Legislation and Regulations

Emergency Management throughout the United Kingdom is governed by various Legislations and Regulations to ensure that planning and cooperation between organisations is consistent at a national and local level.

The Act establishes a consistent level of civil protection activity across the UK.  It provides a basic framework defining what tasks should be performed and how cooperation should be conducted.

Working to a common framework, local responders will make there own decisions in the light of local cirumstances and priorities about what planning arrangements are appropriate in their areas.

Further information from the UK Resilience website.

The aim of the COMAH regulations is to prevent major accidents involving dangerous substance and limit the consequences to people and the environment of any which do occur.

The regualtions opperate at two levels (lower and top tier) depending on the quantities of dangerous substances at an establishment.

For more information see our COMAH webpage.

The regulations apply to all pipelines in Great Britian, and to all pipelines in terriorial waters and the UK Continental Shelf.  They ensure that a pipeline is designed, constructed and operated safety, provide a means of securing pipeline integrity, thereby reducing risks to the environment.

This regulation requires that adequate arrangements are in place in the event of an incident or emergency relating to the pipeline.

For more information see our Pipelines webpage.

This regulation lays down the basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation (the BSS 96 Directive- Basic Safety Standards).

The Regulations apply to fixed sites, rail transport and the transfer of radioactive substances across public places (other than by standard transport modes).

The majority of the Regulations within REPPIR refer to nuclear "premises", there is one exception - Regulation 17- which places a duty on all Local Authorities to supply information to the public in the event of a radiation emergency, this is made under the European Communities Act 1972.

For more information see the HSE website, and The Regulations.