What is the function of the Inter Agency Emergency Management Office?

The Inter Agency Emergency Management Office or IAEMO co-ordinates and assists the Principal Response Agencies with the three yearly review of the External Emergency Plan for the respective COMAH Establishment. The IAEMO also coordinates the EEP exercises held during the review of the EEPs. For more information on the establishments in Cork and Kerry visit The IAEMO website, all links are below.

How many COMAH Establishments are in this MEM region of Cork & Kerry?

MEM Region South (Cork & Kerry) has 12 Lower Tier and 17 Upper Tier COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) Establishments spread across Cork and Kerry. Each Upper Tier COMAH establishment has an External Emergency Plan which must be reviewed, updated and tested every three years. See the link below to view the Map showing COMAH establishments in Ireland issued by An Garda Síochána

What COMAH Upper Tier establishments are located near Crosshaven?

COMAH Upper Tier Establishments nearby to Crosshaven are Pfizer, & Thermo Fisher plus across the harbour the Upper Tier sites are Irving Oil Whitegate Refinery and Calor Gas Whitegate (Kosengas)

How is the updated or revised COMAH Establishment's External Emergency Plan tested by the Local Competent Authority.?

Every three years the actual test of the COMAH Establishment's External Emergency Plan takes place over a morning and follows the form of a walk through with talk through of the site by the PRA's. A tabletop exercise or a live exercise may also be conducted by the PRA's, often at the site of the COMAH Establishment. These exercise events always involve the three Principal Response Agencies (PRA's)

How does the Public Information Consultation Procedure on External Emergency Plans work

Various Advertising will take place during the review of the COMAH Establishment's External Emergency Plan. This is required under SI 209 of 2015 and takes place over a 4 week period during the review of the EEP for each Upper Tier establishment. The COMAH Establishment's External Emergency Plan or EEP made available for public consultation is redacted to remove personal and sensitive information of staff at the COMAH Establishment.

What can Residents of Crosshaven do to better inform themselves on the local industry governed by COMAH legislation?

Residents of Crosshaven are encouraged to become involved in the public consultation process of the External Emergency Plan's of local COMAH establishments - See the map issued by An Garda Síochána for locations of nearby COMAH establishments, the link to this map is below.

In the extremely unlikely event of an accident at a COMAH Establishment what might the impact be on the local community.?

COMAH Establishments usually produce an Emergency leaflet or Hand Out for nearby residents of their sites. This informs the residents of the public alarm or siren warning sounds and also what to do should an emergency occur. The advice in general is to go indoors, close all windows and doors, listen to public announcements on the radio and TV and to follow instructions from the gardaí.   In addition should an emergency occur the gardaí will establish road control points to restrict traffic etc towards the event location. A map showing the position of garda control points for each COMAH Establishment may be viewed during the External Emergency Plan review consultation period.