Pollution Incident Reporting

A pollution incident is any uncontrolled release of a substance that harms or threatens the environment.
Common incidents include fuel spills, silt runoff into watercourses, cement washout, and chemical leaks.
All pollution incidents must be reported immediately to the site manager and the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency incident hotline is 0800 80 70 60 — available 24 hours a day.
Prompt reporting reduces the extent of environmental damage and demonstrates responsible management.
Failure to report a pollution incident is a separate offence under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016.
Even minor spills that do not reach a watercourse must be recorded in the site environmental log.
First response to any pollution incident is to contain the source, then protect drains and watercourses.
The Environmental Damage Regulations 2009 can require the polluter to pay for full environmental restoration.
Near misses involving potential pollution should be reported and investigated like actual incidents.

Environmental protection	Rapid reporting and response minimises damage to watercourses, soil, and wildlife.
Legal requirement	Failure to report pollution is a criminal offence with significant fines.
Restoration costs	The polluter is legally liable for all environmental clean-up and restoration costs.
Learning opportunity	Reporting near misses prevents actual pollution incidents through early intervention.

Do

Don't

Report all pollution incidents to the site manager immediately they are discovered.
Call the Environment Agency hotline 0800 80 70 60 for incidents affecting watercourses.
Contain the source of pollution — shut off the leak, stem the flow, or cap the spill.
Protect drains and watercourses using spill kits, drain covers, and absorbent booms.
Record the incident details including time, location, substance, and quantity released.
Take photographs of the incident and the response actions for the investigation file.
Cooperate fully with the Environment Agency if they attend or investigate.
Report environmental near misses through the site incident reporting system.
Review and update pollution prevention measures after every incident.
Brief all operatives on the pollution incident response procedure during induction.

DON'T delay reporting a pollution incident — immediate action reduces the damage.
DON'T attempt to wash pollutants into drains or watercourses to hide the evidence.
DON'T ignore minor spills — they must still be recorded and cleaned up.
DON'T use detergents to disperse oil spills into watercourses — this makes pollution worse.
DON'T obstruct or mislead Environment Agency officers during their investigation.
DON'T assume a spill will evaporate or soak in without causing harm.
DON'T leave spill kit materials exhausted — restock immediately after use.
DON'T treat environmental near misses as unimportant — they prevent real incidents.
DON'T fail to inform subcontractors of the pollution reporting procedure.
DON'T dispose of contaminated clean-up materials in general waste — they are hazardous.

See also: Spill Kit Use and Deployment | Silt and Sediment Control

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