COMAH Training Course

COMAH awareness helps employees understand the role they play in preventing major accidents and reducing their consequences. While an organisation is responsible for putting appropriate safety measures and procedures in place, employees also need to understand the hazards relevant to their work and how they are expected to respond.

Effective COMAH awareness can help employees to:

• Recognise major accident hazards – understand how dangerous substances and certain workplace activities could contribute to a serious incident.

• Follow established safety procedures – understand why controls and procedures are in place and the importance of following them correctly.

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• Understand their responsibilities – know what is expected of them when carrying out work at a COMAH establishment.

• Identify and report concerns – recognise when something appears unsafe, has changed or is not being carried out as expected, and know how to report it.

• Respond appropriately during an emergency – understand site alarms, emergency procedures and the actions they may need to take if an incident occurs.

COMAH awareness therefore isn't only about understanding the Regulations. It helps employees connect the controls and procedures used in their workplace with their purpose: preventing major accidents and helping to limit the consequences if an incident does occur.

The COMAH Regulations place duties on operators to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences. Employees working at a COMAH establishment also have an important role to play by understanding and following the safety arrangements that apply to their work.

The exact responsibilities of an employee will depend on their role and workplace, but they may need to understand:

Employees do not need to manage every aspect of COMAH compliance themselves. However, they should understand how their actions fit within the establishment's wider arrangements for controlling major accident hazards and know what is expected of them during both normal operations and an emergency.

There is no single fixed refresher period for COMAH training that applies to every employee or establishment. Training should be reviewed and refreshed as necessary to ensure employees remain competent and understand the hazards, procedures and emergency arrangements relevant to their role.

Refresher training may be appropriate when:

• An employee's role or responsibilities change – particularly where this introduces different hazards, procedures or emergency responsibilities.

• Processes, substances or equipment change – employees may need updated information and instruction where workplace changes affect how major accident hazards are controlled.

• Safety procedures or control measures are updated – revised working arrangements should be understood by the employees expected to follow them.

• Emergency arrangements change – employees should remain familiar with alarms, evacuation procedures and any actions required of them during an emergency.

• An incident, near miss or exercise identifies a knowledge gap – findings may highlight where additional instruction or refresher training is needed.

• Knowledge or competence needs reinforcing – periodic review can help establish whether employees still understand and can apply the information relevant to their role.

Rather than relying solely on a set refresher date, employers should consider whether employees continue to have the knowledge and competence needed to work safely within the establishment's major accident prevention arrangements. Training records and reviews can also help identify when further instruction or refresher training may be required.