Step 1 Identify what products are stored on the farm
Part1: Dangerous substances
- Make a list of all the products that have a hazard warning symbol on the packaging or label and make a note of the quantities held for each type. See Figures 1 & 2 below for examples of hazard warning symbols.
- Add up the combined total of all products that carry a hazard warning symbol.
Part 2: Ammonium nitrate (AN) fertilisers
- Identify the total amount of AN fertiliser you are storing or intend to store where the nitrogen content is more than 15.75%. The amount of Nitrogen (N) will be indicated on the bag, packaging or label.
NB: Not all ammonium nitrate fertiliser will carry an oxidising symbol. Those that do not have a symbol are not classed as dangerous substances.
Step 2: Do I need to notify?
| What do you store or intend storing? | Notify local Fire & Rescue Service | Notify enforcing authority (HSE/LA) | Mark site entrance with warning sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| A and B | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A only | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| B only | Yes | No | No |
| Neither A nor B | No | No | No |
Key
A - 25 tonnes or more of dangerous substances.
B - 150 tonnes or more of ammonium nitrate mixtures, where the nitrogen content (N) exceeds 15.75% of the mixture by weight (and the AN is not a dangerous substance).
Example scenarios
You make a note of the type and quantity of all products that carry a hazard warning symbol and the total amount of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.
Example 1:
You have:
- 2 tonnes of flammable liquids
- 5 tonnes of corrosive substances,
- 8 tonnes of toxic substances, and
- 200 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser where the nitrogen content is more than 15.75%. (70 out of the 200 tonnes carry the oxidising hazard symbol).
You add up the combined total of the products which have a hazard warning symbol to give the total amount of dangerous substances (2+5+8+70). This adds up to 85 tonnes of dangerous substances. You are also storing 200 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.
Action: Using the table above, you are storing both A and B and must therefore notify HSE and your local Fire and Rescue Service. You must also mark the entrance of your site with a warning sign. Complete the notification form which can be downloaded from this site.
Example 2
You have:
- 3 tonnes of corrosive substances
- 2 tonnes of harmful substances
- 5 tonnes of combustible substances, and
- 500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser where the nitrogen content is more than 15.75%. (10 out of the 500 tonnes carry the oxidising hazard symbol).
In this example you are storing 20 tonnes (3+2+5+10) of dangerous substances. You are also storing 500 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.
Action: Using the table above, you are storing B only and must therefore notify your local Fire and Rescue Service (not HSE). Complete the notification form which can be downloaded from this site.
Example 3
You have:
- 3 tonnes of liquids marked 'dangerous for the environment'
- 3 tonnes of toxic substances,
- 9 tonnes of harmful substances, and
- 50 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser where the nitrogen content is more than 15.75%. (None of the 50 tonnes carry the oxidising hazard symbol).
In this example you are storing 15 tonnes (3+3+9+0) of dangerous substances. You are also storing 50 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser.
Action: Using the table above, you are storing 'neither' (eg no quantities of A nor B which are above the notification thresholds). You do not therefore need to notify.