Istituto Superiore per la Prevenzione e la Sicurezza del Lavoro, Italy

Inpections carried out following accidents which have occurred in the "Seveso Directive" plants: what they should have taught us

Abstract

This paper, after reminding the outcomes of inspections carried out in the last years on behalf of the Italian Competent Authority, following accidents which have occurred in major hazard installations as defined in the Directive, (including those which have occurred recently and notified to the Commission for introduction in the MARS data base), takes into consideration the main indications drawn from these inspections. The most common causes of accidents are pointed out and routes which could be chosen in the future in order to improve the safety of particular types of hazardous installations are highlighted.

On the basis of such indications, the paper intends also to point out actions that should be expected from the main "stakeholders," including:

• persons responsible of the establishments, at different levels
• authorities competent for the preparation, testing and starting of external emergency plans
• persons responsible for informing the public
• persons responsible for land use planning
• policy makers

Moreover, proposals are formulated for an improved flow of information on accidents both at local and national level, and also on the exchange of this information between the Member States even beyond the obligations under article 19 of the 96/82/EC Directive. In relation to this article of the Directive, a proposal is made to provide more driving force on information contemplation (point 3. of the article) with reference to the governmental departments of the Member States and above all to the operators, namely the industry and the other organisations quoted there.

To this purpose, the paper suggests that Authorities, both at National and European level, assume a more active role in the field, similar to that indicated at point 1. of article 13 of the Directive on the information on safety measures. In other word, information should be provided "without their having to request it". This could constitute a remarkable step forward in relation to the aim of the Directive, to avoid accidents of a certain type to recur and to adequately answer to justifications by the operators following accidents such as "we would not ever been thinking that this could happen; we never heard of something similar".

In conclusion of the paper, an increased attention is proposed to be paid in the respects of some types of small- and medium-size enterprises, where safety problems are often particularly evident and where the omissions in the existing structure of safety management are reflected in accidents sometimes with serious consequences for the human beings, properties and the environment.

Finally, additional general considerations are made on the way Directives are implemented in the Member States.

full text (in word format)