Major hazards

This simple guide aims to help people cope with the unexpected and assist the emergency services in dealing quickly and efficiently with major emergencies.

Radio and TV - warning the public

In major emergency situations, it may be necessary to issue warnings and advice to the public. Such messages would normally be broadcast on relevant radio and TV channels.

Local radio stations

• Chiltern FM – 96.9 FM & 97.6 FM
• BBC Three Counties – 95.5 103.8 & 104.5 FM, 630 MW & 1161 MW
• L & D Hospital Radio – 1134 AM
• BBC Radio Northampton – 104.2 & 103.6 FM
• Northants 96/Classic Gold – 96.6 FM or 1557 AM
• Mix – 96 FM & 96.2 FM

Major hazards

The Community Risk Register

The Community Risk Register outlines the potential risks to Bedfordshire and Luton.  The risks are assessed and prioritised from high to low and (based on impact and likelihood) and given a priority basis according to their score. Risk assessments are an important  framework for us to assess which risks need priority action, additional resources, planning or preventative action.

 Community Risk Register (pdf)| (pdf document opens in new window)

Severe Weather

Flooding

Learn more about how you can prepare and cope with flooding. Our  Flood Aware, Flood Prepare| (pdf document opens in new window) leaflet can be viewed as a pdf document.  Or, find out if you live or work in a flood plain by visiting the Environment Agency website| (new window). 

 Bedfordshire and Luton flood response plan (pdf)| (pdf document opens in new window)

Heatwaves/Drought

Summer can get very hot, and pose a particular threat to the very young and the elderly. The NHS has developed a Heatwave Plan on how to cope with hot weather. You can also get ideas from the Environment Agency on ways to conserve water.

Advice on  Heatwave (pdf) (pdf document opens in new window)
Advice on Drought |(new window)
Advice on Conserving water| (new window) 

Transport

With increased mobility in today's world, transport accidents are a potential hazard and require sound emergency plans.

Road

The BLLRF Transport and Utilities Group meets every 6 months to discuss current issues.

Air

London-Luton Airport has an On-Site Crash Plan to use in case of an emergency. Additionally, the Luton Emergency Planning Group meets quarterly to discuss current transport issues.

Rail

BLLRF works with rail authorities to ensure a co-ordinated and effective response to rail incidents. In particular, Bedfordshire County Council liaise with Incident Care Teams to ensure that we maximise our resources and roles don't overlap on the scene.

Health

The health of Bedfordshire and Luton residents is also vital to our community, making it important that people are kept up-to-date on how to ensure their personal safety from serious illness, disease, or extreme weather.

Flu Pandemic

 Latest HPA advice on flu pandemic (pdf)| (pdf document opens in new window)
 HPA flu pandemic frequently asked questions (pdf)| (pdf document opens in new window)

Vulnerable people

One of our main responsibilities in an incident is to ensure the safety of our residents. It is important to consider those who may need more help than others.

Often, a distinction is made between the self-reliant and the vulnerable. It is assumed generally that self-reliant people will be able to respond to the requirements of an emergency quickly, while the vulnerable are likely to require special assistance in taking action.

Planning for vulnerable people involves things as simple as raising public awareness about emergencies and emphasising to the public a good-neighbourly attitude, particularly toward vulnerable neighbours.

Planning would also involve awareness of the locations of vulnerable establishments, such as nursing homes, day centres, or schools, and within the local authority, ensuring that services have information to make appropriate decisions about their care (e.g. issuing Heatwave warnings or advice).

It is not easy to define in advance and for planning purposes who are the vulnerable people to whom special consideration should be given in plans. It will depend on the kind of emergency.   For example, people with breathing difficulties will be vulnerable with toxic fumes. For planning purposes there are broadly three categories which should be considered:

1. Those who, for whatever reason, have mobility difficulties, including people with physical disabilities, a medical condition and even pregnant women;
2. Those with mental health difficulties; and

Others who are dependent, such as children.

Pipeline system

The Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996 task local authorities with the production of emergency plans or the modification of existing plans, to cover certain major accident hazard pipelines (MAHP) within their area. The Health and Safety Executive notify the Council of those pipelines that require plans in the region.

The following gives an overview of the emergency response to a pipeline incident, showing how the existing procedures of various organisations would be applied and co-ordinated.

It follows the recommended national format for Pipeline Safety Plans.
The operator for the notified Major Accident Hazard Pipelines in this area is National Grid National Grid (Gas). The product carried is natural gas.

National Grid (Gas) supply maps showing pipeline routes and data to the Emergency Planning Team. This information is shared with the Fire Service. The details recorded include data on bore diameter, operating pressure and above ground equipment such as valves and pumping stations.

For security reasons this information is not available to the public. Local Authority Planning and Emergency Planning sections can request the Pipeline Major Accident Prevention Document containing the above information from National Grid (Gas).

Hazard and effect

An incident involving a high pressure gas pipeline is readily identified by the following features:

Release of gas

Significant damage to a Major Accident Hazard Pipeline that results in a pipeline puncture or rupture will lead to a pressurised release of natural gas. All pipelines operating under 75 bar (which is used for the National Transmission System) contain odorised gas.

If ignited this may give rise to a thermal radiation hazard to individuals in the vicinity. Ignition can be immediate, delayed local ignition, delayed remote ignition, or no ignition at all. Each may have different consequences, hazard ranges and duration and for this reason time scale and sequence of any incident will vary.

Duration of pipeline leaks 

 When a high-pressure pipeline fails, immediate and rapid de-pressurisation occurs over a matter of seconds, and is followed by relatively stable flow as the pipeline unpacks due to the leak and continued pumping of gas into the pipeline. Flow may last for several hours dependant on the location and topography of the pipeline and the time for National Grid (Gas) personnel to arrive on site to shut down valves not shut remotely from the National Grid (Gas) Control Centre.

Blast effects and projectiles

The pressure blast at the time of failure can be significant in close proximity to the pipeline, cover material over the pipeline may be thrown into the air at high velocity, but the serious effects will diminish with distance. Delayed ignition in the vicinity of buildings may result in loss of window glass as a result of blast over pressure.

Fire and explosion

The ignition of any release of gas will cause a flare, which may have serious effects due to thermal radiation. People can be shielded indoors but radiation levels may be sufficient for the buildings to catch fire. Techniques are available for estimating the thermal radiation from an estimated quantity of gas released over time. Any failure of pipelines carries the risk of ignition, but experience has shown that in the majority of cases ignition does not occur.

If a release of gas does not ignite immediately, it will form a cloud, which will disperse over large distances. If a cloud of gas ignites it may burn back as a flash fire to the point of origin. As it disperses it will be diluted with air, the concentration falling below the lower explosive level (LEL) when it will no longer present a fire hazard. The distance over which such a release may disperse depends on the type of release and the prevailing weather conditions. Concentrations and duration may be estimated using plume modelling.

It is important that ignited gas is not extinguished unless specifically requested by the National Grid (Gas) on site controller.

Noise

The release of high-pressure gas creates a great deal of noise, which can be very intense leading to temporary hearing damage. High noise levels can also be disorientating and may cause unexpected behaviour in people effected.

Hazard range and emergency planning distances

National Grid (Gas) have calculated hazard information related to thermal radiation. This is supplied to the Fire Service and is also available to planning departments in local authorities.

Plan activation

In view of the extreme nature of a high-pressure pipeline failure it is likely that initial notification will be by a member of the public either by 999 call or to the gas emergency number.

The Emergency Services and National Grid (Gas) will follow their standard procedures to investigate reports. If at any stage they identify a requirement for additional resources, a mutual decision is taken to notify other organisations and undertake wider co-ordination. This process is the same as that employed in response to other major incidents.

There is a single national gas emergency number for all notifications: 0800 111 999. 

Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)

COMAH relates to the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations which came into force on 1 April 1999. The regulations apply to operators with specified quantities of defined dangerous substances on site, and require the operators to take the necessary measures to prevent major accidents.

Bedfordshire has only one top-tier site; sites that store 25,000 tonnes or more of hazardous material, which requires an off-site plan.

The Sandy Petroleum Storage Depot (Bedfordshire) is located at the junction between two pipeline systems. The facilities consist of road tanker delivery and receipt systems, main line Diesel and Electric pump stations, product storage tanks and cross country pipeline manifolds serving the GPSS pipelines.

According to the regulations, whereas the on-site plans are the responsibility of the Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA), and the operating contractor Unipen, Bedfordshire Local Authority is obliged to write the off site plan. This is a site-specific plan dedicated to deal with an incident at a potentially dangerous location. The County Council has a statutory duty to work with the Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA), the operating contractor Unipen, the Environment Agency (EA) the Health Protection Agency, the Primary Care Trust and the emergency services to research and write the Off-Site Emergency Plan specific to top-tier COMAH sites.

This plan is based around the major accident hazards which could affect people and the environment outside the site boundary or which will require the attendance of emergency services from outside the establishment if an emergency arises.

The plan concentrates on the events most likely to occur. The plan is flexible to allow it to be extended and increased to deal with extremely unlikely consequences, which may arise from any source.

COMAH sites are required by law to distribute information to people living in the immediate vicinity of the hazardous sites.

If you live in the immediate vicinity of Sandy PSD, you should have received an information card from the company. Make sure that you and all occupants understand the information and advice so that they can take the appropriate action in the event of an accident.
If you have not received the information card, you should contact the company.

Radiation

"Life on earth has developed with an ever present background of radiation. It is not something new, invented by the wit of man: radiation has always been there."

Eric J Hall, Professor of Radiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons,
Columbia University, New York,

Radiation occurs from two sources:

• Natural radiation exists due to materials present in the earth and particles arriving from outer space.
• Artificial radiation is caused by man made processes.

There is no difference in the effects of the radiation regarding its source.

An average person in the UK will receive approximately 10% of their annual dose of radiation from the suns cosmic rays, whilst another 50% is due to Radon (Rn) a gas generated from naturally occurring uranium present in the earth. Artificial radiation sources included medical treatments (approximately 15%) and fall out from nuclear tests and accidents (approximately 1%).

A person will be continually exposed to a low level of radiation throughout their life, this is perfectly normal and does not cause any health effects. Exposure to large amounts of radiation however can cause sterility, cataracts or even death. Lower amounts of exposure over a long period of time can cause cancer or hereditary defects in descendants. Radon exposure is thought to cause about 2,500 deaths per year in the UK.

Types of problems

Although nuclear facilities are designed to ensure that accidents affecting the public are highly unlikely, it is prudent to have arrangements to deal with them. Accidents have happened, notably at Windscale in 1957, Three Mile Island USA in 1979 and Chernobyl USSR in 1986. Accidents could also occur during transport of radioactive material and during military operations.

Mobile phone masts

The main concern about radiation in the last few years is radiation from mobile phone masts.  Mobile phone companies have a licence from the government to provide network installations throughout the country. They have to show some consideration in the location and the design of the installation.

Mobile phones work by using radio waves transmitted from base stations - both emit radio frequency radiation when in use. This radiation is an electromagnetic transmission of energy, similar to that from televisions or radios.

If there is a large distance between a mobile phone and its connecting base a lot of energy is needed for a phone to operate. The more energy that is used by the phone, the higher the level of radiation is emitted to the soft tissues of the head, which is more pronounced in children due their softer head tissue. Mast aerials are unlikely to cause a heating effect beyond a few metres around its area.

Research has been carried out worldwide and more studies are continuing to assess if this radiation is a health risk - no evidence has been found at present. However, as this technology is new and with unknown long term effects, the government requires that the emission of radiation does not exceed the levels set by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection, the ICNIRP| (new window).  Mobile phone companies must submit a certificate with each application for a mask to prove that the levels are not exceeded.

Schools who are concerned about the radiation levels within the school grounds can request measurements to be carried out by the Office of Communications (Ofcom)| (new window). A database of radiation levels at schools is being compiled.

For more information on Radiation levels please see also the Health Protection Agency| (new window).

Monitoring

RIMNET, or Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network, is the national radiation monitoring and nuclear emergency response system, set up as part of the National Response Plan following the Chernobyl accident.

An initial system, RIMNET Phase 1, was installed in 1988 to provide an interim solution while the main Phase 2 system was launched in 1994. This independently detects radioactivity resulting from any overseas accident affecting the UK through monitoring sites located around the country. The network supplies routine hourly readings and raises an alert if any abnormal increases are noted. a system designed to improve the UK's ability to respond to any overseas nuclear accident of a similar kind in the future.

In Bedfordshire there are 5 monitoring sites monitored telemetrically using the BREMAS system.

Public information

The Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR)| (new window) establishes a framework of emergency preparedness measures to ensure that members of the public are properly informed and prepared, in advance, about what to do in the unlikely event of a radiation emergency occurring.

A radiation emergency is an event that is likely to result in any member of the public receiving an effective dose of 5 mSv during the year immediately following the emergency.

In essence, the requirements are in two parts. Firstly, for areas close to major nuclear installations (Bedfordshire does not come into this category). The second part is for those incidents which may occur at any time and any place.

The Regulations place duties on Local Authorities to prepare and keep up-to-date arrangements which ensure that members of the public actually affected by a radiation emergency receive prompt and appropriate information. This duty is placed on first tier Local Authorities (i.e. County Councils). The information will be disseminated mainly by the use of broadcast media and leaflets.

Because any nuclear incident is treated with the utmost severity, the Local Authority involvement is likely to be limited. The Environmental Services Crisis Management Team would be activated immediately.

National Arrangements for Incidents Involving Radioactivity (NAIR)
NAIR is a scheme co-ordinated by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). The arrangements are designed to provide rapid and expert advice to the Police for radiological incidents in which a potential hazard might exist to the general public, and where expert advice is not otherwise available e.g. accidents to vehicles carrying radioactive substances (such incidents are expected to be of a minor nature).

Countermeasures

The following actions could be taken to reduce doses:
Sheltering

Staying indoors with windows and doors closed provides short-term protection from external irradiation from radioactive material in the air and that deposited on the ground, and from inhalation of radioactive material.

Evacuation

Avoids relatively high short-term exposures, by protecting the population against the inhalation of radioactive material and external exposure from radioactive material in the air and on the ground.

Stable Iodine

Iodine normally concentrates in the thyroid gland. Taking stable (non-radioactive) iodine tablets prevents this happening with radioactive iodine released in reactor accidents. Administration of stable iodine is combined with sheltering or evacuation.

Food

It may be necessary to ban milk or other foods because levels of contamination are too high.