The COMAH containment policy was published 10 years ago (Feb 2008) the policy requires that all of the necessary improvements are completed within 10 to 20 years of its publication where are you on the scale?

The principle of tertiary containment is to ensure that spilled product overtopping secondary containment or from failure of unbunded pipework / equipment is contained within the terminal area but away from inhabited buildings & escape routes. It also needs to ensure that the product does not leak into the ground where it may present a contamination risk, especially where the site is underlain by an aquifer.

In the design of tertiary containment systems, Stopford’s methodology  is to identify sources of possible leakage & the potential risks to receptors (i.e. people & the environment) arising from that leakage. We then carry out a topographical &, if necessary, geotechnical survey to identify pathways linking the sources to these receptors.

The tertiary containment design will, as much as possible, make use of existing features such as slopes, road kerbs, walls augmented by new features such as road humps & dwarf walls to provide an adequate containment boundary. Unpaved surfaces can be made product-tight by the application of a membrane such as bentonite matting.  Existing drainage systems may require the fitting of discharge valves operated either manually or by an automatic detection system.

Where necessary, capacity can be extended by the construction of containment lagoons, or diversion to adjacent storage bunds.

The selection and installation of fire resistant materials in your secondary containment, may significantly improve the fire resistance of your secondary containment. Following the Buncefield incident the industry formed an opinion that bund sealant systems that could offer fire resistance in excess of four hours would be desirable.  The Process Safety Leadership Group (PSLG) suggested that sealants have a finite life and should be replaced every ten years.

Why do you need to act? areas to consider, penalties, liabilities, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility.

Stopford can support your action plans and help you achieve and surpass your annual compliance objectives. Our consultancy services provide site audits and design solutions, to provide suitable containment plans, to guide you for both loss of containment events and fire scenarios.