Air Quality in Major Incidents

Every month there is a major air quality incident which has an impact on human health. As part of our Air Quality in Major Incidents Service, we are working with others to respond to these incidents and protect the local community.

What our service covers

We respond to major incidents in England and Wales including fires, explosions and chemical releases. We do not cover biological releases, for example, incidents involving bacteria/viruses or toxins, radiation or nuclear incidents.

What you need to do

If an air quality incident occurs near to where you live or work, you will need to do the following:  

• If there is an immediate threat to human life or property always call 999 first.
• If you are concerned about an air quality incident please call us on 0800 80 70 60.
• If you are within two kilometres of a major air quality incident you should stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed as a precaution.
• Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children or those with underlying medical conditions, will be provided with specific additional help and support via GPs and NHS Direct.
• Listen to your local radio and television stations for further information.
• If you are concerned about your health then please contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or look on the NHS Direct website.

What we do

During a major air quality incident we:

• Assess vulnerable groups within the community, such as nursing homes, schools and residential areas.
• Monitor the air for any hazardous chemicals which are close to vulnerable groups.
• Provide data for the Health Protection Agency, which uses this information to advise the public on possible symptoms and what action to take.
• Provide regular Situation Reports to the emergency services, so they have the information they need to protect the local community and reduce the impact on the surrounding environment. Details can be found in our Pollution Prevention Guidelines: PPG28: Controlled Burn (PDF, 240KB).
• Once the incident has stabilised, our service stands down and we hand over responsibility to the local authority.

You can read examples of what our service does here:

• Emergency air quality team deployed in west Yorkshire
  
  
• Health Protection Agency – Chemical Hazards and Poisons Report, Issue 18

Find out how we regulate and control major accident hazards:

• Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)

Where to get further information

• How to contact us and report an incident
• What’s in your backyard - Use our interactive maps to find our more about the environment where you live
• Information on pollution incidents reported to us
• How to get hold of our air quality data
• Find out more about other incidents we respond to

Information from other organisations:

• DirectGov - what to do in an emergency
• UK Air Quality Archive - find out what pollution is like in your local area
• Defra - air quality information
• Welsh Assembly Government - air quality information
• Local Government Regulation - air quality in major incidents: local authority role