Under UK Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations introduced in 2000, AWE Aldermaston is classified as a lower tier (low hazard) site for hazardous substances, and AWE Burghfield is not regarded as a COMAH site at all.
The Health & Safety Executive and the Environment Agency jointly regulate COMAH issues, and these regulations require us to demonstrate the same level of control over our hazardous substances as for our nuclear operations.
As part of our work to meet the regulations, AWE issued a Major Accident Prevention Policy, which highlights our commitment to prevent all major accidents and limit the consequences to people and the environment.