Plea for review of fertiliser security

A number of people have been killed and more than 160 injured as a result of a huge explosion at the fertiliser plant which ripped through the town earlier this week, flattening homes and buildings.

It has been reported that the company operating the plant had 20 tonnes of anhydrous ammonia, a widely used source of nitrogen fertiliser, on site which emergency services officials indicated may have caused the explosion.

In a bid to avoid the risk of a similar incident occurring closer to home, the CLA in the North is reminding its members of the highly explosive capacity of ammonium nitrate-based fertilisers, which in the wrong hands can cause extensive damage to buildings and life within a 50-metre radius.

Dorothy Fairburn, the CLA’s northern director, said: “Even in the right hands, ammonium nitrate can still cause considerable harm if exposed to extreme heat or friction.

“No other highly-explosive substance is so readily available nationwide, which is why it is vital that anyone who handles or stores fertiliser must ensure its security to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.”

The CLA is advising farmers and growers to follow the National Counter Terrorist Security Office-approved ten point plan to protect their fertiliser, which stipulates:

Avoid storing fertiliser where there is public access;

Do not leave bags of fertiliser in the field overnight;

Avoid storing fertiliser near to, or visible from, the public highway;

Do not sell fertiliser unless the purchaser is personally known by you to be a bona-fide farmer user and is aware of the need to follow this guidance;

Record fertiliser deliveries and usage;

Wherever possible, and with regard to Health and Safety Executive safety guidance, store fertiliser inside a locked building or compound;

Fully sheet fertiliser when stored outside and regularly check to ensure that the stack has not been tampered with;

Carry out regular, frequent stock checks;

Report immediately any unexplained stock discrepancy, loss or theft to the police;

Record any manufacturers code numbers from the bags and if available, the number of the detonation resistance test certificate.