MOD Shoeburyness
QinetiQ, which operates the test and evaluation range at
Shoeburyness and Foulness on behalf of the Ministry of Defence
(MOD) has an information service for residents in the
local area. The service forms part of QinetiQ’s routine incident
planning process and will keep local people informed about what is
happening on the site that may affect them.
QinetiQ’s Head of Site at MOD Shoeburyness, Chris Bennett said;
“It’s business as usual for the range, we are not changing the type
of work we do, but we are improving the way we communicate with
people in the local area about what we do here and how it could
potentially affect them, no matter how remote the possibility. We
take safety on the site very seriously and our performance is
regularly inspected and monitored by the competent authorities to
make sure that working practices and facilities meet with the
required standards.”
The Shoeburyness Emergency Alert Service is a joint initiative
between QinetiQ, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, Rochford District
Council, Essex County Council and the principal emergency services
and complies with best practice outlined by the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE) and the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)
regulations.
The organisations have worked together to make sure that they
can respond to an incident and keep local people informed about how
it may affect them. Only a small number of households actually fall
within the ‘Public Information Zone’, as defined by the HSE.
However, all of the partners in this initiative were keen to give
people living or working close to the site access to the new
information service.
Local people will receive a letter and leaflet which explain the
service, the type of work that goes on at MOD Shoeburyness and
details about how to sign up to the Shoeburyness Emergency Alert
Service, a free service that will alert and update individuals
quickly and directly should an incident occur.
For further information about COMAH visit their website in
Related Links below. For further information about the Shoeburyness
Emergency Alert Service, contact the Shoeburyness Careline on 0800
0560108.