COMAH/SEVESO Training
Understanding major accident hazards is essential to protecting people, the environment and your operations. DEKRA's two-day COMAH & Seveso Fundamentals Training course provides the knowledge needed to understand regulatory requirements, identify major accident risks and support effective Process Safety Management.
The Course Covers
The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations and the European Seveso Directive are designed to prevent major industrial accidents involving dangerous substances and limit their consequences.
This two-day course introduces the principles behind COMAH and Seveso, the responsibilities of operators and the practical measures required to manage major accident hazards.
Using real industrial incidents, regulatory guidance and practical examples, delegates will explore how major accidents occur, how dangerous substances are classified, and how effective risk assessment, technical safeguards and management systems support compliance.
The course is completed over 2 days:
- Day 1 – COMAH & Seveso Fundamentals: Regulatory requirements, dangerous substances, major accident hazards and risk assessment.
- Day 2 – Managing COMAH Compliance: Major Accident Prevention Policies (MAPPs), Safety Management Systems (SMS), technical risk controls and Process Safety Management.
The course considers both Lower Tier and Upper Tier COMAH requirements, helping delegates understand the different obligations and how they apply in practice.
2-Day Online Classroom Course - £1,300 (ex.VAT)
A key aspect to our courses is for our delegates to gain the knowledge and solutions applicable to their own situations, so numbers are capped to ensure we have sufficient time and early b
You Will Learn
- The purpose and principles of COMAH and the European Seveso Directive.
- What constitutes a major accident and the lessons learned from historical industrial incidents.
- How dangerous substances are classified and how inventories determine COMAH applicability.
- The differences between Lower Tier and Upper Tier COMAH requirements.
- The responsibilities of site operators and the COMAH Competent Authority.
- The principles of major accident hazard identification and risk assessment.
- How the ALARP principle is applied to major accident risk management.
- The role of technical safeguards in preventing, controlling and mitigating major accidents.
- How to develop and implement a Major Accident Prevention Policy (MAPP).
- The key elements of an effective Safety Management System (SMS).
- The importance of operational control, asset integrity, management of change and emergency planning.
- How Process Safety Management systems support ongoing compliance and continuous improvement.
The course draws on major industrial incidents, including Flixborough, Seveso, Sandoz and Allied Colloids, to demonstrate how failures in hazard identification, operational controls and safety management can lead to serious consequences.
Practical examples and discussions help delegates relate the principles of compliance to their own facilities, operations and responsibilities.
Practical examples and discussions help delegates relate the principles of compliance to their own facilities, operations and responsibilities.
Who Will Benefit?
This course is suitable for professionals involved in managing, operating or supporting facilities that manufacture, process, handle or store dangerous substances, including:
- Process Safety and HSE professionals
- Plant and Operations Managers
- Process, Chemical and Maintenance Engineers
- Production and Manufacturing Managers
- Engineering and Technical Managers
- Compliance and Regulatory Professionals
- Supervisors and personnel with responsibilities for major accident prevention
It is particularly relevant to organisations operating Lower Tier or Upper Tier COMAH /Seveso establishments, as well as those approaching COMAH thresholds or seeking to strengthen their understanding of major accident hazard management.
No previous specialist knowledge of COMAH is assumed, although some familiarity with industrial operations and workplace safety will be beneficial.
No previous specialist knowledge of COMAH is assumed, although some familiarity with industrial operations and workplace safety will be beneficial.
Course Outline
Day 1 – COMAH & Seveso Fundamentals
Understanding Major Accident Hazards
COMAH Regulations and Applicability
Operator Responsibilities and Regulatory Requirements
- What constitutes a major accident?
- The origins and purpose of COMAH and the Seveso Directive.
- Lessons learned from major industrial incidents, including Flixborough, Seveso, Sandoz and Allied Colloids.
- The potential consequences of fires, explosions, toxic releases and environmental contamination.
- How seemingly minor failures can escalate into major accidents.
COMAH Regulations and Applicability
- Overview of the COMAH Regulations 2015 and Seveso III.
- Lower Tier and Upper Tier COMAH requirements.
- Dangerous substance inventories and regulatory thresholds.
- Classification of dangerous substances under CLP.
- Health, physical and environmental hazard categories.
- Named substances and their relevance to COMAH applicability.
Operator Responsibilities and Regulatory Requirements
- The role of the COMAH Competent Authority.
- COMAH notifications and public information requirements.
- Hazardous Substances Consent and planning considerations.
- Demonstrating safe operation and compliance with regulatory duties.
- Overview of additional Upper Tier requirements, including Safety Reports and emergency planning.
Major Accident Risk Assessment
- Identifying major accident hazards and credible scenarios.
- Principles of risk assessment and risk tolerability.
- Understanding ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable).
- Hazard identification techniques, including Structured What-If (SWIFT).
- Assessing accident consequences and the effectiveness of safeguards.
- Considering human factors, environmental impacts and potential escalation.
Day 2 – Managing Compliance
Major Accident Prevention Policies (MAPPs)
- Purpose and requirements of a MAPP.
- Developing a policy that reflects major accident hazards.
- Defining responsibilities, objectives and commitments.
- Reviewing and updating the MAPP.
- Demonstrating implementation through an effective Safety Management System.
Safety Management Systems (SMS)
- The key elements of an SMS under COMAH.
- Organisation, responsibilities and personnel competence.
- Identification and evaluation of major hazards.
- Operational control and safe working procedures.
- Management of Change (MOC).
- Emergency planning and response.
- Performance monitoring, auditing and management review.
Technical Risk Control and Process Safety Management
- Preventing, controlling and mitigating major accident scenarios.
- Identifying and maintaining safety-critical equipment.
- Asset integrity, inspection, testing and maintenance.
- Operating procedures and safe systems of work.
- Contractor management and competency assurance.
- Operational readiness and pre-start-up safety reviews.
- The importance of effective communication and Process Safety culture.
Emergency Preparedness and Continuous Improvement
- Identifying credible emergency scenarios.
- Developing and testing emergency response arrangements.
- Understanding on-site and off-site consequences.
- Learning from incidents and near misses.
- Monitoring Process Safety performance.
- Identifying weaknesses in existing management systems and opportunities for improvement.
Applying COMAH/Seveso Principles in Practice
- Delegates will consider how the principles covered throughout the course relate to their own organisations, including:
- Identifying major accident hazards and existing safeguards.
- Reviewing the effectiveness of Process Safety Management arrangements.
- Understanding the relationship between risk assessments, technical controls and management systems.
- Recognising opportunities to strengthen major accident prevention and regulatory compliance.
Course Delivery
Duration: 2 days
The course is designed to provide a structured introduction to COMAH and Seveso fundamentals, combining technical explanations, real-world case studies and practical discussion.
For organisations with specific operational requirements, in-house training can be tailored to reflect the dangerous substances, processes and major accident hazards relevant to their facilities.
Interested in developing your team's understanding of COMAH and Seveso?
Contact DEKRA to discuss available training options and your organisation's requirements.
The course leader set the tone for the day in the introduction. This created a good atmosphere for the course and a lot of the dialogue between the leader and the participants.
Well done guys, enjoyed the course very much. Thanks!
Great course, delivered really well and covered all the topics needed to deliver high standard
Danny Goulding, MIET
I will recommend DEKRA to everybody who needs further DSEAR training. You were very good at delivering us the information. 10 out of 10 for me. Really enjoyed it!
David Bush, Fire Protection Association