HUMAN ERROR

VOLUME 11

NUMBER 1

JANUARY, 1972

The Bulletin

Published quarterly by the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration

Subscription: £1.50 per annum

Opinions expressed in this Journal are not necessarily the views of the Association

Contents Talking Point

Talking Point Notes and News

Letters

Electronic Dispensing System Car Parks and Garages Council Meeting Branch Reports Refineries of Great Britain ...

Legal Proceedings ... Self Service Equipment Index 1971

1 HUMAN ERROR

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A paper published a few years ago by a group of American workers described a method of estimating the failure rates for operators using electronic equipment. The data they produced on push buttons suggests that three errors can be expected in every thousand operations. These errors can be expected to increase if the 'Operator is talking to someone else, not concentrating, or under stress.

Perhaps we ought to apply this reasoning to petroleum storage and dispensing. H.M. Inspect'Or of Explosives, in his last report, referred to accidents due to ignition of petrol soaked clothing and to accidents due to general carelessness in the use of petroleum spirit.

If a man is to carry out a number of operations how often will an average man make 'a mistake? If we know the answer, and if the consequences are dangerous, then we can decide whether warning devices or more simple equipment should be installed.

When someone makes a mistake we have to decide if he is particularly careless, or if ,an average man might make the same mistake. Perhaps one day we shall be able to do this more scientificaNy than we can now.

Editor: B. W. C. Thacker

notes and news

NEW MEMBERS Bredbury & Romiley U.D.C. Lancs. H. Greater London Council F. Kears'ley U.D.C. Lancs. H. Risca U.D.C. Mon. S. Sevenoaks RD:C. Kent H. St. Thomas RD.C. Devon S. Zetland C.C. Shetl'and W. M.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS G. Buckley, E'Sq.,

R E. R Cambridge, Esq., c/o SheIl-Mex & B.P. Ltd.,

R Charltan, Esq.,

A. L. Patterson, Esq.,

APPOINTMENTS J. B. Cowdell, Public Health Inspector and Building Surveyor, Appleby, has been appainted Surveyor and Public HeaIth Inspector, Brigg U.D.C. R. A. T. Kemp, has been pramoted to Chief Public Health Inspectar, Epping & Ongar R.D.C. T. Lister, Chief Fire Officer, Gloucestershire C.C. has been appainted Chief Fire Officer, Bristal. J. Mullaniff, has been appO'inted Chief Fire Officer, Preston. H. Prentice, has been pramated to Chief Inspector, Angus Consumer Services Jaint Committee. J. Rumsey, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, BexhiIl, has been appainted Ass'istant CantraHer (Municipal· Engineering) Harrow. He is succeeded at Bexhill by A. G. Deputy Borough Engineer and Surveyar, Margate. J. Vlckers, Deputy Baraugh Engineer and Surveyar, Lutan has been apainted Baraugh Engineer and Surveyar. W. Wadsworth, Deputy City Engineer and Surveyar, Narwich, has been appainted Borough Engineer, Cheltenham.

RETIREMENTS

G. V. Blackstone, Chief Fire Officer, Hertfordshire. O. C. Budd, Chief Fire Officer, Prestan. F. Co RevelIe, Chief Fire Officer, Bris'tal. K. Seymour, Baraugh Engineer and Surveyar, Luton. We wiih these gentlemen a lang and happy retirement. CORRECTIONS On page 62 of the Ootaber, 1971 issue it wa'S wrangly stated that Mr. N. Schafield had been appointed Chief Fire Officer, Sunderland. Mr. G. H. Maore was appointed Chief Fire Officer Sunderland, and we apalogise far any inconvenience that this mistake may have caused. Electrical Certificate The capy of the Electrical Installation Test Cel'tificate sent out with the last is'Sue of the 'Bulletin' cantained a printer's error. The side heading 'InstaNation Tests' should read 'Insulation Tests'. Index

Our attention has been drawn to' the printing of part of the index an the inside back cover of the last issue of the 'Bulletin'. We appreciate that this wil'l be inconvenient to those members whO' have their copies bound, and therefore, we reprint the item in question.

CONGRATULATIONS Mr. A. Leese, Caventry's Chief Fire Officer, has been elected permanent President of the British Fire Sel'Vices Associatian.

He is the first serving officer to be'come President. Previaus Presidents have been Mr. Maynard Mitchell, of MitcheIl and Butler''S Brewery (whom Mr. Leese succeeds), the Duke of Partland, Earl of Del'by and Lord Farringdon.

Mr. Leese, whO' has been cangratulated by the PubliC Pratectian Cammittee, has been Vice-President of the Assaciatian and has been connected with it for 20 years.

MERGER

In anticipatian af Lacal Gavernment Re-arganisatian in 1974, a 'mini-merger' has taken place between Epping and Ongar R.D.C. and Epping U.D.C. and three afficers of the Rural District are now alsO' responsible for the public health and petroleum wark in the Epping U.D.C. area.

Secretary's Notes

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING As mast members will now be aware, the Association's 1972 Annual General Mee'ting, which is to be held at Shrewsbury on Wednesday and Thursday, 5th/6th April, will be extended to include three papers which we hO'pe will be of interest to' all.

As at present arranged, these win take the following form :-

a. 'IMajar Pipelines in the British I&les" to be given by

W. M. C. Janes, Esq., Inspector of PipeHnes, Department of Trade and Industry (petroleum Divis'ion).

b. "Liquid Petroleum Gases" to be given by D. J. Comley,

Esq., B.S'C., C.Eng., Sales Manager (Northern) Esso

Petroleum Co. Ltd. c. A general discussion and question session chaired by

Dr. G. J. Jeacocke, MBc., Ph.D., F.RI.C., Home Office.

Members' attention is specially drawn to the fact that the Corporation of Shrewsbury will be entertaining us at Civic Reception during the evening of Wednesday, 5th Aprl'l at which members 'and their ladies will be most welcome.

I hope to send out the agenda for this meeting early in the new year and together with this I shaH include a return sUp which I would ask members to kindly complete and return as soon as possIble in order that arrangements for the meeting can go ahead smoothly. To an members returning this slip will then be sent a map of Shrewsbury with informa'Non regarding car parking and hotel facihtres in the town.

SEMINAR AT YORK

I can inf'Orm members that clerks of aB. authorities (member) have been given information regarding the Association's Annual General Me'eting for 1972 together with advance notice of the Assodation's second Advanced Seminar which wiU again be held at York University in the autumn of 1972. A further notice will be sent to officers early in the new year.

The Council hopes that this early warn:ing system will perhaps allow for authorities to make proviision for officers attendance at these functions in their estimates for 1972.

Due to the fact that as the original dates fixed for the Seminar clash with the Shops A:ct Conference, the dates and venue ha've been revised to Monday, 25th September to Thursday, 28th September at A:lcuin College, York Un'iversity.

PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY COURSE

Arrangements for the Pe'tl'oleum Technology Course to be held at Surrey University are nearing completion.

The WiU commence on Tuesday, 18th April and end on Fnday, 21st April, 1972.

Members Of. the Southern area (Anglia, South Eastern, Midland, .Wessex and South Walles Branches) WILl receive full detaIls as in previous years. Members of other Branches who may wish to attend should apply to C. R. PESKETT, Esq., Chief Public Health Inspector MHnicipal Offices, Bridge Street, Godalming, Surrey. '

letters

TANKER PARKING

I enclose f'Or copy of a reply I have received from Home Office III answer to my enquiries on beha!}if of the Association in respect of Home Office Circular No. 186. J. W. FRID, Hon. Secretary. Thank y{)u for your letter of 21 September about Home Offi-ce Circular No. 186/1971, concerning the approval of parking places for vehicles carrying petroleum spirit.

I understand that Dr. Jeacocke has already had a word with you about this and has explained our view that it would be quite impracticabie to prepare guidance which would be equally applicable to parking places throughout the country, since loca,l circumstances must clearly be the determining factor in deciding whether any particular site is suitable for approval as a parking place for vehicles carrying petroleum spirit or other highly inflammable liquids. The requirements for a parking place situated on the outskirts of a small town in a rural area would, for example, norma'lly be Ifar less stringent than those required for the approval of a parking place sItuated in the middle of a heavily populated area.

The sole aim is to overcome the difficulties, already confronting a number of local authorities, caused by the indiscriminate overnight parking of vehicles carrying dangerous substances. The purpose of the circular was therefore to ensure that local authorities would take action, w'herever possrMe, in consultation wilth the pOlice and the fiTe sel'Vices to approve parking places where such vehkles would present the minimum hazard t{) the pu1Jlic when left overnight. Such problems must clearly be considered on a local basis, and we consider that the fire services and the police are best equipped, in view of their knowledge of local circumstances, to give such advice as licensing authorities may require on such mat!ters as salfety and security.

We appreciate that there will be a number of distri'cts, particularly in remote rural areas, where there is no demand for parking facilities Cif this kind; other loca'l authorities may well find that there is no parking place which they could properly approve for the parking of vehiCles carrying dangerous substances. We Ifeel, however, that the problems aris'ing from the 'indiscriminate parking of vehicles carrying dangerous substances will only resolved !if I lCical authorities generally make more use of their existing powers to approve parking pla'ces. The petroleum industry, which is engaged primarily in shol't haul traffic, does not real<ly present a problem, since their journeys are so arranged that the vehicle can return to a depot overnight. We do not expect any h c ange . Ill, thiS pattern even if far more parking spaces are approverl. by local l allithori,ties. The problem is presented by the 'industry, which is engaged to a far grea'ter extent III longhaul traffic and whose vehides must o.f1ten be parked overnight at a' place remote both from tJhe driver's depot and from the customer's premises. In such unless an adequate supply of approved parking pilaces IS avaHalble, less satisfactory ad hoc parking arrangements will have to be accepted. HOME OFFICE, London S.W.1

of Witney forI his ) exceHent list Of current .' legislatIOn . covermg PetrO eum which was published in The Bulletin of JuJy 197.!..As I was checking his list agains't my own copies of S'tatutory Instruments I found that I had a copy of the Petroleum (Liquid lMethane) Order, 1957 (No. 859) which was not on the list. This order appHes many Sections of the (Consolidation) Ad 1928, including to LIqUId Methane and as far as I can ascertain is stiH III force. H<8Ttlepool C.R R. J. DOWDLE.