Kent Fire and Rescue Service
Creating a safer future – together: Risk assessment

Most of the industrial fires that we attend can be dealt with quickly and with a limited number of resources, for example, two or three fire engines. However, from time to time, we experience larger fires in industry that require a much bigger response. 

3,140 enterprises in Kent are manufacturing enterprises, ranging from food and drink to advanced engineering, with Swale having one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing industry in the UK.

Kent is home to major industrial sites of national importance. These include 20 ‘Control of Major Accident Hazard (COMAH) sites, six of which are upper tier, as well as Dungeness nuclear power station. Major risk sites such as these often fall within the scope of specific regulations. This means that the likelihood of fires in these sites is low. Whilst there are many sites that sit outside the scope of specific regulations, the Health and Safety at Work regulations and other associated regulations and guidance means that most industrial sites are usually well run.

Major fires can start for many reasons, including:

• accidents such as electrical faults, or human activity which combines ignition sources and fuel
• malicious activity such as arson
• infrastructure incidents such as sparks from electricity lines or rail transport
• natural phenomena such as lightning

Consequences of major fires may include:

• potential fatalities and physical and / or psychological casualties
• potential evacuation and shelter of affected people
• damage to property and infrastructure
• disruption to essential services (particularly the availability of fire and rescue services)
• economic costs, environmental damage, air pollution and potential water contamination
   

• undertake a risk-based inspection programme of fire safety audits, ensuring that businesses have in place appropriate fire precautions relative to the risks involved in their processes
• where required we carry out enforcement action, requiring businesses to make changes to their safety arrangements, or in the most serious cases, prohibiting the business from operating
• support businesses to understand how they can improve the safety arrangements they put in place through a supportive programme of education and engagement
• develop response plans for the higher risk sites in our county. This includes working with partners to develop multi-agency response plans in accordance with relevant legislation
• undertake a programme of exercises to ensure that crews understand response and can implement them
• maintain specialist equipment, such as our foam unit, to be able to respond to serious fires involving things like hazardous materials<

• ensure that we send the correct ‘pre-determined attendance’ to industrial risk sites, which can include specialist vehicles and equipment in addition to our normal response
• quickly implement additional command and control arrangements for serious fires at these sites
• work with partner agencies to implement additional control measures such as air quality monitoring, and environmental protection arrangements

The term ‘hazardous materials’ (also referred to as a HazMat or as dangerous/hazardous substances or goods) means solids, liquids, vapours or gases that can harm people, animals, other living organisms, property or the environment. 

In Kent there are a large range of industries using hazardous materials which are normally controlled and contained and therefore do not pose a high risk to the public. This includes chemicals involved in the petrochemical industries, farming, scientific industries, and education. We also have a large amount of transported hazardous materials travelling through our county every day. However, if these hazardous materials are released or mishandled, they can pose a risk including:

1. Fire and explosion: some hazardous materials are flammable, combustible, or reactive. If these substances catch fire or react with other chemicals, they can cause fires, explosions, and the release of heat, flames, and smoke, posing direct danger to people or property in the vicinity.
2. Toxic exposure: hazardous materials may emit toxic fumes, gases, or liquids that can lead to health problems if inhaled, ingested, or come into contact with the skin or eyes. This exposure can result in symptoms ranging from irritation to poisoning.
3. Environmental contamination: release of hazardous materials into the environment, such as soil, water, or air, can lead to pollution that affects ecosystems and natural resources. This can disrupt ecosystems, harm wildlife, and impact the quality of air and water resources.
4. Evacuation and disruption: hazardous material incidents may necessitate evacuations of nearby areas, causing disruption to daily lives, businesses, and infrastructure.

• maintain a team of specially trained and qualified officers who can provide advice and guidance to crews specific to the type of hazardous material involved
• we have a contract with a specialist scientific advice company who can assist with further analysis of hazardous substances at more complicated or unusual incidents
• we have a range of high-tech monitoring equipment that can identify the presence of hazardous materials allowing us to identify them and put suitable control measures in place
• all firefighters have training to ensure that have an awareness of the hazards and risks associated with hazardous materials incidents
   

• we use hazardous materials information from our appliance on board computers to guide the initial actions of our first crews in attendance
• all firefighters in Kent are trained to deal with incidents involving hazardous materials. Fire engines have capabilities that will assist in managing these incidents including: firefighting capability, PPE/RPE, environmental grab packs, gas and temperature monitoring equipment and hazardous materials data stored on their on board computers. Additionally, Kent has 12 specially trained Hazardous Materials Advisors (HMAs) who can provide further guidance and information if needed and liaise with other agencies to ensure a safe and effective outcome
• we train and equip our crews in the techniques and tactics required to contain chemical spills and undertake emergency decontamination of affected members of the public
• gather relevant information on the hazardous materials involved in an incident and pass these on to all attending agencies to ensure responder safety
• our pre-determined attendance includes specialist hazardous materials advisors and supporting vehicles and equipment
• we assess the risk to our customers and communicate safety messages accordingly, advising them to either avoid an area, stay in their homes, or evacuate depending on the situation
• we work with partner agencies to put in place arrangements for rehousing people if required.
• we can draw on a network of specialist resources including decontamination units.

The number of industrial accidents recorded in the UK are falling, but they still caused the death of 135 workers and injured 61,713 in the UK last year (Source: RIDDOR).

Some industrial accidents involve fire with 1842 recorded in the UK during 2021/22. As well as the immediate effects on the fire service of attending a large fire, such as road congestion, smoke plumes and evacuation of residents, some of these fires can have lasting impacts on the local or national business communities, infrastructure, and the environment.

We have the facility for our firefighters to identify and record hazards contained within the higher risk industrial buildings in Kent. This allows us to plan our response for that site and work with other agencies and communities to mitigate as far as practicable the impact of a fire. It allows us to develop plans of how and where to obtain water for use in firefighting.  We also have the option to use pumps that can pump high volumes of water to help firefighters extinguish the fires more quickly.

• we work with business in Kent and Medway to understand process and safety protocols at larger industrial sites, especially those that involve the use of hazardous materials or high hazard processes such as power generation
• we train our Firefighters to understand industrial processes and the risks that they may face when responding to industrial accidents
• we train with the Southeast Coast Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team to facilitate joint response to industrial accidents involving casualties trapped in high-risk areas
• we take learning outcomes from national and international events to ensure our Firefighters and Officers are aware of the issues they may face when responding to industrial accidents

• we respond to incidents with conventional fire appliances and crews. Frequently this is sufficient to resolve most industrial accident incidents
• we have a Specialist Rope Rescue team trained and equipped to rescue people trapped or injured at height and below ground using rope rescue recovery systems.  We also have a Technical Rescue team, trained and equipped to respond to incidents involving collapsed structures, shoring and securing buildings and entering confined spaces such as sewers or shafts.  They are trained to respond to major transport crashes and in particular rescues that require lifting of extremely heavy items such as railway locomotives, as well as deal with complex entrapments where people may be crushed or entombed.  They form part of the UK’s national response for unusually large accidents, such as a major building collapse or explosion, and are known as the Urban Search & Rescue Team (USAR).  Our USAR response in Kent can be enhanced by calling in teams from around the country if required
• we are able to work alongside South East Coast Ambulance’s specialist Hazardous Areas Response Team to support medical interventions for those trapped in a hazard area by an industrial accident
• we report industrial accident occurrences to both Kent Police and the Health and Safety Executive as necessary

There are many farms and agricultural buildings throughout Kent and Medway, including barns for storing crops, buildings for housing animals, and other buildings for equipment and products such as fertilizers. These buildings present a range of risks and hazards, particularly fires involving buildings that store fertilizers which can present a risk of explosion.

Fires in agricultural buildings may be relatively simple to deal with, but often require resources for long periods of time. For example, those storing baled hay can result in our crews being on scene for several days. As farms diversify how they use their buildings, unexpected and unusual risks can be present alongside those presented by traditional farming.

Livestock can also be present in buildings, often in large numbers and ensuring their safety during incidents can be difficult and hazardous for firefighters.

Fires in agricultural buildings can also result in significant financial losses to the businesses concerned and can threaten the ongoing viability of those businesses.

• we work with farms through a register (BASIS)  that shows the amount of fertilizers and other chemicals that are stored in agricultural buildings, this information is available to firefighters
• we train all our firefighters to know the risks and actions needed to respond to fires in agricultural buildings 
• we have contracts in place with companies that can provide construction equipment and vehicles that allow us to reduce the time we are at incidents

• we provide risk information to our crews in their vehicles on the way to incidents
• we have specialist trained firefighters and equipment to deal with incidents involving chemicals and fertilizers
• our animal rescue resources are trained specifically to work with livestock and large animals
• we have equipment that can move water a long way and in large amounts in rural areas where agricultural buildings are more likely to be
   

Fires at waste disposal and recycling sites can have a significant impact on local communities, residents’ health, infrastructure, and the environment. Fire injuries and deaths of workers at these sites have occurred. While the public living and working around these sites are unlikely to be injured, exposure to smoke plumes can adversely impact people’s health (especially those with existing respiratory conditions) and make day to day living unpleasant.

Fires are often of long duration and require significant numbers of resources. For example, in September 2018 a fire at a waste site near Margate burnt for almost a month putting additional demand on our resources and resulting in significant costs.

Across the UK, the frequency of waste site fires is increasing, largely attributed to the incorrect disposal of lithium-ion batteries in household waste. There are around 300 significant waste site fires in the UK each year.

• continue to collaborate with appropriate partners, particularly the Environment Agency, to mitigate the impact waste fires have on people, property, and the environment
• work directly with high-risk waste sites to ensure they are operating safely
• maintain a waste fire tactical advisor role within the service. This role sits under national resilience and the NFCC waste group
• continue to share intelligence gathered during inspections to assist in operational pre-planning
• collaborate with the Environment Agency providing specialist advice to support them in developing fire prevention plans and issuing permits
• develop the waste fire tactical advisor role through continued professional development (CPD) events and shared learning

• deploy appropriate resources to meet the needs of an incident
• respond to hazardous materials incidents in a manner that minimises the impact on life, the environment and infrastructure
• support the Environment Agency in enforcement where breaches of permits have been identified because of attendance at incidents
• maintain a national resilience role in attending incidents within Kent and other areas to support incident commanders at waste fire incidents
• continue to work effectively and efficiently in a collaborative way with other responding agencies utilising Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP)
• utilise drone assets for effective situational awareness and to support fire investigation
• use assurance monitoring system to gather service-wide and multi-agency learning post incident
• report areas of notable practice or learning via national or collaborative bodies