If Paul Revere was alive today, he very well might be planning a different ride of warning upon the European continent.
“The British are leaving! The British are leaving!” he would likely warn in the lead-up to the planned British Exit, or Brexit as it has coined by the British press, from the European Union.
Unfortunately, the urgency of the warning has been a bit overplayed on the British Isles as UK citizens have made a mad dash on food, fuel and pharmaceuticals. It’s a classic case of prepping gone awry. Instead of making a run on banks from the fear of imminent financial peril, thousands of British – who are wary of supply chains being capriciously cut-off – are hoarding everything from paper towels and cleaning supplies to meats and veggies.
While the Crown and Parliament have stated there is no reason to be alarmed by the pending exit, it has done little to soothe the public’s fears. The stockpiling has not been limited to common household items either. Several Irish firms, who have been reported for stockpiling dangerous chemicals ahead of the Brexit deadline, have also followed suit.
The dangers of stockpiling chemicals
The Health and Safety Authority has even gone as far as to remind these companies of their legal obligations to properly store these hazardous materials as their stockpiles continue to swell past their capacities.
“As the Brexit clock ticks down, we are aware that some companies have been increasing their stocks of raw materials for the manufacturing of components or finished goods on premises and warehouses across Ireland.”
HSA
assistant chief executive Yvonne Mullooly
You don’t have to be a chemical engineer to understand the dangers of mass storage either.
“If storing higher than usual quantities of chemicals, employers are increasing their risk of incidents or of reaching thresholds under the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations.”
assistant chief executive Yvonne Mullooly
UK officials have warned that stockpiling dangerous chemicals is one of the “highest hazards in warehouses and drumstores.” Aside from the risk of fire, stockpiling leads to reasonably inert chemicals from coming into proximity of potentially volatile compounds, which they are incompatible with.
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