North Wales - anglesey.gov.uk

North Wales COMMUNITY RISK REGISTER

Contentsintroduction 4pandemic influenza 6flooding 8severe weather 10industrial accidents 12loss of critical infrastructure 14animal disease 16pollution 18transport incidents 20being prepared in the home 22businesses being prepared 24contacts for further information 26

The land area of North Wales is approximately 6,172 squarekilometres (which equates to29% of the total land area ofWales), and the coastline isalmost 250 miles (400km) long.

North Wales is divided into six counties - Anglesey (YnysMôn), Gwynedd, Conwy,Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

North Wales has a total residentpopulation of 687,800 (2011Census data), which is largelyconcentrated in the moreindustrial and urbanised areas of the North East and along the North Wales coast. The population increases significantly during summermonths. Less than a quarter(22.83%) of the total Welsh population resides in North Wales.

Over the following pages, we will look at the key risks we face in North Wales; explain what we are doing to plan for these emergenciesand provide advice on how you can prepare.

5

The North Wales CommunityRisk Register providesinformation on the biggestemergencies that couldhappen in the region. Thisincludes the impact onpeople, communities, theenvironment and localbusinesses. These risks areregularly reviewed.

The Risk Register is compiledby the North Wales ResilienceForum which is made up ofrepresentatives of the mainagencies involved in respondingto emergencies - theemergency services, localauthorities, health, environmentand utility organisations.

The overall purpose is to ensurerepresentatives work together toachieve an appropriate level ofpreparedness to respond toemergencies that may have asignificant impact on thecommunities of North Wales.

North Wales Area Profile

Located on the west of theBritish Isles, North Wales isbound on the north and west bythe Irish Sea, to the east by theborder with England (specificallythe counties of Cheshire andShropshire) and to the south by the border with mid-Wales(specifically the counties ofPowys and Ceredigion).

introduction

4

ISLE OFANGLESEY

GWYNEDD

CONWYDENBIGHSHIRE

WREXHAM

FLINTSHIRE

Consequences:

Many millions of people around the world can become infected. Up to half the UK population may become infected and between 50,000and 750,000 additional deaths may occur by the end of a pandemic.

Normal life is likely to face wide disruption, particularly due to staffshortages affecting the provision of essential services, includingproduction and transport of goods.

What are we doing in North Wales?

u The NHS has in placearrangements with multi-agency partners to manageincreased demand on healthcare services, distributemedicines and vaccinatethose at risk, as soon as anappropriate vaccine isproduced, in the event of apandemic.

u Plans and procedures aretested and reviewed andimprovements identified and implemented.

Things you can do:

u Keep healthy - a healthylifestyle will be a greatdefence against flu and other illnesses.

u Identify a flu friend -somebody who is well whowould help you if you caughtpandemic flu by collectingyour medication, food andother necessities for you.

u If eligible, have your seasonalflu vaccine every year.

u To avoid spreading flu germs,cover your mouth and nosewhen you sneeze and washyour hands.

7

A pandemic occurs when a newinfluenza virus emerges which isable to spread from person toperson. Most people don’t haveimmunity, and the virus spreadsacross the world.

Large numbers of people maybecome infected by this newvirus over a relatively shortperiod of time.

Unlike a normal flu virus, whichoccurs during the wintermonths, a flu pandemic canoccur at any time in one ormore waves, possibly weeks or months apart.

The spread of Swine Flu in 2009 demonstrated theunpredictability of the impact of pandemics. Most peopleaffected during this outbreakexperienced relatively mildillness.

pandemic influenza

6

Consequences: The predicted impacts could include:u Risk to life (people and animals).u Damage to property, businesses, agricultural land, roads,structures and infrastructure.

u Pollution and contamination of local environments.u Long term damage to tourism, businesses and agriculture.


u Monitoring forecasts andproviding timely warnings to those at risk.

u Strategic planning to protect the areas at risk andmaintaining sea defences.

u Working together to helpminimise disruption to critical services.

What should you do?

u Find out if your property is atrisk of flooding and sign-up to receive flood warnings byphone, text or email.

u Consider how you can protectyour own property and ifthere’s time and it’s safe foryou to do so, fit any floodprotection products you might have.

u Check with your insurancecompany that your policycovers flooding.

u Where possible, move valuable items to upper floorsduring times of flood risk.

u Check forecasts and heed any warnings.

u If it’s safe to do so, check onvulnerable neighbours andrelatives.

u Sign up to a flood alerts.u Visit the Natural ResourcesWales website for advice and guidance.

9

Flooding has been identified asa very high risk for the NorthWales area, with propertiesacross the region at risk offlooding.

As was seen in North Wales in late 2013 and early 2014,storm surges which raise hightide levels can affect manycoastal communities and leadto overtopping of existing sea-defences resulting in theflooding of residential andcommercial properties.

There is also a risk of riverflooding caused by excessrainfall.

As well as the immediate affecton people’s daily lives whenflooding hits and the possibilityof evacuation is imminent, thework of recovering from wide-scale flooding can last long afterwater levels have subsided.

With climate change projectionsindicating that we can expect tosee more frequent and severestorms and an increase in sealevels, it is likely that coastalflooding will become morecommon in years to come.

flooding

8

Consequences: u Travel disruption. u Vulnerable people / elderly could suffer from the effects of cold or excessive heat.

u Disruption to utilities.u School closures.u Slips / falls.u Collisions.


u Monitoring the forecasts all year round.

u Working together to helpminimise disruption to critical services.

u Designing and planning ourservices to be resilient.

u Snow / ice plough / grittingroutes.

What should you do?

u Check weather forecast and heed any warnings.

u Plan your journeys / activities accordingly.

u Check on elderly neighboursand relatives.

u Take action - keep warm or keep hydrated.

11

Severe weather can causesignificant problems anddisruption to our everyday lives.

The main types of severeweather that we plan for include storms and gales; lowtemperatures with heavy snowor ice; and heatwaves.

North Wales has experiencedmost of these during the pastfew years and forecasterssuggest that severe weatherevents are likely to becomemore common in the future.

severe weather

10

13

industrial accidents

12

Consequences: u Health risks to the public.u Pollution of natural environment.u Possible damage to property and the local area.u Possible impact on tourism and local businesses.


u Working with site operators to develop off-site responseplans and specific informationto neighbouring communities on what to do in the event of an incident.

u Facilitating regular exercisesto rehearse on site and offsite response arrangementsidentifying sites which maypose a risk and developingmulti agency responseprocedures.

What should you do?

u Be aware if you live near anindustrial site and take note of any communications youmay receive from siteoperators. Follow thoseinstructions and wait forfurther advice.

u If you hear a warning of anemergency incident, goindoors, close all windowsand doors and tune into local radio/ social media for further advice.

u Co-operate with theemergency services fully.They are there to help. Stay calm and listen to their instructions if you areevacuated from your homefor any reason.

Industrial accidents can occuron regulated sites or can involvevehicles or vessels transportingindustrial materials through theNorth Wales area.

Incidents may involve industrialexplosions and major fires, toxic or radioactive release orhave the potential to causeserious injuries to the public and damage the localenvironment.

Much is being done to helpprevent industrial accidents and to minimise their effects:

u Control of Major AccidentHazards (COMAH)regulations aim to prevent

major accidents involvingdangerous substances andlimit the effects on the publicand the environment.

u North Wales also hosts twonuclear power stations whichare covered by the RadiationEmergency Preparedness & Public InformationRegulations 2001 (REPPIR).

u Pipeline Safety Regulations1996 also enforceregulations that relate to thehigh pressure Major AccidentHazard Pipelines (MAHP)that cross through NorthWales.

Consequences: u Lack of drinking water.u Homes without electricity / gas / oil limits people’s ability to prepare food and stay warm.


u Working with utilitycompanies to manageinterruptions to supplies.

u Developing multi-agency plans to manage longer term interruptions to services.

u Identifying vulnerableresidents who may needadditional support.

What should you do?

u Make a note of contactnumbers for the utilitiescompanies.

u Find out where and how toturn off the water, gas andelectricity supply in yourhome.

u Keep an emergency kit ready.

u Check on neighbours andrelatives.

15

Critical Infrastructure is thename given to the services werely on as part of modern life

14

loss of critical infrastructure

and a modern economy; theseinclude electricity, gas, drinkingwater, telecoms, oil and fuel.

animal disease

16

Consequences: u Impact on agriculture, food chain, rural economy and tourism.


u Production of multi-agencyplans for managing animaldisease outbreaks.

u Raising disease awarenessamongst farmers and farmworkers.

17

Animal diseases that presentthe most concern are thosewhich are highly contagious,cause high fatality ratesamongst livestock or have thepossibility of infecting humans.

There have been a number of significant animal diseaseoutbreaks in the UnitedKingdom; Foot and MouthDisease, Bluetongue, Anthraxand Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) are the most notable recentexamples.

What do you need to do?

u If an outbreak is declaredthen follow any guidancefrom the government at thetime to protect your livestockand limit the spread.

u Vaccinate livestock wherepossible.

18

pollutionPollution of our coastline, rivers, reservoirs, land or aircould have serious impact onhealth, the environment and the

Consequences:u Health risk to local residents and visitors.u Damage to environment and wildlife.u Impact on tourism or agriculture.


u Maintaining multi-agencyplans for the clean up of spillsor leaks to minimise impact.

What should you do?

u Follow the advice given by the respondingorganisations. e.g. stayindoors, close windows.

u Tune in to local radio.

u Follow the respondingorganisation on social media.

19

local economy. Pollution can take the form of an oil spill, a chemical leak or smoke from a large fire.

transport incidents

20

Consequences: u Disruption to normal travel capabilities.u Injury or risk to life and possible delays in emergency servicesreaching people.

u People stranded in vehicles in possibly severe weather conditions.u Environmental impacts if hazardous materials are spilled / releasedinto local environment.

u Possible damage to buildings or infrastructure.u Impact on local businesses due to delays.


u All relevant highwaysauthorities work together toplan for major incidents andkeep all major roadsaccessible during times of disruption.

u Work with railways, ports and ferry companies to planfor incidents affectingpassengers.

21

The vast majority of us rely ontransport links in our everydaylives – to travel to and fromwork or to access essentialservices. Therefore, when anincident or accident affects key transport links, such as theA55 or trunk roads, theconsequences can be far-reaching and couldendanger lives.

Transport emergencies can be the result of accidents ordisruption caused by severeweather such as snow andfloods. Key partners includingcounty councils, emergencyservices, the WelshGovernment, North and MidWales Trunk Road Agency, railand ferry companies worktogether to provide informationon transport accidents and putdiversions or alternativetransport arrangements in place where necessary.

What should you do?

u Plan your journey in advanceand listen to the local radio.

u Have an emergency kit in your car.

u Ensure your vehicle is in a roadworthy and safecondition and abide by the rules of the road.

u Avoid non-essential journeys during times of severe weather.

At home in an emergency:

If you are at home and anemergency happens, try to gather together:

u A list of useful phonenumbers, eg for your doctor and close relatives

u House and car keys

u Toiletries, sanitary suppliesand any regularly prescribedmedication

u A battery or wind-up radiowith spare batteries

u A first aid kit

u Mobile phone and charger

u Cash and credit cards

u Bottled water, ready to eat food.

Leaving your home in an emergency:

In certain situations, you may beasked to leave your home bythe emergency services. If thishappens, leave as quickly andcalmly as possible.

If you have time:

u Turn off electricity, gas and water supplies, unplugappliances and lock all doors and windows

u Take the items listed on the left hand side of this page

u If you leave by car, takebottled water and blankets

u Take your pets

u Tune in to local radio foremergency advice andinstructions

u Inform emergency services of where you have gone andhow you can be contacted.

Listen to the advice fromemergency services or localauthorities about any specificactions which you must followwhen it is safe to return home.

23

What can you do to be betterprepared in your home?

In the case of most majoremergencies, the simple adviceis to go inside, stay inside andtune into local radio, televisionand social media.

Planning for an emergency:

To prepare for an emergency,you should take time to find out:

u Where and how to turn offwater, gas and electricitysupplies in your home

u The emergency proceduresfor your children at school

u The emergency proceduresin your workplace

u How your family will stay incontact in the event of anemergency

u If any elderly or vulnerableneighbours might need yourhelp

u How to tune in to your localradio station.

22

being prepared in the home

If you own or are responisblefor a business or organisation,have you considered theimpacts from externalemergencies?

How would your organisation cope with:

u A sudden and significantreduction in staff.

u Denial of access to a site or geograghical area.

u Unexpected loss of mainselectricity.

u A temporary disruption togas supplies, water mainsand sewerage.

u Significant disruption totransport.

u Loss of telecommunications.

24

businesses being prepared Does your organisation have

adequate business continuitymeasures in place?5 STEPS TO EFFECTIVEBUSINESS CONTINUITY1. Understand your businessWhat parts of the businessare critical and what prioritywould you allocate torestoring functions if they fail?

2. Risk AssessmentWhat risks does your business face?Consider these risks withinyour business riskassessment. What can youput in place to reduce thelikelihood of the risks and/or the impact of them?

3. Consider the resourcesneeds of each of yourbusiness functions

u Peopleu Premisesu Equipmentu Informationu Communicationsu External suppliers/contractors4. Document information in auser-friendly format aboutyour business criticalfunctions and the resourcesrequired including alternatives/ back-ups for each.

5. Train and test your staff inactivating the continuity planand the roles and procedureswithin it.

25

Isle of Anglesey County Council01248 750057www.anglesey.gov.uk

Conwy County Borough Council01492 574000www.conwy.gov.uk

Denbighshire County Council01824 706100www.denbighshire.gov.uk

Flintshire County Council01352 752121www.flintshire.gov.uk

Gwynedd Council01766 771000www.gwynedd.gov.uk

Wrexham County Borough Council01978 264240www.wrexham.gov.uk

North Wales Police101 or 0300 330 0101www.north-wales.police.uk

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service01745 535 250 www.nwales-fireservice.org.uk

Welsh Ambulance NHS Trust01745 532900www.ambulance.wales.nhs.uk

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board01248 384 384www.bcu.wales.nhs.uk

H M Maritime and Coastguard Agency01407 762051www.mcga.gov.uk

Natural Resources Wales01248 385500www.naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

NHS Direct Wales0845 46 47www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk

Public Health Wales029 2074 4515www.publichealthwales.nhs.uk

other usefulwebsites:www.gov.ukwww.walesprepared.orgwww.wales.gov.ukwww.metoffice.gov.ukwww.bbc.co.uk/wales

In the event of an emergency dial 999

want to know more?

26

Documents

North Wales - anglesey.gov.uk