Processing the safety lessons of Seveso

Written by John Reynolds

December 21st, 2017

Health and Safety Articles

Lessons to learn from Seveso disaster

Background: 10th July 1976
The chemical release, which occurred in the small Italian town of Seveso, became a milestone in the development of European safety and environmental legislation.

A runaway chemical reaction released a toxic cloud into the atmosphere, causing large-scale contamination and environmental damage.

The damage:

Although there were no fatalities, it lead to wide-scale slaughtering of cattle
The incident affected a population of over 100,000 in the surrounding towns

Lessons to take:

Better communication of substances
Improved emergency planning
Clearer procedures
Better mitigation requirements

A safety sign of the times

Seveso, which was deemed a preventable disaster, led to a raft of European directives bearing its namesake. These directives are implemented in the UK under the Control Of Major Accident Hazards Regulations – also referred to as COMAH.

Written by John Reynolds

December 21st, 2017

Health and Safety Articles