HC Deb 16 February 1993 vol 219 cc186-7W
Mr. Bill Michie

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to her answer of 2 December 1992,Official Report, columns 221–22, how many accidents were reported to the Health and Safety Executive under the provisions of regulation 5(1) of the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1984 in each year since 1984; and if she will list for each accident the dangerous substances involved and for each substance the number of accidents in which it was involved; in which accidents members of the public were (a) requested to remain in their homes or (b) asked to leave their homes for the duration of the incident; and in which accidents restrictions were placed on (i) the consumption of foodstuffs, (ii) the consumption of drinking water and (iii) the use of water for agricultural or industrial purposes.

Mr. McLoughlin

The table shows the number of accidents which occurred between 1985 and 1992 that were reported to the Health and Safety Executive—HSE— under the provisions of regulation 5(1) of the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 and the dangerous substances involved in each accident:

Year Accident Dangerous substances involved in accident
1985 1 accident:
this involved: methane
1986 7 accidents:
2 involving: cholorine
1 each involving: isoprophylalcohol and methylalcohol

Year Accident Dangerous substances involved in accident
hydrogen peroxide ethylene oxide and isobutane toluene
compound fertilisers containing super Phosphate and ammonium nitrate substances
1987 5 accidents
1 each involving: hydrogen gas, petroleum gas and hydrocarbon liquids propylene oxide
petroleum liquids and spirits carbon disulphide methane
1988 2 accidents:
1 each involving: 300 different chemicals including oxidising materials, highly flammable liquids, chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent
ortho-nitro-benzaldehyde
1989 3 accidents:
1 each involving: ammonium nitrate fertilisers
ammonia
propane
1990 6 accidents:
1 each involving: 2, 4, dichloronitrobenzene, potassium fluoride, dimethylacetamide, tetramethylammonium chloride and xylene
isobutane and hydrofluoric acid white phosphorus toluene
natural gas/methane propane, propylene, butane and butylene
1991 5 accidents:
2 involving: methane
1 each involving: acetone
naphtha dimethyl aniline, toluene, dimethyl amino acid
1992 4 accidents:
1 each involving: azodiisobutyronitrile (AZDN), ammonium persulphate and sodium persulphate
hydrogen fluoride, chlorine, hydrogen chloride and trichloro-trifluoroethane ethylene
aluminium silicate catalyst gave rise to hydrogen light hydro-carbon gases and carbon monoxide

The additional information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.