Major Emergency Safety Advice What to do if you hear the Severnside GO IN Sirens

STAY IN

TUNE IN

February 2019 – February 2022

1 Welcome to the latest instalment of the Severnside You should follow the Major Accident Safety Advice booklet. advice on this page if you If you live or work on Severnside, you should be aware that there are industries in your area that use dangerous substances. Further information hear the Severnside Sirens about the location and activities of these industries can be found on pages Go indoors and stay there. Do not collect 7 – 11 of this leaflet. 1  children from school as they will be properly You should keep this booklet safe and ensure that you pass on the advice cared for. contained within to any family, friends and neighbours where possible. Close windows and doors. This booklet is produced every three years and distributed to properties 2  within the audible range of the Severnside Sirens. GO IN Listen to your local radio. Follow emergency The design and distribution of this information is funded entirely by the 3  instructions you are given. hazardous substance handling sites in the Severnside area. We hope you find the contents interesting and informative. Play it safe – turn off any gas appliances, 4  ventilation systems and ensure there are no naked flames.

Do not leave the area unless you urgently need 5  help or are advised to do so by the emergency STAY IN services or the Local Authority.

Do not use telephones unless you urgently 6  need help. This will keep phone lines free for emergency use.

Stay indoors until you are advised 7  otherwise or the all clear is sounded by the TUNE IN Severnside Sirens.

Remember: The Severnside Sirens are sounded for emergencies that involve dangerous substances. It is important you remain inside and wait for further instruction.

2 3 The Severnside Sirens Following declaration of a warn people of possible COMAH* major accident the incidents involving following will happen: dangerous substances 1 The Police will trigger the around Avonmouth. Severnside Sirens. TUNE IN The sirens can be heard across 2 The sirens will sound intermittently the areas of Portishead, (a rising continuous note) for as You can find out how an incident is being dealt Avonmouth, Shirehampton, long as battery life allows whilst the with and what you should be doing by listening hazard persists. Pilning and Severn Beach. to your local radio station. 3 The media will be kept informed and The warning system helps to BBC Radio Bristol make these areas safer places regular broadcasts made. 94.9 FM, to live, work and visit. 4 An ‘All Clear’ tone will sound (a continuous note) only when the 104.6 FM, The siren system is area is safe and battery life allows. and DAB Digital Radio maintained by Severnside Sirens Trust, an independent Note: Sirens are battery operated with Heart 96.3 FM charitable organisation. limited battery life. As such, the sirens The Breeze 107.2 FM warning system is only intended Sam 106.5 FM *Control of Major Accident Hazards for initial notification.

The sirens are tested monthly on the third day of each month at 3pm. To hear a sample of the Severnside Sirens please visit www.bristol.gov.uk and follow the links from the Crime and Emergencies page.

4 5 AstraZeneca UK AstraZeneca

Upper Tier Site Profiles Control of major accident hazards Avara Avlon Pharma Services Ltd In order to regulate the use of dangerous substances, the UK Government created Site activities pipework and control systems the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) 1999, and the current Amendment Avlon Site manufactures small scale are designed to prevent any such Regulations, COMAH 2015. and bulk Active Pharmaceutical incidents. There are many controls Ingredients. These products are in place to ensure that processes The COMAH regulations apply to any establishment storing or handling large transported to locations around the operate in the correct way and quantities of chemicals of a hazardous nature. world for further processing. safely. Operating units and storage The aim of the regulations is to prevent major accidents involving dangerous facilities are equipped with fire substances and to minimize the impact to people and the environment if any Hazardous substances detection, gas detection and fire incidents do occur. Integral to Avlon Site’s operations protection systems as appropriate. is the use of chemicals. Some of Emergency response plans and The regulations work on two levels depending on the amount of these chemicals are flammable or resources are in place and these are dangerous substances used or held in storage at a facility. The two toxic in nature. reviewed, tested and updated on a levels of COMAH include Upper Tier sites and Lower Tier sites. periodic basis. Avlon Site has been operational The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment since 1971. There is extensive Regular On-Site Sirens Test: Agency regularly monitor the activities of COMAH sites experience within the organisation Thursday 10am. on Severnside. to handle these materials and to design appropriate equipment All sites have emergency procedures in place and to ensure all chemicals are are actively involved with preparing, maintaining contained appropriately. and exercising the external emergency plan. What are the potential hazards? Due to the nature of the Site’s operations, the potential hazards are: fire, explosion, loss of containment of liquids and/or gases. This could result in the Avara Avlon Pharma Services Ltd release of harmful materials Severn Road, Hallen into the atmosphere. South Gloucestershire BS10 7ZE All of the Site’s storage ( 0117 938 5100 tanks, process vessels,

66 7 Esso Petroleum Company Ltd Hallen PSD and Redcliffe Bay PSD Site activities respond to any emergency call. Site activities There are many systems in place The site is a distribution terminal Esso has in place an ‘operations Both sites are designed and used to ensure that the site operates that receives and stores petroleum integrity management system’ for the storage and distribution of correctly and safely in order that products. The stored petroleum which focuses on recognising and Aviation Fuel, which has similar such events are prevented. The site products are then loaded into road eliminating hazards before they properties to domestic heating oil. safety record is excellent and the tankers for onward distribution cause an accident. probability of a major accident at the Hazardous substances site is very remote. A comprehensive throughout the UK. Esso also recognises the potential Integral to the sites’ operations is the Safety Management System has impact on the environment when storage and distribution of aviation been established, which reduces the Hazardous substances handling petroleum products. kerosene, which is flammable. There likelihood of such events. The site stores products, which are The operating procedures, practices extremely flammable and dangerous is extensive operational experience and equipment are all designed to Weekly On-site Siren Test at to the environment. on the sites and within the company mitigate the possibility of major Hallen PSD: Tuesday 10am. on how to handle these materials. accident hazard occurring and are Esso fully understands the dangers Weekly On-site Siren Test at prepared to respond in an effective of working with petroleum products What are the Redcliffe Bay PSD: Tuesday 11am. and has taken every possible step to way to control a release, should it potential hazards? prevent a major accident hazard. ever occur. Major hazards at the Hallen PSD What are the Regular On-Site Sirens Test: site and the Redcliffe Bay PSD site potential hazards? Wednesday 12pm (noon). are associated with the storage and movement of fuel. In the unlikely Due to the products used at the event of a major fire at the site, it is site, the potential hazards are: Fire highly improbable that you will be involving the hazardous substances; exposed to the fire outside of the Explosion involving Petroleum site boundary. However, a smoke Hallen PSD Spirits; Environmental impact from plume could travel several kilometres Ison Hill, Hallen, smoke, or from the contamination and cause minor irritation. South Gloucestershire BS10 7SG of water and soil. Only in a worst Therefore, it is essential that you ( 0117 950 6107 case scenario is it possible that the Esso Petroleum Company Ltd go inside, stay inside and tune in effects of such events would reach Avonmouth Fuels Terminal Redcliffe Bay PSD to your local radio. There is also the the surrounding area. The site has St Andrews Road, Holesmouth Down Road, Portishead small possibility of a major spill or trained personnel who, along with Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9BN North Somerset BS20 8LB leak, which could have implications the emergency services, can quickly ( 0117 938 6200 ( 0117 950 6107 for the surrounding environment.

8 9 Valero Energy Ltd Site activities have 24hr access to the facility. Valero The Valero Avonmouth terminal has in place a Management System is a fuel distribution terminal that (CTEMS) that ensures that potential receives, stores and distributes hazards are recognised and eliminated hydrocarbon products. Hydrocarbon before an accident occurs. products are stored within the facility Hydrocarbons can have a detrimental and then loaded into road tanker for impact on the environment and Valero onward distribution at retail locations takes seriously its responsibility to throughout the UK. protect the communities in which it operates. The extensive processes and Hazardous substances procedures that are in place mitigate The terminal stores a variety the possibility of major accidents of hydrocarbon fuels that are happening and ensure that we respond extremely flammable and dangerous effectively should a release occur. to the environment. Valero fully understand the potential hazards Regular On-Site Sirens Test: involved with hydrocarbon products Friday 1pm. and takes every step possible to avoid a major hazardous incident.

What are the potential hazards? The flammable nature of the products stored on site is the main hazard. These are predominantly explosion, fire and environmental contamination. All personnel on site are trained in emergency response procedures and we regularly train and share Valero Energy Ltd information with the emergency Holesmouth Road, Royal Edward Dock services. The emergency services can Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9BE respond to any incident on site and ( 0117 923 5868

10 Photograph:The Bristol Port Company 11 Other COMAH sites For further information Within the Severnside area there Bristol City Council are also a number of Lower Tier Civil Protection Unit (100TS) COMAH sites. Lower Tier sites also Bristol City Council handle dangerous substances, PO Box 3176 however, the amount they store or Lower Tier COMAH Bristol BS3 9FS use is under a given threshold. The Sites on Severnside ( 0117 922 2000 subsequent threat to people and the email [email protected] environment is less than the upper Augean Treatment Ltd online www.bristol.gov.uk tier sites, however, you should be (Avonmouth) aware that these sites also have the Smoke Lane, Avonmouth North Somerset Council potential to cause a major incident. Bristol BS11 0YA Emergency Management Unit If there is an incident at a Lower ( 0117 982 0303 Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road Tier site you should follow the Weston Super Mare Berwick Wood PSD GO IN | STAY IN | TUNE IN North Somerset BS23 1UJ Berwick Lane advice given for all COMAH ( 01934 426 706 Hallen, related incidents. email [email protected] South Gloucestershire online www.n-somerset.gov.uk/emergency BS10 7RS ( 0117 950 6107 South Gloucestershire Council Emergency Planning and Health Protection Unit Bristol Port Company W Shed Department for Children, Adults and Health St Andrews Road Public Health & Wellbeing Avonmouth, Bristol PO Box 1955 BS11 9DQ Bristol BS37 0DE ( 0117 982 0000 For further information about the ( 01454 868 009 Lower Tier COMAH Sites, please Yara UK Ltd email [email protected] contact the sites directly or call St Andrews Road online www.southglos.gov.uk Bristol City Council on 0117 922 2000 Avonmouth or South Gloucestershire Council on Bristol, BS11 9HW Severnside Sirens Trust 0145 486 8009 (office hours only). ( 0117 244 1839 email [email protected] online www.severnsidesirens.co.uk

12 12 1313 Location of the Severnside Sirens

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Siren Location

Siren Range

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Documents available on request in other formats. If you would like this information in another language, Braille, audio tape, large print, easy English, BSL video or CD rom or plain text please email [email protected]

This document was produced by Bristol City Council on behalf of the following COMAH Sites: Avara Avlon Pharma Services, Augean Treatment Ltd (Avonmouth), Valero Energy Ltd, Bristol Port Company, Esso Petroleum Company Ltd, CLHPS, FloGas, Yara UK Ltd. 16 Designed by Bristol City Council – Bristol Design. BD11092 January 2019