Emergency Plans

In Tyne and Wear measures are taken to involve and advise the public at a local level. One of these measures is the area of Public Consultation with regard to emergency planning.

The Guidance on Part 1 of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 states that the key to an effective planning process is to be clear about its objectives. 

There should be commitment to those objectives from all the responder organisations and their key staff affected by the plan. 

This is one of the main reasons why simply writing the plan, getting it approved and issuing it to staff is not sufficient.  A sound process for developing the plan is likely to involve regular consultation with key representatives of all the teams to be mobilised by it, until the plan is finished. 

Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Off Site Emergency Plans

In accordance with Regulation 10 of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999, the local authority must consult the public when preparing the off-site emergency plan.  This could include:

• consultation with elected councillors at county, borough or parish level (or equivalents); or

• consultation with specially established groups representing residents in the vicinity of the site.

Elected councillors will be able to use appropriate channels of communication with the public in the vicinity of the major hazard establishment to obtain their views on the developing emergency plan.