Flood Risk Assessment
It is important that flooding is not underestimated as it has the potential to cause serious environmental damage and result in significant financial cost through equipment damage and business interruption. As a result of changing climatic conditions, flooding is becoming an ever-increasing concern, and it is crucial that appropriate steps are taken to prevent or reduce the impact.
The impact of natural hazards on industrial sites and the concept of NaTech hazards is a hot topic, and one that we are fully up to date with. We are working with a number of industry working groups, including the Chemical and Downstream Oil Industry Forum (CDOIF), to develop practical guidance on how to understand and assess these hazards.
Our team is fully up to date with the Regulator’s expectations in this field and can provide risk and vulnerability assessments to identify future and potential adaptation options.
To determine appropriate protection measures, we utilise a systematic process which reviews existing information to assess flood risk and the potential impact to the site in question. As flooding has the potential to cause a release of hazardous substances, or affect safety systems in place, we can carry out environmental impact assessments as part of flood risk studies.
Firstly, background information is reviewed to assess flood risk. This includes the Environment Agency’s flood maps alongside topography and catchment characteristics. The risk is then assessed by considering all the potential sources of flooding to determine which areas of an establishment may be the most at risk to prioritise protection measures. We also consider the impact of climate change, and how this might affect the urgency of improvement measures.
A range of measures are then reviewed to determine the most appropriate solution. If the site in question is determined to be at risk, we can support you with the preparation of a response plan to be followed in the event of a flood warning, or during a flooding incident itself.
