Environmental Standards

Prevention of Major Accidents

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia National Environmental Standard

Prevention of Major Accidents

standard revises the current General Standards for

the Environment (specifically document number
1409-01) issued by the Presidency of Meteorology
and Environment (PME).

Article I Preliminary

1)

Definitions
Competent Agency where referenced, refers to
the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment or
its designated representative, Refers to the
Presidency of Meteorology and Environment or
officially designated agency
dangerous substances For the purposes of this
regulation it refers to those substances listed in
Appendix A, Part set out in column 1, having a
concentration equal to or greater than the applicable
concentration set out in column 2.

3)

a) The effective date of this standard is 01/05/1433H

corresponds to 24/03/2012G.
4)

b) Where accidents do occur, this standard sets out a

framework and controls for the mitigation of the impact
on human health and the environment.

5)

GER shall refer to the General Environmental

regulations.

6)

PME shall refer to the Presidency of Meteorology

and Environment.

2)

Citation
a) This document may be cited as the National
Ambient Water Quality Standard for KSA. This

Exemptions
a) Those facilities that do not store threshold values of
dangerous substances as defined by Article II or
Appendix A (2) are exempt from the requirements of
this standard.

major accident Refers to any unplanned event

(including in particular a major emission, loss of
containment, fire, explosion or release of energy)
leading to serious danger or harm to people,
property or natural environment, whether immediate
or delayed.
near miss Refers to any sudden event which
could have escalated to a major accident but for
mitigation effects, actions or systems it has been
prevented.

Scope
a) This standard applies to all facilities irrespective of
size or location, that produces, processes, uses,
stores or otherwise handles dangerous substances in
quantities equal to or in excess of those specified in
Appendix A.

general facility Refers to any facility that is

owned or operated by a ministry or presidency or a
government unit or semi-government without
consideration to its size or tasks.
hazard Refers to a situation or an intrinsic
property with the potential to cause harm to people,
property or the built or natural environment.

Purpose
a) This standard is aimed to prevent major accidents,
such as the release of toxic materials, the release of
flammable materials, fires, explosions, major structural
failures and those which involve dangerous
substances.

emergency services Refers to organizations with

functional jurisdiction over emergency response. In
the case a facility belongs to a coastal area
facility Refers to any establishment or activity,
which is expected to be an origin of environmental
pollution or deterioration.

Timescales for implementation

b) The Competent Agency may on a case by case

basis issue specific exemptions give access to full
information and mitigating circumstances. The
decision of the Competent Agency is final on these
matters.

7)

Powers of authority
a) The Competent Agency may, for the purposes of
this Standard, appoint persons to act on their behalf
as technical assessors and monitors in relation to the
powers and duties conferred on him by this standard
and/or its subsequent amendments.
b) In addition to the responsibilities conferred by
other sections contained within this standard, it shall
be the duty of a relevant party;

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

time granted by the competent agency for

its completion.

i) to give the Competent Agency all such

assistance; and
ii) to provide the Competent Agency with all
such information, as that may reasonably be
required for the purpose of carrying out an
investigation

9)

Penalty fines
a) Maximum fines that may be imposed for exceeding
the applicable standard, breach of permit and failure
to comply with an abatement notice are set out in the
General Environmental Regulations.

d) The Competent Agency or appointed individual for

the purpose of enforcing this standard may:
i) Enter any premises for the purpose of
carrying out any related investigation.

10) Appeals

ii) carry out such inspections, measurements

and tests on premises entered, articles or
records found on any such premises, and take
away such samples of substances or articles,
as may be considered appropriate for the
purpose of enabling such investigation; or

a) A right of appeal exists for any organisation or

individual who is required to take action as a
consequence of the implementation of the revised
standard.
b) The right of appeal against conviction or sentence
is available through the appropriate judicial system as
set out in the General Environmental Regulations.

iii) at any reasonable time require any relevant

party to supply him with copies of, or of extracts
from, any records kept for the purpose of
demonstrating compliance with ambient air
quality standards.

c) All appeals should be fully supported with a

documented case containing as a minimum, the
information required under the appeals process of
the General Environmental Regulations.

e) This standard enables the issue of regulations and

technical memoranda which are enforceable by the
Competent Agency who hold delegated authority
under the General Environmental Regulations.

8)

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11) Periodic review

Enforcement procedures

a) There may be some requirement at a future date to

adjust the standards included to recognise specific
local conditions and or improved understanding of the
effects of mobile source air emissions.

a) Failure to comply with the requirements of these

standards may lead to prosecution by the Competent
Agency and those convicted of such failure may be
subject to fines or periods of imprisonment as laid out
in the General Environmental Regulations.

b) As a minimum, the Competent Agency shall

undertake a periodic review of this standard every 5
years.
c) Where new information suggests that adjustments
are required to this standard, all changes will be
subject to the appropriate consultation and will be
notified to facilities by the Competent Agency.
Appropriate implementation time will be allowed.

b) It is anticipated that the requirements of this

standard will be enforced nationally with inspections
taking place to verify their implementation at a
regional and local level.
c) The competent agency shall have the right to
suspend any operation which poses an imminent threat
of a major accident.

Article II General Provisions

d) The competent agency shall suspend the use of any

facility, installation or storage facility in case:

1)

i)

the measures for the prevention and

mitigation of major accidents inside the
facility have not been taken after the
warning and within the extension of time
granted by the competent agency for its
implementation; and/or

ii)

the operator of the facility has not

submitted the required documents, after
the warning and within the extension of

Threshold levels for qualification

a) Facilities where dangerous substances are present
in quantities equal to or in excess of the threshold
quantities specified in Appendix A, part 1 and 2,
Column 1 would be denominated as a Lower-tier
facility.
b) Facilities where dangerous substances are present
in quantities equal to or in excess of the threshold
quantities specified in Appendix A, part 1 and 2,

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

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Column 2 would be denominated as a Higher-tier

facility.
3)
Table 1 Thresholds for qualification of facilities

2)

CLASSIFICATION

QUANTITIES OF DANGEROUS
SUBSTANCES PRESENT

Lower-tier Facility

Appendix A, part 1 and 2, Column 1

Higher-tier Facility

Appendix I, part 1 and 2, Column 2

Notification
a) The operator of a lower-tier facility shall notify the
Competent Agency if any substance listed in
Appendix A is present, or will be present, at the facility
in a quantity equal to or greater than the threshold
quantities specified in Appendix A column 1 .
b) The notification
information:

shall

include

the

following

i)

the name or trade name and the address or

location of the facility;

ii)

the address or location of the registered

place of the business;

General obligations of the operator

iii)

the name and position of the person in

charge of the facility;

a) The operator shall prevent major accidents, and limit

their impact in the event of an accident, by taking all
necessary measures including the following:

iv) a brief description of the activity or proposed

activity of the facility;

i)

identify and assess all hazards and

implement control measures to reduce the
likelihood and effects of a major accident;

ii)

provide information to the Competent

Agency and the community, including other
closely located facilities, regarding the
nature of hazards at the facility and
emergency procedures in the event of a
major accident;

iii)

report and investigate major accidents and

near misses, and take appropriate corrective
action; and

iv) record and discuss the lessons learnt and

the analysis of major accidents and near
misses with employees and employee
representatives.
b) The operator of the facility, depending on its
classification, shall develop and provide to the
competent agency with the following documents:
i)

Lower-tier facility:

Notification (Refers to Article II (3))

On-site emergency plan (Refers to Article IV
(1))
Information reporting an accident (Refers to
Article IV (3))

ii)

Higher-tier facility:

Safety Report (Refers to Article III (6))

On-site and off-site emergency plan (Refers
to Article IV (1))
Information to the community (Refers to
Article IV (2))
Information reporting an accident (Refers to
Article IV (3))

v)

the reason for the notification, i.e. the facility

is new or a change to the facility is proposed
which will change it to a lower-tier or highertier facility;

vi) enough information (chemical name, name

according
to
IUPAC
nomenclature,
Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number,
other names, molecular formula) to clearly
identify the dangerous substances which are
present or likely to be present at the facility;
vii) the quantity and physical form of each
dangerous substance present at the facility
and the maximum consumption rate of those
substances; and
viii) the surrounding environment of the facility.
c) The operator shall supply, subsequent to notification
by the facility and at the request of the Competent
Agency, any additional relevant information.
d) The operator shall inform the Competent Agency of
any relevant change in production capacity at the
facility, such as:
i)

significant change in the quantity or in the

nature or physical form of the dangerous
substances;

ii)

modification of the facility which could affect

major accident hazards; or

iii)

permanent closure of the facility.

e) The operator shall remit the notification to the

Competent Agency within the following timeconstraints:
i)

for a proposed new facility, 6 months before

construction or operation commences;

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

ii)

iii)

for an existing facility, including a facility under

construction at the date of implementation of this
regulation, within 6 months from the
implementation of this regulation; and

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assessment of the accident prevention

policy and the effectiveness of the safety
management system.
Accident investigation and learning from
experience.

c) The Major accident prevention policy shall be

produced within 6 months of the date of the
implementation of this Regulation and it shall be made
available to the Competent Agency at any time it is
requested and for the purpose of the inspection.

for a change to an existing facility, 6 months

before implementing the modification.

Article III Major Accident Prevention

1)

d) The major accident prevention policy and the safety

management system shall be reviewed and updated at
suitable intervals and no longer than 2 years, or when
there are indications that a revision may be needed.

Major accident prevention policy

a) The operator of a lower-tier facility shall develop a
written document describing its major accident
prevention policy. It should be ensured that the policy is
promulgated and properly implemented throughout the
enterprise.

2)

Systematic hazard
assessment

identification

and

risk

a) The operator of a facility shall:

b) The development of the policy should:
i)

take account of a complete protection of the

human health and the environment;

ii)

include the operators statement of intent,

setting out the overall objectives and
principles of action regarding the control of
major-accident hazards; and

iii)

describe the safety management system for

achieving the stated aims which shall
include:

The roles and responsibilities of the

personnel involved in the management of
major hazards at all levels. The identification
of training needs for such personnel and the
effective education and training programs.
Systematic hazard identification and risk
assessment (Refers to Article III (2)).
Development
and
implementation
of
procedures and instructions for ensuring
safe operation of the facility, including
maintenance of the plant, processes,
equipment and temporary stoppages.
Development
and
implementation
of
procedures for planning and controlling
modifications to the installations, processes,
materials, equipment, organization or
personnel.
Development
and
implementation
of
procedures
to
identify
foreseeable
emergencies by systematic analysis.
Development
and
implementation
of
procedures for the ongoing assessment of
compliance with the objectives of the
operators accidents prevention policy and
safety
management system , and the
mechanism for taking corrective actions in
the event of non-compliance. Procedures for
the reporting of major accidents or near
misses should be included.
Development
and
implementation
of
procedures
for
periodic
systematic

i)

Develop and implement formal procedures

for systematic identification and evaluation
of major hazards arising from normal and
abnormal operations, and the hazards
arising from substances handled, produced,
stored, or disposed of. Assessment of their
likelihood and severity should also be
included.

ii)

Apply hazard identification and evaluation

procedures to all relevant stages from
project
conception
through
to
decommissioning, including:

potential hazards arising from or identified in

the course of planning, design, engineering,
construction,
commissioning,
and
development activities;
the normal range of process operating
conditions, hazards of routine operations
and of non-routine situations, in particular
start-up, maintenance, and shut-down;
incidents
and
possible
emergencies,
including those arising from component or
material failures, external events, and
human factors; hazards of decommissioning,
abandonment, and disposal;
potential hazards from former activities; and
external hazards including those arising from
natural
hazards
(including
abnormal
temperatures, fire, flood, earthquake, strong
winds, tidal waves), from transport
operations including loading and unloading,
from neighboring activities, and from
malevolent or unauthorized action.

iii)

Assess
all
possible
health
and
environmental consequences of accidents.
The assessment of the environmental
consequences should include:

analysis of possible pathways of chemicals

entering the environment (soil, ground water,

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

surface water, air) and the possible

environmental receptors (e.g. flora, fauna);
analysis of how chemicals can move,
disperse, react and transform in the
environment;
assessment the impacts on the environment
of substances that are not expected to be
hazardous
to
the
environment
by
themselves but could create significant
hazards
in
combination
with
other
substances; and
collection of data on the environmental
aspects of past accidents.

i)

the implementation of any modification to

the facility, processes, operating procedures
or quantity of dangerous substances;

ii)

the introduction of a new plant, process,

operating procedure or materials; and

iii)

any change to the safety management system

if it implies changes to the risk associated with the facility.

e) The induction, training and education shall:

iv) Minimize the risk associated with the hazard

facility by:

i)

have a specific section where environmental

issues are addressed;

eliminating or minimizing hazards at the

facility;
implementing
technical
measures
to
minimize the likelihood of a major accident;
and
implementing measures to limit the
consequences of a major accident

ii)

be monitored, evaluated, modified and recorded

when necessary; and

iii)

be carried out and evaluated in consultation ith

with the employees and their representatives.

4)
v)

Exchange information with other industries

and industrial organizations in order to
enhance the risk assessment approaches.

vi) Review and reassess the procedure

periodically, and when there are indications
that a revision may be needed.

3)

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Safety report
a) The operator of higher-tier facilities shall develop a
safety report with the aim of:
i)

Ensuring that a major accident prevention

policy and a safety management system are
developed and implemented throughout the
enterprise, in accordance with the
information specified in Article III (1) and (2).

ii)

Demonstrating that adequate safety and

reliability have been incorporated into the
design,
construction,
operation
and
maintenance of any installation, storage
facility, equipment and infrastructure related
to those operations linked with major
accident hazards.

iii)

Guaranteeing that on-site and off-site

emergency plans have been produced and
that they are accessible to all levels of
personnel.

Training and Education

a) The operator shall provide to all personnel at the
facility
(including
temporary
employees,
and
contractors) with induction, education and training,
according to the role and responsibilities of the person
and it should ensure that the personnel is competent to
work with a major hazard.
b) The induction, education and training shall address:
i)

hazard identification, risk evaluation and

corrective measures to address safety and
environmental concerns;

ii)

risk prevention and mitigation;

iii)

appropriate materials handling procedures;

iv) any special hazards specific to their job; and

v)

implementation of the evacuation procedure.

c) The operator should provide special training to the

personnel, according to their roles and responsibilities,
involved in the management of major hazards and/or
emergency situation. The training should include the
actions that shall be taken by such personnel in
abnormal or emergency situations and any other
needed issue that might be identified.
d) The operator should provide follow-up training and
education at appropriate intervals and always before:

iv) Providing the competent agency with

enough information to enable them to take
decisions regarding the sitting of new
activities.
b) Contents of the major accident prevention policy and
safety management system must be incorporated in
the safety report and extended and detailed, where
appropriate, with as a minimum the following
information:
i)

Description of the environment of the facility,

including:

description
of
the
site,
including
geographical
location,
meteorological,
geological and hydrological conditions;
description of the area surrounding it,
including sensitive environments, land use,

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

local population and activities in the area

(including commercial, residential and
industrial);
identification of installations and activities of
the facility which could present a major
accident hazard; and
description of areas where a major accident
may occur.

ii)

Description of the installation, including:

description of the main activities and

products of the identified installations and
areas which are important for safety;
sources and conditions of major accident
risks;
description of preventive measures;
description of processes and operating
methods;
updated inventory and description of
dangerous substances;
identification of dangerous substances:
chemical name, name according to IUPAC
nomenclature, UN number, Chemical
Abstract Service (CAS) number and
molecular formula;
quantities present or likely to be present;
physical, chemicals and toxicological
characteristics of the dangerous substances
and of possible mix of substances that are
not expected to be hazardous by
themselves but could create significant
hazards in
combination
with
other
substances; and
immediate and future hazards for the health
of humans and for the environment.

iii)

Accidental risks identification, analysis and

prevention methods, including:

description of potential major accident

situations or scenarios and their probability
or the events or conditions that may promote
an accident occuring;
assessment of the extent and severity of the
consequences of identified accidents
(detailed descriptions or maps should be
used in order to illustrate areas which could
be affected by the accident); and
description of technical measures and
equipment for the safety of installations.

iv) Measures of protection and intervention,

including:

equipment used to limit the consequences

of the major accident;
organization of alert and intervention; and
mobilizable resources, internal and external.

c) Operators of facilities which are located close

together shall exchange the necessary information that
needs to be taken account in their major accident
prevention policy, safety management system and
safety report.
d) The safety report shall be reviewed and updated:

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i)

in the event of a modification which has a

significant influence on the level of safety in
the installation or its processes or in the
quantities of hazardous substances present;

ii)

when developments in technical knowledge

or in the assessment of hazards make this
appropriate;

iii)

at suitable intervals no longer than 2 years;

iv) at the request of the competent agency.

e) The safety report shall be submitted to the
competent agency within the following time limits:

5)

i)

for a proposed new facility, 6 months before

construction or operation commences;

ii)

for an existing facility, including a facility

under construction at the implementation of
this regulation, 6 months from the
implementation of this regulation; and

iii)

for a change to an existing facility, 3 months

before implementing the modification.

Design or modification of an
establishment or storage facility

installation,

a) During the design of a new facility or the modification

to an existing facility, measures for the elimination or
minimization of hazards should be considered. When
possible or to the extent practicable, the operator of the
facility shall:
i)

reduce
inventories
substances;

of

hazardous

ii)

minimize the use of hazardous substances;

iii)

replace hazard materials for less hazardous

ones;

iv) limit the hazard potential from the use of

hazardous materials and processes (e.g
closed
systems,
back-up
systems,
secondary containment systems);
v)

moderate
process
conditions
temperatures, pressures levels);

(lower

vi) shift complex systems to simpler ones;

vii) make the plant and process simpler to
design, build and operate;
viii) ensure the use of redundant safety systems;
and
ix) minimise production of wastes.
b) The design or modification of a facility should allow
for the separation of incompatible substances and

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

subdivision of inventories by the use of, for instance,

separate buildings or fire walls. Furthermore, the facility
should be designed in a way that reduces the likelihood
of domino effects in the event of an accident.
c) In cases where modifications of an establishment,
storage facility or process; or of the nature or quantity
of dangerous substances could have a significant effect
on a major accident hazards, the operator of the facility
shall review and where appropriate modify:
i)
ii)
iii)

the major accident prevention policy;

the safety management system and
the safety report.

d) The operator of the facility, when choosing possible

sites for a new hazardous installation shall:
i)

Abide by land use planning and zoning

requirements; and

ii)

seek sites which would minimize the risk to

human health, the environment and the
property.

iii)

c) The on-site emergency plan shall contain at least the

following information:
i)

positions of persons authorized to start the

emergency procedures and the positions in
charge of and coordinating the on-site
mitigatory action;

ii)

position of the person in charge of providing

early warning to the emergency services
and to the local agency, the type of
information to be initially provided and
arrangement for providing more information
as it comes available;

iii)

description of the measures to be taken in

order to control and to limit the
consequences of conditions or events which
could cause a major accident. It should
include a description of the equipment and
the resources available;

Emergency plan
a) The operator of a facility shall draw up an on-site
and an off-site emergency plan. For this purpose the
operator shall:
i)

ii)

iii)

ensure that the on-site plan is focused on

the measures that should be taken inside
the facility and that it is established and
maintained in conjunction with the
emergency services;
ensure that the on-site plan is developed
and updated in consultation with employees
of the facility and long term relevant
subcontracted employees;
develop the off-site plan for measures
outside the facility in cooperation and
coordination with emergency services and
the local responsible agency; and

communicating the necessary information to

the public, services and agencies concerned
in the area; and

iv) providing for the clean up and restoration of

the environment subsequently to the
accident.

Article IV Mitigation of impacts of a major accident

1)

iv) arrangement for limiting the risks to persons

on site including how warnings are to be
given and the actions the persons should
take;
v)

procedures for the safe evacuation of, and

accounting the people on site;

vi) arrangement for training staff in the task

they need to perform and coordinating this
with emergency services; and
vii) arrangement for providing assistance with
off-site mitigatory action.
d) The off-site emergency plan shall contain at least
the following information:
i)

positions of persons authorized

to
start the emergency procedures and the
positions in charge of and coordinating
the off-site action;

ii)

arrangements with the emergency

services and local agencies for
receiving early warning of incidents, and
alert and call out procedures;

iii)

arrangements
for
coordinating
resources necessary to carry out the
off-site emergency plan;

iv) consult with the community, where

necessary, during the preparation and
update of the off-site plan.
b) The on-site and off-site emergency plan shall be
complementary and must be aimed at:
i)

ii)

containing and controlling accidents and to

abate the effects on humans, environment
and property;
implementing measures to protect human
and environment from the effects of an
accident;

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iv) arrangements
actions; and
v)

for

off-site

mitigatory

arrangements for providing warning the

public, the information related to the

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Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

facilities, which could be affected by the

accident;

accident and the behaviour or action

they need to follow.
e) Operators of facilities which are located close
together shall prepare coordinated emergency plans.
For that purpose, additional information not specified in
the information provided to the community and
necessary for the development of the emergency plan
shall be provided.
f) The operator shall ensure that the emergency plans
are accessible to all personnel at the facility.
g) The operator shall review and update the on-site and
off-site emergency plan taking into account all
modifications to the facility, modifications within the
emergency services, new technical knowledge and any
information refer to major accidents. The update of offsite emergency plan shall also take into account
modifications made to the land use in the surrounding
environment.

ii)

For an existing facilities, 6 months from

the implementation of the regulation.

iii)

For new facility, 6 months before

construction or operation commences

2)

ii)

name, position and telephone number of the

person providing the information;

iii)

confirmation
regulation;

on

the

following

of

this

names of the dangerous substances or

categories of those substances not
specifically named in Part 1, which are used
or produced at the facility and could give
rise to a major accident. Indicate their main
dangerous characteristics;

vi) general information of the nature of the

hazards at the facility and their potential
effects on human health and the natural
environment;
vii) information concerning the means by which
the population will be warned, including alert
methods, and kept informed in the event of
the accident;
viii) information relating the actions the
population should take and the behaviour
they should adopt in the event of the
accident;

Operators of lower-tier facilities are

exempted of developing an off-site
emergency plan and all the articles
referred to it shall not apply to them.

ix) confirmation on liaison with the emergency

services, to cope with major accidents and
to minimize their effects;
x)

a) The operator of higher-tier facilities shall ensure that:

information on safety measures and on
the appropriate behaviour in the event of
an accident is regularly provided to the
community
(all
persons
and
all
establishment serving the public such as
schools and hospitals), including nearby

the information is made permanently

available to the public. The maximum
period between the repetition of the
information to the public shall, in any
case, be no longer than 2 years

name and address of the facility;

v)

Information supplied to the Community

i)

iii)

iv) explanation, in simple words, of the activities

carried out at the facility;

iv) For a change to an existing facility, 3

months
before
implementing
the
modification.
v)

the information is reviewed at appropriate

intervals and updated where necessary.
In the case of any modification at the
facility,
the
relevant
information
concerning those changes shall be
provided before the changes are made;
and

i)

j) The operator shall draw up and submit the

emergency plans to the competent agency within the
following periods of time:
For a proposed new facility, prior to the
start of the operations.

ii)

b) The information supplied to the public shall contain,

at least, the following information:

h) The operator shall ensure that the emergency plans

are tested, evaluated and updated at intervals of no
longer than 2 years in order to evaluate the
effectiveness of the plans. A recording of the evaluation
of the emergency plan must be done and must be
available to the Competent Agency upon request. In
the case of the off-site emergency plan, the day of
testing and the list of local agencies, community or
interest groups, if any, that have been involved in the
testing of the plan must be included in the recorded
document.

i)

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relevant
information
of
the
off-site
emergency plan which deals with off-site
effects from an accident; and

xi) details of where further information can be

acquired.

3)

Reporting a major accident

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

a) Following a major accident the operator shall inform

the competent agency as soon as possible and within
24 hours of the major accident.

iii)

b) The following information must be provided to the

Competent Agency in the form of a report as soon as it
becomes available following a major incident:

iv) to ensure that the information gathered in

the safety report, or any other report
submitted or made available, reflects the
conditions of the facility.

i)

the circumstances of the accident (nature,

timing of the events that occurred, analysis
of the causes of the accident);

ii)

the substances involved, and the amounts

of each;

iii)

immediate on-site consequences, and any

action taken to mitigate its effects;

v)

inform the competent agency

complete the document with;

of

to check that the facility is provided with the

appropriate
means for minimizing the
effects of major accidents; and

c) The operator or a representative of the facility shall

have the opportunity to accompany inspectors
supervising the application of the measures prescribed
in pursuance of this regulation, unless the inspectors
consider that this may be prejudicial to the performance
of their duties.
d) Upon request of the Competent Agency, the
operator shall provide any additional information
needed for the complete assessment of the facility,
potential major accidents, emergency plans or any
other issue related to the regulation.

iv) the data available to assess the effects of

the accident on people and environment;
and
2)
vi) the foreseen measures and clean up
methods which will be taken in order to
mitigate the medium- and long-term effects
of the accident ;

Role of the authority

a) The role of the Competent Agency is to administer
this standard which includes:
i)

receiving notification from Operators and

providing an acknowledgment to the
operator;

ii)

receiving Major Accident Prevention Policy

reports from higher-tier and lower-tier
facilities and assessing them;

c) The information from a major accident report must

be updated if further investigation reveals additional
facts which alter that information or the conclusions
drawn.

iii)

cooperate and coordinate with the operator

of the facility for the development of, and
implementation, in case of accident, of the
off-site emergency plan;

d) The operator of the facility shall keep a copy of every

accident report for the lifetime of the facility.

iv) consulting and coordinating with other

relevant public agencies, and in the case
where a major accident has transboundary
effects to provide the necessary information
to the States concerned;

vii) the emergency measures taken and the

effectiveness of the emergency plan and
procedures; and
viii) the actions envisaged to prevent similar
accidents.

Article V Responsibilities of the Competent Agency

v)
1)

PME Reference

Inspection
a) Every facility will have an inspection or other control
measure, carried out by the Competent Agency, at a
frequency determined in accordance with the
associated hazard the facility supposes for the humans
and environment.

receiving and reviewing reports of major

accidents and near misses;

vi) investigate and collect the necessary

information for a complete analysis of the
major accident;
vii) making
recommendations
preventive measures; and

on

future

b) The purpose of the inspections is:

i)

to exam the systems being used at the

facility;

ii)

to check that the necessary and appropriate

measures, according to the activities of the
facility, are taken in order to prevent major
accidents;

viii) ensuring that the operator takes remedial

measures
b) The Competent Agency, along with the information
provided by the operators in compliance with article (7),
should identify facilities or groups of facilities where the
possibilities or the effects of a major accident may be
increased due to the location and the proximity of such
facilities, and their inventories of dangerous
substances.

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

c) The agencies responsible for land use planning

decisions, shall ensure that the prevention of major
accidents are taken into account in their land use policy
and in the long term, they should maintain appropriate
distances between the facilities covered by this
regulation and residential areas, areas of public use,
major transport routes, recreational areas, ecosensitive areas or other areas of particular interest.
e) The Competent Agency shall have qualified and
trained staff with the appropriate skills, and sufficient
technical and professional support, to inspect,
investigate, assess, and advice on the matters dealt
with in this Regulation.
f) The relevant agency shall protect confidential
information provided by the operator of a facility, as
long as it does not compromise the safety of people or
environment.

3)

Responsibility within the coastal zone

a) According to the National Contingency Plan for
Combating Marine Pollution by Oil and other Harmful
Substances in Emergency Cases, where a facility is
located in the coastal area and in the event of an
accident, the following agencies shall undertake the
pollution prevention and protection.
i)

Ministry of Defence and Aviation;

ii)

Ministry of Interior (Coast Guard and Civil

Defence authorities);

iii)

Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Affairs;

iv) Ministry
of
Municipality
Resources; and
v)

and

Rural

Saudi Ports Authority.

nnn

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

Appendix A Thresholds levels for qualification

(1)

The threshold quantities considered for the application of this regulation refer to the maximum quantities which
are present or likely to be present at the facility at any time.

(2)

In the case a facility has no individual substance or preparation present in equal or excess amount of the
corresponding threshold quantity, the following rule shall be applied. If the sum of the rule is greater than or
equal to 1 the facility shall be considered within the scope of this standard.
-

Lower-tier facilities:
qs1/Ts1 + qs2/Ts1 + qs3/Ts1+.+qsn/Ts1 1

Higher-tier facilities:
qs1/Ts2 + qs2/Ts2 + qs3/Ts2++qsn/Ts2 1
where:

(3)

qs refers to the quantity of each isolated dangerous substance (or category of dangerous substances)
considered in Part 1 or 2 of this Appendix.

Ts1 refers to the corresponding threshold quantity for each substance from column 1 of Parts 1 or 2 of
the present Appendix.

Ts2 refers to the corresponding threshold quantity for each substance from column 2 of Parts 1 or 2 of
the present Appendix.

In the case a substance has more than one of the properties specified in Part 2 of this Appendix, the lowest
threshold quantity shall apply.

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

(1) PART 1: DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

THRESHOLD QUANTITY (TONNES)

NAME OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES
Acetylene
Ammonium nitrate1
Ammonium nitrate2
Ammonium nitrate3
Ammonium nitrate4
Arsenic pentoxide, arsenic (V) acid and/or salts
Arsenic trioxide, arsenic (III) acid and/or salts
Arsenic trihydride (Arsine)
Bromine
Carbonyl dichloride (Phosgene)
Chorine
Ethylene Oxide
Ethyleneimine
Fluorine
Formaldehyde (concentration 90 %)
Hydrogen
Hydrogen Chloride (Liquefied gas)
Lead alkyls
Liquefied extremely flammable gases (including LPG)
Methane or Natural Gas
Methanol
Methylisocyanate
4, 4-Methylenebis (2-chloraniline) and/or salts, in powder form
Nickel compounds in inhalable powder form (nickel monoxide, nickel dioxide,
nickel sulphide, trinickel disulphide, dinickel trioxide)
Oxygen
Petroleum products: gasolines and naphthas, kerosenes (including jet fuels)
and gas oils (including diesel fuels, home heating oils and gas oil blending
streams)
Phosphorous trihydride (Phosphine)
Polychlorodibenzofurans and polychlorodibenzodioxins (including TCDD),
calculated in TCDD equivalent
5
Potassium nitrate
6
Potassium nitrate
Propylene oxide
Sulphur dichloride
Sulphur trioxide
Toluene diisocyanate
The following CARCENIGENS at concentrations above 5% by weight:
4-Aminobiphenil and or its salts, Benzotrichloride, Benzidine and/or salts,
Bis(chloromethyl) ether, Chloromethyl methyl eter, 1,2-Dibromoethane,
Diethyl sulphate, Dymethyl sulphate, Dimethyl carbamoyl chloride, 1,2Dibromo-3-chloropropane, 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine, Dimethylditrosamine,
Hexamethylphosphoric triamide, Hydrazine, 2-Naphthylamine and/or salts,
4-Nitrodiphenyl, and 1,3 Propanesultone

Column 1 (T1)
5
5000
1250
350
10
1
0.2
20
0.3
10
5
10
10
5
5
25
5
50
50
500

Column 2 (T2)
50
10000
5000
2500
50
2
0.1
1
100
0.75
25
50
20
20
50
50
250
50
200
200
5000
0.15
0.01

200

1
2000

2500

25000

0.2

5000
1250
5
1
15
10

0.001
10000
5000
50
1
75
1000

0.5

NOTES
1.

Ammonium nitrate: Fertilisers capable of self-sustaining decomposition. Refers to ammonium nitrate-based

compound/composite which have an amount of nitrogen, as a result of ammonium nitrate:
-

Between 15,75 % and 24,5 % per weight (which corresponds to 45 % and 70 % ammonium nitrate
respectively) and with no more than 0,4% total combustible/organic materials.

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

2.

PME Reference

15.75% by weight or less and unrestricted combustible materials.

Ammonium nitrate: Fertilisers grade. Refers to straight ammonium nitrate-based fertiliser and to ammonium
nitrate-based compound/composite which have an amount of nitrogen as a result of ammonium nitrate of:

3.

More than 24.5 % by weight, except for mixtures of ammonium nitrate with dolomite, limestone, and/or
calcium carbonate with a purity of as a minimum 90%
More than 15.75% by weight for mixtures of ammonium nitrate with and ammonium sulphate.
More than 28 % by weight (which corresponds to 80 % ammonium nitrate) for mixtures of ammonium nitrate
with dolomite, limestone, and/or calcium carbonate with a purity of as a minimum 90%
Ammonium nitrate : Refers to ammonium nitrate and preparations of ammonium nitrate which have an amount
of nitrogen as a result of ammonium nitrate of no more than 0.2% combustible substances:

Between 24.5 % and 28% by weight and with no more than 0.4% combustible materials.
More than 28 % by weight and with no more than 0.2% combustible substances.

4.

Ammonium nitrate. Refers to those materials that have been rejected during the manufacturing process or have
been returned from the final user to a manufacturer, temporary storage or reprocessing plant for reworking,
recycling or treatment for safe use.

5.

Potassium nitrate: Composite potassium nitrate composed of potassium nitrate in granular form.

6.

Potassium nitrate: Composite potassium nitrate composed of potassium nitrate in crystalline form.

KSA

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment

PME Reference

(2) PART 2: CATEGORIES OF SUBSTANCES

THRESHOLD QUANTITY (TONNES)

CATEGORIES OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES
Very Toxic
Toxic
Oxidizing
1
Explosive
2
Explosive
3
Flammable
Highly Flammable4
Highly Flammable5
Extremely Flammable6
DANGEROUS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT RISK PHRASES:
R50: Very toxic to aquatic organism (including R50/53)
R51: toxic to aquatic organism
R53: May cause long term adverse effects in the aquatic environment
Any other classification not covered previously:
R14: Reacts violently with water (including R14/15)
R29: in contact with water liberates toxic gas

Column 1
5
50
50
50
10
5000
50
5000
10

Column 2
20
200
200
200
50
50000
200
50000
50

100
200

200
500

100
50

500
200

NOTES
1.

Explosive: Refers to a substance or preparation which creates:

-

Risk of explosion by shock, friction, fire or other source of ignition (R2)

Extreme risk of explosion by shock, friction, fire or other sources of ignition (R3)
A mass explosion hazard
A projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard
A fire hazard and either a minor hazard or a minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard.

Or refers to:
Very insensitive substances having mass explosion hazards that are so insensitive that there is very little
probability of initiation or of transition from burning to detonation under normal conditions of carriage.
Extremely insensitive articles which do not have a mass explosion hazard.
2.

Explosive: Refers to a substance or preparation which present a slightly risk in the event of ignition

3.

Flammable Liquids: Refers to substances and preparations having a flash point equal to or greater than 21C and
less than 55C (R10), supporting combustion.

4.

Highly Flammable Liquids: Refers to substances and preparations which:

May become hot and catch fire in contact with the air at ambient temperature without input of energy (R17)
have a flash point lower than 55C and which remain liquid under pressure.

5.

Highly Flammable Liquids: Refers to substances or preparations which have a flash point lower than 21C and are
not extremely flammable (R11)

6.

Extremely Flammable gases and liquids:

-

Liquid substances and preparations which have a flash point lower than 0 C and the boiling point at normal
pressure is less than less than or equal to 35C (R12).
Gases which are flammable in contact with air at ambient temperature and pressure (R12), which are in a
gaseous or supercritical stage
Flammable and highly flammable liquid substances and preparations maintained at a temperature above their
boiling point