Notifying the right authorities about AN fertiliser storage

[Brisel]

I was pulled up by my Red Tractor inspector for this - not notifying the HSE and local Fire & Rescue Service about >25t of AN fertiliser in a building. I had got a bit behind, having only handled liquid fertiliser for years with no such requirements.

Writing a letter to the FRS is easy enough & I have the details for them. Who else? The HSE guidance just says the "enforcing authority" without any detail on who this might be! Any tips please?

Who actually does this notification, out of interest? I've always notified the FRS in the past but that's it.

 

[An Gof]

When I had my inspection the inspector told that one of her farms informed the fire brigade only to be told "thank you for letting us know. Now that we know that we will not be able to attend if you have a fire" ........... I don't think she told me that to wind me up.

 

[Zippy768]

I was pulled up by my Red Tractor inspector for this - not notifying the HSE and local Fire & Rescue Service about >25t of AN fertiliser in a building. I had got a bit behind, having only handled liquid fertiliser for years with no such requirements.

Writing a letter to the FRS is easy enough & I have the details for them. Who else? The HSE guidance just says the "enforcing authority" without any detail on who this might be! Any tips please?

Who actually does this notification, out of interest? I've always notified the FRS in the past but that's it.

I was thinking about this the other night, as our RT is due this month.
Tbh I normally own up that I haven't informed and then say that I will in future.
Example of...

Edit to say we only ever store a small amount of AN (urea users generally) and only briefly store around 25tons of fert

 

[solo]

I got hauled up for this one when inspected by pai as part of genesis scheme. All I had to do was notify the local fire brigade that the business premises stored >25t ammonium nitrate fertiliser and the store had to have a hazard symbol displayed. Never got round to the sign, but had to send a copy of the acknowledged letter in. Mostly I use compound which is outside the scope of this as the N content is below their bar. Hasn’t been an issue on subsequent inspections.

 

[Highland Mule]

Explosion in Beruit

? The use of AN by the IRA directly caused it's availability and use to be completely banned in NI - the ban still exists there today. Given the various technologies now readily exists to enable Urea to provide similar high efficiencies of N, either AN as fertiliser will become prohibited by law...

thefarmingforum.co.uk

 

[neilo]

I told the story of this on my HSE thread 18 months ago. Being diligent, and suspecting the inspector would likely be an officious pillock, I looked into doing just this. I rang the local fire station manager (also our chimney sweep at the time) to find out if I could notify him. He seemed confused by the whole idea. I ended up ringing Powys fire service, after searching for various online methods or forms to do it.
Now Powys is a big county, it contains lots of farms, a good number of which would take delivery of >25t of fertiliser from time to time. The lass at Powys fire service laughed and said that it was a new one on her, and she’d never been asked about that before. She checked round the office, and they all said the same.
She came back to the phone, still laughing, and suggested that I had now notified them as I had told them (no address, post code, etc had been given by then), and we agreed to leave it at that.

I ticked the box and the inspector was happy.

 

[Phil P]

I told the story of this on my HSE thread 18 months ago. Being diligent, and suspecting the inspector would likely be an officious pillock, I looked into doing just this. I rang the local fire station manager (also our chimney sweep at the time) to find out if I could notify him. He seemed confused by the whole idea. I ended up ringing Powys fire service, after searching for various online methods or forms to do it.
Now Powys is a big county, it contains lots of farms, a good number of which would take delivery of >25t of fertiliser from time to time. The lass at Powys fire service laughed and said that it was a new one on her, and she’d never been asked about that before. She checked round the office, and they all said the same.
She came back to the phone, still laughing, and suggested that I had now notified them as I had told them (no address, post code, etc had been given by then), and we agreed to leave it at that.

I ticked the box and the inspector was happy.

It’s a bit like when you try notifying the police about moving the combine at harvest and they just laugh! I cross 3 jurisdictions so that’s 3 lots of confused coppers and laughing

 

[Steevo]

I was thinking about this the other night, as our RT is due this month.
Tbh I normally own up that I haven't informed and then say that I will in future.
Example of...

Edit to say we only ever store a small amount of AN (urea users generally) and only briefly store around 25tons of fert

Am I reading that right?

Surely if someone needs to tick box 9, they've already done what they needed by virtue of having ticked box 10.

P.S All urea here so never give this a second thought nowadays.

P.P.S I'm totally bemused by those in power wanting to ban Urea, when it means that all 15,000 farms in the UK will then become potential bomb sites. I'm sure the locals in every village would be flabbergasted if they knew that an explosion of one hundredth the size of Beirut explosion could take place in several places all less than 2 miles from their front door and would much prefer all farms in UK only used non-explosive fertiliser.

 

[farmerm]

I am thinking of building a round tower for this situation... FA inspector can then be told I can only answer impossible questions whilst they are standing in the impossible corner....

 

[Steevo]

It’s a bit like when you try notifying the police about moving the combine at harvest and they just laugh! I cross 3 jurisdictions so that’s 3 lots of confused coppers and laughing

I can see that as a new RT regulation one year.....!

What a good job Mr Red Tractor is there to help make sure we get them right.....

 

[neilo]

Am I reading that right?

Surely if someone needs to tick box 9, they've already done what they needed by virtue of having ticked box 10.

P.S All urea here so never give this a second thought nowadays.

P.P.S I'm totally bemused by those in power wanting to ban Urea, when it means that all 15,000 farms in the UK will then become potential bomb sites. I'm sure the locals in every village would be flabbergasted if they knew that an explosion of one hundredth the size of Beirut explosion could take place in several places all less than 2 miles from their front door and would much prefer all farms in UK only used non-explosive fertiliser.

Wasn’t the AN stored in Beirut explosive grade product, and partially degraded, rather than what we all sit on in our fertiliser stores?

I really don’t think it would be helpful for Joe Public to make the mistake of thinking they are the same thing.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Last load of fert I had came with a detonation certificate.
Unfortunately I don’t understand it so not sure if it’s some good sh!t or crap

 

[nick...]

I was not aware of informing hse.I allways email fire brigade and file a copy which has been ok.
nick...

 

[snipe]

I informed the local fire station and got the reply “why are you telling us”.

 

[Brisel]

Notifying the fire service is straight forward enough. It’s the HSE that I can’t find a contact for.

 

[Highland Mule]

Notifying the fire service is straight forward enough. It’s the HSE that I can’t find a contact for.

See my link above. You need to contact the nearest HSE office.

 

[farmerm]

If it helps anyone I see some counties fire services have an online system for notification....

Report the storage of dangerous fertilisers – Lincolnshire County Council
Fertiliser Storage Regulations - Norfolk County Council

Not found one for Shropshire? Think we sent them a letter in the early 90s



HSE are really helpful...... here is the link to the information.....

Notification of dangerous substances and ammonium nitrate on farms: What to do (hse.gov.uk)

If you can find the notification form mentioned on that webpage do let us know.....

 

[farmerm]

Here you go @Brisel found it...

Notification of dangerous substances and ammonium nitrate on farms (hse.gov.uk)

See NAMOS form

 

[sahara]

A couple of years ago I phoned Devon & Somerset Fire service to tell them about the Fert stored on the farm. They basically said thank you, but as soon as we know that we are going to a working farm we assume that there will be fertiliser there, and work accordingly.
So since then I've not phoned them, but noted my phone call with the RT file. So far everyone has been happy.
It sounds like there is quite a bit of variation between the various Fire services as to what they want and are happy with, I am not surprised but I don't know if its a good thing.

 

[Wombat]

See my link above. You need to contact the nearest HSE office.

I tried a few years ago and after going roung 15 different numbers on hold, got told they had no idea what i was talking about and hung up