishable items regularly.
Prepare an emergency pack in case you are asked to evacuate.
Sign up to receive alerts and information about risks in your area.
Follow #lancsalert on social media.

Go inside, close all windows and doors and turn off any air conditioning or venting systems that might draw air in from outside. This is good advice for any large fire as exposure to smoke always poses some risk to health.
Tune into local radio stations or follow #lancsalert for further information.
Be prepared to evacuate upon request if you live nearby the affected site.
Do not enter property that is within a cordon until you are told it is safe to do so.
Follow all instructions given by the emergency services.