The Bulletin – July 1966

THE BULLETIN

nuart:erly Journal of The Association for Petroleum Act:s Vol 5 No " 3 July, 1966 30s. per annum

THE ASSOCIATION FOR PETROLEUM ACTS ADMINISTRATION THE COUNCIL 1966-67

E. V BEEBY (Chairman), C. R. PESKETT (Vice-Chairman), L. A. CA VE (Hon. Secretary/Treasurer),

Officers: Members: J BEER, R L. BLOOR, M. GEE, H. GRIFFITHS, D . HAL L , G H HARVEY , J W. H E WISON, H o n. E le

J A. SHARP ,

R. P. HOLDAWAY (Editor), G. N. DEAN (Liaison Officer), T. KERR, Surveyor, F. H. MELBOURNE, C. T. PEACOCK, R. E. J. RODEN, B W. C. THACKER, Hon. Legal Adviser: P D WADSWORTH,

JULY, 1966

The Bulletin

Published quarterly by the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration

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

CONTENTS

Editor: R. P. HOLDAWAY WEIGHTS AND MEASURES DEPT GUILDHALL, SHREWSBURY

Subscription: 30s. per annum

TALKING POINT •• NOTES AND NEWS LETTERS •• FIGHTING LIQUID FIRES

50 50 52 53

THE MANUFACTURE AND USE OF EPOXY-RESIN PIPE 54

SPIRALLY WOUND POLYTHENE TANKS NOW IN THE U.K. 55 IN PARLIAMENT • 56 AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM FOR MARKETING FUEL ON CREDIT THROUGH SELF SERVICE -H. HAKANSON 57

THE ECONOMICS OF PROTECTIVE AND SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS-A. BILLBERG 58 FIRE AT PREMISES OF Esso PETROLEUM Co., LTD., PRESTON DocK-0. C. BuDD 62 REPORTS OF COMMITTEES OF THE A.M.C. 63

ATTINGHAM, 1966-J. SHORT • 64 COLCHESTER-A NEWLY OPENED POST PAYMENT SELF SERVICE FILLING STATION 65

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING-SOLIHULL-19TH APRIL, 1966 66 COUNCIL MEETING-DUDLEY-24TH MAY, 1966 68 BRANCH MEETINGSSOUTH EASTERN-LEATHERHEAD-23RD MARCH, 1966 SouTH EAST MIDLAND-SAFFRON WALDEN-21sT APRIL, 1966

THROUGH THE PIPELINE APPEAL CASE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Chairman: E. V. BEEBY Honorary Secretary/Treasurer: L. A. CAVE Liaison/Advertisement Officer: G. N. DEAN

Talking Point

THE ECONOMICS _OF SAFETY

We present in this issue of The Bulletin with pride and pleasure, an article by Mr. Alfred Billberg, State Inspector of Explosives and Flammable Liquids, Sweden, on "The Economics of Protective and Safety Arrangements". Those of us who had the privilege of meeting Mr. Billberg' recently in Sweden, were greatly impressed by his strong sense of purpose and at the same time his regard for flexibility in approaching the many problems he is faced with in his relationship to public and commercial interests. Not all of us would go along with the premise that "In many cases the low average cost of damage does not justify stringent safety requirements". At the same time his statement that, in compiling laws and regulations the Swedes are often over exacting and do not pay sufficient regard to limited resources as· to economy -and lack of manpower, could apply equally well to the present

position in the United Kingdom. ·

This thought provoking article, based on the solid practical experience of an official in a highly responsible post, is not one to be passed over lightly. The correspondence columns of The Bulletin are open to any of our readers who care to comment.

to · the full Council on any developments relative to petroleum administration and to deal with proble1;11s or queries as they arise. My colleagues on the and I will be guiding your affairs to the best of o_ur. ab1hty and look forward to your continued support, as 1t 1s only by a united effort that we can achieve the maximum degree

. .-of success.

And what of the coming year ?

The Advisory Committee for Dangerous Sub.. stances is proceeding with its deliberations and we look forward to receiving in the not too distant future the legislation, now long overdue, that will make good _shortcomings in the existing law which at present permits the carriage, storage and use of highly dangerous substances without any measure of control.

Self-service is coming more and more to the fore ai:id some stations are now operating in this while others are in the planning stages. On the contment selfservice petrol stations have been in existence for a considerable time without any higher incidence of mishap is experienced with the orthodox type of filling stat10ns. The petroJeum industry is continually carrying out research to improve safety factors for self-service and has recently produced such developments as the fire risk detector and the £1 note acceptor machine, to which reference has previously been made in The Bulletin.

Notes and News

The Chairman

The new Chairman of the Association, Mr. E. V. Beeby, M.R.S.H., M.A.P.H.I., commenced his local government career with the City of Birmingham in 1945. Following service at Walsall and Chesterton R.D.C. he was, in 1954, appointed additional public health inspector to Rugby R.D.C., being promoted Senior Inspector in 1956.

A Message from the Chairman

As the newly elected Chairman of the Association it is my pleasure to address you through the medium of The Bulletin.

During our first year as a national organisation the teething troubles have, I think, been very few and we can be reasonably well satisfied with the progress made, although there is no room for complacency. We now have the East, West and South-East Midlands, the Yorkshire and the South-East Branches operating and I hear that action is afoot in the North-West and South-West of the country for the organisation of further branches. The Council of the Association has appointed Committees in accordance with orders to investigate and report

And what of us as petroleum officers ? Are present standards of safety justified or has the time arnve_d for _us to adopt a more flexible approach to self-service with greater regard to the needs of the customer and labour difficulties being experienced in the industry ? Wnte_ to the Editor and give him your views for· publication m The Bulletin. I am sure that we should all benefit by an exchange of opinion. Colleagues with self-service in their area could help by giving us the benefit of their experience with the operating of these stations.

Your views on any item associated with petroleum administration will be particularly welcomed by the Editor for inclusion in The Bulletin whether in the form 0J an article, details of problems that you have met an solved, or problems that are facing you now and have to be solved. This way we can all get the maximum bene 1 from The Bulletin.

New Member

Sunbury-on-Thames U.D.C.

New Associate Member

C. Bishop, Gilbarco, Ltd.

Retirement

H Middlesex

Mr. C. Knott, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Poole, who retires at the end of July.

Appointments

Mr. G. L. Field, Assistant Surveyor and Additional Public Health Inspector, Chipping Norton R.D.C., has been appointed Chief Public Health Inspector, Dunmow R.D.C.

Mr. A. H. Frost (Associate) formerly of lsherwoods Petroleum Co., Ltd., has been appointed Director/General Manager of Western G.T., Ltd., Importers and Distributors of Petroleum Products.

Mr. J. Howie, Surveyor and Public Health Inspector, Carnforth U.D.C., has been appointed to a similar position with Wirksworth U.D.C. in succession to Mr. J. Taylor who has accepted an appointment as Area Rent Officer for the High Peak, Derbyshire.

Mr. G. Roberts, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Peterborough, succeeds Mr. Knott at Poole.

Congratulations

Mr. A. Bloomfield, Chief Fire Officer, Shropshire and Mr. T. Naylor, Chief Fire Officer, Rotherham, have been the Fire Service Medal for distinguished service, m the Birthday Honours List.

Mr. J. H. B. Hornby, Deputy Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Oxford, and Hon. Treasurer of the South East Midland Branch of the Association has won a Churchill Memorial Award to study protection in North America and Canada.

_Mr. p. Blacktop, O.B.E., Chief Fire Officer, Staffordslme, is the President-elect of the Institute of Fire Engineers.

Mr. J. A. Norris, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Chesterfield, has been elected Chairman of the Institute of Weights and Measures Administration.

Automatic loading device

An automatic loading device designed for road tankers by Westinghouse Automatics has been mstalled at the Saltend, Kingston-upon-Hull, installation of Shell-Mex and B.P. This equipment produces an integrated record of loading transactions, in both printed and punched tape form, for management and accountancy purposes.

Unloading control device

The .latest German regulations regarding the storage, and transportation of combustible fluids, requires the installation of a control device in road tank The device must be able to prevent overfilling of stationary tanks.

British

Argosy Launched

largest ship built so far on the north-east coast of Bntam, the 100,000 dwt. tanker British Argosy, was launched on 7th February from the Wallsend yard of the Swan Hunter group. A sister ship to British Admiral !aunched_ earlier last year, the new vessel is expected to go service for B.P. in July. A feature of British Argosy 1s her ram bulb. This is an underwater addition to the ?ow which projects forward of the stemline. Its function is to cou!lteract the normal wave pattern set up by the hull and improve propulsive efficiency.

Petroleum Spirit Tanks-Explosion and Fire Hazards

The technical report on a recent oil industry fire caused by an atmospheric electrical discharge near the dip hatch of a fixed roof petroleum spirit tank has been studied by the Jnstitute's Engineering Committee. They consider that while there are a number of lessons to be learned from this report, there is no indication that normal operational procedures are unduly hazardous or that revision of the relevant parts of the IP Model Code of Safety Practice is necessary.

The consensus of opinion of a number of experts, and physical evidence from the tank in question and from adjacent tanks, established that local atmospheric electrical discharges had taken place as a result of falling soft hail associated with squally weather conditions. The possibility of such discharges causing an explosion or fire had been increased by the three dip hatches and the man-hole having been opened before manual gauging operations were started. The vapour space below the fixed tank roof probably would have been too rich in hydrocarbon vapours to have supported combustion until more than one hatch had been opened for some time and dilution of the vapour/air mixture had taken place.

It is considered that if during the sampling and gauging operations each hatch is opened in turn only for the time required to carry out the operations at that hatch, the probability of forming a flammable hydrocarbon air mixture will be considerably lessened and the nsk_ of ignition reduced. If, in addition, gauging and samplmg operations which require personnel to be present on the tops of tanks containing petroleum spirit can be when hail or sleet are forming in dry, squally the risks will be further reduced. The suspension of gauging and similar operations during unsuitable is already quite general in the case of conventional electrical storms.

The Committee have reviewed their attitude to the p:ovision of automatic gauging and automatic samplmg facilities with this incident in mind. They conclude that although isolated incidents of this_ type might desirability of installing such equipment at swt.able locations and the need for obtaining acceptance of 1t both by customers and by H.M. Customs, .the for the installation should be on commercial cons1derat10ns. The development and acceptance of than by tank dip will reduce any nsk that exists m out these operations under adverse weather cond1t10ns employing present equipment.

Journal of Institute of Petroleum Reviell'.

170,000 DWT. Tanker for Shell

The largest ship ever to be constructed in the U.K., an oil tanker of more than 170,000 dwt., has been ordered by Shell International Marine, Ltd. The vessel will be powered by Harland and Wolff steam turbines of 27,000 s.h.p., to Pametrada design, giving a service speed of knots. It is expected that the tanker, which is to be bmlt at the Belfast yard of Harland and Wolff, Ltd., will be ready for delivery in the autumn of 1967.

COIN-OPERATED PETROL PUMPS

Further to my letter on the above subject, which appeared in the January issue of the Bulletin, the views of the Explosives Branch of the Home Office, as quoted, have been incorrectly presented. H.M. Chief Inspector of Explosives points out that at no time has the Branch expressed the hope that Licensing Authorities would not approve an application for licensing an installation containing coin-operated pumps. The Inspectorate sees no objection in principle to such a scheme and, as the result of a number of inquiries, drew up a list of points which Licensing Authorities might like to take into consideration in connection with any application made to them. They can be obtained by any interested Licensing Authority on application to the Explosives Branch. My apologies to all concerned for the misunderstanding.

Worksop. J. C. BlRD.

ATIINGHAM SCHOOL

Having just returned from the mid-week School at Attingham Park, I feel I must write to offer my congratulations to the members of the Council of the Association.

Personally, .I found it one of the most valuable courses I have attended. The organisation, the speakers, the setting and the food and service, were all first class.

PETROL INTERCEPTORS

, J_ was very impressed by the clarity of description and function of the typical three chamber petrol interceptor given by our friend Otto in April's issue of The Bulletin. So impressed in fact that I fear many petroleum officers will be inclined to regard his details as the only acceptable standard for all future installations. I should like prominence given to my contention that provided the chamber vents are 12in.-15in. above the invert level, there is no fear of petrol entering them and it is quite in order to collect them into an underground pipe leading to the ultimate above ground vent position .

There are numerous sites where the cumulative effect of all the regulations so necessary to our Branch of Commerce make it very difficult to produce a service station layout whi_ch is and viable to the operator, whilst at the same time makmg some contribution to the aesthetics of the neighbourhood.

The in sis tance upon above ground vent run s can lead either to an ugly feature in the front of the forecourt area or great in creating additional drainage works in order to position the chambers outside the actual s urfaced area.

Essa Petroleum Co., Ltd., Nott ingham. J. STADDON , Branch Architectural Assistant.

I am sure that Schools of this calibre will do much to improve and assist the work of the Petroleum Inspectorate Llandudno U.D.C.

PETROLEUM MIXTURES

I. G. GRIFFITHS.

I am enclosing a copy of a drawing of a fou_nd _on containers ofaipping lacquer used by a firm m my district, which obtains its supplies from Germany.

The firm also uses other materials which are labelled in the manner required by the Petroleum (Mixtures) Order, and I have taken the view that the containers bearing the flame symbol (orange background) should be regarded as coming under the requirements of the licence as to storage, etc.

I should, however, like to know what this label really means, and I wonder if any of your readers can help me. Burgess Hill U.D.C. J. W. HOBSON

Fighting Liquid Fires

Ansul Demonstrate Purple-K/Light Water Method

Generally. s_peaking, extinguishing agents used on hqmd fires are effective in one of two waysthey put out the fire quickly, or they keep it out once it has been extinguished. Fast extinguishing agents, such as. dry chemical, may allow the fire to re-flash, but those "'.1th a slower action, such as foam, give much longer protection against re-flash. ·

years the Ansul Company, of Marinette, W1sconsm,. U.S.A.,. has been working on fire-fighting systems which combme dry chemical with foam and it is claimed that its Purple-K dry chemical can put 'out more fire .than protein-type foams can secure except when applied from large turrets. However in order to utilize to its fullest extent, it was 'round necessary to discover a securing agent more effective than foam.

Such a securing agent was developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in the form of a fluorochemical surfactant fire-fighting foam, designated FC-183 and named Light Water, which used materials obtained from 3M Company. Tests were carried out with Ansul on and tech.niq?es which eventually proved that of Purple-K and Light Water achieved extmgmshment and secured against re-flash .. may also be used as a primary agent for fightmg hqmd hydrocarbon spill fires.

Light is a clear, pale amber liquid which is an aqueous s0Jut10n of two 3M fluorochemical surfactants and a polymer. It is able .to float on the surface of hydrocarbon fuels, thus creatm& which prevents the escape of vapours and proh1b1ts 1g111tion.

FC-183 Light Water is a 25 per cent concentrate but a later FC-194, is a 6 per cent and the need for a small addition of Refrigerant 12, which 1s for optimum results with FC-183. The diluted Light solution is best applied to the fuel surface as a foam, wh1.ch has an expansion ratio of about ten .to one. The secunng rate is approximately 1 gallon of Light Water I?er 30 sq. ft. of fuel area and an foam bl.anket a tin. in thickness. As the Light solution drams from the foam, a thin transparent film 1s formed on the gasoline.

Light Water/Purple-K extinguishers may be designed and built in a size to meet a customer's requirements, and are essentially a dry chemical system combined with the Light Water System, each being independent of the other.

The dry chemical system is actuated by a short pull on a quick-opening nitrogen cylinder valve. To apply the Light Water, the quick-opening valve is pulled and a single quarter-turn lever opens the Light Water and Refrigerant 12 valves. Complete control is thus in the hands of the operator who holds trigger-operated Light Water and dry chemical valves.

A typical unit is the Model K400/LW 50, containing 400 lb. of Purple-Kand 50 gal. of Light Water. This is a completely self-contained unit with two spherical tanks mounted on a common base with the twin hose on a top rack. It is light in weight and can be transported by air and mounted on standard commercial vehicles. Completely charged, the unit is 40in. high, 43in. wide, 75in. long and weighs less than 1700 lb. Aluminium is used for the frame, spheres, hose basket, piping and nozzles.

One operator can easily extinguish and secure 1200 sq. ft. of gasoline spill fire containing metal obstacles and Class A materials. A skilled operator may extinguish 2400 sq. ft. While using the equipment the operator can move about freely in the areas secured by the Light Water while continuing to extinguish remaining fire. Open areas in the Light Water blanket caused by footprints and the dragging of hose immediately fill either with Light Water foam or the invisible film and will not re-ignite.

A series of tests at Socony-Mobil Oil Company, Paulsboro, New Jersey, developed a technique of introducing Light Water through product lines to extinguish fires in gasoline storage tanks. The FC-183 Light Water concentrate was pumped from a storage container through a flow control device into the suction side of the water pump. Water was pumped from a storage tank through a meteri!lg device into a foam-making chamber. Compressed air, supplied through a metering device, was then into the liquid stream immediately before the foam-makmg chamber, which created the foam from the mixture of Light Water concentrate, water, and compressed air. The foam was thus piped directly to the gasoline storage tank and introduced through a product line at the bottom.

One of the objectives of this technique was to find a method of extinguishing fires in storage tanks which have no built-in fire protection equipment. The foam, which was introduced through existing product line piping, rose to the surface through the fuel and formed a surfacesealing blanket. During application, a weak fire will persist at the surface due to the agitation of the foam rising through the fuel. Weak fires also persist around the edge of the tank because of the hot sides creating locally heated fuel. It is not felt that this application can at present recommended as standard practice, but investigation 1s continuing as it is claimed that the method has great potential.

Towards the end of last year the first European demonstration of a Purple-K/Light Water unit was held at the Caltrex refinery at Pernis, near Rotterdam.

From 'The Institute of Petroleum Reviell''.

The Manufacture and.Use of Epoxy-resin Pipe

This article, and that on spirally wound polythene tanks which follows it, are reprinted, together with the illustrations, by courtesy of PETROLEUM TIMES. The photographic blocks are kindly loaned by THE INSTITUTE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ADMINISTRATION.

Will plastic pipe ever replace steel pipe-lines ? This is a question which would require a crystal ball to answer. But the use of plastics in industry, particularly reinforced plastics, is growing steadily, and epoxy-resin piping systems already have certain well-defined advantages.

One company which has aroused a good deal of interest in epoxy-resin materials is Bristol Aeroplane Plastics, Ltd., which has two recent oil company installations to its credit. As its name implies, the company was originally formed as an offshoot of the Bristol Aeroplane Co. (now part of the British Aircraft Corporation) to manufacture aircraft components in plastics. However, a much wider field in industrial plastics is covered nowadays, and the firm is not so closely tied to its parent.

Esso Petroleum Co., Ltd., has a bulk installation at Plymouth, Devon, supplied by sea, where tests have been made over a number of years of pipes made from epoxy- resin. The tests have culminated in the laying of a twin Sin. diameter line, totalling one mile, of Bristol Epoch pipe, to carry petroleum products from tankers berthed alongside the wharf through part of the installation to a tank farm. Periodically, the line also has to contain sea water. The operating pressure is in the order of 75 lb./in. 2 , but the line was site tested to 150 lb./in 2 • This pipeline was the first in the U.K. to be made of epoxy-resin and welded by a new technique. The use of pipe of this type, which is naturally a good deal lighter, should avoid the deterioration from corrosion encountered with iron and steel pipes. (The experience in Plymouth with ships' lines of steel, from quay to installations, is that perforations may be expected after about five years. These perforations, which occur in above-ground or below-ground sections, are always of like pattern, a disintegration on the inside of the metal forming a distinct hollow and finally a perforation).

British Aeroplane Plastics has also supplied and installed about 71 miles of 4, 8 and lOin. Epoch epoxy-resin water pipe at Jebel Dhanna and Murban, for the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Co., Ltd. This pipework conveys sea water for fire mains purposes and operates in an environmental temperature of up to 140-150°F during the summer, at a pressure of 225 lb./in 2 • The jointing method used electrical resistance wire fusing.

Epoch is a high-strength, lightweight, wound-glass reinforced epoxide resin pipe available in a comprehensive of bores ai:id fittings. It is highly resistant to corrosion and has a mirror-smooth bore to prevent the build-up of internal wall deposits and cut frictional losses. Claimed to be as strong as steel, Epoch pipe is 75 per cent lighter

and about 10 times more flexible, important features where lines have to be run through remote and uneven territory, or where there is danger of subsidence. Apart from morenormal chemical and petroleum applications, thep1pe is said to be particularly suitable for handling many of effluent, especially where pipelines are immersed m salt water.

It is manufactured in a fully automatic winding plant, the entire process being programmed on punched cards. The plant was built by B.A.P.L. itself, from design theory. Pre-heated steel mandrels rotate and traverse through a winding head to receive the acrylic liners, then helical_ly wound layers of resin-impregnated glass rovings are bmlt up to the required thickness. The average thickness for 50 to 100 lb./in2 pressure is Mn., which requires six passes on the machine. The traverse and rotation speed determine the helix angle of the layers; between layers the ar.igie is varied to provide balanced hoop and strength. A final lamination of acrylic cloth is then apphed thus providing resistance to ultra-violet light attack and abrasion. Where additional impact resistance is required, the acrylic layer is backed up with fine-wove glass cloth.

The completed pipe is removed from the machine and conveyed to the curing ovens. After curmg, the mandrel is hydraulically extracted from the finished pipe and returned to the winding circuit. The pipes go for machining, pressure testing and inspection. Pipe and fittings are made in 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 15!in. sizes. on a production basis in standard lengths of 20ft.; other can be made to special order. Bends, tees and junct10ns can be supplied to suit installation requirements.

Both flanges and bonded joints can be supplied, _the former to British and American standards. Mechamcal joints and couplings include screw joint (for special appJications), split packing flange, Viking Johnson, and spinning flange. The Bristol screw joint is designed for use in applications such as down-well tubing in and similar installations where a high tensile is required at the joint while maintaining ease of Bonded joints, which were used on both the pro3ects described, are effected using portable equipment to supply hot adhesive, and electric current for curing.

The bonding method used at Plymouth was the cally-bonded sleeve coupling only, and has proved quite successful in operation. The pipe is supplied plain ended, and the joint is made in the field by sliding a sleeve on to the end of one pipe and bringing the next pipe to butt inside the sleeve. Epoxy resin is then injected into the sleeve and curing is accelerated by external heating.

.

BAPL epoxy-resin pipe joints designed for bonding.

Left: int erior and exterior of th e series. A bonded joint.

Right: sleeve coupling joint. Both types may have built-in h eating elements

For the bonded Series A type spigot/ socket joint used m Abu Dha,bi, the pipe is machined during manufacture male and female end configuration. A resistance wire is wound on to the male end and sec ured in terminals during manufacture. When the joints are assembled, are maintained between the two pipes w1thm JOmt and epoxy resin is injected through two ports, the spaces. Electric current passed through resistance wire provides heat for the curing process. Smtable for long-line applications, this joint is also used where installation times are required to be at an abso!ute mrn1mum. The joint is also used where customers 40 or 60ft. lengths of pipe delivered to site, even if other types of joints are used for coupling up on Site.

In attempting to forecast the market for expoy resin pipe, it is admitted that applications are limited. However, it is important not to concentrate on the price per foot compared with steel, but to study the installed cost, and the factor of section replacements. The important factors are corrosion, environment and transportation, and life expectation. It is difficult to foresee a market for longdistance transportation, unless the terrain is difficult country and / or if soil corrosion is a problem Corrosive / abrasive slurry lines offer a potential use, as do eftuent disposal lines. Internal corrosion is not a problem with crude lines, but epoxy-resin would cut out the troubles experienced with scale formation in pipelines in airfield installations, for example. The plastic pipe's high corrosion resistance may also pay off for oil well casing.

Spirally wound polythene tanks now in the U.K.

A German technique for the manufacture of plastic storage _vessels_ rs about to be applied for the first time in the Umted Kingdom . . The tanks, of polythene will be mad_e by Thermo Plastics, Ltd., a member of the English Group . The company has obtained manunghts and a world licen sing franchise for a spiral wmdmg process developed by Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co., of Cologne.

Thermo Plastics has been test-marketing the new Helix tanks, as they called , the past two years. This period has a wide for the tank s, which are non-_tox1c , non-_ta111t111g resistant to a large number of chemicals, alkalis and acids. As a res ult , they are to be

made in thi s country early in the New Year . The manufacturing process consists of extruding polythene strip and spirally winding it on a mandrel. The result is claimed to be an extremely strong, lightweight tank which is considerably less expensive th an most metal containers. The light weight makes for easy installation a 1,000 gallon tank weighs only 240 lb.

The m an ufacturing process extrudes material in dense form. Absorption is reduced to a minimum , and a tank may be used where polythene is not normally s uit a bl e. There are no seams in the sides of the tanks. In addjtion , the material is entirely homogeneou s, so that detaminating cannot occ ur. The extruded strip of polythene measures

Two Helix 1250 gallon spirally wou nd tanks being used for the storage of liquids

3in. by ! in., and is wound so that the edges overlap. The overlap is continuou sly welded and, though clearly visible from the exterior, the weldline is not discernible from the inside. The tanks are said to retain their strength over a wide temperature range, in the vertical position are entirely

free-standing, and need no protection against corrosion or minor accidental damage.

Still being imported at the moment, Helix tanks are available in sizes ranging from 44 gallons to 2,640 gallon capacity in standard form, with diameters from 20ins. to 7ft. Larger sizes, up to 10,000 gallons, have been made For open-top tanks, closed tanks and those with lids, the tops and bases are made in the same way as the cylindrical vessels-the sheet is slit down the middle and spread flat for cutting. The open-top t a nks have a piece of polythene pipe fastened to the top edge, to act as a rim , with a fillet weld on the inside. Fittings such as inlet and outlet pipes are required, threaded or flanged, and sightglasses can be welded in to make a completely non-metallic structure, corrosion-resistant and maintenance-free. Pressures up to 100 lb./in2 can be catered for by reinforcing with glass cloth or metal.

Oil industry applications envisaged for Helix ta!1ks include filling station tanks and bulk storage. Chemical storage embraces acids and alkalis, ingredients for grease and lube-oil plants, and agricultural chemicals and insecticides. At a later stage the tanks could be used for the storage and transport of fuel oil for domestic heating. The spiral-winding process will also be used for producing large-diameter pipes, which seem promising for conveying water for f!!anufacturing processes, steam-raising plants and short-run cooling-water systems at refineries.

The company is constructing an extension to accommodate the polythene winding plant at its Dunstable factory , where other plastic products are made in considera'?le quantities. Of interest is a new plastic dairy crate for milk bottles, which would need little modification to be suitable for packaged lube oils. Filling station signs are also made of J.C.I. acrylic plastic sheet; an example is the new Shell sign. These are fabricated in two parts and subsequently cemented together.

In Parliament

Siting of Oil Fuel Storage Tanks

Asked on 31 st January whether steps would be taken to _ regulate the siting of oil fuel storage tanks for greater public safety, as recommended by the Building Regulations Advisory Comm ittee , Harold Boyden, for the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works, agreed that new statutory powers were required. These were being "active ly considered ", he added , " but in rel atio n to the oil interests , the industry itself has not been quite as s mart as it might have been " .

Underground storage of gas

The ,Minister of Power was consulted about plans for the underground storage of gas on both 31st January and and lst February. He stated th a t the G as Council wa s looking at two si tes, one in the Cotswolds and the other in Lincolnshire. Further drilling was being to establish whether the se sites were suitable and JUSt1fied proposals for development being put to him for authorisation under procedures laid down in the Gas Act.

An Automated System for Marketing

Fuel on credit through Self-service

0

CONTRIBUTED BY HANS HAKANSON, PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT, SVENSKA ESSO AB.

New Swedish Invention makes possible fully automated fuel sales

Last December, Esso initiated a series of tests with credit card automats at the Esso service station at Tumba outside Stockholm. In February, a second test station was opened at Vasteras. ·

The system has been developed by Securitas Alarm, Stockholm, and will be tested during a six-month period. During this time the purpose is to collect experience about the system, to investigate more closely further applications of system, and last but not least, sound customer reactions.

credit card automat allows customers to buy fuel m the future, also TBA) even when the service station is unattended. The customer uses a special credit card and -as a security-a personal code. The pump is of the self-service type, equipped with a card reader umt. The pertinent data is transmitted electronically to a paper punch located in the station building. Later the tape 1s forwarded to a data centre for invoicing, etc.

The advantages of the system are many. The customer can fill up at any time of the day or night. The customer need not waste time by paying for the volume purchased. The operating hours are not restricted by personnel or economic conditions. On the other hand, the system allows personnel to concentrate upon any necessary serv1cmg of cars.

Due to the personal code (which is not shown on the card), the system is considered so safe that it is not to block a lost card. Should it be necessary, it is possible to block a credit card sale through a blocking umt connected to the system .

During the trial period a system with a maximum capacity of 5,000 customers will be used. This capacity can, however, be varied be reduced to 90-500 customers, or increased to handle 50,000-500 OOO customers and so forth. '

The system involves a credit card , a card reader a controlling unit and a blocking unit. '

(a) The credit card

Each credit, c1;1ston:ier w_ill have <1: card of a special type. The customer s code 1s punched in the lower part of the card. In addition , the customer will have a personal code. The meaning of this latter code is described below

(b) The card reade r

.At the service stati<;ms .each pump must be equipped with a card reader, which is placed behind the door inside the pump.

Instructions

The first step in the credit card automat and the only one the customer need remember.

I. Open the small door..

2. Place the credit card m the slot. d d by Show the personal code to the car rea er 3 · pressing the In other words, the code is numerical co111bmat10n.

4. Let go of the small door (which Iockst).d The

5. A ureen lamp lights up-the car IS accep e . begins operating.

6. Fill up with gasoline.

7. Press tbe yellow button .

8. The green lamp switches off. the small do01.

9. Remove the credit card. The sale 1s completed .

(The photograph shows, in descending order , lamp a nd the yellow button The lowest button IS on Y u sed for ca sh sa les) .

(c) The controlling unit

The controlling unit identifies the customer through combining his identification on the card with his personal code and controls a paper tape punch or a printer, where the customer's identification and volume purchased are recorded.

(d) The blocking unit

If a customer fails to pay his bill, there must be a way to prevent him from using his card. The blocking unit makes it possible to block each customer individually.

The customer operates the system by placing his card in the card reader and then pressing his personal code on a set of buttons connected to the card reader. If the combination of the identification code (punched on the card) and the personal code is the right one and if the card is not blocked, the customer will have a green sign. He then obtains the fuel in the same way as at a conventional self-service station.

The idea of a personal code is as follows:

The only one who knows the personal code belonging to his card is the customer himself. This means that, if he loses his card, nobody can use it. Suppose that someone finds a lost card and tries to use it. In the first place, he must know the number of figures in the personal code and

in the second place, if he knows that it is for instapce _four figures, he has to choose from among 10,000 combmatlons.

As the customer identifications and the corresponding sales volumes can be recorded on tape, the system makes it possible to rationalize billing routine.

As far as is known, there are three different types of application: (a) service stations (b) customer outlets (c) car parks and parking areas

In conclusion, it can be stated that the trial introduction is of great interest. Whether or not this will be the first step in the direction of the service stations of the future depends upon time and the system itself. It be remembered that a service station is an estabhshment which, in addition to selling fuel, also offers many nical and other services. The need for technical service is constantly expanding, partly due to increased ety demands upon cars through tightened traffic regulat10ns. If an increased automation of the fuel sales can offer the customers advantages and also enables the service station personnel to allocate more time to technical services, then the future of this credit card automat and other systems of this type, appears to be certain.

The Economics of Protective and Safety Arrangements

has a large number of safety regulations and these md1':ate the efforts made by society and the individual to protection against various kinds of risks. The cost of this protection is difficult to assess and it is even more difficult to decide whether it is a paying proposition or not. certain cases increased safety requirements can involve •'!creased costs, for example, with safety distances within oil storage depots. In many cases the low average cost of damage does not justify stringent safety requirements. collaboration between the safety authorities and the msurance companies it should be possible to attain a better balance between safety requirements and risks.

b society faces quite a lot of risks in the ordinary usmess of life and it would seem that modern developare creating even more and greater risks. For a long by means of different protective and safety regulations has been trying, more or less successfully, to pro- 1.tself an_d its citizens against occurring risks. The tnes to protect himself economically through The insurance companies in their turn are .to prote?t their economy through their insurance c_ondttlons. This has resulted in a vast amount of legislalocal requirements, as well as recommendations is.sued m. connection herewith, plus the conditions for different msurances.

BY ALFRED BILLBERG STATE INSPECTOR OF EXPLOSIVES AND FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS, SWEDEN

It is impossible even to estimate the direct and indirect cos_ts of all these arrangements, and it is still more difficult t? Judge whether the expenses involved with such ttve and safety arrangements are an economic or not. Actually it is only the insurance companies which by the premium rating for different sectors can give us an approximate idea of the financial balance or lack of balance in this field. However, the economic problem cannot be solved by very rough statistical estimates of the costs and the frequency of damage, with the cause of_ damage given only in certain cases: As a rule 1.t is not possible to discern the effect of different detailed measures, which as is well known are often the subject of quite diverging opinions. One has only to mention the very much discussed effect of the speed limits on the road.

The most important are the safety regulations whic_h are based on government orders and legislation. Their purpose is, firstly, to protect life and limb, and, to protect common and private property. Although it is never possible to separate these two main objectives completly, it is obvious that one or other viewpoint will be the dominating one. Even if rather emotional views are taken regarding the risks for life and limb, the aspects cannot be disregarded. However, the problem is more complicated than the one dealing with merely the

protection of common and private property. Consequently I shall limit myself in the main to the discussion of the economic aspects of the last-mentioned group, namely, damage to property.

Basis for Regulations

In compiling safety regulations it is very natural to start primarily with accidents of the type involved with the nature of the risk which have actually occurred and to try to analyse the causes in order to find suitable protective measures. These may be of a purely technical or constructional kind, for example, regulations concerning construction, safety distances, etc., or working regulations, necessity of inspection and supervision and the like. All this costs money, of course, but in surveys of safety regulations there is never even an attempt made to estimate the costs involved. It is very seldom that statistics of the frequency of accidents of the type in question and the costs they have involved over a number of years are cited as evidence of the need for safety regulations. Cases could even be mentioned where regulations and control systems based on purely theoretical reasoning have been introduced without any cases of accidents being reported. However, in order not to be misunderstood, I should like to point out here and now that there are risks which for various reasons can hardly be analysed purely from the stand point of statistics and economics. ·

One should attempt as a matter of principle to find out as far as possible the frequency of the different types of accidents as well as the frequency of the causes, as the same type of accident can be caused by different reasons. The next question concerns the number of cases involved in this connection. Should the number of cases be very high the consequences for the economy of the country will be more pronounced.

Such general views are reflected in Paragraph 6 of the Swedish regulations concerning flammable goods, where it is stated: "In decisions or orders under this regulation no measures may be prescribed which are more burdensome than are reasonable in regard to the purpose of the measure." However, despite the very general wording of this passage it is extremely significant and it has even attracted a certain attention outside Sweden, but at least up to now it has not brought forth any recommendations to the Swedish authorities to analyse the economic aspects in the way I have just mentioned when dealing with matters of safety. Although not much progress been made, the extent of the different costs has been discussed unofficially at least within the fields of the Inspectorate of Explosives.

As an example can be mentioned the fact that the damage costs caused by oil burners amount to at the ?O i.ire (8d.) per burner per year, according to the of fire damage. Thus yurely the standpomt there is no reason to mcrease 111 the mam the costs of safety arrangements for oil burners as there is not much to be gained from saving 50 i)re a year. Howeve_r, there is o_ften a possibility of increasing safety by certam constructional improvements made for the purpose of operational safety as well as for reducing service costs, etc., which in themselves can increase safety.

Safety for the sake of Safety Inspectors or the Authorities

A very difficult adj_ustment arises applying the safety regulat10ns and mstruct10ns provided for m Government orders, as rightly there should be a certain margin for determining the risks in cases. However, a psychological problem anses m this c<;>nnection in that the supervisory body often reasons m. following manner: an accident can always happen, this is then followed by an enquiry and scrutiny of how the matter has been dealt with and whether adequate safety precautions have proposed or ordered. It is easy for the inspector exammmg the case to adopt the attitude that it is the best for his purpose to propose extra safety measures instead of recommending outright minimum or standard claims. If, as is often the _case, are several inspectors the final result can be qm!e.exce_ss1ve '.lnd much more costly that it need be if the ongmal of the legislators had been applied. there 1s another complication in the fact t_hat bmldm& contractors and other companies involved with construct10n work thro1;1ghout the country become irritable if different regulat10ns apply in different places.

Increased Costs through increased Safety Requirements

As an example of how cost can increase a most unexpected way through extei;isive _safe_ty reqmrements, figures can be cited from the of costs for safety distances made by the Oil Inqmry m 1951.

The annual ground rent for a coastal oil depot a roximately 3 Swedish kronor a sq. it. a sikty distance of25 metres(82ft.) between the and its surroundings there is a ° 50-100 per cent of its ground area is u_t1hsa e gd ot within the depot itself, on the size 0 .f then :£ec: The figure of 50 per cent applies to a depot with a 60 000 tive area of approx. 50,000 sq. metres to a sq. yds.), while the figure <;>f 100 per cen s metres smaller depot with an effective area of ground (approx. 15,000 sq._ yds.).' Fo;1tte kronor rent of the protective arft 37OOO kronor a year, a year, and for the sma er epo ' fti tive area If it i.e. as much as the ground re_nt forth: (ItS4ft.), is required that the safety distance b t ctive area in the then the annual ground the 120 OOO kronor case of the larger depot w1 \ 67 500 kronor. If a and in the case of the sma epo. d 100 metres much larger safety distance is reqmre ' area in the (330ft.), the ground rent the 270 OOO kronor case. of the larger depot wt 90,ooo k;onor. Thus and m the case of the Pt f r the protective area in the latter. case the _grounh rte;!- effective area. will be five times as big as t a ior

The best method would actually_ be to showin how the costs increase with the o . safety cftstance. This make safety requirements agamst hc?sts. s t n it C'lll be menare exponential curves. In t is connec 10 ' 1 ;ioned that it is not only a question of groun.dtl · · d" t nces w1 1111 m ' determining safety distances, i.e. is a . II f tions and between the various parts of a tons, but also a question of increased costs of p1pelmes, roads, etc.

A few other examples may also be of interest. These show that what appears to be reasonable costs in the individual case can amount to large sums for the country as a whole. For example, the diking-in of fuel tanks for villas and other dwellings is a measure prescribed rather bureaucratically by many municipalities despite the fact that in most cases it cannot be proved to be a real need. The diking-in of a fuel-oil tank of a volume of 3-5 cu. metres (106-107 cu. ft.) costs 400-500 kronor (approx. £28-£35), i.e. about as much as the tank itself. If the owners of the 120,000 villas which were built in Sweden between 1958 and 1963 had been ordered to dike-in fueloil tanks, the costs would have totalled 50 million kronor (approx. £3! million). In order to justify such a cost, such a measure would have to prevent damages totalling some 5 million kronor (approx. £350,000) a year from happening. In actual fact, damages caused by tanks which are not diked-in amount to only some 10,000 (approx. £700 a year). Sweden is now building some 25,000 villas a year. If diking-in is generally prescribed and the average cost is 450 kronor (approx. £30) a villa, this would cost the country 11 million kronor (approx. £800,000) a year. It cannot be shown that damages of the nature in question here, i.e. fire and oil damages, amount to anything even approaching such an annual cost.

The same is the case with dug-down petrol tanks. In many cases different authorities want, without real reasons, to put these petrol tanks in concrete boxes. The additional cost for such an arrangement is of the size of 5,000 kronor (approx. £350) a tank and the corresponding interest and amortisation amount to at least 500 kronor (approx. £35) a year. For a petrol station with 2-3 tanks this means an additional cost of 1,000 kronor (approx. £700) every year.

If there are approximately 5,000 petrol station tanks and 15,000 villa tanks within the danger zone with regard to water pollution, the yearly costs for the concrete boxes would not be less than 10 million kronor (£700,000). The costs of damages resulting from leaks from subterranean tanks and their pipelines do not appear to have been investigated. To date they have certainly not amounted even to one million kronor (£70,000). This proves, firstly, that one must be rather restrained in the laying out of protected areas for water catchment and, secondly, that one must attempt to reduce the costs of the protective methods in those cases where protection is considered to be absolutely necessary. In this connection I must point out that the total number of subterranean tanks in Sweden is estimated at 300,000--400,000.

Safety Standard attained in different Industries

The views of the general public and of the government to safety standards necessary within various industries differ markedly. The personal injuries within the manufacture of explosives and the handling of petrol are among the lowest in Sweden. Statistics of injuries caused fire and explosions provide similar data, indeed, more are lost yearly in gravel pits than in explosives factories the petrol industry. Nevertheless, a large accident _w1thm the l_atter industries gives rise to an extensive enqutr}'. further safety measures and safety regulations, despite the economic fact that measures against other industrial risks would probably be more justified.

A survey shows that the Swedish petroleum industry, which in 1963 had a turnover totalling almost 5,000 million kronor (approx. £350 million), has suffered damages costing on average approx. 250,000 kronor (approx. £17,500) a year over the last five-year period from fires which can be considered of a general nature. However, in addition there have been one or more fire catastrophes, such as the large fire at the oil refinery at Nynashamn on the Swedish Baltic coast. Fire catastrophes involve large damage costs averaging some 250,000 kronor (approx. £17,500) a year. The frequency of fire catastrophes in Sweden is fortunately low. Altogether fire damages within the petroleum industry amount to 0.01 per cent of the annual turnover.

Indirect Costs

Up to now we have mainly considered the direct costs of the safety measures, but on top of these there are various indirect costs. There are, firstly, the costs of the national and municipal safety services and organisations, secondly, the inspection costs of the insurance companies, and, finally, the corresponding costs for the trade. In this connection little can be said about the costs of staff and administration. Often the fault seems to be with the slow functioning of the administration. Complaints are made -and rightly so, in my opinion-about the undue amount of paper-work and the difficulty of reducing the piles of paper which amount up on the official's desk.

The difficulties are mainly due to the fact that in compiling laws and regulations the Swedes are often overexacting and do not pay sufficient regard to the limited resources of Sweden both as to its economy and the current lack of staff. All too often the Swedes make the mistake of cutting down the staff and running costs of an organisation without reducing at the same time the amount of work to be done. When accepting a certain system of administration it is necessary to provide the staff and economic resources to run it, otherwise it will be nothing more than a half measure.

The consequences of reducing staff are longer delays both in the field we are dealing with and many others. Before the new regulation concerning flammable goods came into force, the Swedish Inspectorate of Explosives and Flammable Liquids had a good reputation, I believe, for the quick handling of matters. Now the Inspectorate's speed of working in several fields and particularly the petroleum industry is far from satisfactory, though no doubt there are other national and municipal bodies which function even worse.

In this connection it is important to draw attention to the prevailing uncertainty as to how long an appeal against a decision will take. In fact, it has become evident that the long waiting time results in the right of appeal seldom being used, even in cases where there are chances that appeal will be sustained. In this way a wrong practice easily arises as well as the risk of different practices being applied in different places.

Collaboration on Safety Regulations

The Government and in certain cases also the municipalities stipulate certain minimum requirements for In this matter there is a limited collaboration mamly between the state authorities and organisations of the insurance companies. However, this does not prevent the

insurance companies from making often special insurance conditions with more stringent requirements. It seems to me that this practice is quite wrong. Minimum requirements ought rightly to be sufficient, so that insurance can be granted for all those meeting them. The basic premium ought thus to be calculated on these grounds. To the extent that it is suitable, there is nothing then to prevent the encouragement of higher levels of insurance by granting reductions of premium. Such reductions of premium must be preceded by an analysis of the risk. This will give a very good idea of the conditions of risk in the field in question. Not a few insurance companies make their own insurance conditions for the oil industry.

Technical Insurance Conditions

One can distinguish between three different types of technical insurance conditions in this actual connection. There are those conditions which are identical with those by the Government, for example, certain sect10ns of BABS. In addition, there are conditions which go further than those stipulated by the Government. Finally, are sometimes special conditions for certain machmery or other equipment which are not covered by Government regulations.

In the main, State statistics deal only with industrial injuries while, as can be seen from the above, material damage statistics which are of actual interest in this connection are lacking. Instead of compiling new series of State statistics, the double work which would be involved can .be avoided by collaboration with the insurance compames and particularly their joint body compiling damage statistics. By this means there would be considerable gains from the organisation and economic standpoints.

However, it is obvious that such collaboration cannot be brought about at a moment's notice, as a lot of problems are involved. Also a lot of the current insurance conditions are definitely of such a nature and based on experience that they ought to be incorporated in the minimum requirements of the Government regulations in order to make it possible for the insurance companies to grant ins1;1rance at standard premiums generally, i.e. without their own additional requirements.

What is most important from the point of view of the authorities is that the code system for the statistics of fire dam!ige needs to be altered and supplemented. If one studies the statistics of fire damage and tries to use them to get an idea of the risks, one finds that the codification cannot be used just as it is. The fact is that it does not to the types of risks in the Government regulat10ns. As an example I can mention that the statistics of fir_e damage include a code for the group of fire damages r_ela!mg to "furnaces and heating arrangements using h9u1d fuel''.- This concept covers things as different as 011-fired ballers of different sizes from boilers for villas to cei;it_ral heating installations, as well as paraffin stoves, spmt stoves, etc. It is true that it is useful to know that the costs of damage on average does not amount to more approx. 500,000 kronor (approx. £35,000) a year, and this must be regarded as a very favourable figure with regard to the enormous number of items included in this group-a few millions, in fact. However, in order to be to base safety regulations on these statistics the 1v1s10ns must be more specific.

Concluding Remarks

Economic views on safety matters automatically involve a number of problems, of which the most important concern the surveying of the possibilities of modifying and supplementing the statistics of fire damage in this field. Such improved statistics could then form the basis for Government regulations, too. This would eliminate all the different insurance conditions of a technical nature which are now imposed by the insurance companies.

Also recommendations or instructions should be issued to the authorities concerned to the effect that when safety requirements above the normal are made then the economic consequences should be touched upon in some way, at least in the form of estimates. As a rule those applying for insurance can be helpful in this respect. Even now they often raise objections with reference to the extra costs, but this is hardly ever reflected in official statements. Finally, as a general rule the municipalities should not be allowed to impose special regulations without these first being approved by the responsible Government organisation.

NOTES AND NEWS-continued from page 51

90 Ton Bogie Rail Tank Car

Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd. have developed a 90 ton bogie rail tank car for operation on British Rail. The rail car has been designed and manufactured by MetropolitanCammell Ltd., in conjunction with Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd., and it is more than twice the payload capacity of largest rail tank cars already in service in the U.K. It will be possible by using such vehicles to carry pay loads of 65 tons of product and to operate block trains of bogie tank wagons at 60 m.p.h. over thirteen major routes between refineries, customers and installations. The tank barrel is 8ft. o.d. and 54ft. IOin. in overall length, giving a gross capacity of approximately 20,130 gallons. Dished end plates are iin. thick and the whole is a buttwelded fabrication, hydraulically tested to 24lb. p.s.i. Discharge facilities are by 4in. foot valves, connected to a fabricated double arm branch pipe, fitted with 4in. ball valves.

* * *

Three Pipe Lines Authorised

The Minister of Power, Frederick Lee, has authorised the building of three cross-country pipelines in the of England. The three firms concerned are lmpenal Chemical Industries, which applied for permission to build an ethylene pipeline from Wilton, Tees-side, to Runcorn, Cheshire, with a branch to Thornton, Lancashire; Shell U.K. for a crude line between Stanlow Heysham refineries; and Shell-Mex and B.P. for a oil products line from Stanlow refinery to an mstallatton at Haydock, Lancashire.

FIRE AT THE PREMISES OF ESSO PETROLEUM CO. LTD. PRESTON DOCK

A report by 0. C. BUDD, M.B.E., Chief Officer, Preston Fire Brigade.

At 0729 hours on Monday, 2nd May, 1966, a call was . received at the Fire Station, Blackpool Road, Deepdale, Preston, to a fire at Esso Petroleum Premises, Chain Caul Road, Ashton Marsh, Preston.

A full attendance of Pump Escape, Major Pump, Water Tender and Foam Tender was despatched from this Station. On arrival of the Officer in Charge at 0732 hours, 1 of a predetermined mobilising scheme was put mto operation. This automatically mobilised appliances, men, equipment and foam compound for twelve No. 10 Foam-making Branchpipes to get to work.

On my arrival at approximately 0732 hours , two x 4,000 gallons tankers, together with a large quantity of petrol on the yard, and contained in the supply pipe of the loading gantry, were well alight, this raging fire being within 25 feet of high octane spirit tanks

The Pump Escape, drawing water from a 9in. main on the site, fed water into the new 400 gallons capacity Foam Tender, and supplied two foam branches from a fixed foam generator on to the burning vehicles and yard area. The Water Tender was ordered to obtain wa ter from an underground tank, and supplied cooling jets to surrounding tanks, the .remaining Pump obtained water from hydrants and supplted two more cooling jets to surrounding pipework and spirit tanks.

Photog raph ub/" 1 P 1s11 ed by courtesy of Peter G. Reed, Preston

A Control Point was situated at the entrance to the Dock and was a rendezvous point for all reinforcing appliances, and by means of "Walkie-talkie" sets a forward control was set up at the incident. Of the reinforcing pumps, just one pump was detailed to set into the Dock Basin and be prepared to deliver water to the incident, should it be· desirable.

This serious fire, in my opinion, was put out quickly by the fact that foam in copious quantity was put on to the fire immediately. A 'stop' message was sent at 0815 hours.

After investigation it was found that the cause of the fire was due to Discol being pumped through a product line into the front compartment of the tank wagon by means of a 10 foot hose, the 'nozzle of which was approximately only 9in. or 1 ft. in the manhole, and when loading commenced, the bend in the hose became greater, and in so doing lifted the nozzle from the manhole, causing petrol to cascade over the driver's cab of the tanker, under the bonnet into the engine, where a spark from the system (the main battery switch not having been switched off), ignited the petrol vapour, the resultant flames caused

a flash-back into the petrol tank and ignited petrol issuing from the supply tube.

The driver who was on top of the vehicle, switched off the supply tube by means of a valve, went to the rear of his vehicle and to safety. Three vehicles in close proximity were driven away to safety by the drivers, and the remaining vehicle which had just been filled and was being driven away, became ignited by the flames. The driver of this vehicle scrambled clear, and two lids of the two rear compartments of this lorry were damaged by explosion.

The total damage was a large quantity of Petroleum Spirit burned, two x 4,000 gallons petrol tankers severely damaged by fire and heat, and approximately one half of loading bay and supply piping and hose damaged by fire and heat, and half of roof off.

It has been estimated that the product loss of the Company was 500 gallons of Regular, 500 gallons of Golden and 500 gallons of Extra Gasolene.

Ninety gallons of Foam-making Compound were used to extinguish the flames.

Appliances and equipment were drawn from Brigades in Lancashire, Blackburn, Blackpool and Southport.

Reports of Committees of the A.M.C.

FIRE SERVICE COMMITTEE, llth January, 1966

Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances

The Advisory Committee held its first meeting_ on 13th September, 1965, at which the work of the comtm!tee was outlined. It was agreed to set up three sub-committees to consider:

1. Packaging and labelling of dangerous substances_;

2. Operation of vehicles involved in the transportat10n of dangerous substances;

3. Construction of vehicles used for the conveyance by road of dangerous substances.

The Chief Fire Officer of Swansea serves on SubCommittee (I), which has also met for the first He sought our views on the general question of the of dangerous substances in the form of liquids (to which attention is to be given first); symbols in keeping with _those by the European agreement concerning the national carriage of dangerous goods by road were envisaged. In_ our opinion, such marking is desirable and in order to convey immediate essential information ab<?ut the substances to the fire service, the police and others, m case of accidents.

TOWN PLANNING COMMITTEE, 14th January, 1966

Advertisement Signs-Petroleum Stations

We have considered the following letter from the town clerk of a non-county borough: 17th December, 1965.

The Borough Engineer recently expressed concern over the lack of control which local planning authorities

have over the advertisement displays on certain petrol filling stations within the borough.

It will be remembered that some years ago, there was a national campaign by the petrol companies to clear up untidy signing and to substitute the now familiar pole signs.

It would seem that in this borough and elsewhere. the position has since deteriorated and multifarious signs have appeared of a permanent or semi-permanent character, advertising oils, tyres, batteries and other products.

Added to these are displays used in 'crash ment campaigns', instituted by the petrol compames and where banners, flags and other devices such as "Four Gallons ls. off'', "Put a Tiger in Your Tank", etc., appear for short periods. Such techniques are embarrassing the proper administration of plannin& as by the time a challenge has been resolved the devices can be removed and another campaign can be instituted later.

The Borough Council consider there should be a tyding up of the law by new regulations and that s1:1ch regulations be in the clearest possible language leavmg no doubt as to their interpretation. The present regulations are not as clear as they could be, and an example of this is the section dealing with advertisements on business premises".

We are again expressing to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government our disappointment at the continued failure to deal effectively with the clutter problem by means of new regulations.

Attingham 1966

James Short, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Burgh of Paisley, gives his impression of the recently held residential mid-week school.

Such is the popularity of the Residential Mid-Week School that of one hundred and eighty persons who made application to attend, sixty~nine were allocated places. This is a tribute to the orgamsers of the course and to the attractions of Attingham Park, a stately home of rare architectural beauty bequeathed to the National Trust by the eighth Lord Berwick and now used to house Shrop- shire Adult College. Situated in wooded and landscaped surroundings and bounded on one flank by the River Tern, a tributary of the Severn, it provides a happy atmosphere where study can be combined with the of living in a fine building and the enjoyment of relaxmg in the surrounding grounds. However, in spite of its secluded setting the modern age did intrude and several students were confronted on arrival with a parking prob- lem until the staff put matters right.

The old Dining Room with its Italian ceiling painted throughout in 'Pompeian Red' broken with white and gold, now used as the lecture room, was the focal point of the course and it was in this room that an official welcome was extended by the Deputy Warden, Bryan Podmore, B.A. He outlined the work of the College, which was open to adults of all ages and varying backgrounds to work together on a subject of common interest. On the previous evening the old Dining Room had been trans- formed into a setting for the presentation of Rossini's Opera The Marriage Contract. Thereafter, students assembled in their syndicates and exchanged views on their particular problems until the late evening.

The morning of the second day saw the introduction of the first lecturer, W. M. Lewis, F.R.I.C., City Analyst, Coventry, speaking on the "Nature of Petroleum-Spirit and its Hazards". One's basic knowledge of chemistry learned many years ago was soon revived as he juggled with atoms, valencies and molecules to show the different attachment of carbon and hydrogen atoms to form the constituents of petroleum-spirit. He was followed by C. S. McDonald, M.A., Senior Assistant Solicitor, County Borough of Solihull, discussing the Acts, Regulations and Orders collectively known as the Petroleum (Regulation) 1928-36. In his early remarks he referred to the ma<;Iquacy of present legislation and, in dealing with various aspects of existing law, forcibly illustrated prob- lems of interpretation which petroleum officers have in the past found difficult to reconcile with the practical side of their duties.

After lunch a demonstration by the Pyrene Company, Ltd., on the use of water carbon tetra-chloride foam carbon dioxide, and dry powder type fire extinguisher~ w.ent ?ff smo<;>thly until the wind momentarily changed some spectators choking with fumes and lightly coated with a deposit of white powder. Returning lecture room, W. C.R. Dale, A.F.Inst.Pet., Admin- 1strat1v_e Officer, Licensing Department, Greater London Counc1l, presented a paper on "Planning and the

Petroleum Officer" and left students in no doubt as t<;> requirements of his Council in relation the prov1s1on of stores and the layout of ancillary eqmpment. Unfor- tunately time did not permit this lecture to be completed, a disappointment to many who realised they wJre listening to a man at the top of his profession. concluded with K. Sherwood, A.F.Inst.~et., Esso d f leum Company, Ltd., illustrating the vanou_s metho installing underground storage tanks and his accoun f the development of a resin bonded fibre glass tank was 0 particular interest.

Sir George Trevelyan, Bt., M.A., Wa_rden of addressed the School on the last mormng, ht! personal welcome to that already extended by D P Yd John Beer, M.l.W.M.A., Chief I!-'lspector of We1gh~~ea~n Measures, City of Worcester, ~c::hvered the first With the "Testing of Petroleum-Spmt Storage Tanks · d th the aid of.apparatus of his own design he demonstrate. d'e · · them 1- effect of temperature and pressure vanat10ns on . cated pressure on a guage. It was indeed dis~ppo_m~~~ that due to lack of time he was obliged to restr_ict well to the testing of new tanks when he was obv10us Y . 1 · fi Id "Th Pract1ca equipped to cover a much wider e · . e f the Application of the Electrical Recomm~ndat10ns 0 J A Association" was introduced in a concise talk di· d · Sharp, A.l.E.E., Senior Assistant Engineer, Mi Electricity Board, with specific reference to the. out ments of the Home Office Model Code. H;e pomte t that current thinking on the types of electncal appafira . · d'd not t m that could be used m hazardous locat10ns 1 . d with the requirements of the Code and that a .. i;v~~~e version was now needed. The afternoon lecture ?11• uff t Trends in Petroleum-Spirit Dispensing': was ha/f Mt by G. M. Steer, Merchandising Executive, S e. B. P. Ltd., and M. T. R. Bowen, M.A., in the tive, B.P. Trading, Ltd. They forecast the mcrease rs and consumption of petroleum-spirit in the next yea 1 illustrated diagramatically and with the aid of co slides of overseas sites, the use of and pre-p~~~~~r self service stations to speed up service and reduce d t costs. In anticipation of these develop!flents, stu .:r J realised that their authorities reqwre to b,e on policy decisions regarding their acceptance an d · b · to amen considerable thought would requJre to .e. given S h ol ment oflicensing and pre-licensing cond1t1ons. Th; 1t 0 d concluded with reports from syndicate chairmen ° owe by open discussion.

A Vote of Thanks to all who had contributed in any w'ij' to the success of the School was ably proposed by J· H. · Hornby, Deputy Chief inspector of Weights and Measures, City of Oxford. . f tl e

Uniformity in Petroleum Admm1strat10n is o .1 Association's objectives. Evidence of lack of um_fo_rmity was apparent even among the lecturers, e.g. the i:n1111mu: height for vent pipes was stipulated as 12 feet 6 mches Y one lecturer and 16 feet by another; the cl~aran_ce between a suction line and fill pipe was mch m oned~a~f

and 2 inches in another. The Bnt1sh Standard Co , Practice 1003 differs in the definition of dangerous areas from the Association's Model Code. Ideally, agreement on every aspect of administration is e though perhaps impracticable, and _it is only o~gams!ng Schools and thrashing out these m d1scu~s10n that something approaching uniformity can be attamed.

COLCHESTE · R

A nevvly opened post-payment self-service filling station

The original installation dates back many years and comprised two petrol pumps sit uat ed within a showroom compound of only twelve feet frontage. Both pumps were adjacent to a public footpath and involved the use of swing arms over the pavement for filling cars on a congested road with a parking prohibition.

The previously existing premises, showrooms and installation were demolished and the new one completed within three months. The new forecourt extends to some 80 feet an d all petrol sa les are dispensed off the highway.

The forecourt layout shown uses six Wayne pumps, adap ted to the post-payment self service system. It enables eleven cars on the forecourt a t one time with six pumps in constant use.

A motorist can refuel hi s vehicle himself with whichever gra?e of petrol he chooses, the amount he takes being registered both on the petrol pump and in the control room shown in the foreground.

The motorist can communicate to the s uper visor direct by means of a two-way microphone/speaker sit uated at top of each pump. By using this equipment the supervisor can a lso mstruct the motorist on how to use the pump. A master switch operated by the su pervisor will p_reve':1t or _halt any or all sales shou ld any dangerous s1tuat10n anse.

Annual General Meeting

held at Solihull on Tuesday, 19th April, 1966

The Chairman, Mr. D. Hall, welcomed members to the eighth Annual General Meeting and introduced Mr. D. W. Chapman, D.F.M., LLB., Town Clerk of Solihu!l County Borough, and invited him to open the Mr. Chapman expressed great pleasure in the fact that for the second year in succession, the Association's Annual General Meeting was being held in Solihull and that he had again been invited to officiate at the ceremony.

He stressed the value of getting together to discuss daily problems in administration of the Petroleum Acts, and particularly congratulated the Association on the publica- tion of The Bulletin.

Mr. Beer moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Chapman on behalf of the Association and to the Solihull Council for its hospitality.

The Chairman then referred to the business portion of the Agenda.

Minutes

As there was no comment on the Minutes of the previous Meeting or on matters arising therefrom, the Chairman gave his Report of the work carried out by the Council and various Committees of the Association.

Chairman's Report

Mr. Hall outlined the administrative set-up of the Association, i.e. the setting up of Committees, the promulgation of Standing Orders for the administrative duties of the Council, the Secretary, the Treasurer and the Editor. A scale of expenses had been approved by the Council for members travelling on Council Business.

Proceeding, the Chairman spoke of the relationship between the Assoication and Branches; also that the Home Office had promised to consider the Association being represented on one of its Committees.

He said the Council had issued its recommendations for UndergroundCar Parks and went on to inform members that _work was now being done on the preparation of Multi-Storey Car Park Recommendations.

He referred to the over-subscribing by Authorities to the 1965 and 1966 Schools, resulting in many disappointments. He informed members, however, that attempts were being made to arrange two Schools for 1967, one in May and one in October_

Commenting on The Bulletin, he said this was a most" valuable asset of the Association and sincerely congratu- lated the Editor, Mr. R. P. Holdaway, for his work in connection with its publication.

Mr. Hall urged members to initiate Branch formation and to attend Branch Meetings.

Concluding, the Chairman commended the whole of the Council for their unflagging interest in the work of the Association.

Secretary/Treasurer's Report

The Honorary Secretary/Treasurer s1:1bi:nitted his Report on the financial position of the Associat10n.

Arising from the Report, Mr. Beer observed _that was a credit balance of £521, and felt that a port10n of thts should be put into a Derosit It was agr_eed that the Council should consider this at its next meetmg.

Mr. Beer also commented on the work done .by the Honorary Secretary and moved t_hat honoranum of £50 be paid to the Secretary for his services to the Association. This was agreed.

Election of Chairman

Only one nomination having been Mr. E. V. B"eeby (Rugby R.D.C.) was elected Chalfman.

Mr. Beeby (in the Chair) thanked members for his election.

Election of Vice-Chairman

Again, only one nomination having been received, Mr. C. R. Peskett (Godalming M.B.C.) was duly elected.

Election of Officers

The following Officers were also elected: Hon. Secretary/Treasurer Mr. L. A. Cave Hon. Liaison Officer Mr. G. N. Dean Hon. Editor Mr. R. P. Holdaway Hon. Legal Adviser Mr. P. D. Wadsworth

Election of a Council

The Chairman reminded the meeting that eight members had to be elected at the Annual General Meeting and explained that only seven nominations had been received for the eight vacancies. The following members were then duly elected to the Council:

Mr. J. Beer-Worcester City

Mr. R. L. Bloor-Kidderminster M.B.C. Mr. M. Gee-Wolverhampton C.B.C. Mr. H. Griffiths-Walsall C.B.C. Mr. D. Hall-Newcastle-under-Lyme M.B.C. Mr. J. W. Hewison-Havant and Waterloo U.D.C. Mr. R. E. J. Roden-Birmingham City

The Chairman observed that under the terms of the Constitution the remaining vacancy would have to be filled by the Council.

Membership

The Hon. Secretary reported that since the last Annual General Meeting there had been an increase of 80 and Harbour Authority members, the total membership being 440.

Any Other Business

Holdaway referred to the help and encouragement which Mr. D. W. Chapman, Town Clerk of Solihull County Borough, had given to the Association and proposed that he be made an Honorary Member of the Association. Mr. Hall seconded and said he felt that the services Mr. Chapman had rendered merited the honour.

Agreement was unanimous.

Mr. Ainley, Stone U.D.C., proposed a vote of thanks to the Officers for their work during the past year with particular reference to the retiring Chairman, the Hon. Secretary/Treasurer and the Editor of The Bulletin.

Mr. H. Griffiths, Walsall C.B.C., referred to a chart which had been circulated to Chief Fire Officers by the Chemical Division ofShell-Mex Ltd., giving a colour guide for identification of dangerous substances carried on their tankers and suggested that the Hon. Secretary should endeavour to obtain copies for consideration by the Council.

The business then being concluded, the meeting adjourned for lunch.

The meeting re-assembled at 2.30 p.m. under the heading of "Your Questions Answered". The Chairman of the Association introduced members of the panel, which consisted of Messrs. J. Beer (Chairman-Worcester) ; M. Gee (Wolverhampton) ; J. A. Sharp (M.E.B.) and C. A. McDonald (Senior Assistant Solicitor-Solihull).

1. What are the views of the Association on the automatic vending of petroleum spirit ?-Mr. Perry, Staffs. C.C. Fire Brigade

As expected, a lively discussion ensued on very topical subject. It was agreed that automatic vendmg or self-service would come to the United Kingdom; the question was whether the time was now opportune. It was felt that whilst certain licensing conditions could be imposed on self-service pumps, enforcement would be extremely difficult. To regulate customers using such pumps also had legal difficulties and the possibility of prosecuting customers for aiding and abetting infringements of licensing conditions was extremely doubtfu.1. Information was given to the meeting on the use of this type of equipment in Western Germany and other parts of the Continent, from which it appeared vandalism was non-existent. The great advantage of this type of pump from the trade angle is the cutting down on labour costs in keeping the filling station in operation throughout 24 hours.

!'>- fur!her difficulty raised was the question of petrol bemg mistaken for paraffin, particularly by children who may sent on an errand. It was agreed that any licensing cond1t1on must to safe-keeping and any applicant who had an for this type of equipment refused by the authonty could either wait to be prosecuted if he used it and then bring a defence, or could appeal to the Home Office.

The meeting felt that the general concensus of opinion amo.ngst officers was turning towards selfserv1ce com operat1<?n on sites, and that there would be no harm m assessmg results of such operation

on selected sites. On attended sites, it was considered that providing safeguards are adequate, is perfectly satisfactory.

2. A commercial consumer has applied to install a petrol pump and tank on a site only 40ft. across. An inhabitated building is at least 20ft. away from the tank. Is this site considered a satisfactory one ?-Mr. Gardener, Mansfield.

The panel felt that it is generally recognised that no tank or pump should be within 20ft. of any building, highway or flammable substances. This is laid down clearly in the Association's pre-licensing conditions. It is acc:pted, that this distance cannot always be achieved on old sites which are to be improved and it is felt that as the Home Office do not state any figure in the Model Code, a too rigid application of this condition may be unreasonable.

The question was raised how did this arbitrary figure come to be considered initially and it was thought that as the Home Office code requires no smoking and no flammable substances to be within 20ft., this was a reasonable figure. The meeting considered that this 20ft. rule should be judged in each instance on its merits, particularly with regard to improvements to old sites. Every attempt, h?wever, should. be made to obtain compliance of this distance on new mstallations.

3. Is it obligatory to transfer the licence of an old or sub-standard site under the same conditions ?Mr. Matthews, Derby.

The panel felt that a local authority could refuse a transfer of licence on the grounds that an installation is ?ut of date, unsatisfactory or unsafe. Members gave mstances where transfers have been refused and owners who have the right of appeal never took advantage of this. In one case where the renewal of the licence of a substandard site was refused the Home Office upheld an appeal, but when the premises were later sold, the Home Office stated that this decision lapsed with the transfer.

4. The question of cash registers was raised, it being suggested that the Association's Code of Practice be relaxed to permit their removal at night-Mr. Staddon, Esso Petroleum Co. Ltd.

The panel felt that there should be no relaxation and registers should be rigidly fixed, the reason being that 1f sockets were permitted there was always the danger of a kettle or electric fire being plugged in. There is no objection to cash registers being plugged above 4ft. level provided the switch is flameproof or totally enclosed. lt was agreed that this height is not a practicable one. On the question of using a transformer to limit the current from the socket it was felt that this would not really be effective.

* * *

A vote of thanks to the panel was proposed by Mr. Marsden, Eton R.D.C., and thanks to the Solihull Council,. to Mr. Bradbury, Civil Defence Officer, and Messrs. Forman and Dean in making the arrangements and accommodation available for the meeting, was proposed by Mr. Pike, Market Harborough U.D.C.

COUNCIL MEETING

Present

E. V. Beeby, Esq. (Chairman) with Messrs. J. Beer, R. L. Bloor, G. N. Dean, D. Hall, J. W. Hewison, R. P. Holdaway, T. Kerr and the Hon. Secretary.

The Chairman extended a welcome to Mr. Hewison and Mr. Kerr who were attending for the first time.

Apologies

Received from Messrs. M. Gee, H. Griffiths, G. H. Harvey, E. H. Melbourne, C. T. Peacock, C.R. Peskett, J. A. Sharp and B. W. C. Thacker.

Standing Orders

The Standing Orders for the Council, Secretary and Editor were confirmed.

Minutes

of the Previous

These were confirmed.

Matters Arising

(a)

Meeting

Representation on other bodies

A letter from the Home Office was read regretting the inability at the present time to admit representation of the Association on the Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances. After consideration of the Home Office letter the Council expressed its keen disappointment at this decision and requested the Chairman and Hon. Secretary to again write pointing out that this Association was the only one of its kind which was in daily contact with Petroleum Officers of the 386 Local and Harbour Authorities which comprise membership of the Association, and ask if the Home Office would reconsider their decision.

(b) Insurance for the Editor

Mr. Holdaway stated that he was comparing costs and would report later.

Annual Meeting

Matters Arising

(a) Election of one representative to the Council

The Chairman observed that one vacancy had to be filled and recommended that Mr. T. Kerr (Glanford Brigg R.D.C.) who was in attendance be appointed to the vacancy. This was agreed.

(b) Shell-Mex Code for Identification of Dangerous Substances

It was resolved that the Editor endeavour to include this in The Bulletin.

Election of Committees

(a) Finance and General Purposes Committee.

(b) Reference and Legal Committee.

(c) Educaton and Publications Committee.

(d) Constitution and Rules Committee.

The following members, with the ex-officio members, were then elected to serve on these Committees:

(a) The Chairmen of the other Committees, with the *ex-officio members.

(b) H. Griffiths, G. H. Harvey, T. Kerr, R. E. J. Roden. (c) M. Gee, R. L. Bloor, C. T. Peacock.

(d) J. Beer, D. Hall, J. W. Hewison. *on all Committees

Treasurer's Report

The Hon. Treasurer briefly reported the position to date. Arising from the Report, the of utilising certain of the funds was referred to the Fmance and General Purposes Committee.

Secretary's Report

The Hon. Secretary reported that Local and Harbo1;1r Authorities with Officers now reached a total memberslup of 386. There were in addition 47 Associate Members. Six Branches had been formed and there was a possibility that at least two more would be formed in the near future.

Editor's Report

In his report, the Editor appealed to all members to send in any item having a bearing on petroleum matters.

Applications for Membership

The Hon. Secretary reported one application from Sunbury-on-Thames U.D.C. and an application for Associate Membership from Mr. Bishop, representative of Gilbarco, Ltd. Both applications were approved.

Date and Place of Next Meeting

This was left for the Chairman and Hon. Secretary to decide.

Any other Business

(a) The Hon. Secretary reported on the volume of sing work which now had to be done and asked 1f authority would be given for the purchase of an addressograph. Resolved that an Addressograph be purchased at a price of £75.

(b) Mr. Beer suggested that the use of a Tape Recorder at Council and Annual Meetings would be an asset to the Association. Resolved that he investigates and reports to the Finance and General Purposes Committee on this and the provision of microphones, for an overall cost not exceeding £100.

Report of a meeting of the Council of the Association held at Dudley on Tuesday, 24th May, 1966

SOUTH EASTERN

A meeting of the South Eastern Branch of the Association was held at Leatherhead on Wednesday, 23rd March, 1966. Present were the Chairman, Mr. F. L. Barker, Esher U.D.C. and 48 members.

Discussion

A paper on "Electrical equipment in danger areas" was presented by Mr. W. C. R. Dale, A.F.l.P., Administrative Officer, Licensing Dept., Greater London Council. The paper provoked a lively and lengthy discussion on many points and from the chair Mr. Barker thanked Mr. Dale for his interesting and informative paper.

Committee Report

The report of the Branch Committee Meeting held on the 19th January, 1966, was circulated with the recommendation that "the use of coin operated petrol pumps should be limited to adequately supervised sites". The re-licensing of sub-standard sites swing arms, was discussed and reference was agam made to the various means available to licensing authorities to limit re-licensing, e.g. non-transfer of licence.

Next Meeting

The next meeting of the Branch is to be held on Wednesday, 6th July, 1966.

Visit

On Wednesday, 11 th May, J966, twenty members the works of Messrs. Minimax, Ltd., of Feltham, sex, at the kind invitation of the Company and m !he afternoon saw a programme of demonstrat10ns showmg how various types of by. the Company could deal effectively )V1th tires mvolvmg various materials, including petroleum.

Election of Officers

Mr. A. L. Good of Bishops Stortford Rural District Council was elected to the Chair and presided over a meeting of twenty-six members. Mr. R. E. Dust of the City of Oxford and Mr. J. H. Hornby, also of Oxford, were reelected Secretary and Treasurer respectively. The retiring Chairman, Mr. E. H. Melbourne, of Saffron Walden Rural District Council, was elected as Branch Representative to the National Council.

The Secretary reported that the total membership of the Branch. was now sixty-one, consisting of forty-eight Local Authority Members and thirteen district members. The Treasurer's Report was received, showing a balance in hand of £12 16s. 2d.

Matters Arising from the Minutes

Several members expressed a wish to be supplied with a directory of Members to enable them, when necessary, to make local contacts should they need advice or another opini.on on difficult matters of enforcement. The Secretary was mstructed to compile a directory and issue it to all members.

Demonstration

The was then given an interesting talk and of the Mines Safety Appliance Company's by a representative of that Company. This mstrument mdicates accurately and readily the presence of an explosive mixture of petroleum vapour and air, and clearly should be in the possession of every officer concerned with the administration of the Petroleum Acts. One of the problems most Inspectors have been confronted to whether the smell they have been called to 1s due to a gas leak or a leakage of petroleum spmt, by !he use _of a small carbon filter in the Explosimeter 1t will differentiate between these gases. The meeting was also shown a small testing kit by the use of which Inspectors may re-assure themselves of the Explosimeter's accuracy before use.

SOUTH EAST MIDLAND

The Annual General Meeting of the South East Midlan? Branch of the Association was held at the Chamber, Saffron Walden, on Thursday, the 2lst Apnl, 1966.

Councillor R. Heazel, of Saffron Walden Rural District Council, welcomed the meeting to the town, and spoke of the important work done, and the responsibility carried, by all those responsible for the enforcement of the Petroleum Acts.

The meeting then moved to Stansted Airport where lunch was taken at the Airport Restaurant. After lunch a representative of the Shell Petroleum Company showed members over the fuel storage area, and explained the many safety factors employed. A demonstration was also · given of the meticulous tests, checks and counter checks made to ensure that the petroleum spirit or kerosene supplied to aircraft is absolutely free from extraneous matter of any kind.

Next Meeting

It was agreed that the next district meeting should be held at Bishops Stortford, Essex, in October next, when a general discussion on the lines of questions and answers, to deal with members' enforcement problems, would be held.

Through the· Pipeline

WHERE'S THE PROOF '!

by 0 I I 0 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

WHAT'S IN A FLASH ?

Not only is there argument on whether the term "flammable" or "inflammable" should be applied to liquids exhibiting due fiery tendencies. but there is also no little confusion on the tests to be applied to measure these tendencies.

Under the Petroleum Acts, the position is quite clear: a petroleum having a flash point below 73° Fahrenheit is a petroleum spirit and is highly "inflammable". The flash point is the temperature at which the liquid gives off sufficient inflammable vapour to support a momentary flash of flame when ignited by extraneous f!leai:is and the apparatus and method specified for determmat10n of the phenomonen is the Abel Closed Cup Apparatus and Method.

Why then the peculiar figure of 73° Fahrenheit ? Because Abel once had an Open Cup Method and Apparatus and the 'limit laid down using these was the nice round number of 100° Fahrenheit. Unfortunately the draughty rooms of Victoriana caused not inconsiderable variations in results so the apparatus was suitably enclosed and the modern Closed Cup Method was born. So far as anyone could determine 100° Fahrenheit Open Cup was equivalent to 73° Fahrenheit Closed Cup-such is the precision of scientists and, one supposes, lawyers !

Not to be left out in the cold, the American and the French have their methods too ! The Americans have Pensky-Marten and the French Luchaire. The results of each vary by a degree or two but if you are not a scientist or a lawyer, what is a degree or so amongst allies ? At least, all are closed cup methods and since Abel cannot determine flash points above about 100° Fahrenheit, Pensky-Marten has its uses.

There is, however, still room for individuality and in this the Factories Department of the Ministry of Labour must surely reign supreme. They scrapped the term "inflammable" and the fire point test so beloved the Factories Act 1937 and have now adopted the Amencanism "flammable" and a flash point test. You might argue that the adoption of the flash point test in their Memorandum of 1960 was a forward looking step but unfortunately the test required is the Pensky-Marten Open Cup Method and Apparatus. Maybe no cold winds blow along their corridors of power, or maybe only the Home Office (or Cain ?) recognises Abel !

Fire point, incidentally, is the temperature at a liquid gives off sufficient vapour to support contmuous combustion once the vapour has been lit. It should not be confused with the auto-ignition temperature which is the temperature at which spontaneous ignition takes place.

The name "proof spirit" owes it origin to the ancient practice of testing the strength of samples _of by pouring them on to gunpowder and then 1gmtmg them. If the sample contained too much burnt away, leaving the powder too damp to 1gmte ; 1f, however, the proportion of water was small enough, the gunpowder caught fire. A sample which ignited the powder "".as called "proof spirit" and surely only Customs an_d Excise could require a more convincing demonstration and definition.

For Excise purposes proof spirit is as that volume of a mixture of ethyl alcohol with water which at a reference temperature of 51° has a weight equal to 12/13th of the weight of an eqmvaIent volume of distilled water. Put another way, 100 proof spirit at 60° Fahrenheit contains 57. l % of by volume, the rest being distilled water. It 1s a so_benng thought that having consumed 1,000 gallons of whisky at 70 proof, one has absorbed in fact only 700 gallons of proof spirit and still less of alcohol. Absolute alcohol contains about t of water and by way of proof has a rating of 174.8, i.e. 74.8 over proof.

lt might be asked how petroleum officers are interested in proof spirit and truthfully they are not except as regards the ethyl alcohol content. Ethyl alcohol may be by the fermentation of molasses, when it is known as Rectified Spirits of Wine (S.V.R.) but equally it may be derived from the petroleum gas, ethylene, when it is known Plain British Spirit (P.B.S.); S.V.R. and P.B.S. are chemically identical.

Starting with ethyl alcohol as a base one can make a whole range of solvents including the ketones and other alcohols, which at the time of the passing of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928, could be produced only by fermentation. This gives rise to the questions ethyl alcohol, derived from ethylene, and acetone, denved from ethylene via ethyl alcohol, should be regarded as products of petroleum and since each has a flash pomt below 73° Fahrenheit as petroleum spirits. The same questions arise in respect of a whole range of modern solvents.

The difficulty lies in proving the source of and since the Petroleum Act applies penal prov1s1ons, the proof must be absolute. Jn any case how does one defend action in respect of a substance purely on the grounds of its source? The solution of this dilemma which has found general has been to adopt administrative practice of definmg "petroleum" as meamng a pure hydrocarbon. In this context a pure hydrocarbon means a substance formed only of the molecules of hydrogen _and carbon and in commercial quantity would be only by the distillation of coal, shale, peat or other bituminous matter. Substances like the ketones and alcohols are not pure hydrocarbons because they include the element oxygen in their molecular structures.

Appeal Case PETROL TANKER NOT

GRANDI AND ANOTHER v. MILBURN

Before the LORD CHIEF JUSTICE, MR. JUSTICE MARSHALL and MR. JUSTICE JAMES.

The Divisional Court allowed this appeal by European Petroleum Distributors, Ltd., of Bucklesbury House E.C. against their conviction, on December 2nd, 1965, by Dartford Magistrates' Court, on an information that they, on August 30th, 1965, at St. Bernard's Stores, Main Road West Kingsdown, Kent, "were the occupiers of premises: namely a petrol tanker" in which petroleum-spirit was kept without an authorizing licence, contrary to section I of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928.

The Court also dismissed appeals against three other convictions, one by Mr. Robert John Grandi, roadside cafe proprietor, of St. Bernard's Stores, of being the occupier of the premises on which petroleum spirit was "kept" without such a licence, and of the company for aiding and abetting the commission of that offence, and also, of a contravention of regulation 9 of the PetroleumSpirit (Carriage by Road) Regulations, 1957 (S.I. 1957 No. 191) in replenshing the fuel tank of a motor car, with petroleum-spirit direct from a vehicle, "namely, a petrol tanker conveying petroleum-spirit in such circumstances that the Regulations applied to that conveyance".

Mr. Grandi was fined £5, the company a total of £15.

Mr. Alaistair Morton appeared for the appellants; Mr. Alan Fletcher for the respondent, Mr. James Henry Milburn, clerk to the Dartford Rural District Council.

Judgment

Mr. Justice James said that, on August 30th, 1965, a 2,500 gallon tanker of the company drove on the forecourt of St. Bernard's Stores and remained there for approximately four hours selling petrol from handoperated pumps mounted on the rear of the tanker. Signs the sale of petrol were put up, and cars drew mt? the forecourt, and were supplied with petrol by uniformed attendants. Among those who purchased petrol Milburn, who bought three gallons for his car, paid for I! and was given a receipt. He watched several other cars be mg filled. It was a clear inference from the facts that that was done with Mr. Grandi's consent.

The contended that their convictions were wrong m law. Section I of the Act provided that petrol should not be unless a licence was in force under the Act authoi:1zmg the_ keeping, and this Court had been asked to consider section 2(3) prov"d· t th local authority in relation to the gra it mgf 1powers 0b. et t d .t. s · n s o 1cences su 0 con. 1 wns. echon 6(1) provided for the making of regulat10ns as to the conveyance of p t. I · ·t b road and "(d) '-" . . _ e 10 eum-spm y ior prescnbmg the precautions to be

1 PREMIS.ES'

in. the conveyance of petroleum-spirit by road and m loadmg_ and unloading vehicles used in such conveyance". Regulation 1 provided that the Regulations sh?1;1ld apply in relation to the "conveyance of petroleumspmt by road, and in these Regulations the expression 'conveyance' means such conveyance as aforesaid".

Three questions arose in the appeal: as to the meanings of first "kept'', and secondly, "premises" in particular a petrol tanker could be premises within the meamng of that term as used in the legislation and thirdly, "conveyance" where it appeared in the

There was a real danger in seeking to construe words in one statute by reference to constructions of the same word in different statutes, but, of the cases cited in argument the most helpful was J.C. Thompson v. Equity Fire Insurance Co. and Another ([1910] A.C.592, 596) where Lord MacNaghten was dealing with the meaning to be attributed to or kept" and said: "They are common English words with no very precise or exact significance. . . . The . . . seems to point to the presence of a quantity not inconsiderable, or at any rate not trifling in a_mount, and to import a notion of warehousing or depositing for safe. custody or keeping in stock for trading purposes .. !t IS difficult, if not impossible, to give an accurate of the meaning, but if one takes a concrete

It IS not very difficult to say whether a particular thing ts 'stored or kept' . . . " That had been relied on in subsequent cases in this country and in the Commonwealth and his Lordship thought it unnecessary to seek to define the meaning of "kept" in the Act.

Looking at the facts as found by the Justices, there was present the element of considerable quantity, a tanker of 2,500 gallons, there was the element of duration, though only a matter of about four hours but certainly not a fleeting passing call, and there was also the element of being there for the purpose of trade, namely, sale. Because of the presence of those elements his Lordship would say that there was no doubt that this was a case in which Mr. Grandi was the occupier of premises on which petroleumspirit was "kept". It was common ground that there was no licence, and the Justices were right. It was conceded that the decision on that information governed that of aiding and abetting also.

His Lordship saw no basis whatever, in the context of this legislation, for extending the meaning of "premises" beyond its ordinary and natural meaning, namely, that it connoted buildings, or buildings on land, in the absence of any indication at all that that meaning should be extended. The Justices had fallen into error in holding that the petrol tanker was "premises" and that, therefore, the company were occupiers of premises. That conviction should be quashed.

As to the remaining information, no authority had been cited governing that situation, but one did not need authority. The words were quite plain, and where the facts were that petroleum-spirit was loaded into a petrol tanker so that that petrol tanker could carry that spirit by road, then the "conveyance of petroleum-spirit by road" took place from that time on until the petrol tanker was emptied of its load.

There could be, at one and the same time, a "conveyance of petroleum-spirit by road", and that petroleum- spirit being "kept" on premises. If one said that conveyance by road came to an end when the petrol tanker remained stationery for four hours, then all the provisions of the Regulations designed to secure the safety of the

public and those engaged in selling would not apply at all -all the saefty provisions could be disregarded-making nonsense of the situation. The Justices were correct.

Mr. Justice Marshall agreed.

The Lord Chief Justice, also agreeing, said that he congratulated the Justices; no blame attached to them. They clearly relied on Coleman v. Goldsmith [1879] 43 J.P. 718) which was distinguishable in that the "keeping" there was in a "place" not in "premises".

An order for costs was made in favour of the respondent. Solicitors-Messrs. Wood & Sons; Messrs. Hewitt &Co.

From "The Times", 20th May, 1966

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

LID OF TIN BLOWN 200 YARDS

A factory worker applied an oxy-acetylene torch to a large tin drum. There was an explosion which blew the lid into a neighbouring street 200 yards away. The workman escaped injury.

Before Wolverhampton magistrates, Parkfield Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., Cable Street, Wolverhampton, pleaded guilty to permitting the flame of an oxy-acetylene torch to be used on a 45 gallon drum before all practicable steps had been taken to render the article non-explosive.

Mr. Edward Rickard, H.M. Inspector of Factories, prosecuting, said "A workman used an oxy-acetylene torch t? cut up one of half a dozen drums for scrap. This par- ticular drum had contained an industrial solvent, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, which is a highly explosive substance.

"It takes only two parts of the substance to 100 parts of air to form an explosive mixture".

He added: "When the flame was applied to the drum the lid off and was blown 200 yards away into a neigh- bouring street".

The firm was fined £60.

INJURIES FROM EXPLOSION IN DERELICT CAR

On 18th February, 1966, a young boy aged 12 sustained injuries as a result of the explosion of a petrol tank on a derelict car. The boy had put a lighted match down the filler pipe to the petrol tank and suffered burns to his face and right eye as a result of the ensuing explosion. State-

ments were taken from the owner of the car and other witnesses and legal proceedings were instituted under Regulation 2(b) of the Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles) Regulations, 1929, with an alternative charge under Section 1 of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928.

At the first hearing the defendant, Mr. George Statham, was not represented and the Stipendiary Magistrate adjourned the case until 24th May in order that Statham could be legally represented. At the adjourned hearing the defendant was represented by Mr. Brian Haynes, Solicitor, and the Stipendiary Magistrate hea,rd legal pleadings from both sides. He then announced that he would give a reserved judgment on 7th June, 1966. In his reserved judgment the Stipendiary Magistrate dismissed the summons for keeping petroleum spirit without a licence, but recorded a conviction against Statham under Regulation 2(b) of the Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles) Regulations, 1929.

He was given an absolute discharge on payment of costs, but the Stipendiary Magistrate concluded by warning motorists that people who left cars with petrol in the tanks on crofts within the City were responsible for seeing that the tank was maintained in such a way as to prevent leakage and escape of petrol vapour, and that even though the car is vandalised by other people, he is still responsible for maintaining the petrol tank.

Mr. T. Malone, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Salford, writes: "This case was taken as a test case and the prosecution did not press for penalties. For many years the department has dealt with derelict cars by filling the petrol tanks with water, or sand when satisfied a car is in fact derelict. Further the Corporation has a scheme whereby derelict cars can be picked up by a car broker and towed away by agreement with the owner. It is this intervening period which can prove so dangerous to adventurous children, and unfortunately the problem of derelict cars in Salford is increasing to an alarming extent".

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