The Bulletin – July 1971

Quarterly Journal of The Association for Petroleum Acts Administration

E.V.BEEBY

J. BEER J. BIRKS

P. H. CARTWRIGHT C.L. DAVIDS D.HALL S. W. D. HARRIS G.H.HARVEY

THE ASSOCIATION FOR PETROLEUM ACTS ADMINISTRATION

Chairman: J. SHORT Vice-Chairman: RP. HOLDAWAY

Rugby RD.C. 2071

Worcester City 23156

Chesterfield B. 2825

Hartlepool C.B. 2474

G.L.C. Hornchurch 40794

Newcastle-under-Lyme B. 60161

Gloucester RD.C. 26223 Dudley C.B. 55433

Hon. Secretary: J. W. FRID

Council: Officers:

W. HETHERINGTON J. W. HEWISON B. HODGSON K. C. HUGHES T. KERR H. R MELLOR C. R PESKE'IT R E. J. RODEN

Witney U.D.C. 3241

Havant and Waterloo U.D.C. 6311

Wigton RD.C. 2133/5

Stafford B. 3507

Glanford Brigg RD.C. Brigg 2441/5 Blackpool C.B. 23848

Godalming B. 6191/4 Birmingham City 021-236 9944

Hon. Treasurer: C. T. PEACOCK

ANGLIA

CUMBRIA

EAST MIDLAND

NORTI-lERN

NORTH WESTERN

SCOTl'ISH

SOUTI-I EASTERN

SOUTI-I EAST MIDLAND

WESSEX AND SOUTH WALES

WEST MIDLAND YORKSHIRE

Hon. Electrical Adviser:

J. A SHARP,

Hon Legal Adviser: P. D. WADSWORTH,

Hon. Editor: B. W. THACKER Branch Secretaries: J. W. FRID, B. HODGSON, J. BIRKS, P. H. CARTWRIGHT, H. R MELLOR, J. SHORT, C. R PESKETT, R E. DUST, R. HUNTINGTON, G. BALSHAW, C. T. PEACOCK,

WHAT PRICE SAFETY?

A White Paper was published by the Government in 1970, setting out the problems of pollution and proposals for action against it in this country. The White Paper clearly shows that over the last 100 years, man, by taking or making whatever he wanted without sufficient foresight, has succeeded in polluting his environment.

One is entitled to wonder if this disregard of eventualities is true of life in all things.

In our Association we are concerned with the safekeeping and handling of petroleum spirit and our main interest is the safety of the individual. As petroleum officers we are constantly under pressure to allow relaxation of safety standards, particularly on the grounds of economics.

Motor vehicles are manufactured with plastic fuel tanks, although the 1928 Act suggests that perhaps this is not legal; a recent carpark symposium was held to show that multi storey carparks should be constructed in unclad steel and here one speaker referred to the difficulty of overcoming the reservations of the petroleum officer.

There appears to be a greater move towards erosion of safety measures by presentation of selected statistics and also on the grounds of economy. This erosion may perhaps ensure that we are leaving our children an unwanted legacy. In our opinion administration of legislation affecting safety should not be influenced by the measuring rod of money.

notes and news

NEW MEMBERS

Lunesdale Newton Abbot Skelmersdale & Holland Wigtown

RD.C Lancs H U.D.C. Devon H. U.D.C. Lancs. A. C.C. W.&M.

Associate Members J. Batham, Esq., O. B. Rankin, Esq., General Manager, J. K. Yardley, Esq., Applied Research & Engineering Ltd.,

APPOINTMENTS

P. W. Riley, Esq ., Chief Public Health Inspector, Waltham Holy Cross U D C has been appointed Chief Public Health Inspector, Chigwell U.D.C.

N. V. Spink, Esq., Scarborough, M.B .C. has been appointed Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures.

N. Willingale, Esq., Distl'ict Public Health Inspector, Chesterfield R.D.C. has been appointed Public Health Inspector and Housing Manager, Clay Cross U.D.C., in succession to A. F. Green, Esq., now appointed Clerk to the Council

RETIREMENTS

R E. Cooper, Esq.,. Chief Fire Officer, Sunderlandaf-ter thirty one years servIce .

M. Hedley, Esq., Chief Inspector of Weights and Meas '" h' . h ures, Morley '&, ter t lrty years ill t at post.

C. T. Chief Public Health Inspector, Hemsworth RD.C., C aIrman of Association in 1968 and the Secretary-Branch RepresentatIve of the Yorkshi B h f . 9 6 re ranc since its ormatlOn m 1 5 . Mr. Peacock will not b . h " e severmg his mterest III t e A<ssoclatlOn as he has now take h ' n over t e post of Honorary Treasure r.

R. Roper, Esq., Chief Public Health Inspector, Chigwell R.D.C.

We wish these gentlemen a long and enjoyable ret:irement.

CONGRATULATIONS

Queen's Birthday Honours List

H. M. Smith, Esq., H M. Chief Inspector of Fire ServicesKnighthood.

K. L. Holland, Esq., Chief Fire Officer, West Riding of Yorkshire C.B.E.

J. J. Unsworth, Esq., Chief Fire Officer, Halifax M.B.E. S. G. Keely, Esq., Chief Fire Office,r, WolverhamptonQ.F.S.M

OBITUARY

We regret to report the death of Mr. L. Burrell, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Angus County Council.

CORRECTION

The address of H. Martin, Esq., Associate Member, as published in the April edition of The Bulletin was incorrect and should be amended to read: H. Martin, Esq , Shell International Chemical Co. Ltd ., CRM/823, Shell Centre, London S.E.1. 7PG

PUBLICATION

Home Office Circular No. 121/1971, Fire Service Circular No 23/1971 Demolition and Repair of Storage Tanks

MR. G. N. DEAN

We regret to report the resignation of Mr. G. N. Dean, Solihull as the Association's Liaison Officer. Mr. Dean, a founder member of the West Midlands Petroleum Acts Administration Group, was Chairman of that group during the years 1961-63 It was largely due to his activities 'and enthusi'llsm that such a valuable and happy relationship has been established between enforcement officers and execut!ives of oil and allied industries. Mr Dean's official commitments now prevent him continuing in his office, but the efforts he has made on behalf of his colleagues are greatly appreciated and in thanking him sincerely, we wish him well.

IN PARLIAMENT

Oil Slick Dispersal

Mr. Lomas· asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the enquiries into various oil slick dispersals carried out <by his department had now been completed and when he expected the report to be available.

Mr Anthony Gmnt: The department have completed experiments to develop a method of testing the effectiveness of oil dispersants at sea and have tested several dispersants A report on the test method will be published in due course, but information about the performance of commerdal products is for departmental use only.

B.P. Trading Ltd., Council of Bl'itish Manud'acturers of Petroleum Equipment,

The Penetone Co. Ltd.,

HOME OFFICE CIRCULAR No. 100/1971

This circular relates to :_

(a) The Petroleum (Corrosive Substances) Order 1970. (b) The Corrosive Substances (Conveyance by Road) RegulatIOns 1971

The. main effect of the Order is to bring some 120 substances listed in Schedule 1 of the Order, within scope of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 so the Secretary of S tJate to make relating to their conveyance by road.

The object of the reg I t ' . fi u a IOn IS, rst, to ensure that certam baSIC safety precautions are observed while the substances concerned are being conveyed by road, or loaded or unloaded : and, secondly to . h . ,reqUire t e vehicles and pa ckages in t hey are conveyed to be distinctively marked so that In t e event of a road accident or other incident the' emergency '. , the kind ' f hservlces have an immediate indication of o azard which faces them

Enforcement of the I' 1 t J I regu atIons, which came into force on s u y , 1971, will be the duty of Local Authorities under the Petroleum (ConSOlidation) Act 1928 o grant petroleum spirit licences.

OVER-FLOW ALARM

The Tankala rm, T .A.C.l which . relating to oil tank ov fl conforms to regulatiOns er- ow alarm d level of oil in the tank d eVlces , momtors the bell when the level of Oila n 6 a 4 inch gong alarm IS Inches from the tank's to

To cater for different tank ,' . p . be easily varied from 18 in h sizes , .thls operating point can c es to 3 Inches.

When action has been t k f ing, a mut'ing switch is dea en olloWIng this audible warnstops the bell from ringi on the control unit which energized ng, ut keeps a red warning light

This red .lamp is automatic level of oil falls below th I ally sWitched off when the e a arm op e rati

Information from Ph ng pOint. otaIn Cont I L ' . Road, Leathe rhead. ro s Imlted, Randalls

HARMFUL LIQUIDS

A British Standard describing f I h · a method of te t f o c ot 109 to pene tration by toxic s or res,istance last year as BS4477. Howeve r khqUidS was introduced . Rh' Wor by the 0 tectlOn esea rc Group f or the M ' perator Pro. h' d F inlStry of Ag' I Fls e n es an ood has demonstrated th flCU ture, limit a tions a nd has devised a P adt the method has . hd roce ure BS4477 h now been rawn and is repl aced by BS472 , ' as test for .reslstance of air-impermeable clothin 4 of pene trat'lOn of harmful liquids' which has to method as its basis. Cost 50p e inlstry

Petroleum Spirit Storage Tank Explosion

With reference to the letter from Mr. Domoney published in -the April edition of the "Bulletin", I enclose an extract from the Department of Employment's publication Accidents No. 87 April, 1971 which refers to the explosion of an old disused water filled petroleum spirit storage tank, causing the death of one workman

This may be of interest to those members of the Association who do not r eceive that publication.

I am sending copies of this extract to the scrap metal dealers a.nd demolition contractors in this area.

Tablespoonful of Petrol makes Explosive Mixture

The tank, referred to in this report, started its life in 1930 as an underground p etrol tank at the rear of some shop premises . In 1956 the tank ceased to be licensed by the Local Authority for the storage of petroleum and w as filled with water, which is a recognised temporary 'render-safe' treatment for such vessels. Three years later the tank was moved to an open yard on a site at the rear of the premises Some years after, the land where the tank had been dumped was the subject of a compulsory purchase order, and was earmarked for building extensions The tank remained 01\ the site and presented a clearance problem to the demolition contractors had a standard arrangement with the scrapyard who were ,coming along later.

The tank was examined and no printing or other mark on the outside indicated what its contents were, nor was there any significant smell . A little later a leak was noticed from one of the lower transverse seam welds. This was forcibly enlarged by hitting with a hammer and the leaking fluid was identified as water, although it was stained a deep brown with rust and it had a musty smell. The demolition contract ors were convinced that the tank was a water tank although people experienced in the scrap metal industry might well have considered from its shape and general appearance that it had at one time served a s an underground petroleum storage vessel. The tank was then trundled roughly the sitp by a mechanical shovel to a point near the eXit where it could be conveniently loaded onto a lorry disposal at a nearby scrapya rd At this stage the seam was further enlarged and an additional hole made ID the tank by means of a pi,ck to assist in the escap e of thus lessening the load to be placed upon the lorry to the transfer of the tank to ,the scra py ard The demoli tIOn contrac tors who were making the s.ite r eady for the builde rs owners that the history of all tan ks d elivered WOUld. b e clearly known . In this case n either party t o the tr ansac tIOn had the sHghtest hesita,tie n in tre ating the t a nk as a wate r tank. After allow ing mo r e of the wa ter t o es cap e fro m t h e

tank, the lorry carrying it was parked near to a Scotch Derrick crane and one leg of a two legged chain sling was fastened around the two projecting pipes that were a former filler pipe and vent pipe projecting from the tank periphery. In order to get the second leg of the sling attached to the other end of the tank the slinger employed by the scrapyard called over another scrapyard worker who operated a burner. The burner took his oxy-propane equipment onto the lorry and near to him the lorry driver and the slinger stood by.

Ten seconds after applying the flame of the oxy-propane torch to the tank there was a loud explosion which shattered the tank, allowing several hundred gallons of water to escape. In addition to this the lorry driver was blown bodily over the roof of a nearby lean-to building, and his lifeless body was found some little time later lying in a heap of scrap metal. Witnesses said that they smelt what seemed to them to be petrol vapour during the immediate aftermath of the explosion. The crane driver with his bird's eye view of the incident said he saw a cloud of white vapour just before he closed his eyes and ducked down into his crane cab.

It was quite clear that as soon as water escaped from the tank petrol vapour built up in the ullage space. In fact only 1-2 tablespoonsful of petrol would have been sufficient to create an explosive mixture in the tank had it been empty, and rather less than this in the partly filled tank.

T. H. C. BARTROP, Chelmsford R.D.C.

PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY COURSE UNIVERSITY OF YORK

The second Petroleum Technology Course organised by the Northern Division of the Association was held at Goodricke College University of York on 13th 15th April, 1971. As with the course held in 1970, it was fully subscribed and promises to be a well supported annual event. Goodricke College is in the grounds of Heslington Hall in the outskirts of York. These grounds provide a beautiful and relaxing setting for the University. Excellent facilities were provided for the course, single study rooms, varied meals and comfortable surroundings and extremely helpful staff.

The course was opened on Tuesday, April 13th, by an official welcome by J. Short, Esq., who is now Chairman of the Association. In his address of welcome, he referred to the progress made by the Association in organising this type of course and he was pleased to see that once more the two regional courses were being held together with an advanced course at this venue. Seven lectures were given over the three days. Each lecturer was given sufficient time to allow for a question and discussion period immediately after his address. This discussion period proved one of the most interesting of the course, particularly the Open Forum held in the last session. Details of the lectures given are as follows :-

"Work and Responsibilities of the Petroleum Officer"

D. Hall, M.I.W.M.A, D.I.S.AA, M.lnst.Pet., Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Newcastle under Lyme.

"Petroleum Law"

Legal Proceedings

BRADFORD

Keeping Petroleum Mixtures without a Licence

On the 2nd June, 1971, the following firms were prosecuted under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 at Bradford Magistrates Court for keeping petroleum mixtures without a licence.

Mr. George Dilger of Westend Mills, Stoney Lane, Allerton, Bradford. Convicted and fined £10.

John Hargreaves and Son (Bradford) Ltd. of 1 Harris Street, Bradford. Convicted and fined £5.

Anthony Gledhill of 33 George Street, Bradford. Convicted and fined £20.

They were also ordered to pay £5 each analyst costs.

The prosecutions arose because of the failure of the above to renew their licences after repeated communications and receipt of recorded delivery reminders. The difference in the amount of fines can be accounted for in that John Hargreaves had immediately renewed his licence on warning of a prosecution, George Dilger did not immediately do so, and at the time of the Court hearing Anthony Gledhill had not yet renewed.

R. Pitham, Association Solicitor, Solihull, C.B. "Self-service and its Future Developments"

J. F. Bridger, G.I.Mech.E., B.P. Retail Head Office, Shell-Mex & B.P. Ltd.

"Planning and the Petroleum Officer"

B. W. C. Thacker, Senior Fire Prevention Officer, Teesside County Borough.

"The Testing of New and Existing Petroleum Spirit Underground Storage Tanks"

J. Beer, M.I.W.M.A, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, City of Worcester.

"The Installation of Underground Tanks"

K. Sherwood, AF.lnst.Pet., Senior Engineer, Esso Petroleum Co. Ltd.

"Electrical Requirements"

J. A Sharp, ALE.E., Senior Assistant Engineer, Midland Electricity Board.

During the three days covered by the course the weather was kind for the middle of April and helped to make the stay at York most enjoyable. The success of the course was however, no doubt due to the planning by the Education and Publications Committee and also to the hard work and organising by Mr. C. T. Peacock.

THE 'DEPARTMENT STORE' PETROL STATION

A . petrol station built on the 'department store' pn?clpl.e "":as opened on lSth May, 1971 and is the first of Its kmd m the United Kingdom.

T?e object of building a departmental store type petrol statIOn was to give the motorist the same kind of protection the noise and bustle of the adjacent road that he enJoys as an ordinary shopper when he goes into any main shop in the High Street to make a purchase.

The departmental store construction is achieved through the building of a vast roof over the whole site. As a result, all the 'counters' for the various products and services for motorist beneath the large roof can be reshuffled very qUickly and at reasonable cost at any time, as in a departstore, to cope with changes in demand for particular services.

Shell assembled an international team to work out this idea: It comprised Shell marketing experts from the Umted Kmgdom, Italy, France, Germany, the United States and Japan. They were assisted by a firm of design consultand brief was to plan a type of petrol station that Will be sUitable for all countries and all climatic conditions :-vhere Shell operates, which will be suitable for all motorIsts, yet be capable of any adaptation in its services as marketmg requirements change in the future.

The team visited co t· un nes In Europe North America and the Far East and th I ' h . ' ey evo ved the large roof philosophy, to w Ich the general t f "C erm 0 anopus" has been applied. There are now such t I . . t B pe ro stations 'In the United Kingdom a F Smethwick, and Worley one in rance, one In Japan· ,., . G ' one m Holland, one in Canada, and one m ermany. Others are being built.

Shell is rebuilding 0 b ·ld· petrol stations in the r .UI from new a number of some of these the C currently and on anopus prInciple will be developed.

But they will not necess ·1 style as used at B an y follow exactly the same earwood since th I can be adapted to ..e arge roof technique materials. At all of the conditIOns and use different will be one-way to giVm, at Bearwood, the flow of traffic e qUICker service with added safety.

Technical Details of the S If e -service Site at Bearwood

Pumps

There are five tri-grade blende 95 and 99 octane, together retaIlmg Shell grades 91, serving one 101 octane. Ith one Super Shell pump

All are Avery Hardoll sw· mg arm pumps f er operation. The selector and th or easy custom·d Th e nozzle are th SI e. e pumps are set in echelon on e same The pumps have self-close nozzles access for 12 cars. when the tank is full. On each puma off.automatically designed utility cabinet dispensing tlSr a water, paper dipstick wipers, oil in a dispe:si:s, upper cylinder lubricant gun. g bm and

Console

There is cm Avery Hardoll console, circular in shape, each part of which is within easy reach of the cashier who sits on a swivel chair. The cashier is within a hand's reach of receipts from the ticket printer which shows the amount of fuel purchased and also the pump control panel switches by which the pumps are freed. She also operates a trading stamp machine. In addition, the cashier takes cash for purchases in the motorists' shop.

The use of the ticket printer means that the pump can be freed before the customer has paid and this gives speedier and more efficient service.

Buildings

These are the shop, stores and office building, two toilets for customers, staff room and car wash.

The shop consists of two modules, each 16ft. 3ins. square, and the stores consist of two modules, each Sft. 4ins. square. The office building and staff room are each Sft. 4in. square.

The buildings are made of laminated plywood and insulated by a fibre glass quilt. They have rounded corners, an advantage of laminated construction. As all the buildings are constructed on a modular pattern, they can be added to or removed according to the current marketing needs. All are sprayed with a plastic paint giving a completely waterproof plastic cover.

The Kleindeinst coin-operated fully automatic car wash can accommodate one car approximately every three minutes and is fed by a 1,000 gallon water tank.

The shop floor is of timber to deaden noise and has frameless glass-to-glass doors. Both shop and car wash have vaulted roofs for strength.

The metal shelves in the shop are specially designed for motorists' accessories.

The Roof

It was built by Vickers Engineering of Southampton using the Triodetic system whereby 2,800 aluminium tubes are slotted into 763 hubs rather like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. This system was invented in Canada. In fact, the Bearwood canopy covers an area of 12,400 sq. and weighs 30 tons. It is supported by four columns and It was hoisted into position by three 3D-ton cranes and one 60-ton crane after it had been completed at ground level. It stands 18ft. above the ground and the framework is clad with rigidal aluminium sheet.

An intensive lighting system is incorporated in the canopy to achieve a standard of illumination at .forecourt level of 50 lumens a square foot. This is achieved by the use of Atlas mercury vapour fittings which are an industrial fitting normally used in factories. Other forms of lighting are located at ground level shining diagonally upwards to illuminate the underside of the canopy.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONSDISUSED TANKS

By A. HEWITT, Liverpool.

One of the Conditions of Licence for a petroleum spirit installation reads as follows :-

The licensee shall at least 10 days before discontinuing the use for the storage of petroleum of any underground tank or similar receptacle on the premises to which this licence relates, give to the Local Authority notice in writing of his intention to do so and shall immediately upon discontinuing its use, take such steps as may be necessary to render it immune from danger of fire or explosion, including any necessary steps which the Local Authority may require him to take for that purpose. Incidents involving the cleaning. removal, dismantling or conveyance of storage tanks which have previously contained flammable liquids are infrequent, but due to the limited safety precautions which are sometimes applied in these circumstances, such events are invariably accompanied by serious injury or loss of life.

The problems relating to making a tank safe, in order to carry out repairs or fulfil a Condition of Licence, are dependent upon a number of factors, each contributing to the dangers associated with fire and explosion. Apart from the obvious things such as an explosive mixture and a means of ignition, consideration must be given to :-

(a) Legislation

(b) The commodity which is stored (c) The procedure to be adopted for each particular operation.

Legislation

Before applying any Codes of Good Practice or making recommendations regarding safety precautions, careful examination of any legislation associated with the work should be examined and the relative authorities contacted. Consultation with H.M. Inspector of Factories will reveal any special requirements made under Sections 30 and 31 of the Factories Act 1961. However, in this case I would mention the Safety, Health and Welfare Booklet No. 32, published by the Department of Employment and Productivity in conjunction with H.M. Factories Inspectorate and Technical Data Note No. 18 "Repair and Demolition of Large Storage Tanks" (H.M. Factory Inspectorate).

Harbour Authorities are Licensing Authorities in their own right and in this case shipping regulations may well be involved and liaison with the Board of Trade is called for.

The Commodity being Stored and Volatility

The controlling factors here are Flash Point, Viscosity, and once again the particular legislation which may affect the substance should be examined.

Although flash points have been used to separate various flammable liquids into categories, a general guide might be as follows:

Low Flash Point Below 73°F (Petroleum Spirit) 73°F-90°F (Factories Act) Medium 90°F-150°F.

Insofar as safety is concerned, a serious fire or explosion can be just as devastating whether caused by the ignition of vapours from a high or Iow flash commodity. With this in mind it follows that the most stringent precautions should be applied when working on any container known to have been used for storage of flammable liquid.

Prior to 1951 D.S.I.R., J.F.R.O. and Fire Offices Committee performed a number of experiments on various sizes of drums containing small amounts of fuel oil including paraffin and diesel. By raising the temperatures above that of flash point, they were able to produce explosions.

To my mind this points to many complications such as "flash back" and a spread of fire over large areas.

How is the Commodity Stored?

This may be either above or below ground, and from time to time all containers whether large or small require a certain amount of maintenance. SpeCial precautions are laid down in the Factories Act Sections 30 and 31 regarding dangerous fumes. lack of oxygen, and safety measures with respect to explosive or flammable gas, vapour or substance. This brings me to the main topic for discussion.

The Procedure to be Adopted

Nearly all forms of instruction in connection with safety are built around a procedure, e.g.

Road Safety LOOK RIGHT! LOOK LEFT! LOOK RIGHT AGAIN and if the road is clear walk quickly across.

Fire Safety On discovery of fire SOUND THE ALARM LEAVE THE BUILDING CALL THE FIRE BRIGADE.

Failure to carry out the correct procedure sometimes leads to disaster.

As a basis for safety procedures to be adopted when making tank and containers safe, the following methods should be considered.

To make a tank safe in situ as a temporary measure

Method No. 1

(a) Fill the tanks with water to the point of overflowing

(b) Fill the manholes with sand

(c) Replace the man lids or render with 2" of concrete.

This method, although the simplest is not always acceptable due to the problem of having to pump out the water at a later date and risking contamination with substances as petrol and in addition encouraging corrosion of the mtenor by rust. A period of 3 to 6 months may be accepted as a temporary measure.

Method No. 2

the tank to about 5-7 lb. per sq. inch with an mert gas such as nitrogen and proceed as in 1(b) and l(c).

This costs more than method No. 1 but may only be m tanks which are in sound condition. The risk of corrOSIOn and contamination is considerably reduced.

Method No. 3

Fill the tank with crushed (solid) C02 at the rate of about 1 I? per 40 gallons capacity of the container and proceed as m l(b) and l(c) above.

This method is similar to No. 2 inasmuch as an inert gas IS used and the risk of contamination is negligible.

To make a containe f r sa e permanently a concrete slurry IS used, and this usu II t k a y a es the form of 1 part cement and sufficient water to make a slurry d usmgl IS method, it is advisable to ascertain any· future eve opment which may b remove an Und e proposed for the area. To erground Obstacle such 5 000 11 capacity tank filled with as a, ga on problem for the bUilders. a concrete slurry would be a

Removal of Tanks from U d n erground

Where a tank is to be rem it should first be cleaned and IS m sound condition, commonly called "bott 0 "a sludge and foreign matter, oms This w·n procedure outlined under S. I agam mvolve a ies Act, 1961, consequenuectlOns 30 and 31 of the Factorshould be contacted. y H.M. Inspector of Factories

The tank is then pressu·rIsed using C02 or mtrogen, to about 7 Ib an. mert gas such as with analytical chemists or ch sq. Consultation assist in obtaining a certificatem;caI engmeering firms will insufficient vapour present to e 0 the effect that there is ificate is a requirement when This certt k d IS carned out in 1· storage an s, an IS referred to as a "G F vo vmg as ree Certificate".

All openings should then be sealed and th t for removal from the ground, i.e. ankdPrepared d · d an removal of surroun mg san and earth. The futUre use d 1 . . an ocatlOn

of the tank should be ascertained and the appropriate authority notified. This measure is to assist in continuing the code of safe practice. It should be dearly understood that the period of certification is limited according to the certificate and must be in force to include the time when the tank is on the highway.

Defective Tanks

To remove a defective tank involves a similar procedure to the above with the exception that the tank cannot be pressurised. In this case a continuous flow of inert gas should be produced either nitrogen or C02 in the manner stated, using 1 lb. per 40 gallons capacity during the entire procedure.

Dismantling

The tank should be cleaned as before and depending upon size of the tank, it should be continuously steamed ensuring that the steam nozzle is effectively bonded to the earthed container. The steaming becomes effective only when the container becomes too hot to allow normal hand pressure on it. This consequently obviates the use of steam on major installation tanks, or underground tanks, and should be confined to small containers.

Large containers should be filled with water and in the case of major installations, sea water can be used to reduce costs.

All preliminary work on tanks should be carried out using non ferrous tools and all demolition work should be preceded by using cold cutting methods until adequate ventilation is achieved. The removal of a roof provides this.

Tanks having floating roofs are usually in the major installation class and in this instance the roof can be removed in sections. When the whole of the roof is removed maximum ventilation is achieved.

As the tank has been filled with water and the roof removed, oxy-acetylene cutting methods may be used; the level of water being reduced as to the cutting rate.

It must be emphasised that the dangers from fire and explosion associated with disused tanks should be made known to all who are concerned in the storage or keeping of flammable liquids. Before any work is commenced the Fire Brigade should be notified, and all precautionary measures put into effect.

The advice of H.M. Inspector of Factories must always be sought before any work is attempted which may come within the scope of the Factories Act 1961.

PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY COURSE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

13th-16th April, 1971

There can be few more pleasant places in which to hold a course than at Manor House, Godalming -a large gracious house situated in an elevated position with a fine vista of the Surrey countryside. Add the magnificent weather that accompanied the course and one has the essential ingredients for a relaxing and agreeable stay.

Fifty-one people attended the course, ranging from Petroleum Officers and Fire Officers to representatives of the petroleum and equipment manufacturing industries, and such a range ensured a good coverage of the various aspects of petroleum technology.

The course started on the Tuesday evening with dinner and an official welcome by His Worship the Mayor of Godalming, Councillor F. A. G. Mant and Mr. H. T. E. Jackson, Chairman of the South East Branch of the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration.

The first lecture was given by Mr. J. W. Hayes, Solicitor, who outlined the provisions of the various Petroleum Acts and Regulations. This is a difficult task which Mr. Hayes tackled with enthusiasm and whilst the law in the main was adequate, he was quick to emphasise certain short-comings and anomalies which exist to make enforcement at times difficult for the Petroleum Officer.

"Tank Installation and Tests" was the basis for the lecture given by Mr. F. A. Smith, Petroleum Inspector for the County Borough of Worthing. One point emphasised in this paper was the care required in ensuring that tanks are adequately tested prior to installation, especially with more large capacity tanks of 6,000 gallons being installed. Emphasising the need for careful testing, Mr. Smith said that variable atmospheric conditions can readily create misleading results and Petroleum Officers should take care to consider any atmospheric pressure and temperature variation before making any final decision on passing the tanks.

The Wednesday morning session was given to a paper "Conveyance Law and Problems", by Mr. C. L. Davids, Senior Petroleum Officer of the Greater London Council. Mr. Davids knew his subject extremely well and presented it admirably, especially those aspects in relation to the labelling of vehicles.

An articulated petroleum spirit tanker was available for examination on the Wednesday afternoon following the lecture on "Tanker Construction and Inspection", given by Mr. M. E. Smith, Senior Petroleum Inspector of the Greater London Council. In his talk, Mr. Smith outlined the various legal requirements and the reasons behind the strict control over vehicle construction.

"Emergency Procedures" was the subject dealt with in some length by Mr. H. T. E. Jackson, Senior Petroleum Inspector of the Greater London Council. Mr. Jackson was able to give some examples of how emergencies should be tackled, emphasising that the complicated way in which petroleum and its vapours behave could often mislead the investigating Petroleum Officer. What appeared to be the obvious, sometimes turned out to be the reverse and Mr. Jackson stressed the need always for thorough investigation.

Mr. F. G. Ashley, Sales Liaison Engineer of Wayne's Limited, in his paper on "Petrol Filling Station Equipment" brought those present up to date with equipment being used and he gave details of the latest dispensing unit only recently introduced at Sunbury-on-Thames, where the petrol is dispensed from long hoses attached to the head of a column. The motors are separate from the unit which is known as the self service push button petroleum dispensing system.

Mr. T. C. Covill of Esso Petroleum Limited in his paper "Electrical Requirements", explained in easily understandable terms the various electrical requirements and illustrated his talk with well designed diagrams.

The final lecture was given by Divisional Officer J. D. Dunbar, Senior Fire Prevention Officer for Surrey on "Fire Protection Equipment". Prefacing his talk by a film on L.P.G. fires, Mr. Dunbar continued by showing slides of a storage depot fire from which one was able to see the horrific effects. Further slides were shown to illustrate the various types of fire fighting equipment available. As with all the lectures this was followed by a discusion session.

The final session to the Friday morning consisted of a panel of experts who answered questions put to them by those present on all aspects of the Petroleum Acts and Regulations.

The course was well received in that it was both interesting and instructive and the organisers and various lecturers and especially the convenor, Mr. C. R. Peskett of Godalming, are to be commended on their efforts.

Annual General Meeting at Paisley

Report of the Meeting held on 26th April, 1971

The Annual General Meeting was held in the South Minor To",:n Hall, Abbey Close, Paisley, Scotland on Monday, 26th Apnl, 1971 at 11.00 a.m.

meeting was opened by the Provost of Paisley, WIlham Divertie, Esq., who welcomed the 53 members who were present. He expressed the pleasure which it gave him and his authority that the Association had, for first tIme, chosen Scotland and in particular Paisley for Its Annual General Meeting.

Apologies

Apologies were received from 21 members.

Minutes

The Minutes of the previous Annual General Meeting, as reported on pages 52 and 53 of the July 1970 Bulletin were accepted by the meeting.

Matters AriSing

There were no matters arising from these Minutes.

Chairman's Report

Mr. R. E. J. Roden, gave an outline of his dutIes durmg his year of office and in particular drew members' attention to the steady increase in local authority membership which had occurred during the past year. He spoke also of the increasing volume of queries and requests for advice which the Association's officers had dealt with. He made particular mention of the growing number of consultations between the Association and various official bodies which indicated the importance with which the views of Association were acknowledged elsewhere. The C?alrman drew members' attention to the fact that during of Office, the Honorary Editor, Mr. R. P. Holdaway a , after many years of extremely useful and valuable Work on behalf of the Association, decided to resign that office. Mr ROden 'd t 'b t . pal n ute to Mr. Holdaway's dedICatIOn t ? a task which on many occasions was both onerous and Ime con Th k summg. Members were told that Mr B W C ac e h d had h I' f to take over this responsible task and b Me e t, contmued to maintain the high standards set Yd r. Holdaway. The Chairman then thanked the officers an members of th A " d . h' e SSOclatlOn for theIr help and guidance urmg IS year of office.

Honorary Secretary's Report

The Honorary Se t . cre ary Informed those present that the of the Association now totalled 601 Local Hu OI'ltJes, 110 Associates, 38 "Bulletin" subscribers and 9 onorary Members a . b d · ' n mcrease of 35 Local Authority mem- el'S urmg the year H f . e re erred to the Chairman'S Report and the fact that the A ", '. ssoclatlOn s co-operation and comment ha? been mVlted during the year by the Home Office, the BntIsh Standards Institution, the Department of Trade and Industry (B.A.S.E.E.F.A.) and the Institute of Petroleum

and that, for the first time, the Home Office had agreed that a member of this Association be included in the working party which was considering the 'compilation of a new Model Code for basement and multi-storey car parks.

The Secretary further reported that a considerable number of queries had been put through him to the Legal and Reference Committee of the Association and the Chairman of this Committee had made arrangements for a Questions and Answers Supplement to be published from time to time in the "Bulletin" in order that all members would have the benefit of his Committee's views on the various problems set them. The Secretary spoke at some length about the Association's educational programmes with particular mention of the two courses which had been held at Surrey and York Universities, both of which had been very successful and also of the proposed advanced seminar which was to be held at York University in July.

The Secretary concluded by thanking all the officers and members who had assisted him during his year in office. The Secretary's report was accepted by the meeting.

Honorary Treasurer's Report

A written report together with statements of account had been previously circulated. The Honorary Treasurer, Mr. J. Forman, spoke briefly on his term of office. and thanked all members for the support which he had receIved. He ed however that due to the heavy volume of work whIch the post of Treasurer involved he had reluctantly to ask the meeting to accept his resignation.

Mr. Forman's report together with the statements .of account were accepted by the meeting and it was. WIth regret that his resignation was also accepted. The ChaIrman thanked Mr. FOl'man for his valuable services to the AssoCiation.

Honorary Editor's Report

The Editor reminded the meeting that he had been In 0 for only four months and that perhaps it would have more fitting to have received the report from Mr. R. Holdaway the previous Editor.

ffice

H Id Y was unavoid-

It was most unfortunate that Mr. 0 awa of ably absent but Mr. Thacker felt that on the occaslOnth . , t 'bute to e this Annual General Meeting he should pay n t' d d d to the ASSOCla IOn services his predecessor ha ren ere bl t over the past ten years, hoping that he would be a e 0 continue the excellent standard set.

With the change of Editor, so had there been a change in Printers. The new firm seemed quite helpful and cooperative and we looked forward to a long and happy association.

Mr. Thacker was sorry that the delivery ?f his first publication had been delayed, but this was entIrely out of his control and he hoped that future issues would not be strike bound.

Election of Officers

(a) Chairman

Mr. J. Short, Paisley Burgh, sole nominee for the office, was elected to serve as Chairman of the Association for the ensuing year and was invested with his Badge of Office by the retiring Chairman.

Mr. Short thanked the members for electing him to office and stated that he considered it not only a personal honour but also an honour to the Scottish Branch which he represented on the Council. He also considered it his first duty to thank the retiring Chairman, Mr. R. E. J. Roden, for the outstanding service he had given to the Association during his year of office.

Ordinary Member 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 authorise one of its petroleum officers to act as its representative, such representative or his deputy shall be entitled to exercise the rights of ordinary membership on behalf of the authority. All other petroleum officers of member authorities shall be eligible to attend Association meetings and shall be entitled to speak but not to vote.

(b)

Vice-Chairman

One nomination, that of Mr. R. P. Holdaway, was received and Mr. Holdaway was duly appointed ViceChairman.

(c) Honorary Secretary

There being only one nomination, that of the eXlstmg Honorary Secretary, Mr. J. W. Frid was therefore reelected.

No proposer or seconder was present from the South East Midland Branch for the Notice of Motion, therefore in order that the matter could be discussed by the members present, the Motion was formally proposed by Mr. S. W. D. Harris, seconded by Mr. J. W. Frid, Honorary Secretary.

Mr. Hall, Chairman of the Constitution and Rules Committee spoke against the motion emphasising that the point in question was already covered under the Association's existing rules. The Motion was eventually lost, fourteen voting against, four for.

Any Other Business

(d)

(e)

Honorary Treasurer

There was one nomination for this post, that of Mr. C. T. Peacock who was duly elected.

Honorary Editor

One nomination was received, that of the present Editor, and Mr. B. W. C. Thacker was duly re-elected.

(f) Honorary Liaison Officer

The Secretary reported that the present Honorary Liaison Officer, Mr. G. N. Dean, had tendered his resignation from the post and that there had not been a further nomination. The meeting decided that this office be left vacant until such time as the Council decided on the need to fill it.

Mr. S. McGregor enquired if it was proposed in the future that nominated members of local authorities bet announced in order that the members eligible to vote are known by the meeting. Mr. Hall replied informing the meeting that his Committee were in the process of developing a procedure which will be adopted in the future in order that voting members can be known and noted at the meeting.

A further question concerning the storage of L.P.G. was held over in order that it could be put to Dr. G. J. Jeacocke during his talk at the afternoon session. The meeting then adjourned for lunch, the time being 12.15 p.m.

Civic Lunch

(g)

Honorary Legal Adviser

Mr. P. D. Wadsworth, the present Honorary Legal Adviser to the Association was re-appointed.

(h) Honorary Auditor

Mr. A. Senior, Chief Public Health Inspector, Hemsworth RD.C. was appointed Honorary Auditor.

Election of Council

Eight nominations were received for the eight Council Representatives; the following were duly elected :-

E. V. Beeby, Rugby RD.C.

J. Beer, City of Worcester.

C. L. Davids, Greater London Council. D. Hall, NewcastIe-under-Lyme B. J. Hewison, Havant & Waterloo U.D.C.

K. C. Hughes, Stafford B. T. Kerr, Glanford Brigg RD.C.

RE. J. Roden, City of Birmingham.

Two Scrutineers, Mr. H. Martin and Mr. L. B. Wilson (City of Cambridge) were appointed.

Notice of Motion

That Rule 4(e) of the Association's Constitution and Rules be amended to read as follows :-

Members present were entertained to lunch at the Brabloch Hotel as guests of the Corporation of Paisley. After lunch the principal guest, Mr. William Divertie, Provost of Paisley, made a short speech which was responded to by the AssOCiation Chairman, Mr. J. Short. The meeting re-assembled at 2.30 p.m. at the South Minor Town Hall.

Guest Speaker

The afternoon session was taken up with a most interesting talk by Dr. G. J. Jeacocke, M.Sc., Ph.D., F.L.R.C., a member of H.M. Home Office Inspectorate which was followed by a number of most interesting questions which were fully and most adequately answered by Dr. Jeacocke.

In a short speech afterwards Mr. D. Hall thanked Dr. Jeacocke for his many enlightening words and also expressed the Association's pleasure at the excellent 'arrangements for the meeting, and also the hospitality extended to members by the Corporation of Paisley.

A proposal that a letter of thanks be sent to the Corporation of Paisley was unanimously approved.

The meeting closed at 4.30 p.m.

BRANCH REPORTS

West Midlands

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Council Chamber of Atcham RD.C., Shrewsbury, on Tuesday, 23rd March, 1971.

The meeting was welcomed by Alderman Shaw, Chairman of the Public Health Committee, Atcham RD.C. He spoke of the heavy responsibility carried by people who were concerned with safety in petroleum installations.

The Branch Chairman, Mr. T. Keith, Cannock V.D.C., expressed the thanks of the Branch for this welcome.

Present

30 members and 2 visitors.

Apologies for Absence

10 apologies were received.

Minutes of Previous Branch Meeting

The Minutes of the previous Branch Meeting held at Cannock on the 5th March, 1970, having been previously circulated, were approved and sig!led as a correct record.

Report of Secretary-Treasurer and Branch Representative

The Report and Balance Sheet, having been previously circulated, were accepted and approved.

Election of Officers and Committee

The following were elected :_ Chairman

Mr. R P. Holdaway, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Shrewsbury. Vice-Chairman

Mr. T. Burn, Chief Fire Officer, Stoke-on-Trent. Committee

Mr. K. C. Hughes, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Stafford.

Mr. J. R Lewis, Fire Officer, Walsall. Mr. G. Balshaw, Weights and Measures Inspector, Shrewsbury.

Honorary SecretarY-Treasurer, Branch Representative Honorary Auditor

It was resolved that the Executive Committee be authorised to appoint an Honorary Secretary-Treasurer, a Branch Representative, and an Honorary Auditor at their meeting and that the present holders of those posts continue in until such appointments were made.

Next Branch Meeting

An offer was made, on behalf of Mr. T. BUrn, for Stoke-onTrent as the venue for our next meeting. This was accepted with thanks, subject to a mutually convenient date.

Any Other Business

(a) Life Member H. Griffiths.

It was proposed by Mr. K. C. Hughes and seconded by Mr. T. Keith that Mr. H. Griffiths be made a Life Member of this Branch as a mark of appreciation for the invaluable services he has rendered. This was approved unanimously.

(b) Branch Rules.

A copy of the revised Model Branch Rules approved by the National Council were previously circulated together with proposed insertions by the Branch Executive Committee. These were introduced by Mr. D. Hall, Chairman of the Council's Constitution and Rules Committee.

Agreed that the Model Branch Rules be adopted for this Branch.

Talk

After lunch a talk was given on "Fire Protection on Petroleum Filling Stations" by Mr. F. W. Marbidge, M.B.E., Senior Fire Prevention Officer of Shropshire Fire Brigade. He gave a short history of the involvement of Fire Brigades in petroleum and associated matters, and went on to describe various fires and behaviour under different climatic conditions. In passing he made a suggestion that perhaps it would be of advantage if a "permit to work" be required for maintenance work on petrol filling stations, and that all workmen should be instructed in the dangers associated with petroleum, e.g., when acetylene welding underneath a car.

A recent B.S. Classification of fires no longer classified electrical fires as such.

Class A - Solids. Class B - Liquids or liquefiable solids. Class C - Gases. Class D - Metals.

An attempt was being made to distinguish between different types of Fire Extinguishers :Water Red for wood, paper, textiles" etc. Foam Cream for flammable liquids. Dry Powder Blue for flammable liquids and electrical equipment.

C.O.2 Black for flammable liquids and electrical equipment. . 'd Vaporising liquid (B.C.F.) _ Green for flammable hqUl s.

There are two types of dry powder one general and one for metal fires.

It was now accepted that lO lb. dry powder was roughly equivalent to 2 gallon foam in experienced hands.

He recommended that any fire extinguisher should conform to the Fire Offices Committee Rules on Approval or be constructed to British Standard Specification.

There was then a convincing demonstration in the open air of the efficiency of various types of extinguisher on a petrol fire.

The meeting had a general discussion on the points mentioned and Mr. Harbidge answered a number of wide ranging questions. It was generally agreed that more training was necessary for attendants, both in the handling of petroleum spirit and in the operation of fire extinguishers.

Mr. Murphy of Wellington proposed a vote of thanks to the speaker and this was carried unanimously.

The Chairman expressed the thanks of the Branch to Mr. D. Corfield and to Atcham R.D.C. for their co-operation and hospitality.

East Midland

The Annual General Meeting of the East Midland Branch was held at the Guildhall, Grantham, on Wednesday 21st April, 1971.

Present

The Chairman, Mr. B. S. Pike, and 44 members.

Apologies

22 apologies were received.

Official Welcome

At the morning session members learned from Mr. C. W. Howkins, Grantham, of the death of the Mayor of Grantham who had promised to open the meeting. Mr. Howkins then welcomed members to the meeting on behalf of the Corporation of Grantham. The Chairman, Mr. B. S. Pike, thanked Mr. Howkins for the welcome and members then expressed their regret on hearing of the death of the Mayor. It was agreed that a letter conveying the condolences of the Branch should be sent to the Corporation of Grantham.

Minutes

The Minutes of the Ordinary General Meeting held at Chesterfield on Wednesday, 4th November, 1970, were confirmed and signed.

Membership

There was one application for Ordinary Membership and one for Associate Membership which were submitted and approved.

Mr. W. H. Matthews, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures for Derby, informed members that he was attending his last meeting as a member of the East Midland Branch and tributes were immediately made by members. Mr. J. Bantoft, Derby, referred to the long history of the Matthews family in the Weights and Measures profession. He reminded members of the fact that Mr. Matthews was a founder member of the former Midland Group and had always given support to the East Midland Branch and taken an active interest in the affairs of the Association generally. The Chairman endorsed these remarks and it was unanimously agreed that Mr. Matthews be made a Life Member of the Branch. Mr. Matthews thanked members for the honour and emphasised how much he had enjoyed being a member of a body which consisted of members from so many various professions.

Annual Report of Secretary-Treasurer

The Secretary reported that there were now 69 Local

Authority Members, 14 Associate Members, and that during the year ended 31st December, 1970, Branch membership had increased from 108 to 124 Ordinary Members and from 11 to 14 Associate Members.

Reports were given of meetings held during the year and of the highly successful Course of Instruction for Petroleum Officers held at York University from 6th to 8th July, 1970. The Secretary reported that the suspension of postal facilities had had some effect on the organisation of a similar Course of Instruction for Petroleum Officers by the Northern Division Education Committee which was held at York University from 13th to 15th April, 1971. Nevertheless it was hoped that all applicants from the East Midland Branch had been accepted.

As requested by members the Secretary reported that a letter of appreciation had been sent to Mr. R. P. Holdaway for his past services as the Editor of The Bulletin. A letter of thanks from Mr. Holdaway was read out to members.

The financial position of the Branch remained satisfactory although Branch Meeting expenses were higher than usual.

Annual Report of Branch Representative

!he Branch Representative gave his report on the proceedmgs of the Council. He informed members of the continuing success of the Association's Model Code and that a second re-print had been made. A Badge of Office for the Chairman of the Association was approved and purchased by the during the year and the Branch Representative Informed members that a replica of the badge could be produced for Branches wishing to purchase one for their own Chairman at a cost of about £25.

Members were informed that Council after surveying the of the various Branches had decided that in the mterests of uniformity Model Branch Rules should be produced and circulated to the Branches. A considerable amount of work had been carried out in producing these Model Branch Rules and it was the wish of the Council that -all. Branches should adopt these Rules subject to the approprIate amendments.

The Branch Representative reported on the Residential Courses scheduled for 1971. In addition to the Courses at yniversity and Surrey University the Council had Its approval to the first Advanced Petroleum Seminar whIch was to be held at York University from 4th to 7th July, 1971. A further Advanced Course had been provisionally booked from 16th to 19th July, 1972.

A new Model Code for Underground Garages and MultiStorey Car Parks was being considered by the Home Office and the Branch Representative reported that 't I' to not th t th H 1 was p easmg e a ome Office had invited a representative from the ASSOCiatIon be on its Working Committee. Mr. R. E. J. Roden, Immediate Past Ch-aI'rman of th A . t' e ssocla Ion had been mVlted by the Council to be its representatoive.

The Branch Representative informed members that, as mstructed by the Council had heen informed of their concern regardmg a petroleum officer's pow . I t' . ers m re a IOn to hazards of oil-fired and gas-fired central heatmg umts. garages. Members were referred to the to a 'Published in the January 1971 Issue of the ASSOCiatIOn s Questions and Answers Bulletin.

New Branch Rules

A copy of the Council's Model Branch Rules and· amendments suggested by the Executive Committee had been circulated to members. After some discussion it was agreed that the Branch Rules adopted on 12th October 1967, be revoked, and that in substitution thereof, the Model Branch Rules approved by the Council of the Association on the 9th September 1970, be accepted as the Rules of the East Midland Branch, subject to certain amendments being approved by the Council of the Association.

Chairman's Badge of Office

A coloured sketch of the Badge of Office of the Chairman of the Assodation was shown to members who were asked if a similar badge should be purchased for the Branch Chairman at a cost of about £25. It was thought that a Chairman's Badge would introduce an air of formality and it was agreed that the success of Branch Meetings had in no small way been due to an aIr of informality. It was suggested that a decision be deferred for twelve months and it was finally agreed that a Chairman's Badge should not be purchased.

Election of Officers

The following were elected :_ Chairman

C. W. Howkins, Grantham. Vice-Chairman M. T. Lucas, Scunthorpe. Honorary Secretary-Treasurer J. Birks, Chesterfield.

Committee J. Bantoft, Derby.

F. D. Bates, Premier Tank & Pump Co. R. E. Clarke, Leicester City Fire Service. D. T. Jones, Beeston & Stapleford V.D.C. Branch Representative J. Birks, Chesterfield.

Auditor J. Bantoft, Derby.

Installation of Chairman

Mr. C. W. Grantham, was installed as the new Branch Chairman by the retiring Chairman, Mr. B. S. Pike.

Date and Place of Next Meeting

It. wa.s agreed an invitation by Barrow-upon-Soar Rural District Council to hold the next m t' t R hI b t d ee 109 a ot ey e accep e .

Addresses

A talk was then given Mr. C. W. Howkins entitled "The Petroleum and hiS Duties". Mr. Howkins said that the purpose of talk was to convey to members the full extent of the duties and powers of a petroleum ffi d I d I" 0 cer an to re ate some e Icate situations he had experienced as a petroleum hwondered how many petroleum officers were ami lar Wit all the various Regul t' d h h' a IOns an Orders w IC were so Important and yet so rarely discu ed . d '1 h . ss etal at t e courses and meetings of the AssocIatIOn. Mr. HowklOs then gave a most detailed talk on the everyday duties and problems of a petroleum officer and

from the discussion which followed it was clear that the subject chosen had provided members with a good opportunity to bring forward and discuss their own experiences and problems.

At the afternoon session a talk entitled "Detection of Explosive Mixtures with particular reference to Petroleum Vapours" was given by Mr. Gordon Seaman, Product Specialist on Portable Instruments, Mines Safety Appliances Co. Ltd. Mr. Seaman demonstrated some of the latest sophisticated explosimeters to members and explained their construction, use and maintenance. He discussed the advantage of metal filters over charcoal filters in the detection of dangerous explosive limits and referred to twin filament instruments which were more sensitive than single filament instruments.

At the end of the talk and demonstration members had gained invaluable instruction in the use of explosimeters and from the questions asked and problems discussed it was clear that an explosimeter is an essential item of a petroleum officer's equipment.

It is hoped that an article on Petroleum Vapours by Mines Safety Appliances Co. Ltd. will appear in a future issue of The Bulletin.

A vote of thanks was given to both speakers by Mr. M. T. Lucas of Scunthorpe. The meeting was then concluded and tea taken by the kind invitation of Grantham Corporation.

South East Midland

The Annual General Meeting of the South East Midland Branch was held at the Municipal Building, Friars Square, Aylesbury, on Wednesday, 21st April, 1971. 27 members were present.

Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held at the Corn Exchange, Bedford, on Tuesday, 6th October, were confirmed.

Matters Arising from the Minutes

The Secretary reported that the resolution regarding the need for regulations to control the storage of L.P.G. passed at the last meeting was forwarded to the Secretary of Association. The Secretary had subsequently informed .hlm that the resolution had been placed before the Council of the Association, and had been discussed for some time. The Secretary of the Association further stated that the Home Office had the situation well in mind and have actually produced a model code for the storage of L.P.G., but it was not at all sure whether the Home Office or the Department of Trade and Industry would enforce any regulations. If the Home Office were made responsible any regulations would no doubt be sent down to Local Authorities to enforce but should it be the Department of Trade and. Industry Factory Inspectorate might well be the enforclOg authOrity.

Correspondence

The Secretary read a letter he had received from the previous Chairman of the Association regarding the provision of a Chairman's Badge of Office. It was resolved that the matter lie on the table.

The Secretary read a letter he had received from Mr. C. James of Bletchley U.D.C., regarding the difficulties he was experiencing in the flooding of manhole chambers. In some cases it had been found almost impossible to keep them dry and frequent baling out had become necessary. On occasions he had found small electric pumps being used for this purpose and since these pump motors were not flameproof he had had to forbid this practice. In new installations he was now requiring a 3 inch drainpipe to be built into the manhole chamber which led through the petrol interceptor to the normal surface water drainage system. He felt that this was preferable to hand baling of petrol contaminated water which went direct into the drainage system.

Several members mentioned that they experienced similar trouble in keeping manhole chambers dry and most thought the drainpipe idea was a good one. No one could see any objection to it and Mr. James promised to let members know if any snags arose.

Election of Officers

The following officers were elected :-

Chairman

E. L. F. Welch of St. Albans City. Vice-Chairman

J. A. Fish of Hemel Hempstead Borough. Secretary

R. E. Dust of Oxford City

Treasurer

R. D. Hill of Oxford City.

Branch Representative to the Executive Council W. Hetherington of Witney U.D.C.

Auditor

R. Morgan, Chief Prevention Officer, Kidlington. Committee Chairman, Vice-Chairman. Immediate Past Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer.

Secretary's Report

The Secretary's Report was received.

Treasurer's Report

The Treasurer's Report was received. A proposal by him that the Association be asked to increase the capitation fee to 37!p to cover increased costs, particularly postage, was not seconded, the Branch Representative to the Executive Council explaining that any such application would be unlikely to succeed.

Branch Rules

A long discussion took place on the proposed Branch Rules which had been submitted by the Executive Council with an invitation to Branches to accept them without amendment. Several amendments were proposed and it was finally resolved that the Branch Committee should take a closer look at the Rules and report back their proposals at the next Branch meeting.

Date and Place of Next Meeting

It was resolved to accept the kind invitation of Mr. R. H.

Mann of Letchworth U.D.C. to hold the autumn meeting there, and the Secretary was instructed to make arrangements with Mr. Mann, the business of the meeting and the date to be left to the Chairman, Secretary and Mr. Mann.

Address and Demonstration

Mr. John Beer, Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures for the City of Worcester, then addressed the meeting on the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations 1958. After lunch he gave a practical demonstration of the examination of a road tanker at the Esso Repair Depot, Gatehouse Close, Aylesbury. He urged all members to take steps to ensure that road tankers based in their area complied with the Regulations since it was clearly laid down in the Regulations that Local Authorities were the enforcing body.

Vote of Thanks

Mr. Fish of Hemel Hempstead proposed a vote of thanks Mr. Beer for. his most interesting address and in partIcular the practical demonstration. Also to Mr. R. Walker of Ayles?ury for making arrangements for the holding of meetI?g, to Mr. Williams of the Esso Depot for his kmdness m makmg available a tanker for the demonstration. The vote was carried with acclaim.

Northern

The Annual General Meeting of the Northern Branch was held at Teesside Fire Brigade Headquarters on Wednesday 19th May, 1971. "

Present

The Chairman, Mr. H. Johnson and 12 representatives.

. Beffore the meeting commenced an interesting demonstratIon 0 "SI' " . IX was given by the Penetone Company Limited.

Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from ._

Darlington C.B.C. North Riding C.C. Mr. W. Rhind of Applied Research and Engineering Limited.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the' . I prevIous meetmg, which had been clrcu ated, were accepted as a tru matters arising therefrom. e record. There were no

Secretary's Report

The Hon. Secretary C '1' reported that he had attended all held and these had been fully reported in

The Association was t" ship stood at 758 U f con mumg to progress and memberd d . n ortunately Northern Branch had not expan e and he asked tho to join and attend meetings. se present to encourage people

Meetings were taking pI b B A SEE F A C ace etween the Association and . . . . . . . on odes of Practice and the Home Office them over regulations. They had been asked d r mma. a representative to serve on a sub committee ea 109 Wit a Model Code for underground carparks.

Two successful schools had been held, a Southern one in Surrey and a Northern one in York and for the first time an advanced school was to be held at York in July. The Hon. Secretary mentioned that there were still vacancies on this course if representatives knew of anybody interested.

The Chairman, after thanking Mr. B. W. Thacker, also commented on the regulations for plastic petroleum containers and mentioned that these were now coming into authorised shops.

Mr. P. Cartwright of Hartlepool proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Thacker which was passed unanimously.

Election of Officers

It was proposed and seconded that Mr. H. Johnson should be re-elected Chairman for the following year and this position he accepted.

Mr. Thacker had expressed a wish to relinquish the duties of Hon. Secretary owing to other commitments and some discussion took place on this appointment, which also included representation of the Branch at Association meetings. It was eventually proposed and seconded that Mr. P. H. Cartwright should be appointed Hon. Secretary and he accepted the appointment.

Model Branch Rules

A copy of suggested Branch Rules had been sent to all members as it was felt by the Association that all branches should have a set of standard rules. Discussion took place on the annual subscription to the Branch of 25p per member which would be matched by a similar contribution from the Association and it was suggested that a letter could be written to all members requesting this. It was decided that this would be too expensive a matter and it was agreed to leave the question of members' contributions.

It was 'agreed that a quorum for the Annual General Meeting should be one-third of the membership and that twenty-eight days' notice of the Annual General Meeting should be given.

It was felt that an executive committee should be appointed consisting of the Chairman, Secretary and two other members. Mr. J. B. Newton of Skelton and Brotton V.D.C. and Mr. W. Scanlan of Easington were proposed and agreed to serve on this committee.

The Branch Rules were duly accepted.

Any Other Business

A of a warning symbol for corrosive substances, which would be coming into operation on 1st July, 1971, was passed round the table for inspection. The Chairman referred to the Teesside Order No. 2 and said his Council had. sought to control the parking of tankers and vehicles carrYIng Inflammable substances and toxic liquids. He also felt t?at the was making progress and at last was beIng recogmsed.

Mr. Johnson told members that the Teesside Fire Brigade had accumulated a set of photographs in connection with petroleum tankers which he offered to lend if required.

Mr. Cartwright raised the question of disposal of disused petroleum tanks and wondered if a list could be produced of firms prepared to deal with these tanks. One or two firms were mentioned and it was agreed that Teesside Fire

Brigade would compile a list for distribution to members.

Mr. Thacker reported that the Association had now a Chairman's Badge of Office which was used for the first time at the Association's General Meeting. He had received a letter from the past Chairman suggesting that Branches could get smaller replicas for Branch Chairmen to wear, at a cost of approximately £20, complete with collarette and case. The Association would make an interest free loan to any Branch wishing to purchase one. The Chairman did not feel it was necessary for this Branch to have one and it was generally agreed that no action should be taken on this matter.

Yorkshire

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Town Hall, Scarborough, on Wednesday, 19th May, 1971.

Present

The meeting was attended by the 16 members shown in the Attendance Register and J. Short, Esq., Chairman of the Association. In the absence of Mr. E. L. Darwin, the Branch Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, Mr. P. Murray took the chair.

Apologies

The following members sent apologies :E. L. Darwin, F. H. Benson, A. Poxton, H. E. Fletcher, R. Beever and M. T. Clegg.

Welcome to the Chairman of the Association Mr. Murray introduced Mr. J. Short to the members and expressed the Branch's pleasure at the effort he had made to attend. Mr. Short commented upon the manner in which the Branch's opinions had been brought forward by their representative, Mr. Peacock, and in congratulating the latter on his election as Treasurer to the Association, forecast that with a Scotsman as Chairman and a Yorkshireman as Treasurer, the Association's funds would be well looked after in the ensuing year.

Mr. Short stated that the final stages in the following matters had now been reached :-

(a) Proposed Model Code for L.P.G. storage.

(b) Proposed Model Code for multi-storey car parks.

(c) Emergency procedures.

He commented upon the possible effect of the impending local government re-organization.

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting for 1970

The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting had been circulated before the meeting and were taken as read. After being moved by Mr. Sample and seconded by Mr. Hildred the minutes were signed by the Vice-Chairman as a true record.

Matters Arising out of the Minutes

It was moved by Mr. Hildred and seconded by Mr. Skelton that a small replica of the Chairman'S badge of office, complete with collarette, be purchased from Messrs. Thomas Fattorini Limited for the sum of £20.11!. The motion was carried unanimously.

The Vice-Chairman enquired whether the press had been invited and expressed the opinion that it would be advantageous to do so on future occasions.

Chairman's Report

The Hon. Secretary reported that, due to the illness of Mr. Darwin, a report was not available.

It was unanimously agreed that a letter be sent to Mr. Darwin wishing him a speedy recovery.

It was moved by Mr. Murray, seconded by Mr. and unanimously agreed that the Hon. Secretary be Instructed to again circularise all the local the Branch area who were still not members of the AssociatIOn.

Treasurer's Report

The Hon. Treasurer gave a verbal account after his regrets for being unable to provide a printed and audited statement. The matter was deferred until the accounts had been audited.

A unanimous vote of thanks was given to Mr. Sample after being moved by Mr. Murray and duly seconded.

Report of the Hon. SecretaryGeneral Council Representative

This report had been circulated prior to the meeting. The Vice-Chairman moved a vote of thanks to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. C. T. Peacock, who is to retire from the local government service shortly. He thanked him for th7 in which he had carried out his duties from the InCeptIOn of the Branch in 1965 to the present day and a unanimous vote of thanks was given and best wishes for a long happy retirement were expressed. Mr. Peacock rephed, thanking them for the privilege of having represented, and for having the honour of serving the Branch for so years and for the loyal support he had received at all times.

Mr. Hildred proposed and Mr. Hendry seconded that Mr. Peacock be elected an Honorary Member of the Branch. This was passed unanimously and Mr. Peacock, in accepting, expressed his pleasure at the honour.

Election of Officers and Committee

The following were elected :Chairman

It was moved by Mr. Murray and seconded by Mr. Sample that Mr. Darwin be re-elected as Chairman. An addendum by Mr. Peacock that should Mr. Darwin be unable to accept, Mr. Murray be elected as Chairman and Mr. Hendry elected as Vice-Chairman was duly seconded and the motion agreed to unanimously.

Hon. Secretary and Representative on Genera! Council

The Chairman asked for a volunteer from those present. As none was forthcoming various members were suggested but none was able to undertake the appointment. Of the members not present it was thought that Mr. Benson of Leeds Fire Service would be an excellent choice and discussion was deferred until Mr. Benson could be contacted by telephone.

Hon. Treasurer

Mr. R. Sample.

Branch Committee

Messrs. Gascoigne, Hendry and Ashurst.

Hon. Auditor Mr. Hendry.

Any Other Business

The Hon. Secretary reported on the unusually large amount of work, due to the many meetings concerning the Codes of Practice, that had devolved upon Mrs. J. Hinchcliffe and it was moved by Mr. Hildred and duly seconded that she be paid an increased honorarium in recognition and that the Branch's thanks be extended to her.

At 12.45 p.m. the meeting was adjourned until after lunch.

After lunch the Vice-Chairman reported that he had been unable to cont' ct Mr. Benson by telephone. He suggested that Mr. Pear )ck might be willing to continue as Hon. Secretary pra tem. Mr. Peacock agreed and the motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.

The Hon. Auditor reported that he had audited the Hon. Treasurer's accounts and that they were in order.

The Chairman then closed the Annual General Meeting.

Yorkshire

A meeting of the Branch was held at the Town Hall, Scarborough, on Wednesday, 19th May, 1971.

Present

The Vice-Chairman, Mr. P. Murray and 16 members.

Apologies

The following members sent apologies :E. L. Darwin, F. H. Benson, A. Poxton, H. E. Fletcher, R. Beever and M. T. Clegg.

Minutes of Last Meeting

As the Minutes had been circulated they were taken as read. Mr. Cresswell moved that they be signed as a true record and Mr. Havercroft seconded the motion which was carried unanimously.

Matters AriSing out of the Minutes

Mr. Wilson pointed out that some authorities did not allow off-set fill-pipes even when a sealed gauge with a "fail-safe" device showing the capacity as being full was to be used. He stated that the Code made provision for such arrangements but appeals took so much time to settle that such a course was virtually impracticable.

Correspondence

The Hon. Secretary reported as follows :-

Messrs. A. M. G. Zuurbier had offered to give a talk on instruments for gas detection. It was agreed that the offer be accepted provided they dealt specifically with petroleum.

Mr. J. W. Black of Avery-Hardoll Limited had retired. The sending of a letter by the Hon. Secretary conveying the Branch's best wishes was approved.

The retirement of Mr. R. P. Holdaway from the post of Hon. Editor and the taking over of the post by Mr. B. W. C. Thacker.

A letter of appreciation from Mrs. J. Hinchcliffe with reference to the payment of an honorarium.

Open Forum for Members' Problems

Mr. Havercroft mentioned that householders had complained of tankers being parked on spare land near houses. While Section 7 of the 1957 Regulations stated that tankers must be parked at approved places while engaged in the conveyance of petroleum spirit, what was the position when the tanker is empty?

Mr. Havercroft also raised the question of sliding doors to petroleum stores. It was generally agreed that only doors opening outwards could be regarded as satisfactory.

Mr. Cresswell mentioned a firm with 200 empty 40 gallon Toluene containers and their difficulty in disposing of them.

Mr. Havercroft enquired about the ground-bearing capacity in the case of six tanks, each of 5,000 gallons capacity and embedded in concrete. It was agreed that only in the case of running sand or similar unusual conditions was there any problem.

The discussion had to be brief as the Mayor of Scarborough had kindly arranged for refreshments. The ViceChairman closed the meeting at 4.00 p.m.

Petrol Leakage at Whitchurch

By D. PEARCE, Additional Public Health Inspector, North Shropshire R.D.C.

A message was received from the local Fire Brigade who had been called to complaints of petrol fumes entering a of in Bridgewater Street, Whitchurch. Exploslmeter readmgs confirmed a very high concentration of petrol. fumes in the dwellings, apparently venting from a sewer mspection chamber in an adjoining public car park where. three main sewers join. As a precaution against explOSIOn, three dwellings were evacuated and the street and access to the car park closed. Water was flushed down the sewers by the Fire Brigade and after 24 hours the fumes disappeared allowing the residents to return home.

Later the complaint was further investigated and it was found the houses in question each had disused underground ramwater storag t k . e an s whIch were connected to the foul water sewer and f 11 were actmg as storage compart- ments or a types of '. sewer gas mcludmg the petrol vapours. However, the maJ'or task t d' th was 0 Iscover e source of the petrol leakage the obvl'ous I 't b' t 1 f 'll' .' cu pn s elOg wo large petro I 109 statIOns within 100 d f h . . h . yar sot e lOspect- IOn chamber s owlOg high concentratl'on f t I I t., e 1 d th t 0 pe ro. nves IgatlOns rev a e . a petrol complaints had been made to the former Whltchurch U D C Autho't th h . . . . n y over e past seven years, w en It had been decI'ded th t k a an un nown tanker drIver WIth petrol hand after he had finished his daily rounds had dumped It into the sewer. In fact a police detective had been employed to apprehend this phantom petrol dumper needless to say without success. The two petrol filling stations have a total of 13 underground tanks and they were both requested to check all records for any evidence of loss of petrol. Checks over a period of 14 days

revealed nothing although explosimeter readings in the sewers remained high making it necessary to constantly flush with water to keep below an explosive level.

On Saturday, the 9th January, further complaints received and it was decided to pressure test all tanks, lmes, vent pipes and offset fillers with nitrogen. In all, leaks were found as follows :-

Garage No. 1 :

Two 500 gallon underground storage tanks leaking badly.

Garage No. 2 :

Two leaking filler pipes. Two leaking manlids. One leaking pump gasket.

The two leaking 500 gallon underground tanks were immediately filled with concrete slurry,. but It was ?ot until a month later that the daily exploslmeter readmg showed an appreciable drop. Whilst one can never be sure which of the numerous defects found caused the it is almost certain that the two 500 gallon tanks contrIbuted a great deal. Records show them to be at least 42 years old.

These experiences highlight a problem by the North Shropshire R.D.C. when five small authOrItIes amalgamated three years ago. At least 200 underground storage tanks are licensed annually, but records are so sparse that only modern installations are accurately '!'le now face many hours of searching in the office archIves m order to trace the installation dates.

OPEN FORUM

The January issue of "The Bulletin" contained an interesting and timely letter on the siting of "vents" from underground spirit storage tanks.

Fires at vent openings are, unfortunately, by no means rare. The most frequent cause is the redevelopment of some part of the service station or surrounding property without due thought being given to the effect this may have on the siting of the vent. Each of the incidents which I have investigated would have been avoided by siting in accordance with the recommendations in the Home Office and Association's Model Codes.

This brings me on to a further point which concerns the difference between the two Codes. Essentially, it is only in the requirement in the Association's Code that the upper end of the vent should be provided with an approved flame trap that the Codes are at variance. At the time the Home Office document was prepared with the help of Local Authorities, Industry, etc. it was recognised that in many cases the gauzes fitted to existing vents had become so corroded or clogged with atmospheric dust over the years that they had been broken or removed to allow normal ventilation. Even so, the only case I have heard of in which fire at a vent also affected the tank, occurred in untypical, if not unique, circumstances. As I understand it, the tank,

which was not in operational use, held only a minute quantity of spirit and whilst welding work was being carried out on the vent, the metal was pierced causing a flash back.

In practice plume fires at service station vents arise firstly from bad siting, as referred to in my second paragraph above. Even then they only occur when large quantities of vapour 'are being expelled from the vent, i.e. during a delivery into the underground tank. At that point the vent itself is, of necessity, filled with spirit vapour which, without air, could not sustain a fire. Only at the vent opening where air is present can the fire burn. On the tanker driver stopping the flow of product into the tank, the flow of vapour is arrested and the fire goes out.

Even with the vents cut off to 18" above the ground, as in the incident referred to in the January edition of "The Bulletin", there was no suggestion of the fire being able to flash back to the tank.

Many Local Authorities are content to follow the Home Office Code and not require the fitting of a flame trap. May I please ask that consideration be given by the Association to the deletion of Sub Clause 7(b) (Hi) of Section 2 from its Code to 'avoid this confusion between two such worthwhile documents.

REFINERIES OF GREAT BRITAIN

No.3 Stanlow

How Stanlow has Developed

Stanlow began in 1922 as an ocean installation for blending and re-distributing products from overseas refineries. The site was chosen because of the advantages of the Mersey approach, the excellent water facilities offered by the Manchester Ship Canal, on which the refinery is situated, and the good road and rail communications. Refining started in a small way in 1924 when plant was erected for the manufacture of bitumen from Mexican crude oil, and in the following year the production of special boiling-point spirits was begun.

In 1937 a considerable expansion programme was launched, which enabled additional bitumen manufacturing facilities, an iso-octane unit, and new workshops, boiler house and laboratories to be completed before the outbreak of the 1939-45 war.

By 1943 a new distillation unit for special boiling-point spirits and a complete range of plant for lubricating oil manufacture were also in full operation.

In 1949 Stanlow's period of greatest development began. A complete crude oil refinery was built to process oil from the prolific fields of the Middle East. This construction typified the post-war policy of siting specialized refinery plant at centres of consumption rather than near to sources of crude oil production. The reasons for this change in the of the United Kingdom were primarily the greatly mcreased . post-war demand for petroleum products, advances m tanker design making long distance transport of crude oil more economic and technical developments in refinery design making possible economic operation of small refineries.

?il refinery at Stanlow originally comprised dls.tIllatlOn umts, thermal reforming unit, catalytic cracking umt, and treating units, but construction has continued up to the present day with successive additions of the Platformer, hydrodesulphurizing unit, iso-pentane unit, aromatics extraction unit and paraffin wax plant.

Stanlow Today

Stanlow is a vast industrial complex, representing an investment of more than £70 million and ranking as one of the largest and most complete oil refineries in Europe. It also provides feed-stock for the Shell Chemicals U.K. Limited on the same site. At Stanlowall aspects of oil refining and the operation of the general services are performed by Shell U.K. Limited and the chemical operations are conducted by Shell Chemicals U.K. Limited. Owning an area approaching 2,000 acres, Stanlow Refinery now comprises some twentyeight miles of road, fourteen and a half miles of rail sidings and 1,200 miles of pipeline. A further idea of the scale of its operations may be gathered from the fact that its demand on public utility services is equivalent to the domestic requirements made by a city of 85,000 people. Each year some 4 million tons of water are required for making high pressure steam and 225 million kilowatt hours of electricity (costing £1 million) are taken from the grid. Cooling water at the rate of 185 million tons per annum (80,000 gallons per minute) is pumped from and returned to the Manchester Ship Canal.

The capacity of the storage tanks when full is 3.5 million tons of oil and other products Some 500 ocean-going tankers in a year deliver raw material for processing in the refinery; this intake of crude oil and other feedstocks amounts to 30,000 tons daily. Additional tankers are employed to take a large part of the products away from the refinery.

Bringing the Crude Oil to Stanlow

The tankers bringing in crude oil berth at Tranmere, Birkenhead. This oil terminal, built as a joint venture by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board and the Shell Refining Company, at a cost of more than £6 million, was put into operation in the middle of 1960. It has two large floating stages, and can accommodate at each stage a fully loaded tanker of up to 65,000 tons deadweight, or up to 100,000 tons on a restricted draught. It has proved possible to berth and unberth tankers in virtually any conditions of wind and tide by day or by night. Crude oil from two tankers at the same time can be taken into the storage facilities, and some of the fastest discharge rates in the world have been achieved. After discharge the crude oil is pumped from the Tranmere tankage over a distance of some eleven miles by pipeline to Stanlow Refinery.

The Queen II Dock at Eastham, built by the Ship Canal Company in 1954, at a cost of £5! million, covers 19 acres and was built to accommodate four 30,000 ton tankers at one time. It is used for receipt of feedstocks other than crude oil and the despatch of finished products.

In addition there are seven tank/coaster berths in the canal itself alongside Stanlow Refinery, used for the receipt of special feed stocks for bitumen, lubricating oil and wax manufacture, and for the despatch of finished products.

The Refinery's Products

Hundreds of different petroleum products are made at StanIow. These range from liquefied petroleum gas, aviation fuel, all grades of petrol, kerosene, diesel oil and lubricating oils to fuel oils and bitumen. To quote a few of these products made at Stanlow:-

More than one million gallons of petrol are produced every day, enough for 50,000 cars to travel from the Liverpool area to London and back.

About 20,000 gallons of lubricating oil are made daily in over 500 varieties ranging from the heaviest industrial lubricants to the finest motor oils, electrical oils, and white oils.

10,000 tons every day of fuel oil, both for industry and shipping.

Bitumen, the first oil product to be made at Stanlow, now amounts to 1,500 tons every day.

300 tons of liquefied petroleum gas are produced daily for domestic and industrial use.

In addition Stanlow produces about 15,000 tons of sulphur yearly; this is removed from crude oil.

Stanlow was the first oil refinery in Europe to produce sulphur for industrial use in liquid and powder form.

Transporting the Refinery's Products

About one third of Stanlow's products now flow by pipeline; fuel oil to the Central Electricity Authority's power stations at Ince and Bromborough and to Lever Bros. Bromborough power station, refinery gas to Cabot Carbon to assist in the manufacture of carbon black and to the North West Gas Board's works at Ellesmere Port, feedstock to the Shell Chemicals U.K. Ltd. plant at Carrington and a full range of products to a Shell-Mex and B.P. depot at Partington.

Another third of Stanlow's production is despatched by water and the remainder goes by road and rail.

Keeping Air and Water Clean

In the refining of oil certain quantities of malodorous and liquids are produced. They have to be handled With great care to ensure that they do not pollute the or neighbouring soil and water. They are normally burnt III the refinery furnaces or chemically treated to make them harmless. Great care is also taken to see that water used for processing and cooling and rain water from the area, is adequately treated to remove traces of oil before 'It is discharged from the refinery.

People and Safety

Oil refining operations at Stanlow employ some 3,000 in the refinery of whom some 100 are graduates, while I ged on modlfic- of outside contractors are frequent y enga -. d ations and new construction to meet the ever-growmg nee s of the industry.

I d up to date fire

The refinery has Its own comp ete an ff' t d by part-time service, manned by a full-tune sta assls e auxiliaries.

The welfare facilities include a medical service a doctor and a team of nurses, as well as a large an we equipped sports and social club.

For Your Information

By W. HETHERINGTON, F.A.P.H.I., Chief Public Health Inspector, Witney.

Petroleum Legislation

The following legislation in respect of the safe storing and handling of petroleum spirit, and designated products under the Petroleum Acts, are currently in force.

Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928.

Petroleum (Transfer of Licences) Act, 1936.

These are collectively known as the Petroleum (Regulation) Acts, 1928 and 1936, and for penalties are amended by the Criminal Justices Act, 1967.

Regulations and Orders under the Acts are made by the authority of ;-

Sec. 6 Conveyance by Road

Sec. 10 Keeping of Petroleum Spirit for motor vehicles, boats, etc., without a licence

Sec. 12 Special classes of Petroleum Spirit likely to be dangerous

Sec. 19 Powers to apply any provisions of the Act to other substances.

Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles etc.) Regulations, 1929 (No. 952).

Petroleum (Carbide of Calcium) Order, 1929 (No. 992).

Petroleum (Mixtures) Order, 1929 (No. 993).

Petroleum (Compressed Gases) Order, 1930 (No. 34).

Gas Cylinders (Conveyance) Regulations, 1931 (No. 679).

Compressed Gas Cylinders (Fuel for Motor Vehicles) Regulations, 1940 (No. 2009).

Petroleum (Inflammable Liquids and Other Dangerous Substances) Order, 1947 (No. 1443).

Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, 1957 (No. 191).

Petroleum (Carbon Disulphide) Order, 1958 (No. 257).

Carbon Disulphide (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, 1958 (No. 313).

Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, 1958 (No. 962).

Carbon Disulphide (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, 1962 (No. 2527).

Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) (Amendment) Regulations, 1966 (No. 1190).

Petroleum (Inflammable Liquids) Order, 1968 (No. 570).

petroleum (Carbon Disulphide) Order, 1968 (No. 571).

Inflammable Liquids (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, 1968 (No. 927).

Inflammable Substances (Conveyance by Road) (Labelling) Regulations, 1968 (No. 928).

The Petroleum (Corrosive Substances) Order 1970

The Corrosive Substances (Conveyance by Road) Regulations 1971

Local Authority Licence granted under Sec. 2 of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928, containing such conditions as the Authority may consider expedient (Sec. 2(3». Cellulose Solutions Regulations, 1934 (No. 990) although in force under the Factories Act, 1961, and administered by H.M.!. of Factories may be relevant to certain types of material related to petroleum spirit.

Fees as prescribed by Sec. 4, Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1936, were increased (by x 4) by Miscellaneous Fees (Variation) Order, 1968.

Alteration of Penalties, Criminal Justices Act, 1967, Schedule ITI Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928

Sec. 1(2)

Keeping petroleum spirit without a licence Sec. 1(3)

Keeping petroleum spirit in contravention of conditions of licence

Sec. 2(4)

Failure of occupier of licensed premises to post notice of conditions of licence on premises, interference with notice, and contravention by employee of conditions set out in notice Sec. 5(2)

Keeping, selling, etc., petroleum spirit without proper labelling Sec. 6(2)

Contravention of regulations as to carriage of petroleum spirit by road Sec. 7(6)

Contravention of harbour authority's byelaws as to loading and carrying of petroleum spirit

Sec. 8

Failure to give notice to harbour authority that cargo consists of petroleum spirit Sec. 9(3)

Contravention of canal byelaws as to loading and carrying of petroleum spirit Sec. 10(2)

Contravention of regulations as to keeping and use of petroleum spirit for purpose of motor vehicles, etc.

Old Fine New Fine

£20 for each day on which the offence continues £100

£20 for each day on which the offence continues £100

£5 for each day on which the failure continues, and £5 for each other offence £20 £5 £20 £20 for each day the offence continues £100

£50 for each day on which the offence continues £100 £50

£20 for each day on which the offence continues

£20 for each day on which the offence continues

£100 £100 £100

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.

ACCU RA TE_RELlABLE-PORTABLE

Telephone: EASt 0428

DR. B. K. BLACK

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

I 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.

MIDLANDS