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The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015

S.I. 2015/483 · Made 2 March 2015 · Extends to England, Wales and Scotland

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 1 November 2025.

Health And Safety

Made 2nd March 2015

Laid before Parliament 9th March 2015

Coming into force 1st June 2015

The Secretary of State is a Minister designated for the purposes of section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 M1 (“the 1972 Act”) in relation to measures relating to the prevention and limitation of the effects of accidents involving dangerous substances M2.

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 15(1), (2), (3)(a), (3)(c), (4)(a), (5)(a), (6)(d) and, (8), 43(2), (3), (4), (6), (80)(1) and 82(3)(a) of, and paragraphs 1(1), (2), 15, 16 and 20 of Schedule 3 to, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 M3 (“the 1974 Act”) and, section 2(2) of the 1972 Act.

Apart from the modifications referred to in the next paragraph, the Secretary of State makes these Regulations for the purpose of giving effect to proposals submitted—

  1. (a)

    by the Health and Safety Executive under section 11(3) of the 1974 Act M4 after consulting in accordance with section 50(3) M5 of that Act; and

  2. (b)

    by the Office for Nuclear Regulation under section 81(1)(a)(iv) of the Energy Act 2013 M6 after consulting in accordance with section 81(3) of that Act.

It appears to the Secretary of State that—

  1. (a)

    the amendments to secondary legislation referred to in Schedule 6; and

  2. (b)

    the revocations in relation to the instruments referred to in regulation 31,

are expedient as set out in section 80(1) of the 1974 Act.

These Regulations make provision for a purpose mentioned in section 2(2) of the 1972 Act and it appears to the Secretary of State that it is expedient for the references in these Regulations to Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16th December 2008 M7 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC and amending Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006, to be construed as including references to Annex I, Part 1.0, 1.1, Parts 2 to 4 and, Annex VI, Part 3 Table 3.1 of that instrument as those provisions are amended from time to time.

Annotations to the whole text

Marginal citations

M1

1972 c.68; section 2(2) was amended by section 27 of the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 (c.51) and Part 1 of the Schedule to the European Union (Amendment) Act 2008 (c.7). The power of Ministers of the Crown to make regulations in relation to matters as regards Scotland is preserved by section 57(1) of the Scotland Act 1998 (c.46).

M2

S.I. 1998/1750.

M3

1974 c.37; section 15(1) was substituted by paragraph 6 of Schedule 15 to the Employment Protection Act 1975 (c.71) (“the 1975 Act”) and amended by S.I. 2002/794. Section 15(2) and (3)(c) was amended by paragraph 5 of Schedule 12 to the Energy Act 2013 (c.32) (“the 2013 Act”). Section 15(4)(a) was amended by S.I. 2008/960. Section 43 was amended by paragraph 12 of Schedule 15 and Schedule 18 to the 1975 Act and by S.I. 2002/794 and 2008/960.

M4

Section 11 was substituted by S.I. 2008/960.

M5

Section 50(3) was amended by paragraph 16 of Schedule 15 to the 1975 Act, paragraph 6 of Schedule 7 to the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c.7), paragraph 11(4) of Schedule 12 to the 2013 Act, and by S.I. 2008/960.

M6

2013 c. 32.

M7

O.J. No. L353, 31.12.08, p.1.

Contents

  1. Part 1: INTRODUCTION
  2. 1Citation, commencement and extent
  3. 2Interpretation
  4. 3Application and exceptions
  5. 4The competent authority
  6. Part 2: GENERAL DUTIES OF OPERATORS OF ALL ESTABLISHMENTS
  7. 5General duties of operators
  8. 6Notifications
  9. 7Major accident prevention policies
  10. Part 3: SAFETY REPORTS FOR UPPER TIER ESTABLISHMENTS
  11. 8Purposes of safety reports
  12. 9Requirements relating to the preparation of safety reports
  13. 10Review of safety reports
  14. Part 4: EMERGENCY PLANS FOR UPPER TIER ESTABLISHMENTS
  15. 11Objectives of emergency plans
  16. 12Preparation, review and testing of internal emergency plans
  17. 13Preparation of external emergency plans
  18. 14Review and testing of external emergency plans
  19. 15Exemption of local authority from preparing an external emergency plan
  20. 16Implementing emergency plans
  21. Part 5: INFORMATION
  22. 17Provision of information to the public
  23. 18Provision of information to persons likely to be affected by a major accident at an upper tier establishment
  24. 19Provision of information pursuant to a request
  25. 20Trans-boundary consequences
  26. 21Power of the competent authority to accept information in another document
  27. Part 6: FUNCTIONS OF THE COMPETENT AUTHORITY
  28. 22Examination of safety reports by the competent authority
  29. 23Prohibition of operation
  30. 24Domino effects and domino groups
  31. 25Inspections and investigations
  32. Part 7: ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOLLOWING A MAJOR ACCIDENT
  33. 26Action to be taken following a major accident
  34. Part 8: ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES
  35. 27Enforcement and penalties
  36. Part 9: FEES
  37. 28Fees payable by operators to the competent authority
  38. 29Fees payable to local authorities for the preparation, review and testing of external emergency plans
  39. Part 10: CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS, REVOCATIONS, SAVING AND TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
  40. 30Amendments
  41. 31Revocations
  42. 32Saving provisions
  43. 33Transitional provisions
  44. Part 11: REVIEW
  45. 34Review
  46. Signature
  47. Schedule 1: Dangerous substances
  48. 1Categories of Dangerous Substances
  49. 2Named Dangerous Substances
  50. Part 3: Notes to Parts 1 and 2
  51. 1Paragraph 1
  52. 2Paragraph 2
  53. 3Paragraph 3
  54. 4Paragraph 4
  55. 5Paragraph 5
  56. 6Paragraph 6
  57. 7Paragraph 7
  58. 8Paragraph 8
  59. 9Paragraph 9
  60. 10Paragraph 10
  61. 11Paragraph 11
  62. 12Paragraph 12
  63. 13Paragraph 13
  64. 14Paragraph 14
  65. 15Paragraph 15
  66. 16Paragraph 16
  67. 17Paragraph 17
  68. 18Paragraph 18
  69. 19Paragraph 19
  70. 20Paragraph 20
  71. 21Paragraph 21
  72. 22Paragraph 22
  73. Schedule 2: Requirements and matters to be addressed by safety management systems
  74. 1Paragraph 1
  75. 2Paragraph 2
  76. Schedule 3: Minimum data and information to be included in a safety report
  77. 1Paragraph 1
  78. 2Paragraph 2
  79. 3Paragraph 3
  80. 4Paragraph 4
  81. 5Paragraph 5
  82. 6Paragraph 6
  83. Schedule 4: Information to be included in internal and external emergency plans
  84. Part 1: Internal emergency plans
  85. Paragraph
  86. Part 2: External emergency plans
  87. Paragraph
  88. Schedule 5: Criteria for the notification of a major accident to the European Commission Repealed
  89. 1Paragraph 1 Repealed
  90. 2Paragraph 2 Repealed
  91. 3Paragraph 3 Repealed
  92. Schedule 6: Amendments to secondary legislation
  93. 1Paragraph 1
  94. 2Paragraph 2
  95. 3Paragraph 3
  96. 4Paragraph 4
  97. 5Paragraph 5
  98. 6Paragraph 6
  99. 7Paragraph 7
  100. 8Paragraph 8
  101. 9Paragraph 9
  102. 10Paragraph 10
  103. 11Paragraph 11
  104. Explanatory note