Dealing with emergencies

What is a major emergency?

A major emergency is commonly defined as "any event (happening with or without warning) causing or threatening death or injury, damage to property or the environment or disruption to the community, which because of the scale of its effects cannot be dealt with as part of our day-to-day activities".

Although most major emergencies tend to happen quickly and without warning (e.g. an explosion or transport accident), they may also develop slowly (e.g. severe weather, an outbreak of infection or supply shortages).

Examples of major emergencies can include:

Natural disasters (such as floods, gales and snow)
Chemical Hazards (such as the uncontrolled release of toxic gas)
Pollution Incidents (such as the oil washed up in large quantities on beaches)
Transportation Incidents (such as ferry, railway or major road accidents)
Loss of essential utility services (such as power failures and the fuel crisis)
Acts of Terrorism (such as bomb threats and evacuations)
Public order disturbances (such as riots and demonstrations)

There is incorrect/outof date information on this page

This page was last updated on 10/9/2007