QinetiQ, which operates the test and evaluation range at Shoeburyness and Foulness on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is launching a new information service for residents in the local area. 
The new 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 new 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 new 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 www.hse.gov.uk/comah. For further information about the Shoeburyness Emergency Alert Service, contact the Shoeburyness Careline on 0800 0560108.
You can register online here for the Shoeburyness Emergency Alert Service (SEAS)
November 25th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Please can you advise where I can find information on firing days? Unfortunately I have a dog who runs as soon as she hears the noise – yesterday she ended up in the centre of a road. We live and walk in Fordwich and Thanet. Please can you help?
November 30th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Rochford District Council do not receive or publish a list of days when the site is active but for a programme of explosive activities at MOD Shoeburyness QinetiQ produce an Advance Alert Service which provides details of the days on which activity on this site may be perceived more than usual. For further information on this and all QinetiQ activities at Shoeburyness please contact QinetiQ’s Careline on 0800 0560108.
January 19th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
Have contacted them as huge loud explosions all day have cracked our ceiling! Can you publish details of who to contact about noise pollution and associated damage to properties?
January 20th, 2011 at 10:28 am
For information on all QinetiQ activities at Shoeburyness please contact QinetiQ’s Careline on 0800 0560108.
March 31st, 2011 at 3:52 pm
There has been a lot of what sounds like machine gun fire coming from their direction recently, and clearly heard instructions have also been broadcast on loudspeaker. In my view this is far worse than the occasional loud bangs we are used to. I cannot understand why this activity is taking place so close to a large residential area when there is the whole of Foulness available for this purpose.
“Only a small number of households actually fall within the ‘Public Information Zone’, as defined by the HSE”. Not sure if that is really the case as this gunfire is being clearly heard in Great Wakering
April 1st, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Thank you for your comment.
For information on all QinetiQ activities at Shoeburyness please contact QinetiQ’s Careline on 0800 0560108.