Plant Safety. Christian Schaible, Policy Manager, European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Belgium

1. Panel 4: Helsinki Chemicals Forum 2016
-Plant Safety and relationship with
communities-
Christian Schaible EEB, Helsinki Chemicals Forum 2016

3. Philosophy of Seveso III (unchanged)
“Safe”
Management
“Best
practice” /
technology
to prevent
accidents
Demonstrate safety (Safety Report) +
“Continuously improve” to achieve high
level of protection set in Major Accident
Prevention Policy (MAPP)
Emergency
Planning
Land-Use
Planning
InformationtothePublic
I N S P E C T I O N S
Accident Reporting and Lessons Learnt

4. Problems community relationship
(selective membership feedback)
 Who was here first and needs to make efforts?
Expropriation / prevention at source or
industry relocation
illustration 1:
PPRT ESSO
Hydrocarbons
Storage
(Toulouse/FR)

5. Problems community relationship
(selective membership feedback)
 Land use conflicts (operators/other industry)
illustration 2: Merck v. Gardening Site(Darmstadt/DE)
 Who pays and for what?
illustration: French tripartite cost split system

6. Available tools EU plant safety and
concerted decision-making
Positive Negative /clarification
needs
“adequate” Safety
Management System
(SMS) to be put in place
What is adequate?
“Safety culture “is part of
SMS, training and
involvement of workers
mandatory
Visibility on implementation
/ investment / follow up by
management unclear

7. Available tools EU plant safety and
concerted decision-making
Positive Negative /clarification
needs
all “necessary” measures
have to be taken to prevent
accidents
What is necessary? Can
more be done?
Operator’s overall aims,
principles of action, the role
and responsibility of
management, and
commitment towards
“continuously improving the
control of major –accident
hazards and ensuring a
high level of protection”
What does this mean
concretely? What are the
timescales of aims and
action and who is involved
in the decision-making?

8. Available tools EU plant safety and
concerted decision-making
Positive Negative /clarification
needs
Emergency plans to be
elaborated with clearer
objectives / internal
emergency plans in
consultation with workers
and subcontracted
personnel +
tested/reviewed regularly
External emergency plans
not elaborated in
consultation with impacted
community / NGO
concerned, just “for
opinion”

9. Available tools EU plant safety and
concerted decision-making
Positive Negative /clarification
needs
“Maintain appropriate”
safety distances for
vulnerable areas.
Take additional technical
measures “so as not to
increase the risks to human
health and the
environment”
No harmonised approach
on minimum safety
distances.
Liability is shifted to
permitting authorities (land
use planners).
What about taking
additional measures to
prevent and reducing the
risks?

10. Available institutional structures for
concerted decision-making
 Facility level
illustration 1: French system of local commissions
Commission de Suivi de Sites (CSS)
 State level
illustration 2: German Commission for Plant Safety
Kommission für Anlagensicherheit (KAS)

11. Common interest: substitution of
dangerous substances at source
Best Available Techniques
-Chemical BREFs
- Storage BREF (STS)
-…
http://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/
reference
Occupational health
legislation / workers
protection

12. NGO recommendations
Major Accidents Prevention Policy (MAPP) / Safety
Management System (SMS)
Prevention of risks at source and sustainable production:
 Synergies with BAT performance concept (link to LCA
environmental impact of the activity)
 Substitution of hazardous chemicals as risk
prevention/reduction strategy
Other tools (in light of economic pressures):
 Cost recovery: “Seveso fund” (e.g. dangerous substance tax
to promote implementation and innovation)
 Strict and extended liability regime

13. Thank you for your attention !
European Environmental Bureau
Bureau Européen de l’Environnement
Boulevard de Waterloo
B- 1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: + 32 2 289 10 90
Fax: + 32 2 289 10 99
E-mail: christian.schaible@eeb.org
Site Web: www.eeb.org
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