§ Mr. BarnesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those incidents involving the leaking of chemicals from tankers broken down by leakages which occurred while the tankers were(a) at the point of origin, (b) in transit and (c) at the point of destination which have been investigated by (i) the Health and Safety Executive and (ii) the Environment Agency during the past 10 years, indicating the conclusions of such inquiries; and if he will make a statement. [51056]
§ Angela EagleThe Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95), require certain types of Dangerous Occurrence to be reported to the relevant enforcing authority. One category of Dangerous Occurrence concerns any incident involving a road tanker or tank container used for the carriage of dangerous goods where the tank or tank container overturns, is seriously damaged, is involved in a fire, or where the contents escape.
A similar category of Dangerous Occurrence was also included in the previous regulations, RIDDOR 1985.
During the last ten years the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has investigated 124 such Dangerous Occurrences which have involved a loss of containment of dangerous goods from tankers or tank containers, of which
- 43 occurred at the point of origin;
- 54 occurred while in transit;
- 27 occurred at the point of destination.
The action taken by HSE as a result of their investigations includes advice, letters, enforcement notices and in some cases prosecution. I have arranged for a detailed breakdown of the 124 Dangerous Occurrences investigated by HSE to be placed in the Library.