The Bulletin – July 1970

Quarterly Journal of The Association for Petroleum Acts Administration·

E.V.BEEBY J. BEER J. BIRKS C. L. DAVIDS H. GRIFFITHS D. HALL S. W. D. HARRIS G. H. HARVEY

THE ASSOCIATION FOR PETROLEUM ACTS ADMINISTRATION

Chairman:

R. E. J. RODEN

Vice-Chairman: J. SHORT

Rugby R.D.C. 2071

Worcester City 23156 Chesterfield B. 2825 G.L.C. Hornchurch 40794 Walsall C.B. 25661

Newcastle-under-Lyme B. 60161

Council: W. HETHERINGTON J. W. HEWISON B. HODGSON K. C. HUGHES T.KERR H. R. MELLOR

Gloucester R.D.C. 26223 C. T. PEACOCK Dudley C.B. 55433 C. R. PESKETT B. W. C. THACKER Teesside C.B. 87721

Officers:

Witney U.D.C. 3241

Havant and Waterloo U.D.C. 6311

Wigton R.D.C. 2133/5 Stafford B. 3507

Glanford Brigg R.D.C. Brigg 2441/5 Blackpool C.B. 23848 Hemsworth R.D.C. Brierley 301 Godalming B. 6191/4

Hon. Secretary: J. W. FRID

Hon. Treasurer: J. S. FORMAN

Hon. Editor: R. P. HOLDAWAY

Liaison Officer: G.N.DEAN

Branch Secretaries:

ANGLIA J. W. FRID, CUMBRIA B. HODGSON, EAST MIDLAND J. BIRKS, NORTHERN B. W. C. THACKER, NORTH WESTERN H. R. MELLOR, 8 SCOTTISH J. SHORT,

SOUTH EASTERN c. R. PESKETT,

SOUTH EAST MIDLAND R. E. DUST, WEssex AND SouTH WALES R. HUNTINGTON, WEST MIDLAND G. H. HARVEY, YORKSHIRE C. T. PEACOCK,

Hon. Electrical Adviser: J. A. SHARP, Hon. Legal Adviser: P. D. WADSWORTH,

THE BULLETIN

Talking Point

HOLROYD AND PETROLEUM ADMINISTRATION

The Holroyd Committee report on the Fire Service has been anxiously awaited by all concerned with the future of Britain's fire brigades and fire protection generally. Of particular interest to this Association and its members is the recommendation that 'the responsibilities for dealing with the safety provisions of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928 and the Explosives Act, 1875 be allocated to members of fire brigades rather than to officers of other local authority departments.'

We find it difficult on many grounds to resist this proposal, its attraction lies in its simplicity and logic and must find many adherents. We have never, however, been over impressed with Maud's recommendations on Local Government Reform regarding large unitary authorities, and the Holroyd proposal that the 148 Brigades in Britain should be cut to 52 does not, so far as petroleum administration is concerned, appeal to us either.

We are only too aware that a Departmental Committee Report and the necessary legislation to bring such a report into effect are miles apart. Nevertheless this particular report has been presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and we leave the subject with a reminder to our readers that the correspondence column of the Bulletin is open to all.

notes and news

New Members

Aspull Brigg Buxton Chorley Gosport Lexden & Winstree Leek Malmesbury Runcorn Saltburn & Marske by the Sea Sandbach Sidmouth

Officers

UDC Lanes.

UDC Lines. MBC Derby MBC Lanes. MBC Rants. RDC Essex UDC Staffs. RDC Wilts. RDC Ches. UDC Yorks. UDC Ches. UDC Devon

H S&H s s c H H S&H H s H H

R. Allison Londonderry CB & UDC H 0. W. Barnes Cardiff City WM H. Freer Saltburn & Marske by the Sea UDC S R . P. Tabbinor Leek UDC H J. T. Thompson Lichfield MBC H E. N. Whitehead Leek UDC H

Associate Members

Mr. R. W. Dyer, Construction Engineer, Amoco (UK) Ltd , Mr. F. Harrison, Fire Prevention Officer, I.CJ. Ltd.,

Mr. E. A. Peat, Deputy Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Aldershot, has been appointed Director of Technical Services in succession to Mr. Taylor.

Mr. B. G. Rogers, Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector, Chertsey U.D.C., has been appointed Chief Public Health Inspector in succession to Mr. Birch.

Mr. E. C. Sandys, Deputy Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Southampton, has been appointed Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Exeter.

Mr. H. Till, Deputy Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, West Bromwich, has been promoted Chief Inspector in succession to Mr. Dixon.

Mr. B. H. Young, Chief Public Health Inspector, Andover R D C., has been appointed to a similar position with Newton Abbot R.D.C.

Dr. H.K. Black

Dr. Black has now retired from the post of H.M. Chief Inspector of Explosives and entered into practice as a Consulting Scientist. We wish him well in his new venture.

New Council Members

Mr. C. L. Davids, Petroleum Officer, Greater London Council and Mr. S. W. Harris, Chief Public Health Inspector, Gloucester R.D .C. who replaces Mr. R. Huntington as representative of the Wessex and South Wales Branch.

Obituary

We regret to report the death of Mr. E. H. Box, Chief Public Health Inspector, Bury St. Edmunds.

Mr. D . Trott, Representative, Wayne Tank & Pump Co. Ltd. ,

Retirements

Mr. G. H. Birch, Chief Public Health Inspector, Chertsey U.D.C.

Mr. A. Dixon, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, West Bromwich.

Mr. G. Kent, Chief Public Health Inspector, Chailey R.D.C.

Mr. R. J. Stepney, M.B.E., Chief Fire Officer, Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely, after 34 years in the Fire Service.

Mr. F . W. Taylor, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Aldershot, after 23 years service in that office

We wish these gentlemen a long and enjoyable retirement.

Appointments

Mr. J . H. Easdown , Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector, Bury St. Edmunds, has been appointed Chief Public Health Inspector.

Congratulations

Mr. G. Critchley, Chief Public Health Inspector, Stroud U.D .C., has been elected president of the guild of Public Health Inspectors.

Mr. P. H. Darby, Chief Officer, Lancashire Fire Brigade, has been awarded the Queen's Fire Service Medal in the Birthday Honours List.

Bulletin-Back Numbers

The following back numbers of the Bulletin are available from the Editor (price 6/- each)-

January, 1968 2 July, 1968 3 October, 1968 3 January, 1969 3 April, 1969 12 July, 1969 12 October, 1969 30 April, 1970 12

Flint County Fire Service, Chief Fire Officer,

Carrying Offshore Pipelines and Equipment

New types of inflatable flotation bags developed by the Avon Rul?per Co. Ltd., can be used to transport pipelines or equipment of water. So far they have been used for laymg pipe Imes on the seabed and for transporting large blocks of concrete used to form an offshore winching They are equally suitable for floating bridge decks across rivers.

Avon flotation bags are of cylindrical shape with hemispherical ends and inflate to a pressure of 10 psi (69 kN/sq. m). There are two sizes-one with a buoyance of 5 OOO lb. (2,268 and one with a buoyance of 2,500 lb. (1134 'kg). T_he larger size. has an overall length of 9 ft. (2. 7 m) and a diameter of 52 ms (106.6 cm) while the smaller version has a of 7 ft: (2.1 m) and a diameter of 34 in. (86.3 cm). Both sizes are from tough nylon fabric coated with Hypalon synthetic rubber compound. In addition to being impervious to water, Hypalon also has a high resistance to abrasion.

Leak Detection Service to Industry

Metal and Pipeline E':1durance Limited, MAPEL, have a comprehensive mobile Leak Detection Service to assist Gas Boards, distribution authorities, pipeline contractors and owners m ascertaining points at which leakage This service may also be applied to storage and stil!s,. refinery and processing pipework and all above ground pipework and containers.

vehicle mounted Flame Ionisation Gas Leak Detector for detection of town gas and natural gas which is f ra takes a continuous air sample near the surface 0 the.buried system. Each leak is recorded at the moment of providing a permanent electronic record which gives the location and relative size of the leak.

The portable Leak Detector utilises the same principles of hydrogen flame ionisation and is used for the detection of leaks on buried pipe-lines inside buildings or at processing plants where access is restricted. The apparatus comprises a detector unit carried on the operator's back and a handheld probe. Leaks are detected by means of an audible signal or a. reading in the hand probe and similarly to the mobile umt a permanent record can be provided.

Ultrasonic Leak Detector

The Dawe Ultrasonic Leak Detector Type 8901A has been for the continuous monitoring of gas (air) leakages m any type of pressurised or vacuum component. It is mains operated and is intended for permanent installation in such as a production line.

This instrument will locate leaks by detecting the ultrasonic energy generated by molecular collisions when gas is forced through a small orifice. The ultrasonic frequencies involved (36 to 44 kHz) are well outside the audible range. Therefore the eqUJpment may be used in areas ofrelatively high noise level. fi equipment consists of two ultrasonic microphones mg a. whic? in turn operates a meter and circUit. The trigger circuit r.ontrols a relay which activates both audio and visual alarm circuits. A set of relay contacts are. also built into the instrument for controlling external eqUipment. An output is available to drive a pen recorder thereby_ a. continuous record of leakage levels. The. of the mdividual detecting channels be ad3usted mdependently so that alarm signals are triggered only at predetermined leakage levels.

Cook with Gas

by Joe Toff (Steering Wheel-Journal of Taxicab Industry)

A look into gas-propelled taxis of the (near) future.

W. H. Cook & Sons Ltd., one of the largest taxi fleet operators in London, invited me to a test prototype gas-propelled Austin FX4 petrol-engined taxi. It is a new cab and fitted with a special reinforced tank for the storing of Liquified Petroleum Gas. This is placed in the boot (the spare wheel is re-sited in the front luggage compartment) and requires a separate refuelling system to the one normally used in the near side of the cab. The prototype is situated on the offside rear and feeds a 12! gallon capacity tank.

(Propane fuel is measured by weight and not gallons.)

The liquid is converted to gas before reaching the carburettor and the driver can, by a flick of a switch mounted on the dashboard, revert back to the petrol supply if he so wishes. On the test run, I found the engine quieter on gas than on petrol, the acceleration was not quite so marked as with petrol, but this was due to the gas induction being economically controlled in the initial testing stage. It can, of course, be increased as desired. I pulled away in top gear and the cab responded without hesitation or pinking. In a stretch of slow (5 m.p.h.) moving traffic I never changed gear at all and there was no trace of reluctance to get going. At a speed of 40 m.p.h. it was smooth, responsive and relaxing.

In an interview with Director Vernon Cook, he told me: "The possibility of using liquified petroleum gas (Propane) as a fuel in taxi cabs has exercised our minds for the past four or five years. In the late summer of 1969, my Company, W. H. Cook & Sons Ltd., started investigations into the possibility of converting a cab for test purposes, and by September had one on the road (unlicensed of course). Having been very satisfied with the results, we approached the Public Carriage Office for approval to convert our fleet. In the event we were granted permission to operate twelve cabs on a trial basis for a limited period. Our subsidiary, Taxicab Repairs Ltd., carried out the necessary work and the first cab was passed for licensing on 17th March 1970. I should record that, throughout the discussions and examinations of the vehicle, theP.C.O. have been very helpful and co-operative.

"The advantages of using this type of fuel are: economy, smoothness, and quietness of operation, and there being very little obnoxious gasses emitted by the exhaust. Authorities concerned in the problem of air pollution will be very interested in the latter advantage. In addition, LPG is safer in operation than petrol and, in short, is considered by Automotive Engineers to be the ideal fuel for motor transport.

"It is not a new idea, having been used extensively in motor transport in the United States, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Germany and Japan for a number of years. It is estimated that 50 per cent of taxi cabs operating in Holland and Belgium, and all cabs in Tokyo operate on LPG. So far, in this country the use is limited to a few commercial operators.

"We are confident that our test will be concluded satisfactorily and in the latter part of this year will commence to run all our cabs on LPG".

From Steering Wheel.

Petroleum Technology Course

SURREY UNIVERSITY

The first Petroleum Technology Course in the South-east arranged by the Association was held at a Surrey University Hall of Residence, Manor House, Godalming, from Tuesday 14th to Friday 17th April 1970, and was attended by 49 residents and 15 non-residents.

The Manor House, Farncombe, within the Borough of Godalming, is situated on high ground near Charterhouse School, and has delightful views of the Surrey hills. The accommodation is spacious and comfortably furnished throughout. There are two large reception the larger is used for lectures in the daytime and as a lounge in the evening; there is also a pleasant dining hall. Bedrooms are for one, two or three persons and are of the bedroom/study type.

The Course opened on the evening of 14th April with a dinner at which His Worship the of Godalming, Councillor F. A. G. Mant, gave an official welcome. Mr. J. W. Chairman and Mr. C. R. Peskett, Secretary, South Eastern Branch of the Association, were in attendance.

During Wednesday and Thursday eight lectures were given by experts in their own field, each lecture was followed by an animated discussion. There was a final session on Friday morning with a panel of experts to discuss papers given and answer general questions all aspects of Petroleum Administration, it was generally agreed that the Course had been great success. Details of the lectures are as follows:

Law", J. W. Hayes, LL.B. (Man.), Solicitor (Hons.), Assistant Solicitor, City of Nottingham.

of Petroleum Spirit and Inflammable Liquids", C. L. Davids, L.I.Fire E., enior Petroleum Officer, Greater London Council.

"Tank Installation and Tests", F. A. Smith, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures and Petroleum Inspector, Worthing.

"Modem Marketing'', A. Marshall, Marketing Director, Avery-Hardoll Ltd., Havant. "E Procedures'', H. T. E. Jackson, Senior Petroleum Officer, Greater London ouncd.

"Petrol Filling Station Equipment", F. G. Ashley, Sales Liaison Engineer, Wayne Tank and Pump Co. Ltd., Bracknell.

Requirements", J. A. Sharp, Senior Assistant Engineer (Commercial), Midlands A ectncity Board (Honorary Electrical Adviser to the Association for Petroleum cts Administration).

"F;ffie Protection Equipment'', Divisional Officer J. D. Dunbar, Senior Fire Prevention cer for Surrey.

by of the Course was due undoubtedly, to the organisation and detailed planning Easter. B. R. Peskett, Chief Public Health Inspector, Godalming, Secretary of the South rn ranch of the Association, to whom the thanks of all concerned are due.

Tank Installations and Tests

History

In the early days of motoring, petrol, which was commonly known as motor spirit was usually sold in two gallon cans at local depot of the Petroleum Company, antl delivered m sealed cans to the garages. Most vehicles had a rack for carrying a few spare cans as garages were few and far ?etween, enthusiasts blended secret ingredients of their own mto the spirit to suit the peculiar combustion characteristics of their engines, and there was virtually no bulk storage in tanks at retail outlets. From the information to which most of us. access in old records, the first tanks for retailing spmt were put down in the late 1920's. Some of these tanks in use and as sound as the day they went in. An mterestmg sideline here which some of you may have come across was the hydraulic system. We are all aware that petroleum vapour leads to the greatest risk factor and in order to eliminate vapour space, storage tanks were coupled to a sort of lavatory cistern and when the water valve was opened, water was introduced into the bottom of the tank and petrol displaced from the delivery outlet, the tank being always full of water and petrol, with no vapour space. The system did not gain widespread use in filling stations, but of course we have the modern means of vapour space control in the floating roof bulk storage tanks at refineries.

The pipework of the old tanks differed in some respects to that of today, there were separate dip and fill pipes as the fill pipe usually incorporated a filter. The danger of the second opening was tragically illustrated at Bristol in 1951 when the M. & M. Motor Mart explosion gave rise to an enquiry which led to the first Home Office Code and stimulated interest generally in safe standards of storage.

There was also a foot valve at the bottom of the suction line which has now been replaced by a non-return valve in the manhole chamber, and a vent pipe usually not more than one inch diameter with a down-turned outlet protected by Davey Gauze. Impatient tanker drivers have been known to rape the gauzes with the dipstick so as to improve the rate of flow. These matters have been changed by developing circumstances to bring about the current type of tank installation and associated pipework. We have dealt with the history of the tanks, but what of the history of the holes!

The greatest single contribution to safety was undoubtedly the common agreement that tanks should go underground, there. must have been many above-ground fires involving premises where underground tanks have gone unscathed.

F. A. SMITH, M.l.W.M.A., Chief

Inspector of Weights and Measures, Worthing

Nowadays most installations are financed and constructed by the oil companies and the installation methods outlined in the recent Home Office Code are the result of their experience pooled with that of the Inspectorate. But in the 20's and 30's the installations were usually financed by the garage owner who employed his own architect and builder. The only way of making the hole to satisfy everyone's conscience about subsidence, leakage, and engineering good practice was to make a brick vault with a sound roof and set the tank on cradles surrounded by sand. While there is no doubt that there are still special circumstances which warrant the use of a brick vault, I think we were all relieved to see that the Home Office did not think fit to require it, and left us with the concrete surround or back-fill methods.

Installation

What are the necessary ingredients for a Petroleum Officer to be involved in the installation of an underground Petrol Storage Tank? There must be an application from the licensee, and this must reach the Petroleum Officer before the work has commenced. The point I am trying to make is that unless the Petroleum Officer makes his presence clear to all who are likely to need his services, work will inevitably be done without inspection. We are all guilty of the attitude of expecting everybody outside Local Government to know how it works, and since some Local Government Officers themselves do not know what is going on in the next room, we can hardly expect every garage owner, architect, petroleum company executive, electrical engineer to_ know the many and varied ways in which our duties are d1stnbuted. Most of the aforementioned people are accustomed to approaching the Engineers Departn_1ent and the Tow? Planning Section before laying one bnck on another, a?d 1f the Petroleum Officer is part of that Department, there 1s no great problem of communication. If however, you are a Petroleum Officer and a Weights and Measures Inspector? a Health Inspector or a Fire Service Officer, you must estabhs!1 administrative channels to screen out these types of applications for your approval and get the Engineer or Architect to include a note on his Town Planning correspondence to the effect that separate approval must be sought for Petroleum Licensing purposes. This all sounds elementary, I have no doubt that there have been quite a few occasions when the news of a newly-installed tank has come to the Petroleum Officer's knowledge sometime after completion, and a highly embarrassing situation is created.

Where then do we start with a tank installation? Having received, examined and approved the application, adverting to my remarks about inter-departmental co-operation the first thing to ensure is that whoever replies to the applfcant to say his licence has been granted or extended includes the magic words "subject to the work being carried out in accordance with the Council's Conditions of Licence and to the satisfaction of the Petroleum Officer".

Inspection

When the builder has been ascertained, he should be clearly told at what stages he will be inspected it is useful to have a printed hand-out to this effect. First jdb is to inspect excavation. When I do this, if I do not already know the builder! I am also .trying to assess his integrity and impress upon him that specifications must be adhered to. He should be warned that the batch note from the Readymix Company will have to be produced if it is to be a mass concrete job, and asked whether he knows the tank dimensions and whether the has calculated properly to allow for pipe falls. This is v_ery where there is to be a long pipe run. there is any budding nearby likely to be affected by subsidence the Chief Building Surveyor should be warned so that he can call for sheet piling if necessary. Depth indicators can be set to proye the. base thickness, although a skimpy builder can cheat with. this or any other safeguard unless you are resent .at all times. If a builder has deliberately skipped an nstruct1on, a word to the Petroleum Company is usually to ensure that he gets no more work. If there is much bsod anchorages for straps or cables should be at the time_ of pouring the base. When the tank is on si e should be for quality of bitumen coating or rust amage and mstructions given for repainting.

Above Ground Tests

If it decided to use a method of test above ground the mstruct1ons for th · b · • t nk Is can e given. One way is to pressure the a up to about 10 lbs./sq. in. and bubble the seams with soapy Means should be provided for rolling the tank or standmg 1t on pa k' h . . neath . c mg so t at it can be exammed undert k · Havmg passed this test, it should be sufficient for the san to lowered into the hole under supervision.Make that it Is level on both axes and if it is to be secured with raps or give instructions for the tank to be protected rom possible chafing by bituminous felt strips Oh . po ·!·

er by means of water may be used and with more ect? there is strong objection to putting water ur ent ea is to be used for petrol, although in some s;s It may be necessary to ballast the tank to prevent flows the only supply available is tap water, this usually 6 000 II out 5 gals/mm. and that means 20 hours to fill a which has to be pumped out after the test In the by going in mopping up. inch of th b plus air test the tank is filled to within a quarter air .e ottom of the neck of the manhole. The remaining (all other openings having been sealed) to u d ./sq. m. and because of the small volume of air t?e leak will cause the pressure to drop The Y nd 1_ndication time is reduced to about two hours. P test entails complete filling with water and ressunsmg with 11 h C a sma and pump and add1t1onal water. be taken to exclude all air as this produces erratic 11n5 but the test time can be reduced to as little as mmutes.

Pressure Test

If the tank is to be tested in the hole by 24 hour pressure test, you will need some more sophisticated equipment. You should have a 15 lbs./sq. in. gauge on a six inch dial, preferably some means of taking internal temperature, and a barometer. Make sure that the fitter provides a vertical outlet for the gauge coupling as this type of gauge is sensitive to level and if you couple it at right angles you may induce errors. In a large tank it is difficult to obtain a temperature reading which will hold good for the whole mass of gas, but you may prefer to use a temperature tube which can be inserted into one of the manhole outlets before pressuring. Make sure the tube is air-tight as fitters just hate to waste a test because of your faulty equipment. If it is a dual compartment tank, care must be taken not to produce such an imbalance as to blow the diaphragm, about 2 lbs./sq. in. difference should be sufficient to enable detection of a leak from compartment to compartment. Give instructions for the tank to be pressured to about 10 lbs./sq. in. and bubble soapy water round the manhole cover joint and all plugs and couplings before commencing the test. It is preferable not to take readings immediately after pressuring as false temperatures will have been induced. Ideally, readings should be taken before 9 a.m. on two consecutive mornings thus avoiding the effect of the sun. The gauge may be left on and sealed or taken away and the coupling plugged. I am not going into a Jong exposition on Charles and Boyles Law, you must be aware that a gas expands when heated and if confined in a tank its pressure must rise. What is not quite so readily evident is that a pressure gauge is merely a means of indicating pressure differential, in this case the difference between the absolute pressure inside the tank and the outside atmospheric pressure. It follows that if the atmospheric pressure goes up, the pressure indicated on the tank gauge will go down, indeed if by some fantastic meteorological phenomenon the atmospheric pressure were to increase by 10 lbs./sq. in. the tank gauge would go down to zero. This is where the barometer comes in. It is not unknown for the atmospheric pressure to vary as much as 0.8 in. in 24 hours, so corrections must be made for variations in both temperature and pressure. If you want to be very precise, it is as well to remember that a correction for temperature varies according to the initial pressure. At 9-10 lbs./sq. in. a variation of I 0 C. will cause a pressure change of from Ii to 11'f oz./sq. in., and a barometer variation of 4 millibars is equivalent to about I oz./sq. in. If you want this in the old terms, half-inch on the barometer requires a correction of! lb./sq. in. on the gauge. Since the temperature is difficult to establish in a large tank and no account is taken of the effect, albeit very small of the cubical expansion or contraction of the tank or errors inherent in the gauge, the best that can be said of the corrections is that they will usually prevent a genuine leak being masked by a temperature rise or remove doubts created by a drop in indicated pressure. I think it is pertinent to stop here and ask ourselves what sort of a leak will be made evident by this kind of test. There is evidence that a hole 0.012 in. diameter in a 30-gallon tank permits a loss of0.0372 cu. ft. per min. at 8 lb./sq. in., and the rate diminishes with the pressure. The larger the tank however, the slower the indication of loss, so that a 1,000 gallon tank under these conditions would drop 0.21 lb./sq. in. per hour, and a 6,000 gallon tank only 0.03 lb./sq. in. or half oz. sq. in. per hour. This is significant but it is a point to bear in mind as tanks grow larger. A further consideration is that the higher the pressure, the less chance there is of detecting a small leak.

Back Filling and Pipelines

Let us assume that the tank has been satisfactorily tested and permission given to proceed. If the back fill is to be sand then is no problem beyond ensuring that it is river or pit w.1thout salt, but if it is to be concrete, the loading note sp:c1fymg the mix, 1 part cement, 2 parts sand and 4 parts t mch gravel or crushed stone, should be inspected and arrangement: made for all the pouring to be done at one go, tank havmg been secured against movement. If one part is allowed to 'go ?ff' no precautions are taken to preserve the surface, stratification may occur which can lead to strain u?der. sever.ely adverse conditions. A sulphate resistmg mgre?1ent is advisable, and probably cheaper to include on all rather than go into the problems of soil analysis. If by this time, the suction lines have been connected so much the better, as the manhole chamber can be to. accommodate them without further 'breaking in'. The bnck should be built and rendered with waterproof cement outside and inside, this should prevent ingress of water and help to retain petrol spillage. Where the brick chamber bears directly onto the tank, some form of corro.s10n laminum should be used. All that remams noyv is for pipelines to be tested and the tank to be covered. P!pes may be tested under pressure and joints with soapy water or filled with spirit under safe con?1tions and examined for leakage. A small hand mirror is advisable for examination under joints and in awkward corners. Put a long level on to ensure fall back to tank and sure that pipes are adequately concreted where traffic is 1 . ely .to pass. If there are to be offset fills, ensure that provis10n is made for remote stock indication by hydrostatic contents gauges and that there is no separate dipping opening. The tank cover should be graded so as to fall away from manhole cover frames sufficiently to prevent ingress of surface drainage. See that the vent which now needs no gauze and may discharge upwards rises in the place originally approved and is of adequate diameter to cope with the fill rate determined by the diameter of the fill pipe, and that there have been no subsequent alterations to the layout affecting the risk.

Tests on Old Tanks

I think that my brief, tank installation and tests would not be complete without a reference to tests to be out on tanks 20 years old and over in accordance with Home Office recommendations. The first factor to reckon with is that here we have a new situation where the tank, having contained petroleum spirit, is dangerous. If a pressure test is required, then an inert gas such as nitrogen should be used after the tank has been emptied and corrections for temperature and Pressure made as before. I do not want to go too much into the merits of ullage and pressure testing, the Pressure test is more expensive and inconvenient to the trade on c:iccasions reveals or creates leaks in the mahole cover which are not very significant and waste tin1e. The ullage is the simplest and some consistent results can be obtained with care. It is important for the spirit to have been in the for at least 12 hours to reduce thermal effects and also to ave the tank filled almost to the manhole neck but not so hi<>h as to cover the vent outlet. If the spirit covers the vent and tank is not quite level, any trapped air will produce readings. First seal the pump nozzle to prevent use during the test. There are various ways of takmg dips, good results can be obtained by using a short

ullage rod with a T piece to rest on the fill pipe top. The lower end of the rod should have a pair of small prongs to fend it off the side of the pipe, and prevent capillary or meniscus error. Using an indicator paste a clear mark can be obtained in relatively calm weather. If it is very windy and the vent outlet is exposed pressure built up in the vent pipe can cause disturbance in the spirit and the indicator paste will show whether this is happening. A bag placed over the vent will often be a cure. When a true indication is obtained, cover half the width of the rod with sellotape and take the second dip 24 hours later having re-pasted the uncovered half. The temperature of the spirit should also be taken on each occasion and if there is considerable difference the test should be kept on for a longer period, unless the results can be reconciled by using the coefficient of expansion which is 0.00113 per 0 C., and working out the calculated change of volume in terms of the tank dip stick reading at that level. A suspected tank failure can be followed by further confirmatory tests which may include a pressure test. The vent pipes should be traced and probed with a sharpened piece of brass rod where they emerge from the ground. This is a common failure point as pipes rarely get painted down to ground level and there is normally an accumulation of debris around the base which retains moisture and accelerates corrosion. Try the fit of the fill pipe cap and if threads on the fill pipe are worn badly give instructions for renewal. Petrol spillage in the manhole is usually indicative of this fault. Look for tank and dip stick identification in accordance with number 16 of the Conveyance Regulations, 1957. If the sight glass level of a pump is down, instruction should be given for the cause to be found and remedied, this may be due to a leak in the pump system or to a faulty non-return valve or worse still, a leak in the suction line.

Conclusions

It falls to the officer to decide which is the best method of test for his area or for a particular set of circumstances. Whichever method is used, it must be fully understood by those using it and they must have confidence in it. The Home Office Code does not refer to a pressure test on 20-year-old tanks, nevertheless there may be circumstances which justify it. It also suggests the possibility ofreliance upon an inventory check and while I know some highly respected Authorities use this method I would not be happy with it. What will happen when the 6,000 gallon monsters begin to fail. Who is going to relish the purchase of 22 cu. yards of concrete to make them safe! I expect there will be some attempt at relining and somebody will be called upon to give a safe working certificate, or perhaps by that time there will be fuel in jelly-like packs which can be safely stored, like the old cans, in an above ground store, and tanks will be just a memory.

However, so long as there is a system periodic test of some sort, the premises are sure to get a v1s1t from an Inspector entailing something more than a cursory glance around the place, the use of the tanks is interrupted and this causes the management to stop and think for a few moments and remember the risks involved with petroleum storage. When one considers these risks and the amount of petrol stored up and down the country, it is reassuring to read H.M. Inspectors' report for 1968, wherein only eight accidents occurred on filling stations and none of these was caused by a leaking storage tank.

Emergency Procedures

We all know that petrol is dangerous material and spend our time trying to minimise the risks by safe methods of construction and so on. No precaution however is foolproof and there comes a time when petrol escapes from the safe location and then we have a condition of emergency.

There are all sorts of emergencies to which a petroleum officer may be called. I recall cases ranging from 40,000 gallons of aviation fuel on the surface of a lake to a complaint of fumes which turned out to be due to a lady's rather generous use of her nail varnish! I cannot cover all types in one talk and propose to deal mainly with leakages and spillages at filling stations and similar installations which are the most common occurrences.

To give an idea of the risk that may occur, let us consider the following examples. A room of 10 feet by 8 feet by 7 feet high will be made fully explosive by the vapour from two pints of petrol. The same room will be made fully toxic by one tenth of this amount, that is by four fluid ounces. In the absence of air currents to cause dispersion portions of the room could be fully explosive or toxic by even smaller quantities. The power of an explosion of such a volume could theoretically throw a largish car some 10 miles.

Now the title of this talk sounds neat and tidy and suggests perhaps that a code can be laid down for the necessary actions. This however is far from the case and emergencies seem to show new facets every time, and the best one can do is to lay down general principles to be followed with great emphasis on the need to be ready for the unexpected and not to jump to conclusions however similar the case may seem to be with previous ones.

I think we can make a rough division between two types of incidents. Firstly where notification is made by the person keeping petrol of a leak or suspected leak and secondly the case where notification is received from other persons complaining of petrol or petrol odour in their premises. Now in the first case if there is not already other physical evidence of leakage it is just as well to spend a little time in checking that there has in fact been leakage. In some cases quite a quick check has disclosed that the supposed leak was in fact only a piece of bad arithmetic. I remember one case where the first message was that a tank had leaked 900 gallons overnight, but after a few questions on how often the tank had been dipped and so on, it became clear that the loss could in fact have occurred over a period of three years and in fact eventual tests showed that the installation was sound and that the the loss was due to normal running losses over the whole of this period. This was a private installation and I think this sort of mistake is more likely to happen in that type rather than on filling stations where record keeping, although often far from ideal, tends to be somewhat more detailed. As well as bad arithmetic there are other things which can give rise to mistakes in quantities in tanks. For example, clogged vents will give rise to high readings on the dipstick just after a tank waggon delivery and low readings after the tank has been in use. Water in a tank, if it becomes high enough to

H. T. E. JACKSON, Senior Petroleum Officer, Greater London Council

cover the bottom of the dip pipe will also give rise to faulty readings. High vent pipes are another cause of innaccurate readings due to the varying weight of the petrol vapour in the vent pipe.

Now these first enquiries should give some idea of the general picture involved, that is whether the loss has been a large sudden loss in recent time or whether it has been a comparatively small seepage over a period of days, weeks or even months. It is important to get this idea as to what has been going on as it must colour one's judgement on the priorities for the next moves. If it is clear that there has been a large loss recently then there is a possibility of it turning up in the near future in some dangerous area and therefore a high priority for checking and warning nearby premises. As an example there was one case where 500 gallons were lost into the soil due to a tank waggon delivering into a disconnected offset fill pipe. Now it was quite clear that there had been this large recent loss and the priority was to check nearby premises and warn of the danger. In actual fact it was found that a seepage had already started into the basement boiler house of a block of flats next door to the premises. The boilers were automatic and unattended, and had they not been put out at once there would almost certainly have been a major explosion within an hour or less. In fact half an hour after the boilers had been put out neat petrol was running through the wall of the boiler house at a rate of some five gallons an hour. I think this case emphasises the need for prompt action in cases of this nature.

The most likely places that a seepage will reach are basements, G.P.0. ducts-which are very prone--cellars, railway tunnels, sewers and similar underground spaces. There are however also less likely places in which petrol does sometimes turn up. It can climb up walls by capillary action where damp courses are broken and give rise to contamination in ground floors. All premises of these types near to the occurrence should be visited to check whether any contamination has started and to warn occupiers of the possibility of it starting later so that they may recognise it and give notification as soon as it starts. It is surprising that, if not warned, people will notice smells and do nothing about it for some hours or daysthey may think it a smell of gas or onions being peeled or all sorts of strange things and they will not send notification until perhaps the situation has got really dangeroususually in the middle of the night or a weekend. So although one does not wish to start a panic it is necessary to give advance warning. It is also necessary to give warning to Drainage and other similar authorities whose installations may become involved.

Now to come to the matter of remedial action. Well, the first thing obviously is to stop any further leakage or outflow. Sometimes it is not clear from which part of an installation the leakage has occurred and until this has been established from records or by tests it is not possible to stop any more loss unless the circumstances are sufficiently serious to put the

whole installation out of use and have all tank contents uplifted at once. In a recent case spirit was seeping into a railway tunnel and although the actual quantity involved was not large the risk was considerable. The nearby filling station which was the most likely source of the seepage had no records available to indicate whether or not it was the source and the owners were therefore required to have all spirit uplifted at once. Following this, tests were applied and one tank was found to be faulty (as a matter of interest this tank was only seven years old). In other cases where the leakage is not turning up in a dangerous position, or is not likely to do so, it may be possible to test the installation section by section wit?out sterilising the whole. There is a useful quick check which can be made on suction lines which whilst not necessarily in all cases, can be often a indication of a leaking line which can then be put out of action pendmg proper pressure testing. This test is done by holding the hose nozzle in a suitable container with the valve held open. The pump is then switched on and spirit should issue from the nozzle at once. If there is any delay in the commencement of flow it indicates that time has been taken to suction line and this can only be due to either the h1:1e havmg been partly emptied by leakage or by leakage back mto the tank past the check valve. In practice the check valves seem to hold pretty satisfactorily and the odds are on .delay being due to a leak. Now this test is obviously more ?ntical as the length of time that the pump has been out of use If the pump has been used just before the test there will not have been time for enough petrol to have leaked out the line for a noticeable delay to occur (unless of course the hne has a whopping great hole in it). This test will not work on Avery Hardol or Beck self-service pumps. Examination of petr.ol records will often give an indication as to what part of t?e mstallation is at fault. In this respect I would like to mentio1:1 there is nothing magical about the figure of 1 % which quoted as the maximum working loss. With a Pump grvmg over measure to the figure allowed by Weights Measures on re-examination the loss wou.ld e greater than this. On the other hand if a tank and its as · ' sociated pump have been working for some time at a figure of say 0.3 % and then start to show a loss of say 0.6 % it would .obviously be suspect although still well below I %. Remedial action for premises which are being contaminated by seepage depends a lot on the type of premises and the degree of danger to them. If just a slight seepage is occurring, say to the basement of a building, giving rise to some slight degree of vapour contamination, then good ventilation of the area concerned and the removal of any possible igniting sources such as electrical equipment, gas appliances and so on, may be sufficient. Frequent inspections to see that cond'f · 1 ions are not worsening and also warning of any of the building of the steps they should take to avoid nsk would also be necessary. Remember that in addition to fire and 1 · · · · · k f exp os10n nsks there is also a very defirnte toxic ns much lower Any concentration

Jive an explos1meter reading should be treated with care reading of 10% or more of the lower explosive limit will icate fully toxic conditions. I have known cases of people w 0 have noticed smells of petrol in their premises but have nf ot reported it at once and they have clearly been suffering r?m minor toxic effects such as sickness and headaches without 1· · h rea 1smg t at these were resulting from the smells.

If r ·d · · 1qu1 petrol 1s reachmg a basement or similar space action will have to be taken to remove it as far as possible.

If the seepage is not large it may be possible to mop it up with sand or to leave sand where it will absorb the seepage as it occurs and then to remove it for drying off in some safe area. If the spirit is collecting in a sump or manhole or similar space it will usually be possible to ladle or syphon it off into suitable containers. One way of dealing with small skims of petrol floating on water in manholes, etc., is to emulsify it with some form of detergent. Household detergents such as Omo and industrial detergents like Slix or Teepol work quite satisfactorily. The emulsification makes it easier to remove the bulk of the spirit with the water and any that is left behind will vapourise less quickly. If the quantity of spirit involved is not large it may be reasonable to flush the emulsion down any available drain.

Sometimes when the flow of spirit into premises is large, or the premises are particularly vulnerable due to their usage, it may be necessary to try and recover the spirit before it can reach them. This can be done by digging pits or trenches outside basement walls or by digging them near the source of leakage. I mentioned previously a case where spirit was getting through the wall of a basement boiler house. Had this seepage been allowed to continue the boiler house would have been out of use for months and the occupation of the flats over would have been hazardous. A trial pit was therefore dug outside the boiler house wall and the bulk of the spirit laying in the soil was recovered from this pit. When these sort of works have to be carried out it is important to remember the precautions to safeguard the workmen doin? apparatus may be necessary if they are workmg m excavat10ns or forced ventilation of the excavation and, of course, all possible precautions against making while drilling or digging. In some cases it may also be desirable for to wear safety harness in case they are overcome m the excavation.

In deep manholes and similar spaces it may not possible to ventilate sufficiently to reduce vapour concentrat10n belo:V explosive limits. A measure of safety on. a te'.11porary_ basis may be achieved by putting dry ice, that 1s solid C02'. m the space where it will form C0 2 gas which is heavy and to stay in the manhole with the spirit vapour and 1t will inhibit or make ignition much less likely. It also has the advantage of being a very cold material and it will cool the spirit and make vaporisation less. It will not,. of course, the toxic hazard and in an enclosed space will add to this nsk since it is an asphyxiating gas. The quantity of dry ice needed is one pound for every eight cubic feet of vapoW.: space and safety will not be achieved until dry ice has vaponsed.

Now we come to the second type of situation where a complaint originates from someone with petrol or smell of petrol in their basement, tunnel or what If onl.Y odour is present the first job may well be to decide 1f m fact rt arises from petrol or is due to a gas leak or other ..The nose is a pretty good guide but not any meai:is mfalhble, particularly as old petrol can change its smell qmte. a lot a.nd can come to resemble diesel or have a smell unlike fresh petrol is quite typical and I can only as "stale petrol". The MSA explosimeter can help to differentiate between petrol and town gas by u.se of the fil.ter and there are other meters which will also aclueve tlus. Gas engineers usually have meters which wi.11 positively if a smell is town gas. If liquid seepage is present rt may well be easier to come to a conclusion since to smell can be added appearance, volatility and flammability of which quick checks can be made. On a longer term basis, laboratory analysis

of the liquid may be useful. A point to be watched is that petrol can quickly change its colour and odour if it comes in contact with bitumen or tar damp-courses, cable wrappings and suchlike. It will also darken considerably with aging in the soil. A rough guess as to its age can sometimes be made if it has been laying on the surface of water. Where there is a petrol/water interface certain fungi grow and these can be seen as streamers hanging from the interface. Their growth is something in the order of one eighth of an inch per year.

The first priority will obviously be to safeguard the premises concerned and the same remedial measures I have already outlined will be applicable.

The next step, and this can offer many snares and delusions, is to find the source of the trouble. It will clearly be logical to start with the most likely source which will be the nearest storage to the contaminated premises-and uphill of it if there is any local gradient. So, if there is a filling station next door to the complaint this would be the place to start investigations but do not be convinced straight away that it must be the source. There have been several cases where the source was found to be other than the likely one and I would like to give you a few examples.

There was one where a hotel located on a hill had vapour coi;itamination in its basement. At the top of the hill was a fillmg station-the logical suspect-and this was investigated thoroughly without disclosing anything except some history of minor spillages. The smell in the hotel continued and finally was found to be due to leakage from a faulty s1;1ction line in a filling station located at the bottom of the hill. soil of this hill was very fibrous leaf mould and acted as wick. The petrol was travelling something like 500 feet horizontally and 100 feet upwards to reach the hotel basement.

In another case spirit appeared in a G.P.O. manhole over a long period. Although the quantities involved were not large, due. to the enclosed nature of the manhole, explosive concentrations were common. Very close to the duct leading to the manhole-some three or four yards-was a filling station, clearly the prime suspect, and everything possible was done rule out any leakage from this station. The seepage into fihe manhole co?tinued however. Some four or five hundred eet away and slightly downhill of the manhole were two other Installations which did not show any undue losses in their When one of these installations was put out of use occ_upiers moving away, the conditions in the manb quickly improved and although this case has not yet proved it seems extremely likely that the further s a ation was the culprit.

Anoth · "d h .1 er. mc1 ent involved the basement of a house in a built-up neighbourhood where intermittent smells of vicr°-t occurred. There were no storages in the immediate dr ?1 Y but the nearest ones were investigated as were local ams lock- . ' smell ' . up garages and every such possible source. The ma s cfontmued however and finally investigation of very old PS o the d' t · · gin 11 fl is net disclosed that a small watercourse oriowed over site of the house. This water course also which over a site which is now a filling station and at petrol ere had been a known leakage of 300 gallons of Prem. some three Years before. The distance between the two the about three miles. It appeared clear that some of t s a gradually seeped down the run of the old buried wa ercourse t · that could b 0 give t? the trouble. There was not much e done m this case except keep a watch on the vapour conce t t' · 't lf n ra ion m the basement until it finally cleared 1 se

Complaints often arise from petrol getting into sewers either by spills getting into gullies which are not intercepted or by leakages into the ground seeping through faults in drain pipes or sewers. Now obviously any liquid petrol will flow down with the water in the sewer, but many sewers are warm and under such conditions there may well be a flow of air upwards against the fall of the drain, and petrol vapour may therefore travel upwards with the air. Such a case happened recently where smells of petrol in the drains ofa hospital were found to originate from petrol leaking into the sewer hundreds of yards away and well downhill of the hospital.

These examples will serve to show that tracing the source of a complaint is anything but straightforward, but once the source has been found the actions already discussed concerning stopping further leakage and so on will apply.

Now I have been talking on the practical aspect of leaks and emergencies and the works which are necessary. One question which may be in your minds is "What powers?" As far as work on licensed premises are concerned the matter is pretty straightforward. The Association's Code recommends a licence condition which requires the licencee to take such steps and do such works as are necessary. I do not think however that such a condition could be held to cover works that are necessary off the licensed premises, but it is often possible to persuade the licensee or his petrol company to do such works if they are convinced that the fault lays with their installation. If dangerous conditions exist in other people's premises it is clearly a moral duty to advise and persuade them to take the necessary steps or to allow the licencee's or petrol company's workmen to do it for them. There is, however, no power to make them do so nor is there any power of entry into their premises to see if dangerous conditions exist. Fortunately it is nearly always the case that all concerned are anxious for safety and prepared to take any advice offered. It is perhaps worth bearing in mind the possibility of civil litigation for expenses or damages occasioned by a leak and therefore to be somewhat guarded in comments to people other than licencees. One may well be convinced of the source of a leak but without positive proof it would be unwise to make any unqualified statement as to its source or responsibility for it.

Help from Fire Brigade or Police may sometimes be necessary. Conditions may be such that Fire Brigade standby against a possible ignition is desirable or if roads need to be closed or the public diverted away from danger the Police will do this. It will usually be found that these authorities will look to the Petroleum Officer to advise on the scope and nature of the precautions necessary. Also on this matter of help from others it is as well to always have readily available the phone numbers of other authorities, petrol companies and so on who may be needed in an emergency. They will usually also be prepared to supply emergency numbers for use out of normal working hours.

I would like to summarise the headings which can be remembered as a working guide and they are:

Has it gone?

Stop any more going.

Where has it gone or may go to (or where has it come from). Warn any others possibly at risk.

Safeguard dangerous conditions by removal of liquid, ventilation and removal of ignition risks.

How or why did the leak or spillage occur.

The priority for these steps must be decided in the light of the particular case.

Council at Birmingham

Report of a meeting held on 20th May, 1970

Present

Messrs. R. E. J. Roden (Chairman), J. Short (Vice-Chairman), E. V. Beeby, J. Beer, J. Birks, G. N. Dean, J. Forman (Treasurer), J. W. Frid (Secretary), D. Hall, S. W. Harris, G. H. Harvey, W. Hetherington, J. W. Hewison, B. Hodgson, C. R. Peskett, B. W. C. Thacker and, by invitation, Mr. G. Balshaw representing the Editor.

Apologies

Messrs. C. L. Davids, H. Griffiths, R. P. Holdaway, K. C. Hughes, T. Kerr, H. R. Mellor and C. T. Peacock.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

These were accepted by the meeting.

Matters Arising

The question of a replacement for the Honorary Editor was discussed and branch secretaries were requested to draw members' attention to this vacancy. It was also decided that the Education and Publications Committee should look into the matter urgently.

Correspondence

. A letter was read out by the Chairman from Mr. L. A. Cave ID Which the Association and its Council were thanked for its retirement gift and for the bestowal of Vice-Presidency upon Mr.Cave.

REPORTS OF OFFICERS

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

Annual General Meeting

The Chairman reported on the Annual General Meeting and noted the acceptance by that meeting of the alterations to the Constitution and Rules and also of the proposal to increase subscriptions. He considered that official notification of the approved changes should be sent to members. Under 'Any Other Business' at the meeting, Mr. Keith (Cannock) had asked whether garage proprietors were acceptable as Associate Members.

After discussion it was proposed, seconded and agreed that the revised Constitution and Rules would be published in the Bulle.tin. So far as Mr. Keith's question was concerned, the meeting agreed that applications for Associate Membership Would be considered on the basis of whether the membership of any applicant would be an asset to the Association.

Council Meeting

Chairman that the arrangements for Council Meet1Dgs should be discussed and said that he considered that Committee Meetings should take place before that of the Council even if this involved a later starting time.

After discussion it was agreed that Council Meetings will start at 10.30 hours and every endeavour would be made to complete the business before 13.00 hours. If this was not possible a lunch break would be taken at that time. Any necessary committee meetings would be held before 10.30 hours and, if circumstances warrant and with the approval of the Chairman, they would be arranged for the evening prior to the Council Meeting.

The Chairman then put to the meeting his suggested dates for future meetings during his year of office-these are as follows:

Council Meetings 9th September 1970 9th December 1970

G.P. Committee 16th February 1971 Council Meeting lOth March 1971 Annual General Meeting 6th April 1971.

Committee

The Chairman drew attention to Committee work which was outstanding from the previous year. These were:

Emergency Procedures Reference and Legal Branch Rules Constitution and Rules Advanced School Education and Publications Chain of Office Finance and General Purposes and said that these would be dealt with more fully by Committee Chairmen.

RESOLVED that the report be adopted.

SECRETARY'S REPORT

The Secretary reported that to date no formal record of the minutes of Council Meetings had been kept in a Minute Book. It was agreed that this should be done in future and the Secretary was instructed to present the Minutes of this meeting to the Chairman for signature in a Minute Book at its next meeting on the 9th September.

In view of the fact that in the past, various minutes, although agreed by the Council, had not been recorded, the Secretary asked that the following minutes be re-confirmed:

(a) that first-class rail fares or reasonable other travelling expenses be paid to Council members attending Council meetings or other Council or Association business; (b) libel insurance to be obtained to protect the Association; (c) the school account and general account of the Association to be amalgamated (the Treasurer's anticipatory action be confirmed);

(d) the Treasurer be authorised to pay travelling expenses, etc., on his own initiative.

(e) clerical expenses for officers.

RESOLVED that the report be adopted.

TREASURER'S REPORT

Mr. Forman thanked the Association for his appointment and reported that a large proportion of membership fees had already been received for this year and that there was a balance of over £1,000 in the bank. It was agreed that profits from the Association's schools underwritten by the Council should be paid to the Association via the Treasurer. It was further agreed that Northern and Southern schools be held again during 1971.

RESOLVED that the report be adopted.

EDITOR'S REPORT: presented by Mr. G. Balshaw

It was reported that of the first reprint of 1,000 Codes of Practice, only 400 remained in the hands of the Editor, and consequently the cost of printing the codes had now been met. The meeting was informed that a further immediate reprint of 1,000 could be obtained for the sum of £99. This was agreed. It was further reported that a number of suggested patterns for the Chairman's badge of office had been received and the meeting agreed that the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Editor examine these in order to make a final choice.

Mr. Balshaw reminded the Council of the decision of Mr. Holdaway to vacate the post of Editor at the end of the year.

RESOLVED that the report be adopted.

Election of Committees

It was agreed that the following members of Council should serve on the various Committees: Constitution Education and and Rules Publication

D. Hall C. T. Peacock (Chairman) (Chairman) J. Beer B. W. C. Thacker E. V. Beeby W. Hetherington J. W. Hewison B. Hodgson K. C. Hughes H. R. Mellor S. W. Harris J. Birks

Reference and Legal C. R. Peskett (Chairman) C. L. Davids T. Kerr H. Griffiths G. H. Harvey

The Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer, Hon. Editor and Hon. Liaison Officer, ex-officio members of all Committees.

Finance and General Purposes Committee, Chairman of Committees together with the aforementioned officers.

Annual General Meeting

held at the Town Hall, Royal Leamington Spa, Thursday, 9th April, 1970

The Chairman, Mr. B. W. C. Thacker, welcomed the delegates and introduced the Worshipful the Mayor of Royal Leamington Spa, Alderman G. J. W. Robbins. His Worship welcomed delegates and expressed his pleasure that Leamington Spa had been chosen for the Annual General Meeting. He appreciated the work the Association was doing and wished it continued success. The Chairman thanked His Worship for finding time to open the proceedings and for his encouraging remarks. The business part of the agenda was then considered.

Present

Sixty Local Authority representatives, three Associate Members and one visitor.

Apologies

Thirty-five letters of apology were recorded.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

These were agreed, and as there were no comments the Chairman then gave his report on the progress of the Association.

CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

In his remarks, Mr. Thacker referred to the Association's revised Code of Practice which had been so well received by members and industry in general.

He referred particularly to the work contributed to these Codes by Messrs. Beer, Sharp and Peskett. Mr. Thacker mentioned the success of the School at Attingham and referred to the two schools of instruction to be held this year

at Surrey University and York University. He was pleased to see that branch activities were being sustained and also that membership was increasing. He mentioned that the liaison the Association now had with the Institute of Petroleum was invaluable and that the Home Office had promised to notify the Association of any future developments in connection with petroleum matters.

Concluding, he thanked all officers who have contributed so much to the development of the Association. Mr. Thacker then moved, and it was duly seconded that Mr. L. A. Cave, subject to the acceptance of the constitution by the meeting, be first Vice-President of the Association. He also recommended to the meeting that a retirement gift be made to Mr. Cave as a small token of the gratitude felt by all members of the Association. This was carried unanimously.

ACTING HON. SECRETARY'S REPORT

The Acting Hon. Secretary spoke briefly of the take-over which had taken place when Mr. Cave retired. He expressed appreciation to G. H. Harvey, Acting Hon. Treasurer and R. P. Holdaway, Hon. Editor, both of whom were deeply involved in the considerable amount of work which was entailed due to the separation of the post-Secretary/ Treasurer-into two responsibilities. He then reported the membership of the Association as being (at 19th February 1970)-local authorities 566, Associates 113, Bulletin subscribers 39, Hon. Members 9. These figures, he reported, showed that the growth of the Association continues steadily. The report was approved and adopted.

HON. TREASURER'S REPORT

This report had previously been circulated to all members and was approved and adopted.

HON EDITOR'S REPORT

Mr. Holdaway informed the meeting that he wished to retire from the post of Editor at the end of the year after having served in that capacity for nine years. He the many contributors who had helped to maintain the standard of the Bu!letin throughout this period, particularly 'Otto', whose articles he knew were always awaited and read with interest. He referred to the success in the sales of the Association's Code of Practice and mentioned that a further re-print of 1,000 copies had been ordered. He invited any person who was willing to accept the post of Editor to discuss the matter with him at the end of the meeting.

Election of Chairman

Only one nomination being received, Mr. R. E. J. Roden, Vice-Chairman, Birmingham, was duly elected. Mr. Roden, when taking the Chair, thanked members for his election and on behalf of the Association thanked Mr. Thacker for his services during the past year.

Election of Vice-Chairman

Only one nomination being received, Mr. J. Short, Paisley, Scotland, was duly elected.

Election of Officers

Honorary Secretary J. W. Frid

Honorary Treasurer J. Forman

Honorary EditorR. P. Holdaway(until 31st December 1970)

Honorary Liaison Officer and Auditor G. N. Dean were nominated and elected.

The Hon. Legal Adviser, Mr. P. D. Wadsworth, Town Clerk, Dudley Borough Council, was thanked for his services to the Association and re-elected to office.

The Hon. Electrical Adviser, Mr. J. A. Sharp, Midlands Electricity Board, was also thanked for his services and re-elected to office.

Election of Council

The following persons, having been nominated, were elected to the Council :

E. V. Beeby Rugby R.D.C.

J. Beer City of Worcester

C. L. Davids Greater London Council

D. Hall Newcastle-under-Lyme M.B.

J. W. Hewison Havant and Waterloo U.D.C.

K. C. Hughes Stafford M.B.

H. Griffiths Walsall C.B.

T. Kerr Glanford Brigg R.D.C.

All the foregoing and the following Branch Representatives form the Council of the Association:

J. Birks East Midland

J. W. Frid Anglia

S. W. Harris Wessex and South Wales

G. H. Harvey West Midland

W. Hetherington South East Midland

B. Hodgson Cumbria

H. R. Mellor North Western

C. T. Peacock Yorkshire

C. R. Peskett South Eastern

J. Short Scottish B. W. C. Thacker Teesside

Two scrutineers were appointed: H. Martin, Cambridge and L. B. Wilson, Cambridge.

Notice of Motion

The Notice of Motion (No. 1) amending the Constitution and Rules submitted in the name of the Council by Mr. D. Hall and seconded by Mr. J. Beer was put to themeetingafter considerable discussion and some questioning, which was answered by Mr. Hall. The Motion was carried without opposition.

Notice of Motion (No. 2) submitted by the Council that membership fees of the Association be amended as from lst January 1971, moved by Mr. D. Hall and seconded by Mr. K. C. Hughes was then put to the meeting.

Mr. D. Hall, Mr. K. C. Hughes and the acting Hon. Treasurer, Mr. G. H. Harvey, gave the Council's reasons for putting forward this Motion. It was pointed out to the meeting that over half the present subscription rates were absorbed in producing the Bulletin, that the fee had remained unaltered for a number of years and in order for the Association to continue to be a viable body, there was no alternative other than acceptance of this modest increase.

The meeting accepted these remarks and the Motion was carried unopposed. Membership fees as from lst January 1971 will be: Ordinary Members Associate Membership Retired Members

£3 (£3.00) £3 10s. (£3.50) 10s. (£0.50)

Any Other Business

Mr. C. R. Peskett, Hon. Secretary South Eastern Branch, spoke briefly concerning the course to be held at Surrey University and informed members that places for the course had now been filled, his remarks were followed by similar ones from Mr. B. W. C. Thacker, Hon. Secretary Northern Branch, regarding the course to be held at York University.

Address

The meeting reassembled after lunch, with the Chairman introducing Dr. G. J. Jeacocke, M.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.I.C., one of H.M. Inspectors of Explosives, and invited him to present his paper entitled "The Background to the Model Codes". Dr. Jeacocke spoke for about 45 minutes and gave the meeting a great deal of background information concerning the production of the Model Codes. All members present found his talk extremely interesting and enlightening as was clearly shown in the question period which followed. Such was the interest that the Chairman found it necessary, with Dr. Jeacocke's approval, to extend the time given to questioning.

At the conclusion of his talk and after answering a considerable number of questions to most members' satisfaction, Dr. Jeacocke was formally thanked by Mr. Holdaway. Including in these thanks, Mr. Holdaway expressed the thoughts of the meeting that such co-operation and interchange of ideas, as had occurred at this meeting, would prove of valuable assistance to both members of the Association and to the Home Office Inspectorate, and it was to be hoped that this co-operation could be extended still further. Dr. Jeacocke, in a brief reply, accepted this and intimated that he was very much in favour of this co-operative policy for the future.

BRANCH REPORTS

Scottish

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Lothian Arms Hotel, Dalkeith, Midlothian, on Tuesday, 17thMarch, 1970.

Present

The Chairman, Mr. Ian Forbes, and 42 members.

Apologies

Six apologies were received.

The meeting was opened by Councillor John Kelly, J.P., County Convenor, Midlothian County Council, who stated that his Authority had always taken a keen interest in matters of petroleum administration and praised the work done by the Association. It was his hope that the Branch would have an interesting and successful meeting. The Branch Chairman suitably replied and thanked the Convenor for the hospitality provided by his Council.

Mr. Forbes then introduced Mr. J. A. Sharp, Electrical Adviser to the Association, who addressed the meeting on the electrical requirements of the Association code. In the course of his address Mr. Sharp answered written questions which had previously been submitted to him, and dealt capably with many questions put to him from the meeting during the lively discussion which followed his talk.

Minute

The business meeting was held in the afternoon. The Minute of the Annual General Meeting held at Glasgow Airport on 15th April, 1969, was approved.

Secretary and Treasurer's Report

The Report of the Secretary and Treasurer, copies of which had been previously circulated, was approved.

Report of Branch Representative

The Branch Representative's report on business conducted by the Council at a meeting on 25th February, 1970, was circulated. Following questions, a full explanation was given as to the Association's relationship with the Home Office and of the decision by the Council to withdraw the financial guarantee from the proposed School at Attingham Park.

Election of Officers and Committee

The Chairman invited Mr. R. F. Donnelly, Kilmarnock Burgh, who had been unanimously elected Chairman for the ensuing year, to take the Chair. In accepting, Mr. Donnelly thanked Mr. Forbes for his services to the Branch during his year of office.

The following Officers were elected:

Vice-Chairman G. Arneil, Mid and East Lothian C.C.

Hon Secretary and Treasurer J. Short, Paisley Burgh.

Five members were proposed and seconded to serve on the Committee and the following were elected after a vote: R. S. L. Anderson, Ayr C.C. W. Anderson, Port Glasgow Burgh. J. J. Mackellar, Perth City. K. McLeod, Dunbarton C.C.

The Hon. Secretary and Treasurer was elected Branch Representative to the Council.

R. McGill, Clydebank Burgh, was elected Honorary Auditor.

Next Meeting

It was remitted to the Executive Committee to fix the place and date of the next Annual General Meeting.

Other Business

Mr. Wilson of Kircudbright C.C. drew attention to various irregularities that he had discovered on the inspection of tank under the conveyance regulations. During discussion 1t was suggested that Officers in the areas where unsatisfactory tank wagons were based should be informed.

Mr. Arneil suggested that the Branch should agree on the minimum period of time that should elapse between requiring test certificates for electrical installations from licensees. The general tenor of discussion indicated that each officer should n:ake his own decision on this question and advise his authority accordingly. There was strong support for the view that the recommendation of one year in the Home Office Model Code should be treated as a minimum.

Vote of Thanks

The Meeting concluded with Mr. McLeod proposing a Vote of thanks to all who had contributed to the success of th meeting, in particular Midlothian County Council for the presence of the Convener and County Clerk and their h e pitality. Mr. Arneil for making local arrangements os. Sharp the Speaker at the morning session, and the Cha'. Mr. ' I d h I trman and Secretary. It was reso ve t at a etter expressin h Branch's appreciation be sent to the Convener of e County Council. tan

Northern

A meeting of the Branch was held at Teesside Fire Brigade Headquarters, Park Road South, Middlesbrough, Teesside, on Wednesday, lst April, 1970.

Present

Fifteen representatives were present and these were welcomed by the Chairman, Mr. H. Johnson.

Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority, Whitley Bay M.B.C., Northallerton U.D.C., Cameron Mechanical Services and I.C.I. Ltd.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted as a true record.

Report of Hon. Branch Secretary

The Hon. Branch Secretary reported on the work of the over the. past year, and mentioned the steady mcrease m membership. He reminded members that the code of practice had been revised and was now in its second print, any member or person wishing to purchase additional copies could do so at a cost of 6s.

The Northern Course at York University, to be held in early July, was now fully booked. It was hoped that this would prove successful and the first of many in the Northern region. The Council of the Association were considering the possibility of using Attingham for a more advanced type of course.

He was sorry to report that as yet the Home Office would not allow the Association representation on the Technical Subcommittee of the Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances, but they had received the assurance that all draft information on Petroleum matters would be sent for comment.

The Hon. Secretary mentioned the forthcoming A.G.M. and the notices of motion regarding (a) Constitution and Rules, and (b) Finance. He briefly explained to the meeting the reasons for these two proposals.

Conveyance of Flammable Liquid

The Chairman drew the attention of the meeting to a recent Fire Service circular which gave guidance on appropriate means for dealing with fires or spillages involving any of the substances listed in the Schedule to the Petroleum (Inflammable Liquids) Order 1968. He felt that as Petroleum Officers they should be aware of this circular and if any member wished to have sight of a copy he would be only too happy to allow this.

Branch Rules

The Hon. Secretary reported that the Council were currently engaged on producing draft Branch rules. He felt that these would soon be ready, and that as the Branch had n?t yet formally adopted any rules the new set should be discussed, with. a view to at the next meeting. At the same time, Branch finance and Branch elections should take place. This was agreed.

Any Other Business Storage of L.P.G.

Mr. Newton of Skelton and Brotton, stated that there were a number of small bulk installations of L.P.G. in his area, and asked if there was any direct control under Petroleum regulations i? respect of this type of storage. The Secretary, in reply, said that as far as he knew there was no legal requirements under Petroleum Regulations, but at the moment a draft Code of Practice for fixed bulk installations had been prepared and this should give some guidance on safety measures for those installations where the water capacity of the individual tanks exceeded 250 gallons.

In connection with the storage of L.P.G. the Chairman suggested that members might like to see the film Light Ends, which showed clearly the hazards of L.P.G. He undertook to make arrangements for the showing of this film at the next meeting.

Petroleum Spillage During Filling Operations

Mr. Ansbro of Darlington drew the attention of the meeting to some of his investigations into reported petroleum leaks. He was aware the members appreciated that leaks were not necessarily from the storage tank itself, but very often from its associated pipe work. He mentioned two recent cases of leakages which had been caused through faults on fill pipes. In the first case the connecting threads had deteriorated and a percentage of petroleum was passing on the outside of the fill pipe.

In the second case the fill pipe itself had fractured just above its connection to the storage tank. At this installation the tank fill pipe was fairly long and unsupported. When the tank wagon delivery hose was connected to it and filling operations commenced, it had been noted that a definite movement took place in the fill pipe due presumably to the flow of liquid and the weight of the large flexible pipe attached to the top. This movement had eventually caused the pipe to crack.

It was suggested that where fill pipes exceeded a minimum length they should be supported. It was further suggested, that where tank fill pipes were increased in size, the vent pipe should also be suitably enlarged.

East Midland

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Angel Hotel, Market Harborough, on Thursday, 23rd April, 1970.

Present

The Chairman, Mr. J. Bantoft, and twenty-nine members. Mr. R. E. J. Roden, Chairman of the Association.

Apologies

Twenty-two apologies were received.

Official Welcome

The Meeting was opened in the morning by Councillor A. J. Redfern, M.C., T.D., Chairman of Market Harborough Urban District Council, who referred to the present-day problem of water pollution and its effect on the heritage and traditions of Market Harborough. He said that in the fight

against water pollution the control of petroleum products was extremely important and praised the role of petroleum officers in this direction, whose work was becoming increasingly difficult with the introduction of self-service and more complex petrol filling stations. The Chairman, Mr. Bantoft, thanked Councillor Redfern for his welcome and hospitality and emphasised the importance of Branch Meetings to members which gave them the opportunity to meet and discuss their practical problems.

Minutes

The Minutes of the Ordinary General Meeting held at Nottingham on 3rd November, 1969, were confirmed and signed.

Membership

There were seven applications for membership which were submitted and approved.

Annual Report of Secretary/Treasurer

The Secretary presented his Annual Report and Balance Sheet which were approved.

There were now 119 members and membership had more than doubled since the formation of the Branch in 1966.

Members were informed of the replies to two queries from Branch members which had been submitted by the Secretary to the Reference and Legal Committee of the Association. The queries had been considered by Mr. J. A. Sharp, the Electrical Adviser to the Association. Mr. R. E. Clarke, Leicester City Fire Brigade, had been advised that a portable battery hand lamp for use during the hours of darkness at tank areas on petrol filling stations was useful, not necessary for off-loading, but in cases of emergency, provided such hand lamp was fully flame-proof, certified and kept in a serviceable condition. The Reference and Legal Committee emphasised that such a hand lamp should not be a substitute for the recommended fixed standard of tank area illumination and licensees on existing petrol filling stations should be advised to provide the recommended standard of illumination. Mr. C. W. Howkins, Grantham, was advised that the form of Electrical Certificate in the Association's Codes of Practice contained two sections in order to accommodate the larger installations where it may be necessary to record more than one reading, and where more than two readings are required two Electrical Certificates would be necessary.

The Course of Instruction for Petroleum Officers to be held at York University on 6th, 7th and 8th July, 1970 had been arranged by the Northern Education Committee of the Association and showed every signs of being well-attended. It was hoped that all applicants from the Branch had been accommodated.

Report of Branch Representative

The Branch Representative gave his report on the proceedmgs of the Council. The demand for the Association's Codes of Practice had been so great, not only by local authorities but by various trade organisations, that a re-print had been necessary. The future cost would be 6/- per copy, including postage. Notwithstanding that the Codes had been issued in the interests of uniformity it was emphasised by the Branch Representative that the conditions were not intended to be applied rigidly to existing petroleum installations where the

licensing authority considered that strict compliance was not practicable or justified. Nevertheless it had been conceded that the form of Electrical Certificate in the Codes was intended for new installations only and a revised form for use on existing petroleum installations was being prepared by the Association's Electrical Adviser. Many members were concerned about the issue of a second form of Electrical Certificate and argued that there could only be one satisfactory standard of safety where electrical circuits were concerned and that this should be adhered to. Some members whose authorities had already adopted the Codes were insisting on standards laid down in the Electrical Certificate in the spirit of the Association's aim of uniformity and wondered how many other authorities had adopted the Codes. The Branch Representative said that this information was difficult to obtain and that he would write to the Association's Secretary for any possible information. The following resolution was then made and the Branch Representative requested to bring it to the notice of the Council, viz: "That as members of the East Branch of the Association for Admmistration we wish to express our the second form of Electrical Certificate which we consider as a retrograde step in view of the Mod I e

A ?iven on the Courses at York and Surrey Umversities. The CouncII had decided that it could offer the usual financial assistance for the Petroleum Cour not Attingham in view of the lack of support and athssumed 1t behheld. The council had considered e sugges 10n t at ttmg am Park might be retained t Advanced Courses only. or

The Branch Representative referred to the resignat' f Mr. L. A. Cave as the Association's Secretary and T Ion ° d · " d b . reasurer an m1orme mem ers of the mvaluable assistan h h given to the East Midland Branch at and since I'ts :e e . ad iormation.

Election of Officers

The following were elected: Chairman

B. S. Pike, Market Harborough U.D.C. Vice-Chairman C. W. Howkins, Grantham M.B.C.

Honorary Secretary/Treasurer J. Birks, Chesterfield, M.B.C. Committee

F. D. Bates, Premier Pump and Tank Co. R. E. Clarke, Leicester City Fire Service. D. T. Jones, Beeston and Stapleford U.D.C. W. H. Matthews, Derby C.B.C.

Honorary Auditor W. H. Matthews, Derby C.B.C.

Branch Representative J. Birks, Chesterfield, M.B.C.

Installation of Chairman

Mr. B. S. Pike, Market Harborough Urban n· . Council, was installed as the new Branch Chairman retiring Chairman, Mr. J. Bantoft. Y t e

Date and Place of Next Meeting

The date and place of the next meeting was left in the hands of the Chairman and Secretary.

Address

At the afternoon session the Chairman introduced Mr. J. Adams, Ministry of Technology, who gave a most interesting talk entitled "BASEEFA" with particular reference to Intrinsic He outlined the object of the British Approvals Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres which is to give assurance that electrical equipfor applications can be expected to comply with a. prescribed standard of safety when in use. The Service, he said, takes over the certification of Intrinsically Safe electrical equipment from the Factory Inspectorate of the Department of Employment and Productivity, and of Flameproof apparatus fro?J. the Ministry of Power. The Ministry of Technology admm1sters the Service with advice from a Council whose members are appointed by the Minister and are drawn from equipment manufacturers, users, ment Departments and the British Standards Institution.

Adams described in detail the scope of the Service which covers the established methods of protection of designed for use in flammable atmospheres which mcreased pressurization and special forms of He outlmed the method of Certification with special to petrol pumps which his department were now workmg on A Certification Trade Mark owned by -:vould the case of petrol pumps insure that they complied with special requirements and a licence issued by BASEEFA would permit the manufacturer to use the BASEEFA Certification Trade Mark.

Mr. Adams described the various factors the Service when certification of an electrical system was for approval, i.e. degree and type of hazard, smtab1hty of design for particular environments standard of production, maintenance and availability of 'spare parts, type of operator, local safety regulations, length of time apparatus energised in a year, etc. On the technical detail he the methods used to achieve safety on petrol pumps mcluded the method of pressurization or purging, scalmg down of electric power to prevent ignition in petroleum atmospheres, flame-trap concepts, and increased safety apparatus by the use of larger gaps and better insulation. All these methods were described in detail and provided members with an invaluable insight into the high safety standards of BASEEFA which were obviously going to have some bearing on the work of a petroleum officer.

At the conclusion of the talk many questions were asked on the merits of the various safety methods outlined by Mr. Adams. Members wished to know more about the method of by BASEEFA in relation to petrol pumps and its effect on the work of a petroleum officer. Mr. Adams said that approved petrol pumps would have the BASEEFA mark of ffi · im cer 1 on the outside of petrol pumps and md1v1dual items of electrical equipment would be mdividually marked. BASEEFA he said had been asked by the H Offi · ' ' i ce. to give a complete picture of a petrol pump Sn relatio? to design, ease of maintenance and safety standards. u_bmers1?Ie pumps for use in underground petrol tanks were bemg subJected to tests.

Some members thought that there might be too much reliance on BASEEFA certification marks for experience in the field had shown that flame-proof apparatus often required attention when closely examined. Mr. Adams said that the provision of correct electrical apparatus must remain the responsibility of the user and he thought that there would be too much demand on the time of a petroleum officer if each piece of electrical apparatus was carefully scrutinised by him. Members appreciated the high standards in electrical safety set by BASEEFA and from current experience expressed concern as to the capability of some electricians in carrying out annual tests in keeping with such high standards. Mr. Adams said that he would inform the Home Office that petroleum officers as a body were concerned with the standard of annual electrical inspections on petrol installations.

The various questions Mr. Adams had dealt with did indicate that members felt that BASEEFA was not fully aware of the practical problems facing petroleum officers and it was pleasing to note the interest shown by Mr. Adams throughout the discussion in the work of a petroleum officer.

A vote of thanks was given by Mr. P. J. Henze, Blaby R.D.C. to Mr. Adams for his most informative talk. The meeting was then concluded and tea provided by Councillor A. J. Redfern who was thanked by Mr. F. B. Saunders, Spalding R.D.C., on behalf of members.

South East Midland

A Meeting of the Branch was held at Batchwood Hall, St. Albans, on the 23rd April, 1970.

Present

Forty-three members were present and apologies for absence were received from three members.

Chairman

In the absence of Mr. W. Hetherington, who was on the sick list, Mr. David Johnson of Slough, the immediate past Chairman, took the Chair.

Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held at the Council Chamber, Amersham, on the 16th October, 1969, were confirmed.

Matters Arising out of the Minutes

The Chairman drew members' attention to the definition of an "ordinary member" which appears in the rules of the Association and which rule had recently been approved at the Annual General Meeting held at the Town Hall, Royal Leamington Spa, on the 9th April, 1970. He explained that it was apparent from the discussions at the Annual General Meeting that this rule did not meet with the approval of some of the members. It was felt that the rule, which required a Local Authority to nominate one of its authorised petroleum officers to act as its representative, did not allow his deputy, or indeed any other person representing him, to attend and vote at meetings if necessary in an emergency. It was resolved that the Secretary be instructed to prepare a draft rule which would be submitted to, and discussed at, the Branch Meeting in October and, if approved, by Branch Members, be submitted to the Association Secretary as a notice of motion for discussion at the next Annual General Meeting of the Association.

Election of Officers

The following officers were elected:

Chairman

K. A. Chester, Eton R.D.C. Vice-Chairman

E. L. F. Welch, City of St. Albans.

Secretary R. E. Dust, Oxford City.

Treasurer R. D. Hill, Oxford City.

Branch Representatives to the Executive Council W. Hetherington of Witney U.D.C., or, in the event of Mr. Hetherington being unable to accept the post, K. A. Chester of Eton R.D.C.

Auditor

R. Morgan, Chief Fire Prevention Officer at Kidlington. Committee

Chairman, Vice-Chairman, immediate past Chairman, Branch Representative, Treasurer and Secretary.

Report of the Branch Representative

In the absence of Mr. Hetherington, the Secretary and Chairman gave a brief report on the activities of the Association as far as they were aware of them.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary's report, which showed a membership of 67, was adopted.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer's report was adopted.

Date, Place and Business of Next Meeting

Mr. Crisp of Bedford agreed to look into the possibilities of holding the next meeting in that town and the Secretary was instructed to endeavour to arrange for Mr. Parkinson of British Petroleum to talk on "Changes in Petroleum Technology".

Report on Incidents

Mr. K. A. Chester gave details of an incident in his area when a 500 gallon, six-compartment tanker was making a delivery of petroleum spirit to a local garage. The driver, in draining the delivery hose, spilt petrol onto an illuminated lamp on the lorry, ignition immediately took place and a fire resulted. Foam extinguishers at the garage did not work because the employee tried to operate them by banging them ?n the ground and they were not that type. Proper training In .their use is clearly necessary. Legal proceedings against dnver resulted in a fine of £5. In mitigation the defendmg solicitor had made much of the fact that the driver, at great risk to himself, had climbed on to the burning lorry to vent the petrol tanks. The question as to whether this was a good or bad practice was discussed since he was releasing petroleum spirit vapour which would add to the conflagration. It was generally thought to be a bad procedure and a valve on the which would automatically relieve the pressure was considered desirable.

Mr. Crisp told of an incident in Bedford in which a garage owner was doing work on a carburettor of a motor car situated 150 ft. from the petrol installation and the car backfired and caught fire when started. Was this incident liable to a report to the Home Office since, although it took place on licensed premises, it was 150 ft. away from the petrol installation. The Chairman stated that Dr. Jeacocke of the Home Office had indicated in his address at the Annual General Meeting that they would like to receive reports of all incidents involving ptroleeum spirit.

Discussion on Prepared Agenda

(a) The licensing of school laboratories for the storage of petroleum chemicals.-lt was generally agreed that all such stores should be licensed and the view expressed that all of low flashpoint should be kept in the store, irrespective of whether or not they were petroleum mixtures Members felt that it was not always wise to insist that such stores should be in the open air. If in a remote part of the staff and .children would not use them and in any 1t was unwise to ask young people to carry heavy Wmchester bottles from the store to the laboratory where they were .11:sed. It was suggested that all schools would be a v1s1t by petroleum officers who would probably be surprised at what they found there.

and ren:doval of petroleum storage tan s.- e meetmg ered that 1t was desirable that should be regulations controlling the uplifting and disposal of petroleum storage tanks, particularly in view of cofnthent ofk thTehsludge. and the great difficulty in o t e tan s. e Chairman said he was under the 1mpress1on that the.Home Office were doing research into this matter and regulat10ns were expected in the not too d" t f B k c . . 1s ant uture. uc s ounty Council had, m a local Bill al d taken some steps to deal with this problem. ' rea Y

(c) The filling of unsuitable and unlabelled vessels · h petrol at licensed premises.-Many members expressed Wit cern at the difficulty of enforcing the Act and Regul "th d h" · a ions w1. regar to t ts, l?artlcu!arly at self-service stations. Man said that they had circularised all licencees of filli"ng st t" Y · · h · a ions pomt1.ng out t at it.was an offence to fill petrol into unsuitable 1Addbhes1vbe for affixing to suitable contamers cou e o tamed from The Garage and Motor Agent, 62 Doughty Street, London W.C.1 at a t f 6/6d. per 100. ' cos 0

(d) breaking of concrete on filling station forecourt The Chairman gave details of incidents where drills had put through suction lines when pneumatic drills were bei:n used to break concrete during alterations to garage foreg courts. To keep the forecourt flooded with water Whil drilling is taking place was thought to be a good precaur st against sparks being caused by the drills. 10n

(e) The dispensing of L.P.G. at licensed filling station Jc use in motor cars.-Mr. Fish of Herne! Hempstead s or details of a depot which had been established in his a;e the filling of motor vehicles with L.P.G. for use or petrol. Before agreeing to the installation his Chief Inspe t of to the Home Office seeking their views on hcensmg of such a store. The Home Office replied that · their opinion L.P.G. does not constitute petroleum spirit

the of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 because 1t could not be tested in the manner set out in the second schedule on the Act. The Standing Advisory Committee on Substances had been invited to prepare a Code of Practice for the storage ofL.P.G. at fixed installations and that Code would be considered and if felt desirable given statutory force.

Vote of Thanks

Mr Crisp proposed a vote of thanks to the Corporation of the City of St. Albans for making available the excellent accommodation for the meeting and this was received with acclamation.

Visit

lunch the meeting visited and inspected the electromcally controlled Buncefield Oil Terminal.

Anglia

.1:he Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the C1v1c Centre, Southend-on-Sea on Wednesday 29th April 1970. ' ' '

Present

The meeting was opened by the Chairman, Mr. J. G. Clark, who 'Yelcomed the 29 members who were present. Seven apologies were received.

Minutes

The Minutes of the previous meeting were agreed without comment.

Chairman's Report

The Chairman reported briefly to the meeting mentioning the steady growth of the membership of the Association in his closing remarks drew the meeting's attention to the fact that the officers of the Branch had been elected a period of 18 months at the Branch's previous meetmg. He felt that in order to avoid any future difficulties which may arise in relation to this extended term of office, it would be better to submit the officers for re-election at this meeting to serve a period of 12 months. This was agreed by the meeting and an election was held, returning the present occupants of the various offices for a further year.

Branch Secretary's Report

The Secretary/Treasurer/Council Representative, Mr. J. W. Fnd, reported that the Branch finances were audited in March 1970 and that the balance of the Branch funds, alt!1ough down on_ last year, due to the separation of the S.E. Midland Branch mto two, were satisfactory. The accounts were accepted and it was agreed that Branch membership fees should remain at 5/- per annum.

Mr Frid then reported to the meeting items from the and Committee meetings which he had attended, mcdudmg acceptance of the Association's Constitution an mcrease in Association membership fees and the cancellation for this year of the Attingham Park School.

There were no other matters arising and no other business and it was agreed that the next meeting of the Branch should be held in the autumn, the date to be decided and the venue to be agreed by the Chairman, Secretary and Mr. Chambers, Area Fire Prevention Officer, Eastern Gas Board who had kindly offered arrangements for the Branch. '

Afternoon Visit

After lunch the members were taken by bus to Canvey Island for a visit to the Gas Council's Methane Terminal. All members found this to be a most interesting and enlightening experience and at tea, after the tour, a vote of thanks to both the Gas Council and to the Branch Chairman was proposed by Mr. J. M. Halliday on behalf of the Branch. This was carried with acclamation. Members then returned to the Civic Centre, Southend.

North Western

On the morning of 2nd July, 1970, at the invitation of the Shell-Mex and B.P. Co. Limited, 59 members of the North Western Branch visited the new Terminal at Haydock, Lancashire. Details of this most interesting tour will appear in the next issue of The Bulletin.

Welcome

At 12.30 p.m. the party travelled in a seemingly endless procession of private cars to the Bracket Arms Hotel, Wigan, where they were entertained to lunch and at the conclusion of which the Branch Chairman, Mr. J. R. Roberts, Manchester, expressed the sincere appreciation of the Members and Mr. W. F. Henderson, North West Regional Operations Manager, responded on behalf of the Company.

Lunch was followed by an informal discussion, chaired by Mr. Henderson, during which there was a most useful exchange of views between many of the Company Sectional Managers and the Branch Members.

Discussion

The first matter raised was in respect of the self service provisions in the Home Office Model Code which the Company had found were not always accepted by Petroleum Officers. In reply, it was explained that although the Code was not mandatory on local authorities, in general it was followed fairly closely except, perhaps, in some of the more congested urban areas where more rigorous conditions might be imposed. Variations in requirements were obviously a source of concern to the Industry and this fact was known to the Home Office. Revision of the Petroleum Acts was now being spoken of and perhaps Regulations with a national application would follow. The future would be likely to produce more uniformity which, of course, was one of the objects of the Association as instanced by the Association's Codes of Practice.

The pound note acceptor unit and the 50 pence coin operated pump were next discussed, a member suggesting that as a visit to Hamburg had been arranged in respect of the note acceptor, it might now seem desirable to repeat it for the 50 pence coin operated instrument! Mention was made of the three minute timing device fitted as standard to the new 50 pence coin operated pump which was not, at present, being fitted to those instruments formerly for 5s. Od. and now converted to the 50 pence coin. For the Company it was

stated that this matter was receiving consideration and, where possible, the three minute timing device would be fitted.

The safety aspect of both types were referred to and it was generally agreed that they appeared satisfactory. In the case of those pumps which during the day were used for normal operation and were only turned over to note or coin operation when the station closed at night, it was strongly advised that the operator should test out the instruments before leaving the premises. In at least one local authority this had been made a condition of licence. For similar reasons the emergency hand drive should never be left in operation on a pump as a car starting handle might fit.

A member enquired whether fully automated stations were a trend for the future and the meeting was informed that one at Billericay, Essex, already existed and two others at Watford and in Cumberland had been contemplated but not proceeded with. Provided all necessary safety aspects could be maintained, it seemed that for areas where it was not economic to man a station throughout the year, or even throughout the day, a fully automated station might be the only method of retaining petrol selling facilities at such sites. It would, of course, seem desirable to have a unit which could accept both coins and notes.

Operation on the Continent in Europe was much more advanced than in the U.K. In Stockholm, for example, at least 50 % of all garages were self service. On the other hand, in Canada and the United States, due to the attitude of the purchasing public, who seemed to expect windscreens to be cleaned and checks on oil, water and even tyres, there was no self service except in the commercial field by hauliers.

A member of the Company raised the question of octane rating and suggested that since the instroduction of the Trade Descriptions Act it seemed that, upon receiving a complaint, Inspectors of Weights and Measures immediately placed the suspicion on the supplier rather than the retailer. The Branch Chairman assured him that this was not so and that there was no descrimination against any petrol company. Inspectors, although completely impartial, were required to make full investigations into complaints and in view of the defences contained in Section 24 ("Due to the act or default of another person, etc.") and the fact that garage proprietors nearly always said that the petrol in the tank was exactly as it was delivered from the road tanker, Inspectors had to take it up with the petrol company. Enquiries were made in the same way with many commodities other than petrol.

Arising out of the last question, members learned that the Company proposed to discontinue the locking of petrol tanks and that, for the future, this would be the responsibility of the dealer. The system for loading tankers at the Terminal was explained. For an incorrect grade to be put into a tanker compartment three unlikely events must coincide. These were the opening of the wrong valve, the pre-setting of the wrong meter and the bringing down of the wrong loading arm. If this did happen, unless it was discovered on a spot check, a wrong grade would be delivered, but on either the same or the following day when Terminal staff were doing the reconciliation of meter loading cards against the returned invoices which showed what the driver should have delivered, the error would be brought to light. Steps would then be taken to rectify the matter by either uplifting the spirit if the fault was to the detriment of the consumer or permitting a delivery of, say, best spirit to be sold as premium with a consequent loss to the Petrol Company. In the past two years only two such "write otfs" had been necessary.

This led to questions on the possibility of errors in the loading of fuel oil and petrol and it was explained that for these two products the tanker must go to separate gantries. Extreme precautions were taken to ensure that it was impossible for a vehicle carrying petroleum spirit to make connections with a kerosene tank. It was now standard procedure in Shell-Mex and B.P. for the screw threads on the tanks and hoses for petrol to be of a different pitch and so not match those for It was also a policy of the Company never to carry mixed loads of motor spirits and kerosene and the system of establishing authorised distributors for the latter had ensured this. Composite loads of diesel oil and motor spirit ;vere, however, still carried but only on those occasions when 1t would not be economic to do otherwise.

Annual General Meeting

The Branch Mr. Roberts, extended a special welcome to the Chairman of the Association Mr R E J Roden, who replied briefly. ' · · · ·

Officers Reports

The members approved the Statement of Income and Expenditure showing a balance at the bank on 31 st Decemb 1969, of £44 16s. 11 d. and received the Reports of the Hon.orary Secretary and the Branch Representative Th Chairn:an of the Association, Mr. Roden, amplified th: report m respect of the last meeting of Council.

Election of Officers Chairman

F. Kenniford, Accrington MBC Vice-Chairman A. Hewitt, Liverpool CBC Immediate Past Chairman J. R. Roberts, Manchester CBC Hon. Secretary/Treasurer and Branch Representative H. R. Mellor, Blackpool CBC Executive Committee

T. Broster, Birkenhead CBC C. Savage, Poulton-le-Fylde UDC E. Wheeler, Prestwich MBC N. K. Whitehead, Blackpool CBC K. Williams, Cheadle and Gatley UDC

Any Other Business

Members raised queries relating to the cleaning de-gassing of underground tanks which had c out _and 1 · · I h · · ontamed petro eum spmt. n t e ensumg discussion opinio expressed that a gas free certificate should only be Were as valid for 24 hours and that period only if the tank wgarded d as not taken out of the groun ; also that water filling of a tank: could be accepted as a temporary method of making it sat Following further questions and suggestions on the drill to ;· employed in relation to the removal of underground tank .e was agreed that more information on the subject was it and the Committee was requested to make enquiries. ired

Vote of Thanks

The Shell-Mex and B.P. Co. Limited was accorded th for their invitation, the excellence of the arrangements for the tour of Haydock Terminal, the provision of accom a e dation for the mteting and their hospitality. mo-

At the closure of the meeting light refreshments were provided.

through the pipeline

WHO'S TO DELIVER?

In _the of the fire and explosion which occurred at m 1951_ there existed an air of recrimination and accusation. Varymg suggestions were made by the parties concerned to was primarily responsible for the overfilling and which triggered the disaster. Perhaps the only worthwhile outcome of the various disagreements was No. 16 of the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations 1957.

1:he purpose of this Regulation was not only to lay down procedures but to establish clear areas of responsibihty_ for the tank _wagon driver, the licensee and the person appomted by the licensee to attend on the delivery. It was a brave try!

always tend to arise where one party cannot proceed untII another has done his duty. The frustrated party is for ever tempted to go ahead willy-nilly. Thus Regulation 16 has been as a success as many hoped it "':ould be m preventing overfilling and spilling during the of petrol from tank wagons into storage tanks. Surpns1_ngly, the Regulation now seems designed for a much ?1ore age than one in which the word "productivity" 1s havmg its vogue.

The productivity of tank wagon drivers cannot be significantly enhanced by quicker turn round of tank wagons at depot and forecourt. The real hope of improvement lies in reducing journey time between the two. This can be achieved only by the avoidance of areas and hours of congestion.

A number of depots have been re-sited in an effort to reduce tank wagon travel through areas of congestion to a minimum. The remaining line of attack is on hours of congestion and what neater stratagem is there than the use of night-time for deliveries?

The Home Office Model Code already countenances nighttime deliveries of petrol but Regulation 16 remains as a stumbling block. With most filling stations closed at night where are the persons appointed by licensees to attend on deliveries-if not tucked up in bed like most sensible diurnal animals? Small wonder therefore that the major oil companies are pressing for amendment of Regulation 16 !

What the companies have in mind is a recasting of the Regulation so as to make the tank wagon driver wholly responsible for the actual delivery of petrol. The licensee will be responsible as at present for providing what may loosely be called the "tools for the job" on the filling station itself.

Many who suspect the wisdom of the divided responsibility inherent in the present system will welcome the proposed change. Not least among the arguments in favour will be the suspicion that tank wagon drivers are far more competent in handling petrol than the inexperienced attendants who grace some filling stations.

by OTTO

HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?

We are told that the sum of human knowledge is doubling every seven years. Considered in this light the development of the petroleum industry has taken aeons.

Perhaps it all started in 1850 when Dr. Young took out his patent for obtaining paraffin (or oil containing paraffin) from the slow combustion of bituminous coal. The company he formed, Young's Paraffin Company, started the Scottish oil industry. With the finding of oil in the North Sea this industry now appears due for rebirth.

In 1865 the first successful pipeline was constructed in America. In that year the total amount of petroleum products exported by the U.S.A. was approximately 25 million gallons, of which more than half was for illumination purposes.

Seven years later, in 1872, the Brayton Engine was patented in the U.S.A. The moving spirit of that engine was kerosine. It was not until the following year that Hock patented his gasoline engine in Vienna.

The carburettor so essential to modern engines had already been invented but its use had been limited to the enrichment of town gas with "0.680 spirit" to improve the lighting properties of the gas. Strangely enough the refiner associated with the development of the carburettor also introduced the word "petrol" into the English language. The word was used as a trade name for the "Launch" (or motor) spirit of Carless, Capel and Leonard Ltd. The company still occupies its original premises in the East End of London.

Traditionally 1859 is named as the year when petroleum oil was first introduced into Britain for illumination purposes. 1862 saw the passing of the first Petroleum Act and one of the purposes of the Act was to protect the public from "deadly" low-flash oils which were occasionally sold for use m lamps. Many deaths had been attributed to thi_s cause and there had (not surprisingly) been a great outcry m the Press.

A Petroleum Conference held at Baku in 1886 supported the view that low flash oils were "deadly" and opined that Russian kerosine of specific gravity 0.830 should be distinguished as follows:

Safe oil Flash point not less than 77 °F.

Unsafe oil Flash point below 77 °F.

The low flash content of petroleum was largely a waste product in the nineteenth century. Nor did the loss to the dealer end here. Removal of the low flash fraction at the lighter end meant that some of the heavier fractions also had to be removed in order to get a kerosine which would burn satisfactorily. The heavy fractions were as difficult to sell as the light fractions.

Thus rose a great temptation to flout the law. Perhaps flouters of the law were consoled by the views of such wellknown authorities as Sir Frederick Abel and Sir Boverton Redwood, who as late as 1890 (in a report to H.M. Chief Inspector of Explosives) doubted whether lamp explosions

were mostly caused by low-flash oil. This was the same Sir Frederick Abel who devised the two statutory tests which bear his name-firstly, the open cup (I00°F.) test and latterly the comparable closed cup (73 °F.) test, which is still used for statutory purposes in this country today.

In these random facts one sees the simple beginnings from which has grown a complex international industry. Legislation in this country has kept pace with developments within

the industry only because the temptation to control by regulation has been largely resisted. Wisely, use has been made of "empowering" Acts of which the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 is the latest. These empowering Acts have enabled local authorities to consider each case and proposal on its merits and saved them from having to impose rigid restrictive regulations which often become out-dated and out-moded as rapidly as they are framed.

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

LIVERPOOL

Conveyance Regulations

16th January 1970, a Petroleum Tanker was 3,000 gallons of petroleum spirit into a storage tank situated on. the forecourt of licensed premises, during the. course ?f delivery a spillage of petroleum spirit occurred reqmred the services of the Fire Brigade in order to take measures to eliminate the risk of possible fire and explosion.

Follo:-ving an investigation by a Petroleum Officer, the person m charge of the storage tank was issued with two summonses, namely:

S 1. Did contravene a certain regulation duly made by the State under Section 6 of the Petroleum (Con1 a et 1928, in that being the person in charge of a s ank, Permitted delivery into that tank to begin withmg all reasonable steps to secure that the connecting ose rough which the petroleum spirit was to be delivered a?d securely connected to the filling point of that w said regulation was at the date of the commission th: and still is in force contrary to Section 6

S 2· t Did contravene a certain regulation duly made by the :ry of State under Section 6 of the Petroleum (Conso 1 a !On) Act 1928, in that for the purposes of a delivery of

petroleum spirit into a storage tank failed to keep a copy f such certificate iss.ued under No. 16 (7) for a periid of not less than six months, which said regulation was at th date of the commission of the said offence and still is in for e contrary to Section 6 of the said Act. ce

A plea of guilty was entered and on the first charge, the Magistrate fined the defendant the sum of £25 and on the second charge the defendant was given a conditional discharge of twelve months and to pay the costs at the sum of £20.

DURSLEY RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL

Storing Petroleum Spirit without a Licence

Legal proceedings were taken against a garage owner who failed to renew his petroleum licence. The case was heard at Magistrate's Court on 6th April, 1970; a fine of £15 was imposed plus £10 costs.

SHREWSBURY

Storing Petroleum Spirit without a Licence

Legal proceedings were taken against a firm of tent hirers who failed to renew their petroleum licence. The case was heard at Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court on Sth June, 1970; a fine of £5 was imposed plus £3 15s. Od. costs and £3 3s. Od. advocates' fee.

Constitution and Rules of the Association

approved at the Annual General Meeting at Leamington Spa 9th April 1970

1. Title

This shall be known as the Association for Petroleum Acts Adm1mstrahon.

2. Objects

(a) The _advai;icement of scientific, technical and legal knowledge m _administration of the Petroleum Acts and associated legislation.

(b) The suI?ply and of information relative to (a).

(c) To so far as 1s practicable, uniformity in the administration of the Petroleum Acts and associated legislation

(d) To promote the formation of branches.

(e) To ':V1th other bodies having objects similar to those of or concerned with the safe handling, storage or d1stnbutton of substances falling within the purview of the Petroleum Acts and associated legislation.

3. Constitution

(a) Association shall consist of a President, Vice-Presidents, Life _Members, Honorary Members, Ordinary Members, Associate !'1embers and Retired Members.

(b) The Council, as hereinafter defined shall from time to time such n<;>minations as it feels desirable for the posts of V1ce-Preside!lts and Honorary Members, such nommat10ns to. be s?bm1tted to an Annual General Meeting for approval, J!lOd1fication or rejection.

(c) The Coun'?d of the Association shall have the power of electing or the nominated representative (1), a.s 1t thmks proper to be Life Members of the Assoc1at1on, or such election to be given to an Annual General Meetmg for mformation purposes only.

4. Members

(a)

President

Any person nominated by the Council and duly elected at an Annual General Meeting.

(b) Vice-President

(c)

Any person nominated by the Council and duly elected at an Annual General Meeting.

Life Member

Any_ person who, havi!lg to be an Ordinary Member or a no1!1mated representative within 4(e) (i), has been duly elected to this class by the Council in recognition of exceptional service to the Association.

(d)

Honorary Member

Any person nominated by the Council and duly elected to this at an Annual General Meeting in recognition of exceptional service rendered on behalf of the Association.

(e) Ordinary Member

(i) Any Local or Harbour Authority within the meaning of the Petroleum Acts shall, on payment of the relevant subscription, be eligible for Ordinary Membership of the Association, and shall be entitled to nominate one of its authorised Petroleum Officers to act as its representative; such representative shall be entitled to exercise the rights of Ordinary Membership on behalf of the nominating Authority.

(ii) Any Authorised Petroleum Officer within the meaning of the Petroleum Acts shall, on payment of the relevant subscription, be eligible for Ordinary Membership of the Association.

(f) Associate Member

Any body or person, not being eligible for Ordinary Membership under 4(e), but being concerned with the safe handling, storage or distribution of substances falling within the purview of the Petroleum Acts or associated legislation.

(g) Retired Member

Any person, who having been an Ordinary Member or a nominated representative within 4(e) (i), has retired from his appointment may become a Retired Member subject to such conditions as may be prescribed.

(h) Applications for Ordinary Membership, Associate Membership and Retired Membership shall be subject to the approval of the Council.

5. Rights of Membership

Subject to the provisos following, all classes of membership shall be entitled to receive all Association publications, to attend, speak and vote at all Association meetings, but only Ordinary Members, including nominated representatives within 4(e) (i), may be nationally elected to the Council of the Association, provided that: (a) A Life Member shall not be required to pay any subscription, and (b) Honorary Members, Associate Members and Retired Members shall not be entitled to vote on any issue.

6. Subscriptions

The Annual subscription shall be such sum as may be recommended by the Council and approved by an Annual General Meeting, such recommendation and approval having complied with the provisions of Rules 12 and 14 hereafter; and shall remain in force until amended in like manner.

All subscriptions shall be due on lst January each year, and members whose subscriptions for the current year have not been paid by 3lst December may, at the discretion of the Council, have their names removed from the membership roll.

When branches are formed and in operation, they shall be entitled to such annual capitation allowance from the Association subscriptions as may be determined by the Council in respect of each Branch Member who is a subscribing member, other than a Retired Member, of the Association.

7. Officers

The Officers of the Association shall be the Chairman, ViceChairman, Immediate past Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Liaison Officer and Editor of the Bulletin who shall, with the exception of the Immediate Past Chairman, be elected at each Annual General Meeting.

8. National Council

(a) The business of the Association shall be managed, by a Council heretofore and hereafter referred to as The Council

The Council shall consist of the Officers of the Association, eight Ordinary Members (or their nominated representatives within 4(e) (i) ) who shall be elected at each. Annual General Meeting, together with a Branch who be an Authorised Petroleum Officer, appomted to the Council by each Branch of the Association.

(b) Nominations for Officers of the Assoi;iation and the eight nationally elected Members of the Council shall be made on the approved form (obtainable from the Honorary Secretary) not later than lst March in each year. In the event of there being more than one nomination !or any office, or _more eight nominations for membership of the Council, election shall be by ballot, and the Secretary shall a ballot paper of the nominations received, a copy of which shall be sent to all who are entitled to vote not less than 21 days before the Annual General Meeting. Completed Ballot papers shall be returned by post to the Hon. Secretary not less than seven days before the Annual General Meeting, and the result of such ballot, certified by scrutineers, shall be declared at the Annual General Meetmg.

(c) The Council may appoint such Committees from its members as it thinks fit, with such terms of reference and powers to act as may be necessary.

(d) A Committee appointed under 8(c) above shall have power to co-opt persons for such purposes and for such periods of time as it deems necessary.

(e) The eight nationally elected members of the council shall be deemed to be elected as individuals, and subject to the provisions

of <f) following, no right of nomination shall devolve on anyone in the event of any such elected Council member resigning.

(f) Should a vacancy occur on the Council from amongst the members elected at an Annual General Meeting, the Council shall have the power to appoint an Ordinary Member or a nominated representative within 4(e) (i) to fill the vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.

(g) The existence of a vacancy in the membership of the Council shall not invalidate its proceedings.

9. Branches

In accordance with the objects of the Association, and to promote ready contact between members, Branches of the Association may be established, comprising members in such areas as may be approved by the Council.

Branches so formed shall elect such Officers and Committee as the!' dee1!1 necessary, and shall promote rules for the conduct of their b_usmess. Such rules shall be subject to the approval of the Council.

10. Meetings of the Council

Meetings of the Council shall be convened by the Secretary at the req';lest of the Chairman or of a majority of its members. Any .busmess thereat shall be conducted in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Council.

11. Annual General Meeting

(a) '_I'he AI?-nual General Meeting of the Association shall be held m Apnl each year on a date to be fixed by the Council, the Secretary giving not less than twenty-one days notice m wntmg to each member.

(b) The date, venue and programme of the Annual General Meeting shall be arranged by the Council, and the Chairman, ViceChairman, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer shall approve the agenda and financial statement to be circularised to the members of the Association.

12. Notice of Motion-Annual General Meeting

(a) Notices of Motion for the Annual General Meeting may be submitted by the Council, by Branches, or by any Ordinary Member or the nominated representative within 4(e) (i).

(b) All Notices of Motion shall be forwarded to the Secretary not later than lst March each year.

(c) Notices of Motion shall be placed on the agenda and shall be circularised to members by the Honorary Secretary with the notice convening the Annual General Meeting.

13. Special General Meeting

A Special General Meeting of the Association may be convened by the Council and shall be convened on a written request signed by not less than twenty Ordinary Members or nominated representatives within 4(e) (i).

14. Amendments

No addition, subtraction or amendment shall be made to the Constitution and Rules of the Association except at an Annual General Meeting, previous Notice of Motion having been given in accordance with Rule 12, and such addition, subtraction or amendment shall be adopted only if approved by not less than two-thirds of the members entitled to vote then present and voting. Verbal amendments to a Notice of Motion at an Annual General Meeting shall be permitted provided they are relevant to the original Notice of Motion.

LIMITED

STATION ROAD

CHERTSEY, SURREY ENGLAND

Telephone: Chertsey 4391

Rapid Flashpoints

with the

PRECISE determinations in a fraction of the time taken using conventional methods.

Produces a GO/NOT GO confirmation of critical flash point in ONE MINUTE. Correlates with ASTM-IP methods. Requires only 2 ml. Sample.

ACCURATE-RELIABLE- PORTABLE

Telephone: EASt 0428

DR. H. K. BLACK

(B.Sc., Ph.D., D.l.C., F.R.I.C.)

Consulting Scientist (Formerly H.M. Chief Inspector of Explosives, Home Office) 79 POPE'S AVENUE, TWICKENHAM, MIDDX. TELEPHONE: 01-894 5069

This is to announce that following my decision to retire from the post of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Explosives at the Home Office, London, I have entered into practice as a Consulting Scientist in the following fields of expertise:

EXPLOSIVES: PETROLEUM:

CONVEYANCE OF DANGEROUS CHEMICALS: GAS CYLINDERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS: INDUSTRIAL SAFETY: ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS.

POLLUTION: EXPERT WITNESS.

Manufacture, storage and conveyance. Storage; site design and lay-out; dispensing systems; licensing problems; conveyance. By road and other forms of transport; modern handling methods; port facilities and lay-out; bye-laws.

For conveyance of dangerous substances by road. Explosion and fire hazards; general safety.

Assessment of hazards; precautionary measures.

I am available for consultation at the above address.

DAYBROOK STREET, SHERWOOD, NOTTINGHAM