§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Employment what action has been taken with regard to the recommendations of Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate in its report on the explosion and fire at Chemstar Ltd. on 6 September 1981; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaddingtonOf the three recommendations contained in the report two relate to the duties of employers. The report has been made available to inspectors who are advising employers on the recommendations when they see relevant hazards during the normal course of their work.
As far as the third recommendation is concerned, preparation is continuing within the Health and Safety Executive on the further guidance on storage and use of potentially hazardous substances to protect persons off site.
Work so far in HSE has concentrated particularly on liquefied petroleum gas installations, since it is believed that these represent the more hazardous and numerous plants. The guidance is at present subject to consultation with industry and a final version will be issued in the light of that consultation.
The principles of protection that have now been established in the context of LPG are being developed for application across the general field of flammable liquids.