New APEA Members

The new Texaco image is part of the company’s Shining Star programme which aims to build on the strengths of Texaco’s 90 year heritage in Europe and cement Texaco’s reputation as a premium brand. This improvement in the service station image is part of a comprehensive programme which includes investment in the company’s facilities and fuels supported by an integrated marketing campaign. In addition, enhancements have been made to the support package offered to independent Texaco retailers to help them to meet the needs of their local customers.

Brian Worrall, UK Country Chairman for Chevron said: “With our refinery in Pembroke, fuel terminal in Cardiff, and more than 130 Texaco service stations and fuel distributors in Wales, we are one of the largest private sector employers in the Principality and so it made sense that Cardiff would be one of the key locations for the launch of our new Texaco site image.”

Already the refreshed look of the sites is going down well with customers who appreciate the clearer signage and brighter lighting. Kurt Williams, owner of the Texaco St Mellons Service Station on Newport Road said: “We’ve had a lot of people comment positively on the new look for our site and there’s definitely been an increase in customers since we introduced the new brand image.”

UK, Changes to British Standard for Commissioning and Maintenance of Portable Fire Extinguishers

UK, Vintage Petrol Pump – Thos. Furber & Co. Ltd, Harborne, Birmingham.

Thos. Furber & Co. Ltd is a long established funeral directors in Birmingham. The company moved to its present location in Station Road, Harborne, Birmingham in 1930 when it vacated its previous premises from which hearses were horse drawn.

Thos. Furber’s fleet of Rolls Royce funeral cars were fuelled up using a hand pump which had been bought second hand from Bristol Street Motors of Birmingham. The Chairman and Managing Director, Mrs. Audrey Furber, stated that the petrol pump has been in place since the relocation in 1930 but its original construction probably dates back to the late 1920’s. The pump is still in regular use to fuel the current fleet.

Pictured with the pump is Mr. David Yardley of Thos. Furber & Co. Ltd.

Revision to the British Standard BS 5306 Part 3:2009 have recently been published. The standard stipulates that the “Responsible Person” under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must ensure that only Competent Persons conduct work on fire extinguishers. The quality assured certification for this is under the British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE) under ST104 scheme.

The Responsible Person is now responsible for identifying any material alterations that may lead to a review of the type, size and number of units necessary to provide adequate coverage.

The interval for a basic service has been changed to reflect the fact that it is not always possible to service extinguishers exactly at 12 month intervals from the previous service so an allowance of one month either side is now permissible. The arrangements for discharge

tests have also been amended to 6 years from the date of manufacture for water, water based and powder extinguishers. The standard also verifies that plastic head caps are to be replaced on the extended service (every 6 years from manufacture) and before reassembly, if it has been painted or Ultra Violet degradation has taken place. Labelling has been changed to ensure that the service provider does not block out any previous markings and have the full postal address of the Service Provider. Any Maintenance Report must include details for the provision of permanent replacements for condemned or missing extinguishers, or those that have not been maintained. The report should also carry advice if coverage in the building needs improving by the Service Technician. The certificate of inspection should include; •Name, full address and telephone number of the Service Company •Date of Inspection •Service Technician’s ID •List of all Extinguishers serviced and those that do not conform •Signature of the Responsible Person •Statement advising that the service has been carried out in accordance with BS 5306 Part 3 –2009 The standard also provides guidance on extinguishers manufactured before 2002. If they do not have the CE marking they should be condemned as they do not comply to UK law. However, if they have been refurbished this does not apply. Extinguishers manufactured older than to BS EN 3; 1997 are acceptable provided they are serviceable and are marked with a fire rating.

20 APEA tel/fax 0845 603 5507 www.apea.org.uk

Ireland, Change of content in petrol and diesel

A substantial change to the way petrol and diesel are sold to motorists has been announced by Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources Eamon Ryan.

Minister Ryan is demanding that fuel companies ensure 4% of their sales come from biofuels by the middle of next year. Minister Ryan also said that the 4% target will be revised upwards when the technology improves.

Up to €6bn is spent each year buying oil and gas from abroad and these fuels generate lots of greenhouse gases. The Government says biofuels produce 35% less greenhouse gases than fossil fuels.

The change should not cause problems for motorists. To have a small percentage of biofuel mixed with petrol or diesel will not require their vehicle to be changed in any way.

The Government says conditions will be introduced to ensure that biofuels come from sustainable sources. However, Tom Bruton of the Irish Bioenergy Association said the proposals do not specify where the biofuel will come from, so it could come from anywhere or any source sustainable or otherwise.

Total UK is facing three charges:

UK, Buncefield. Total UK pleads guilty to Buncefield safety breaches

The Buncefield explosion on December 11, 2005, was the largest in Europe since the end of World War II and was caused by staff on duty failing to notice that a tank gauge had become stuck causing 300 tonnes of petrol to spill over the top of one of the storage tanks.

The tank continued to fill past critical levels after a backup safety switch failed to trigger, causing the plant to fill with petrol vapour. Alerted by a tanker driver to the strong smell of petrol vapour, the supervisor on duty at the time of the incident then shut off the wrong pipeline by mistake. The vapour cloud ignited, and caused widespread damage and injured 43 people. Now, nearly four years later, a plea and case management hearing will take place at the Old Bailey on Friday 13th November.

Between the 1st day of January 2003 and the 12th day of December 2005 Total UK Ltd failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of its employees, contrary to Section 2(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Between the 1st day of January 2003 and 12th day of December 2005, Total UK Ltd failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health or safety, contrary to Sections 3(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Between the 10th day of December 2005 and the 31st day of December 2005, Total UK Ltd caused polluting matter, namely fuel and firewater chemicals to enter controlled waters, namely ground waters in the chalk aquifer underlying the vicinity of Buncefield, contrary to sections 85(1) and (6) of the Water Resources Act 1991.

Total pleaded guilty to endangering workers and members of the public by failing to adequately manage risks associated with the filling, emptying and monitoring of fuel storage tanks at the depot, which resulted in over filling of the tanks and the release of flammable materials that caused the explosion. Total additionally pleaded guilty to causing fuel and chemicals to be released into the chalk acquifer beneath the Buncefield depot.

British pipeline agency is facing two charges:

Between the 18th day of November 2001 and the 12th day of December 2005, British Pipeline Agency Ltd failed to take all measures necessary to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences to persons and the environment, contrary to Regulation 4 of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 and section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Between the 10th day of December 2005 and the 31st day of December 2005, British Pipeline Agency Ltd caused polluting matter, namely fuel and firewater chemicals to enter controlled waters, namely ground waters in the chalk aquifer underlying the vicinity of Buncefield, contrary to s.85(1) and (6) of the Water Resources Act 1991.

British Pipeline Agency pleaded not guilty.

TAV Engineering is facing one charge:

Hertfordshire oil storage is facing two charges:

Between the 1st day of January 2003 and the 12th day of December 2005, Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd failed to take all measures necessary to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences to persons and the environment, contrary to Regulation 4 of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1999 and section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Between the 10th day of December 2005 and the 31st day of December 2005, Hertfordshire Oil Storage Ltd caused polluting matter, namely fuel and firewater chemicals to enter controlled waters, namely ground waters in the chalk aquifer underlying the vicinity of Buncefield, contrary to s.85(1) and (6) of the Water Resources Act 1991.

Hertfordshire Oil Storage pleaded not guilty.

Between the 1st day of October 2003 and the 12th day of December 2005, TAV Engineering Limited failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health or safety, contrary to Sections 3(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. TAV pleaded not guilty to failures in the design and manufacture of the switches that should have triggered an alarm

Motherwell Control Systems 2003 is facing one charge:

Between the 28th day of September 2003 and the 12th day of December 2005 Motherwell Control Systems 2003 Limited failed to ensure, so far as is reasonably

APEA tel/fax 0845 603 5507 www.apea.org.uk 23

practicable, that persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health or safety, contrary to Sections 3(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Motherwell Control Systems pleaded not guilty to failing to conduct adequate maintenance and technical support of switches which should have triggered an alarm when fuel tanks were filled over a certain level.

A trial date has been provisionally fixed for 14 April 2010 at St Albans Crown Court.

UK, Petrol vapour recovery stage 2 (PVR II)

The proposed PVR II Directive specifies that all existing service stations with a throughput of petrol above 3,000 cubic metres per year must be fitted with PVR II equipment by 2018. This is compared with existing UK PVR II controls that specify all existing petrol stations with a throughput of 3,500 cubic metres fit equipment by 2010 (2012 in Scotland). The compliance threshold for new petrol stations remains the same at 500 cubic metres per year.

The UK has already taken action in England and Wales to reduce petrol emissions by implementing a Directive on the control of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions from the storage of petrol and its distribution from terminals to service stations, so-called Stage I petrol vapour recovery (PVR I).

The proposed Directive (as at July 2009) is nearly complete and should be finally agreed by the end of 2009.

The near final text of the proposal can be found on the Defra website , http://www.defra.gov.uk/environm ent/quality/pollution/ppc/regs/pdf/ pvr2-impact-assessment.pdf

Background

Petrol contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which evaporate inside the fuel tank of a vehicle and fill the air space above the liquid fuel.

Petrol vapour escapes when drivers fill the empty, or partially empty tanks of their vehicles at service stations. This petrol vapour is forced out from the fuel tank by the incoming fuel and, unless controlled, escapes into the atmosphere through the filler neck of the fuel tank.

Petrol vapour recovery systems can be installed at service stations to reduce the amount of petrol vapour that escapes to the atmosphere from vehicle refuelling; these are known as 'stage II' controls.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a precursor to ground level ozone. In sunny, still conditions and in the presence of nitrogen oxides, emissions of volatile organic compounds react to form ground level ozone. This is one of the components of summer time smog and harms human health, vegetation and building materials.

Ozone and its precursors can be transported over long distances and consequently pollution episodes may occur many hundred of kilometres from pollution sources.

In the UK the highest levels occur in south-east England due to its proximity to continental sources of ozone precursors. Maximum concentrations generally occur downwind of the precursor pollutant source.

Ozone concentrations are often higher in rural and suburban areas than in urban conurbations. This is due to the complex chemical reaction that causes ozone to form; high emissions of nitric oxide from vehicle exhausts in cities may react with ozone to form nitrogen dioxide reducing local ozone concentrations.

The UK Government and the devolved administrations recognise that because of the transboundary nature of ground level ozone, any reduction of ozone concentrations requires an international approach.

PVR II is an obligation under the UNECE 1991 Geneva Protocol (the ‘VOC Protocol’) concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or their Transboundary Fluxes.

The VOC Protocol is one of eight protocols to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), 1979 Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLTRAP). The Protocol came into force on 29 September 1997. The UK

Scotland, Aberdeen. Fireworks thrown at city petrol station incident at supermarket could have had ‘catastrophic’ consequences

A gang of youths hurled fireworks at a petrol station in Aberdeen in an incident which threatened to mar the city‘s annual bonfire proceedings. It came as emergency crews came under attack in a separate incident, which saw teenagers throw missiles as firefighters attempted to extinguish an illicit blaze on playing fields. City councillors condemned the disgraceful behaviour of those responsible for the incidents. Officers were called to the filling station at the Asda supermarket on Jesmond Drive, Bridge of Don, at around 8.20pm following reports of around 20 youths throwing fireworks at cars. Police later confirmed some of the missiles had strayed near the forecourt forcing store bosses to close the petrol station early. Local councillor Willie Young said the incident could have had catastrophic consequences. “One flame and that place is up”, he said. “I don‘t want to imagine the catastrophic consequences that would result from a petrol station going up in flames.”

Finland, Oulunkyla. Service station in north of Helsinki destroyed by massive fire

A fire in the Oulunkylä area of the north of Helsinki has destroyed a service station recently. Large clouds of smoke came from the blaze, and the fire brigade warned residents in the area to stay indoors. The fire broke out shortly before 1:00 in the afternoon. The building also contained a grocery store and a fast food restaurant.

The cause of the blaze remains

unknown and police are investigating. One possible theory is an electric malfunction. Staff at the service station said that they had heard a pop on the ceiling shortly before the fire broke out. Rescue officials said that there was no danger of an explosion, as the fuel tanks were underground in an oxygen-free environment.

India, Competition intensifies in retailing of petro-fuels

Competition in petroleum fuel retailing is getting warmer, even as the government established the Kirit Parikh committee to suggest reforms in pricing.

The two private fuel retailers, the Ruias-owned Essar Oil and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), are both expanding the rollout of their outlets, after a long period of rollback and dormancy. RIL has, in recent days, re-opened around 400 outlets from around 70-odd a few months earlier. The company once had around 1,450 fuel retail outlets and then shut almost all; its market share is now only around 0.5 per cent, say industry players; RIL declined to disclose sales. While Essar Oil is selling around 110 million litres a month, industry sources said RIL is selling around 15 million litres.

In April, RIL had surrendered the export-oriented unit (EoU) status for its 33 million tonne per annum (mtpa) refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat to be able to re-enter the retail fuel market. RIL, in a media release had said, “The (Jamnagar) refinery will now operate as a nonEoU unit to cater to the increasing demand for petroleum products in the country. It will sell petro products in domestic and overseas markets.”

In May 2008, RIL had closed almost all its outlets, due to mounting losses as it was selling fuel much above the subsidised retail prices of stateowned oil companies. Essar Oil, on the other hand, operates around 1,278 retail outlets and has around 2 per cent market share. The company’s plans are to take the number of outlets to 1,500 by March.

While Essar Oil is selling auto fuel at par with rates of public sector companies that dominate the market, RIL is selling petrol at a Rs 2.50 premium to their prices at certain locations. The company, however, has priced diesel at par with PSU firms. “Our mainstay is diesel. Our outlets are mainly on the highways, so not many petrol users come to us. Higher petrol pricing helps us keep losses away,” said an RIL official.

Government-owned oil marketing companies are selling petrol at Rs 48.76 a litre and diesel at Rs 36.70 a litre in Mumbai, and at Rs 32.87 a litre for diesel and Rs 44.63 a litre for petrol in Delhi. Indian Oil Corporation has over 18,000 fuel retail outlets. Bharat Petroleum Corporation has over 10,000 and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation over 9,000.

“The private companies are banking on the Kirit Parikh committee report to have a level playing field and increase their market share. Also, if fuel prices are de-regulated, the proposed RIL and Indian Oil Corporation joint venture to operate the former’s retail outlets may not be needed,” said an industry expert on retailing.

The five-member Parikh panel was established last month and told to give a report in three months. The expert group will examine the current pricing policy of the four sensitive petroleum products — petrol, diesel, PDS kerosene and domestic LPG, and make recommendations for a viable and sustainable pricing policy for these products. Kirit Parikh, who chairs it, is a former member (energy) of the Planning Commission. Also on the panel are Isher Ahluwalia, head of the Indian Council for Research into International Economic Relations, and Suman Bery, head of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, beside the secretaries of finance and petroleum ministries.

This is the third high-level panel to be reporting on the issue. The earlier ones were chaired by C Rangarajan, currently chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, and by B K Chaturvedi, former Cabinet Secretary. Their reports have not been fully implemented.

Qatar, Doha. Fuel station safety to be reviewed

Safety conditions at petrol and automobile service stations across the country might be reviewed by the authorities. The government is setting up a committee to study the condition of petrol and service stations. The move follows a massive explosion which took place in a fuel storage tank at a service station in the city in October. The incident left a bus and car, which were refuelling there, partly damaged. Some labourers, who were being transported to their work site in the bus, suffered. Some shops in the vicinity of the tank were also damaged, albeit slightly. It is unclear at the time of going to print if there has been any fatalities.

The explosion, an Interior Ministry source told Al Sharq, did not take place due to any laxity in safety measures. Rather, it was a freak accident. Nevertheless, plans are afoot to have a panel in place which would assess the need to review the condition of the existing fuel storage tanks at petrol and service stations and see if they could be reconstructed, if the need be, the source said.

The proposed committee will have experts and work under Qatar Petroleum (QP). It will have representatives from the Interior Ministry and other government agencies as well. The Civil Defence Department, which is a part of the Interior Ministry, monitors safety conditions at fuel stations. It is studying the conditions and assessing if they need to be improved. It is likely that regular monitoring of fuel storage tanks would be done.

Meanwhile, there have been 478 incidents of fire in the country so far this year. At least two people have died in these incidents and eight have suffered serious injuries. Some 26 incidents of fire have taken place in homes, 99 in vehicles and 43 in commercial establishments other than industrial units. Some 30 industrial units have reported fires, while nine farm houses and two ships were also involved in incidents of fire.