The Bulletin – July 1978

Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

U L L

NUMBER 1

JULY 1978

Contents

Published by the Association

Opinions exoressed in this Journal are not necessarily the views for Petroleum and Explosives Administration of the ASSociation

Talking Point

Talking Point 1

Chairman's Address ................. 2

Notes and News 3

A Guide to the Guide 3 G.R.P. Petroleum Tanks 5 News from the H. & S.E 10 Offset Fill Box Inrorpnratlng Gallge".. 13 Legal 14 Petrol Flow 18 The Pocket Sized Genius 20 London News 22 Branch Reports 23 Book Review . .... , .28

As members may be aware, a conference was held in London at the end of April, on the administration and enforcement of the licensing provision of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928.

Seven papers were presented to the conference, organised by the Health and Safety Executive and while all of the papers were of interest to those present, the one which caused most controversy and food for thought appears to be that presented by Mr G.A. Evans of the H.S.E., entitled "Testing Petrol Storage Tanks". Five of the seven papers will appear in future issues of "The Bulletin", but unfortunately permission could not be obtained to reproduce Mr. paper, as it was felt by the H.S.E that it was not in a suitable form for publication Mr Evans. in his address to the conference, felt that pressure testing of petrol storage tanks was a hazardous undertaking, to be avoided if at all possible. He supported his arguments by reference to five accidents, each involving injuries to persons, two of which were fatal.

Having been given such a stern warning on the undesirability of pressure testing, many authori ties and pump and tank contractors are now seeking alternative means of ascertaining the soundness of new and old petrol tanks. The alternatives, be they ullage testing, hydrostatiC testing, or other means, either bring practical problems of their own, or are not considered by some Petroleum Officers to be as reliable an indication of a tank's condition as pressure testing.

Much discussion is within County Council Councils and the H.S.E.

now taking place, both and between those The final outcome of k for some these discussions, will not be nown. ems f · s l. t se time but to many Petroleum Of l.cer, d d a , . h b en han e that once again the Offl.cer as e. to signl.fl.canCe directive on a matter of some . 1 been h' g prevl. OUS y him, without hl.S Vl.eWS aVl.n sought or considered.

Honorary Edi tor, J.S. Crewe Consumer Protection Department Bedfordshire County Council

Honorary Secretary: Mr J. F Tl.'d , County Secretary's Denart t men,

THE CHAIRMAN

Mr G.S Bai l ey joined the Port sm out h Testing Department in 1931 and qualified a s an In s pector of Weights and Measure s in 1935 and a s an In s pector of Gas Meters in 1936, gaining, during the s ame period a National Certificate in Mechanic a l Engineering In 1936 he was appointed as an Inspector at Poole , followed by a similar appointment at Luton in 1 938 On Local Government Re or g ani sation Mr Bailey was appoin ted County Con s um er Protection Offic e r for Bedfo rd s hir e He serve d a s chairma n of t he South East Midland Branch of the Institute of Trad i ng Standard s Administrat i on in 1969

My first contact with Petroleum legislation and it's enforcement was in 1931 when I joined the Portsmouth Testing Department.

Until 1938 I was actively engaged with the enforcement of Pe troleum legislation with particular emphasis on installations from small one tank installations to bulk storage installations designed for the rapid discharge of sea-going tanke r s

Then, as now, though today we have the Health and Safety Executive, enforcement lay squarely on the shoulders of the Local Authorities thrvugh their Petroleum Officers by whatever name they were called.

Guidance from the Home Office yes, but Central Government Departments never interpret their own legislation. That is a matter for the courts.

As I look back, I realise there has been but little change. True we have liaison Officers appointed by the Heal th and Safety Executive and maybe in the years to come they will be more effective than they seem today

Then, as now, there has always been good liaison between the Officers of both Central and Local Authorities but this does not make up for the lack of positive, unequivocal legiSlation which would enable us to sustain a unif orm standard of enforcement throughout the country .

The form of the legislation needS to be carefully considered and I would suggest an enabling Act, similar in fo r m to t h e Fair Trading Act. An Act wh i ch would enable the appropriate minister to r eact almost instantly to ch a nging conditions by Regulation o r St a tut or y Instrument and not by t he mor e cumb ersome p r ocedure of a new Ac t. I am concious that re-organisation st r uc k th e association a grev i OUs blow but f or tu nat ely it was not mo r tal

Th ere a r e i n d ications that the ass oci ation has picked itself up , d usted it s e lf d o wn and is noW poised f o r a rev i va l . I trust t hi s i s so a n d that the a sso c iat io n will ag ain go f ro m s trength t o st r e ng th b u t th i s wi l l depend on our own ef for t

I therefore commend the a ss oc iat ion to ea ch and everyone of you and urge yOU a l l t o do whatever you can to en s ure that it is s oon the force it once was

Notes and News

The item below is taken from Autocar magazine, and is offered to readers without any further comment!

IRONING OUT

Have you ever tried to buy a gallon of petrol in anything but an iron container, painted red and marked Petroleum Spirit Highly Inflammable? I am not sure of the exact wording, but a garageman (sorry garageperson) is legally required to refuse to serve you in any other type of container. So when I needed a gallon of petrol for the mower on Sunday afternoon, I found that my can had been left in another car. I rooted around Scribe Towers and found a plastic container which had once helrl lemon squash. Now before anyone starts screaming, I know that it is illegal. My defence is that the petrol was going to be transferred from the pump to the plastic container, and a matter of minutes later, from the container to the tank of the mower.

My local garage is a self-service one, so I drove up in the car (lazy so and so ....... ) filled my plastic can, paid and drove home again. To the best of my knowledge, no one at the garage saw me filling my illegal container but were they breaking the Petroleum Regulations 1689 (SIC) I suppose they were, but as I managed to get home

without setting fire to the garage, myself, the car of my motor mower, was any harm really done?

BURNS IN HOSPITAL

A l7-year-old Market Deeping man was said to be "comfortable" at Peterborough District Hospital recently after accidentally setting fire to himself aiter serving petrol.

Gary Taylor of 57, The Grove, Market Deeping, burned his hands when his clothing caught alight at Todds Garage, Market Deeping where he was serving petrol.

A police spokesman said that Gary spilled petrol on his trousers while serving a customer and then lit a cigarette.

His clothes caught fire and Gary rolled on the floor to extinguish the flames. (Peterborough Evening Telegraph)

ON THE FORECOURT DOUBTFUL DEFINITIONS

Sand Bucket Division 1 Area Division 2 Areas

Safe Area

A GUIDE TO THE GUIDE

Comments on a recent document from the Health and Safety Commission entitled 'Advice for Local Authority Officers concerned with the Conveyance by Road of Hazardous Substances'.

This 'Guide' is sUpposed to assist the Petroleum Officer in his duty of enforcing the 'Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regs. 1957 (1957/191). It emanates from the Explosives Inspectorate of the HSE who are now the 'overseers' for Conveyance, for brevity I shall refer to them as HMEI.

The 'Guide' states that there have been developments in Tank Wagon Design since 1957, not covered by the Regulations. Since all Tank Wagons over 1500 gall

Children's play area Liverpool Fulham, Charlton Millwall etc.

The Bank of England

by Old Timer

capacity need to be approved by HMEI, it follows and is admitted, that HMEI have approved designs which do not comply with the regulations. Emphasis is placed on the display of the 'Approval Plate' which is now required as part of the 'approved design', and in fact I gained the impression that HMEI were much more interested in the plate than in the Tank Wagon.

In general, Tank Wagons have been 'Approved' with GRP Cabs (Fibre Glass) Batteries behind the Fire Resisting Shield (when there is one), and Main Switches also behind the Fire Shield. Now the Regulations clearly require a 'fire resisting shield etc', which is not provided by a Fibre Glass Cab, and that

'battery, switches and fuses shall be carried in front of that shield' (1957/ 191 1st Schedule Para.2f). The duty of the L.A. Inspector is clearly laid down in the Regulations (para.27) , i.e. 'to enforce the provisions of these Regulations' , those provisions are not nullified by the 'Approval' by HMEI which should clarify and not counteract the requirements. When the L.A. Inspector encounters one of the many Tank Wagons 'Approved' but illegal, he should, if he is not with the vehicle, note the aonroval reference and then request a" loan of the approval drawing from HMEI. If we did this for every suspect vehicle we would all be very busy, and so would HMEI! By not dOing it however, we might be blamed if 'one got away. The position in which the L.A. Inspector is placed is thus made difficult, if not impossible, and is legally indefensible.

The Guide includes notes circulated to manufacturers about Tank Wagon design, one of these notes (XI 7581/2/3) relates to Master Switches Batteries and Battery Boxes. It condones the use of battery boxes behind the firescreen and says that this box is considered to be part of the firescreen, it then adds that the Master Switch if fitted to the rear of the main firescreen should be either 'Certified Intrinsically Safe' or inside the battery box or similar metal box. Readers of 'The Bulletin' will have read the article by Dale (Vol 16 No.l) which clearly shows that the term 'Intrinsically Safe' can refer only to a complete circuit in which there is insufficient energy to cause ignition. It cannot refer to an isolated piece of equipment. In other words there is no such thing as a certified intrinsically safe master switch, and to install the master switch behind the firescreen is illegal.

The Guide offers advice on the definitions of Petroleum Spirit, Petroleum Mixture, Inflammable Liquids and Mixtures of Inflammable Liquids. It defines Petroleum Spirit and then says "For the purposes of identifying mixtures refer to para.2 of SI 1971 No.1040" in fact this refers only to mixtures of Inflammable Liquids, Petroleum Mixtures are defined in SI 1929/993 (The Petroleum Mixtures Order 1929). Examples which follow in the Guide should confuse everyone. In fact the problem is simple if one proceeds as follows:

Given any substance:-

a. Is the Flash Point below 73 0 F?

If YES-- go to b. If NO-- no regulations. b. Is the petroleum product which is a pure Hydrocarbon?

If YES-- it is Petroleum Spirit.

If NO-- go to c c. Does it contain any detectable petroleum? (note, not necessarily Pet. Spirit) If YES-- It is Petroleum Mixture

If NO-- go to d d. Is c any constituent one of the liquids named in The Petroleum (Inflammable Liquids) Order 1971 (1971/1040)

If YES-- It is an Inflammable Liquid or Mixture

If NO-- recheck flash point and start again.

The guide mentions a 'simple rule of thumb' for mixtures containing both Petroleum Spirit and Inflammable Liquids, which is that they be treated as Petroleum Mixture unless the volume of Inflammable Liquid is five or more times the vOlume of Petroleum Spirit. Now this has no legal validity at all. The Petroleum Mixtures Order clearly states that any mixture of petroleum where the Flash Point is not above 73 is subject to the Petroleum Act. The PetrOleum content does not have there to be Petroleum Spirit neither 1S · ObV10usly any.m1n1mum proportion quoted. the Petroleum must be chemically detectable. Once again the HMEI making up their own rules and ignOr1ng the Law. The GUide promises that 'future advice of this nature will be issued on a regular basis', I would rather they did not bother unless they are trying to confuse , · . ceed1ng. use, 1n Wh1Ch case they are suc d liaison I that the HSE appointe .t' Officers to advise the Local Autho:1 1es on Petroleum Administration. if th1S . d . . d be the gU1 e 1S any gU1de it shoul · , oncern other way round! Much PubliC C has been expressed over the Road . als Transportation of Hazardous Mate r1 . 1n and new labelling regulations are the offing. (Hazchem or THIS),. However, the Authorities so far designated to enforce this do not include the L.A. Petroleum One can only assume that the prin c1 P e to be applied is that the lesS yOU know about the job the more likelY , tors you are to get it. The perpetra t'nue of this 'Guide' will no doubt con 1 to supervise!

G.R.P. PETROLEUM STORAGE TANKS

By J.A.J. Thompson M.I. Fire E.Tn.I.O.B Petroleum Inspector Gr eater London Council

It Y,as some ten years ago that talk within the industry suggested that the future trend in storage of petroleum spirit would move away from steel tanks to tanks constructed of G.R.P. At that time steel prices were rising to the level which compared favourably with the cost of GRP tanks' that, with ease of installation COUld' well have been the economic factor which encouraged the ind ustry . We were told at that tim e in the Unite d States they had started installing such tanks i n 1964 and by 1970 some 2000 installations were in use with no reported failure.

During these years the Greater London Council considered appl ications to install GRP tanks on an experimental basis and would li cence a suitable site for a pe r iod of three year s The t ank would then be r em oved and examined.

Eve n ts have changed since those da y s and with infla tion and the oi l cr isis dram a tically pushing up the price o f resins the venture so on lost its viability

Imp rovements in the e cono my, wh ile not yet resulti ng in fresh applications has certainly renewed interest in the e xperimen ts

At this st age perhap s we should exam ine why we should even consider suc h tanks. At present steel tanks are required to b e installed in often va ryi ng manner, and are usual ly licensed until they leak How much safer it would be for us e if the new tanks of proven performance were only licensed for that per iod of say 20 years during wnich time it wo ul d be fairly certain would not leak .

The use of GRP presents certain prob lems some of which are briefly di scussed be low .

1 . Combustabili ty

GRP is combustable and ha s a medium su rf ace spread o f flame class 3 part 7 of BS 476 This should not present a proble m as there is no exposure of the shell Arrangements should be made so that only a steel manhole and neck is placed on the tank .

2. Static Electricity

The fibreglass was found to retain a charge of static electricity The tank is in contact with the earth, and providing the steel internals in the tank are earthed no problems are anticipated.

3. Strength

A GRP tank unlike a steel tank is subject to movement, external and internal pressures have a bearing on the amount of movement Without specific deflection to failure tests an accurate assessment of the strength of the tank is not possible With knowledge of the material used and testing of samples it has been calculated that the tank would fail a pressure of around 160 psi. It can be assumed that a tank correctly installed would have to withstand loads over the forecourt of around 10 psi.

GRP samples suffered visible damage when struck by a 3" ball with a force of 8ft pounds; extreme care is needed when transporting, handling, and installing the tank . Special arrangements to prevent dip stick damage is needed Its is also subject to damage on point loading and a soft bedding material such as pea gravel or sand should be provided to prevent a s t one or sharp object damaging the tank

4. Chemical Attack

Tes ts have r ev ealed that chemicals no r mall y found in the soil are unli k e l y to ha v e an y effect on GRP.

S ome sol v ents will destroy GRP, al t ho u gh none of these are contained i n pet r ol A f actor which must be c onside r ed is th e add i tives used by Oil c ompanies in t h e i r b r anded pe tr o l. In the futu r e when these a dd itives a re a l t e re d th ei r e ffe ct in GRP s h o ul d be a n ot he r c o n sid er a t ion the c h e mi s t s wi l l h a ve t o e x amin e.

One tank r e f erred to i n t he Oc t o b er 19 6 9 Bulletin by the late Keit h S he r wood of Esso was insta ll e d . h · the GLC area, the tank f a 1l ed W1 t 1 n e r co n t ained petrol but a l ot an d nev n t during this oper a t1on. w as l ear

1972 t h e fi r s t GRP t ank On as i ns t alled a t Kenn1ngs into use w

Service Station at Hatton Cross Feltham by Shell Me x & BP Ltd

After the three y ears of th e li ce nc e the tank was removed in 1976 for e x amination Before the dismantling the tank which had been installed in sand stood up to a test of 5 pSi. The tank was fitted with six equally spaced ribs each 130mm x 50mm along its length. These were constructed of a core of rigid polyurethane foam encased and bonded to the shell with GRP laminate Although damaged in places they performed their function as the shell was completely undamaged. When the tank was removed from the excavation sections were removed from the top and bottom of the tank and tests carried out to compare these samples with ones at the time of manufacture. A series of tests were carried out to BS 2782 on the hardness, thickness, tensile and flexural strength of the samples. The results of these tests revealed that after three years there was no apparent deterioration in the properties of the GRP.

When the tank was dismantled, sections be tween the jOint of the end and centre cylindrical sections were taken Voids were evident in this area but the jOint had been reinfor c ed by additional laminations . Also where the inner gel coat had not been roughened enough to promote bondin g delamination had Occurred. The steel straps around the tank used as ancho ,r / straps were showing signS of corro s ion.

The ou t come of th e se tests showed that care and control needs to be excerised during the jOinting of the ends of th e tank t o the cylindrical section t o promote bonding. That the ancho r/ lifting straps should be protected from corrosion as this could otherwise reSult in damage to the GRP shell .

Followin g t his e x pe r iment a c ode has b ee n de v ised by the Gr eater London Coun c il fo r the installation of su c h tan k s i n t h e i r a rea , and in v iew of t h e te s t s t h e lic e nsin g of a tank at a sui t abl e s ite fo r a lif eti me o f t en y e ars is li k el y t o be app r o ve d. Ta n k Con s tru c t i on

1:1 A tank to be co ns t ru c t ed gener a l l y in a ccor da nce with BS 4 9 94

1 : 2 The suitability o f the res i n u se d t o be establish e d b y a chemical resistance

test in which representative specimens are immersed in an approved reference fuel for a period of 28 days at 38 oC. After this period the tensile and flexural strength and Izod impact resistance(BS 2782) must be not less than 80 % of that identical control specimen stored in air at 22 oC (plus or minus 2 oC) for the same period.

Note A reference fuel meeting the following specification is satisfactory:

High Aromatic Gasoline (55 % Vol aromatic)

Sunbury Reference W75/ll73 97 % vol Gothenburg 98 RON

Catalytic Reformate

3 % vol Kent straight run gasoline

Other reference fuels may be submitted for consideration

1: 3 A prototype tank to be tested in accordance with clause 5.8.3. of BS 4994.

Note This is a series of tests inlcuding the following:-

Earth Load Test

Unequally Supported Tank Test Concentrated Load Test

External Hydrostatic Pressure Test

Water Load Test

1:4 All production tanks to be tested in accordance with clause 5.9 of BS 4994.

1:5 All production tanks to be marked in accordance with clause 5.10 BS 4994 and to be certified as complying with BS 4994 by an appropriate examining authority

Note It is desirable that an independant organisation such as the British Plastics Federation should act as certifying authority. Assertion by a manufacturer that a tank complies with BS 4994 may be accepted in the absence of such a certificate.

Tank Design

2:1 No tank to be compartmented.

2:2 A tank shall be provided with a bolted steel manhole cover with a bolted steel neck to satisfy the requirement of 3:6 below

Site Installation

3:1 A tank to be installed at least lm below ground level and to be surrounded by a minimum thickness of 300mm of rounded pea gravel which is free flowing, has no particle larger than 10mm and is free of organic material, loam, stones etc. Not more than 8% of the pea gravel by weight may pass through a 200 sieve.

Note As an alternative, dry sand may be used if the excavation is lined with plastic sheet to prevent migration.

The bottom of the tank excavation to be paved with reinforced concrete, not less than l50mm in thickness and sui table anchoring straps be provirled in the concrete.

3:3 The anchor straps for the tank to be to the satisfaction of the licensing authority and arrangements to be made to ensure that they do not abrade the tank shell.

Note It is important that anchor straps to prevent flotation should not unduly distort the tank or wear away its shell. If the straps are if iron or steel suitable measures are required to protect the metal from corrosion.

3:4 The installation work to be carried out and a tank to be tested all to the satisfaction of the licensing authority. For the test each tank must be filled with water and subject to a hydrostatic test of 0.70 bar for not less than 1 hour. Subject to the tank having previously been tested on site by wiping it with soapy water while it is on air pressure test of 0.35 bar, objection would not be raised to the hydrostatic test being carried out after each tank has been surrounded by the infill material.

Note It is desirable that the tank should be surrounded by pea gravel or sand before it is filled with water to avoid distortion of the tank shell in the wrong plane.

3:5 On completion of the hydrostatic test a tank to be left filled with water for two weeks or until it is desired to charge it with petrol, whichever period is the longer.

3:6 Every care should be taken to ensure there is no exposure of the GRP shell of the tank within the manhole chamber and that in each case only the steel cover of the tank manhole is exposed in the chamber.

3:7 Each manhole chamber to be designed to retain any spillage of petrol and the walls of the chamber so arranged that no surface loading is transmitted by them to the shell of the tank.

3:8 All pipe entries to a tank to be ta' .en through the steel cover of the tank.

: .9 ,:1.11 pipes inside the tanks to be of approved metal and together with the metal manlids of the tank be affectively earthed; the pipes with exception of the vent pipe to be carried down to as near the bottom of the tank as is practicable.

Note The purpose is to avoid the accumulation of dangerous charges of static electricity.

3:10 Suitable provision to be made to prevent each tank shell being damaged by dipstick impact.

Note The requirement would be met· by the provision of a metal plate secured by welded straps to the bottom of each filling/dip pipe.

3:11 Use of the tank to be discontinued ten years after installation unless approval of the licensing authority is given in writing to an extension of that period

While one successful installation does not quarantee these tanks, we have been aware of some of the problems and feel we may look ahead with cautious optimism. Only when a number of tanks in differing locations have been assessed will we have a more balanced view. There certainly seems to be a need for properly constructed tanks with an approving authority. The British Plastics Federation held a Quality Mark Seminar earlier this year and it is hoped there will be progress to this end.

We may now wait with interest to see if the Oil Industry consider the cost savings of installing GRP tanks warrants further applications, and if the trend to GRP tanks forecast ten years ago becomes a reality.

NEWS FROM THE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE

Move to Reduce the Dangers of Acetylene

Proposals to modify existing regulations covering the use of acetylene gas are being drafted by the Health and Safety Executive, following more than 50 accidents reported so far this year. In these, one man has died and nine have been injured.

Current legislation requires the approval of the Health and Safety Executive for holding acetylene above 0.625 bar (9 psig). Users seeking this approval are asked to comply with the 21 points of guidance that have been drawn up by the Explosives Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive. The proposed regulations would formalise these pOints of guidance.

'By giving legal backing to the list of points of guidance, rather than simply making them recommendations,' says Mr Philip Jones, Inspector of Explosives with special responsibility for acetylene, 'we hope to reduce the sad tally of deaths and injuries from the misuse of acetylene.'

At present no regulations exist to control the conditions of use of acetylene held below 0.625 bar (9 psig). 'But we are aware that a substantial proportion of the accidents are caused by acetylene at these lower pressures,' says Mr Jones, 'and we strongly advise that wherever possible the same installation standards should be used as apply to the higher pressures, especially those governing safeguards against flashback.'

More str.ingent legislation regulate the holding and use of acetylene at pressures greater than 1.5 bar (22 psig) but this applies to only a handful of highly specialised users.

Anyone wishing to use acetylene gas in the pressure range 0.625 to 1.5 bar (9 to 22 psig) should contact the Explosives Inspectorate, Baynards H Ch epstow Place, London W2 4TF, ouse, stating the circumstances of use and k · for the list of guidance as 1ng points.

1. Order in Council No. 30, 1937, made under the Explosives Acts 1875, regulates the holding of acetylene at pressures greater than 0.625 bar (9 psig).

2. The Compressed Acetylene Order 1947, amending Order in Council No.30, defines the conditions required for holding acetylene at pressures greater than 1.5 bar (22 psig).

New Advisory Council and Director for British Approvals Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres

The British Approvals Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres (BASEEFA) is to have a new structure and membership for its Advisory Council. The Advisory Council's task will now be, formally, to advise the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission; it will alsO recommend policy and major lines of activity for the certification service to BASEEFA' s Director. It will include experts from industry with a wide range of technical experience, representing both user and manufacturing interests. Chaired by Mr Jesse Supper, C. Eng. ,F.I.E.E., Consulting Engineer and until 1975 Director of the Ministry of Defence'S Electrical Quality Assurance activities, it will also include Mr Peter Bingley of the Technical Directorate of the British StandardS Institute. All appointments are for three yea rs lnitially.

The other members are:

Mr J.G. Heatherington Nominated bY the Lighting Industries' Federation

Mr G.A. Kent Nominated by the Oil Companies Materials Association Mr V.F. Lord Nominated bY the Engineering Equipment Users' Association

Mr G.D. Mason Nominated by the British Electrical & Allied Manufacturers' ASSOCiation

Mr P.A. McDonald Nominated by the SCientific Instrument Manufacturers' ASsocjation

Mr A.J. McMillan Nominated by

the Chemical Industries Association

Mr C.E. Mills Nominated by the Fire Offices Committee !\Ir L.C. Towle Nominated by the British Industrial Measuring and Control Apparatus Manufacturers' Association

Mr K.E. White Nominated by the Council of British Manufacturers of Petroleum Equipment Mr F.E.J. Wilson Nominated by the Petrol Pump Manufacturers' Association

BASEEFA, which is part of the Health and Safety Executive's Research and Laboratory Services DiviSion, is located in Buxton, Derbyshire.

The Executive has appointed a new Djrector of BASEEFA, following the retirement of Mr Donald Fox. Mr Brian Hill, H.Sc., M.I.N.E., M.I.E.E., took up his appointment as Director in October. Mr Hill was previously a Deputy PrinCipal Inspector in the Executive's Mines and Quarries Inspectorate. He joined the Inspectorate in 1959 after working for the National Coal Board.

New Booklet Published on Hazards of Flammable Gas Welding

Over the last six years, 22 people have lost their lives in accidents involving gas welding and flame cutting operations. Today the Health and Safety Executive have published a booklet setting out the precautions that should be taken in the handling of compressed flammable and oxidising gases. It also gives examples of accidents that have occurred from unsafe methods of work.

The processes covered in the booklet welding, flame cutting, heating, deposition of metal etc are used in many types of work. They involve the supply of a flammable gas, such as acetylene, propane or hydrogen, under pressure to a blowpipe (the 'torch' or 'gun') where it is burned, usually with oxygen, to produce a high temperature flame.

Warnings are given on the possible results of Unsafe practice in 32 typical work Situations, many illustrated by brief case histories to show what can happen when problems arise.

The booklet pOints out hazards ranging from fire (sparks can set nearby rags, paper or timber alight) to explosions (if cylinders of compressed gases are damaged). It gives general advice on the handling of cylinders, the design and maintenance of pipelines, and on the use of equipment.

The booklet stresses that the operator must be fully trained and adequately supervised, he must know the whereabouts of the nearest fire fighting equipment and must wear appropriate protective clothing.

The 19 page booklet was prepared jointly by specialists in gas welding safety from Air Products Ltd., BOC Ltd., and the Health and Safety Executive.

Commission Urge Government to Remove Crown Immunity to Legal Sanctions under Health and Safety Legislation

The Health and Safety Commission have met the Secretary of State for 'I' ters concerned Emnloymen t and other .> InlS to Dress the Commission's view that bodies, including Government Departments, should not be 'b' tl0n from improvement and prohl 1 . if notices or the risk of prosecutlon. thev failed to carry out their dutleS the Health and Safety at work Act.

on Bi 11 The Chairman of the CommlsS 1 , the Secretary Simpson, emphaslsed to d d of State that the Commission reg ar e ·t· of publiC this speclal POSl 10n ' nt Governme bodies as an anachronlsm. h Service Departments, the National Heal t and other Crown employerS were l · ations ·th the ob Ig required to comply Wl k Act in the Health and Safety at Wor But just as private employerS were. if they failed to do so there wa: h : o action whjch the Commission and d . co ul Health and Safety Executlve ThiS take to require them to complY· was a thoroughly unsatisfactory d Situation. The Commission considere that the law should be changed.

'd that Representatives of the TUC sal t that about the present position mean two million people employed by bodies has less effective protectl on under the Act than those in private employment. Moreover, individual employees of these Crown bodies were liable to prosecution although their organisations were not. Representatives

of the CBI and Local Authorities emphasised that in their view public employers needed to be placed under the same pressures to meet their obligations as other employers. It was wrong that formal legal action could be taken to put things right in a school but not in a hospital, or could be taken in a commercial shipyard but not in a naval dockyard

The Chairman of the Commission said that they were not aware of any insuperable legal difficulty about making Crown bodies subject to the full provisions of the Health and Safety At Work Act and asked Ministers to amend the Act.

At the end of the meeting the Secretary of State asked the Commission to pu t forward specific proposals emphasising those areas in which the greatest difficu l ties were likely to be experienced and promised that the Government would consider carefully such p r oposals.

No t es

1 . On September 6, Bill Simpson told the In stitute of Shops Acts Administration Annual Conference , that the immunity of Crown bodies against prosecution and other law enf o rceme n t act i on was out of keeping wit h mode rn thinking. He said the Commiss i on asked to see Ministers t o di s cu ss what could be done

2 Se c t io n 48 , of the Health and Sa f ety at Wor k Act excludes the Crown fr om e nforc eme n t provisions, namely pr osec ut io n of the body itself and be i ng su bj ect t o improvement and p r ohib it ion notices Indi v idual employ ees , ho weve r, a r e as liable to pr os ecutio n a s i n t he private s e c tor.

3 Cr o wn b o di e s in clu d e Go v ernment Depa r t me nt s , HM Fo r c es , t h e National Heal t h S e rvice an d a of o t he r b odie s such a s t h e F or est ry Commission , Medi ca l Researc h Counci l etc Nat ion a l is ed indu st r ies are not Crown bo d ie s

SAFE SP RA YI NG OF H IG HL Y FLAMMABLE LIQ UIDS

The main sa fe gua rd s neede d t o av o id fire and e xplo s ion ha zards a nd t o mini mi se th e ri s k to h ea lth wh e n spraying certain paint s , varn ish e s

and lacquers are detailed in a Guidance Note* issued recently by the Health and Safety Executive . Although the note refers to substances defined in the Highly Flammable Liquids and Liquefied Petroleum Gases Regulations 1972 (1), the Executive believes that many of the recommendatipns are appropriate when spraying other flammable liquids.

The practical advice given is aimed at all employers who carry out this process and particularly those in smaller establishments The note gives detailed guidance on three baS'ic rules:

the process should be separated from other factory processes; the process should be entirely enclosed; effective ventilation should be applied.

These precautions are necessary because 35 per cent of the paint may be lost during spraying and up to 80 per cent of the volatile solvent evaporates to allow drying to take place.

The note recommends standards of booths which can be used to enclose the process, and gives detailed advice on ventilating these.

When it is impracticable to use a booth, the note says: "It is essential that the room in which the spraying is to be carried out is separated from other working areas and is itself a fire resisting structure . " The note points out that any solvent vapour should be maintained its TLV and where this is impracticable it says that it may be necessary to provide breathing apparatus.

Sources of

A.highly flammable liquid will give r1se to a dangerous concent r ation of vapou r s when its temp e rature is at o r ab o ve flashpoint, and the liquid is e x posed to ai r , says the note However , a flammable liquid atomised by spraying at a tempera t u r e lower th a n its flash p Oint ma y b e i g n i ted by a high tempe r a t ure ig niti on sour c e of suff i cie n t ene r g y· The n ot e desc r ib e s such sou rc es and advis e s on precaut i on s guidance on safet y mea su r eS 1S al s o given under th e h ea d ing s of s to r age and h a ndling of high ly fla mmable l iq u ids, clean l ine s S a n d smo k ing " S p r Liquids " a Y1 ng o f Hig hly Flammable ----!! .M S O. , 30p plus p ostage

OFFSET FILL BOX INCORPORATING GAUGES

Reproduced below is a modified form of offset fill arrangement devised by Mr J. ELLIS, District Petroleum Officer, Surrey County Council. Mr Ellis reports that such an doors (locked when not in use)

arrangement has been installed in his area by a major oil company, and that after about a year, it is considered to be most satisfactory. sloping or slab roof

contents guages

1 2 3

1. Gauges and offsets fitted in brick chamber with wooden or steel doors.

2. Sill at base to catch any spillage.

3. Adequate room to allow driver to put lug spanner on connection at offset end.

4. 45 degree elbow to be fitted to upstand pipe with barrel nipple fitted with taper thread into elbow and parallel thread to be fitted with cap.

5. Air bricks to be placed in sides or alternatively vents to be cut into doors.

6. Warning notice to be fixed to outside of door.

7. Copy of Regulation 16 to be displayed inside one door.

'-1 I

13

ground level

off set fills appropriate f1 ' tted above 9. Gauges to be fill pipes.

. e would be Installation of th1S typ d forecourt h driver an beneficial to bot I avoid staff. It would by corrosion to connect10 n aps . Id stop c condensation and wou dropped. h ble' when d becoming 'unreac a 'f desire Caps could be kept locked 1binet . . . d th t the ca bear1ng 1n m1n a would be locked.

to pipe to

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

ESSEX

At the Dunmow Maigstrates' Court held at Saffron Walden on 21st December 1977 Infra-Freight Services Ltd of Unit B, Court Farm Estate, Northumberland Close, Stanwell, Middlesex pleaded guilty to the following charges:

1). Failed to carry on a vehicle conveying imflammable liquids a suitable and efficient fire extinguisher

Contrary to Regulation 6 of the Inflammable Liquids (Conveyance by Road) Regulations 1971

2). Failed to furnish a copy of the above Regulations to their employee engaged in the conveyance of imflammable liquids .

Contrary to Regulation 7 of the above Regulations

Both these charges being contrary to Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The charges were prosecuted by N.S.Parish of the Consumer & Public Protection Department of the Essex County Council .and the company were fined £200 on each charge and costs of £20.50 were awarded to the prosecution

The charges arose as result of an incident which occurred at Dunmow on 12th September 1977 when a flat bodied vehicle was carrying 281 drums each containing 20Kgs . of printers ink from Watford to Harwich for onward shipping , to Finland . Whilst travelling through Dunmow High Street , a busy shopping area , the driver heard a · bang and saw that a drum had fallen from his vehicle, and he also saw that the vehicle wa s alight just to the rear of hiS cab. Realising that a dangeroud situation could arise should hiS vehicle and drums explode he courageously drove about 2 miles from W Where he stopped and started Dunmo 11 the drums from the vehicle . to pu S overcome by smoke and was He wa 11 d clear by another d r i v er . pu e h· 1 Su ddenl y the fuel tank of the ve l C e 1 de d and ma ny of the drums caught exp 0 fire resulting in the vehicle becomlng a total losS in the intens e hea t

Bloomfield on behalf of the company stated that apparently some petrol was mixed with the diesel fuel in the vehicle's tank and this had caused the engine to become very hot However it was a matter of conjecture as to how the ignition occurred.

During investigations the manufacturers informed the County Council that the ink contained methylated spirits, ethyl acetate and propyl acetate. All the drums remaining were found to be correctly labelled.

The company contracted by telephone with a shipping agency to carry the load and it was stated on their behalf that if they had realised that the load was inflammable they would not have undertaken the conveyance.

On announcing the fines the Chairman of the Magistrates commented that the company had been negligent

Keeping

At Brentwood Court on 18th January 1978 Kenneth Charles Tydeman, a tanker driver was charged with

1. Keeping petroleum-spirit in a vessel not bearing the characters "petro leum spirit" and "highly inflammable" in contravention of 4 of the Petroleum-Spirit (Motor VehicleS etc.) Regulations 1929.

2 . Keeping 47 gallons of petroleumspirit in more than 2 vessels

each of which exceeded 2 gallonS in capacity and situated less than 20' from a building in contravention of Regulation 8 of the above regulations

3 Keeping petroleum-spirit in a vessel exceeding 2 gallons capacity such vessel being of a capacity of at least 5 gallons and not being in the fuel tank of a motor vehicle, moto r boat, aircraft or e ngine without complying with the conditions of Regulation 7 of the above regulations

Tydeman was fined £ 10 in re sp ect of charge No I, £50 in respect of c harge No 2 and £5 0 in respect of

charge No.3 and costs of £16 towards the cost of sampling were awarded to the prosecution .

All charg e s being contrary to Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Etc . Act 1974. These charges arose as a result of a complaint that Mr Tydeman was storing fuel in his garage next to his house. A jOint visit by police and customs officials revealed the presence of 47 gallons of Toluene stored in 11 containers. Samples taken by the customs officials from Mr Tydeman's car showed that the Toluene was being used as a motor ·fuel and appropriate action was taken by them without recourse to the courts.

Mr. Tydeman admitted that he had saved t he drainings from his tanker over a considerable period and alleg e d that had he not done so the Toluene would have b e en disposed o f as waste.

GREATER LONDON COUNCIL

Broken faucet

The driver o f a t a nk wa g on petrol to an Enfi e ld filling sta t ion open e d th e foot v a lv e s to compartm e nts before connecting f illing hoses. He then connect e d one hose to a storage tank Finding that h e was not n e ar enough to connect another hose to another tank he dec i d e d to move th e tank wa gon nearer to th e tank In doing so he ran over the connected hos e , the faucet on the outlet pipe snapped and some 770 gallons of petrol flow e d onto the forecourt . About 400 gallons was retained in a f orecourt intercep t or, but most of the remainder of the spillage was washed into the sew e rs during flushing Operations.

As a consequence o f his contr a v e ntion o f No 15(a) o f the Pe t r o l e um Spiri t (Conv e yance by Road ) Re g ul a tions t he drive r was f in e d £ 50 wi th £ 20 co sts a t Tottenham Ma g i st r a t e s' Cou rt. In fi x ing th e pe n a lt y th e Ma gistr a t es to o k i nto a cco unt t h e ma n ' s susp e nsion fr om work

Heavy f in e s

Whe n i nvestigating a s me ll of petro l in an office bui l ding ne x t door to a

West End filling station the inspector noticed that caps were missing from the disused dip pipes of two storage tanks and the off-set filling pipes to the tanks were not numbered Both tanks were provided with contents gauges Proceedings were taken against the licensee, and as a result the company was fined £400 for each of two infringements of the licence and £200 for each of the two contraventions of the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations at Bow Street Magistrates' Court. Costs of £lob were awarded to the Council

the course of the investigation the petrol installation at the licensed premises was tested; one tank failed the test

Chemical incident

Following the receipt of a report of a chemical incid e nt involving the parti a l collapse of a lorry load of me tal and plastiC drums of flammable liquids in course of conveyance inspe c ti o n re ve aled that the v ehi c le did not bear the st a tutor y lab e l and th a t no f ir e ex tinguisher was c arri e d. Tw o fir e men wh o attend e d t h e incid e nt r ec ei v ed burn s to their hands.

As a consequence at Camberwell Mag istrates' Court a Wiltshire transport firm was fined £150 for the bre a ch of No : 4 of the Inflammabl e Substances (Conve y ance by Road)(Labelling) Regulations 1971 and £150 for the br e ach of No . 6 of the Inflammable Liquids (C o nveyance by Road) Regulations 1971 Costs of £40 were awarded to th e Counci 1

Unlicens e d keepings

A firm of shoe manufacturers was fined £200 with £ 10 costs at Thames . about Petty S e ssions for keeplng . htur e Wl t 4 6 gallons of pet r oleum ml X out a li c ence in a small fa c tor y workroom in Tower Haml e ts

Una uth orise d k e ep i n g

O lIons of p etro l Fo r k e epin g ab o u t 4 ga e um mi xture in a Ha rr o w

1 · e n ce co ndl tl on co n tra v ent i o n of a lC t h £60 a l ice n see wa s f i ne d £30 0 Wl cos ts at Hen d on Magistrates ' Co u rt Th e l ice n see h ad p r eviou s ly been ca u tio n ed for u na u thorised keeping in t h e wo r kshop.

HAMPSHIRE

On 9th July 1977 the Hampshire Fire Brigade received a call to a parked lorry in winchester. Liquid was said to be leaking from a tank on the back of the lorry, and this proved eventually to be a water-based fertilizer. The officer in charge of the incident noticed, however, that seven 40 gallon drums were also on the lorry, and these were marked 'AVGAS'. No hazard warning notices were displayed, nor did the lorry comply with Conveyance Regulations. A Fire Prevention Officer attended, and photographs were taken. Samples of the 'AVGAS' were also taken.

Subsequently the owners of the lorry Moreland Beazley (Helicopters) Limited were charged on 4th January 1978 'at Winchester Magistrates with the following offences:-

1. Failing to mark the drums 'Petroleum Spirit', Highly Inflammable' and with the name and address of the owner.

2. Failing to provide a fire-resisting cover over the load.

3. Failing to acquaint the driver of the vehicle with the Conveyance Regulations and the Conveyance by Road (Labelling) Regclations.

4. Failing to provide a means for cutting off the electrical supply close to the battery.

5. Not providing a guard for the vehicle's fuel and not providing a lock for the 'cap of the fuel tank.

6. Failing to provide a fire resisting shield to within 12 inches of the ground between the engine and battery, and the body of the vehicle.

7. Failing to display the prescribed notices at the front and rear o£ the vehicle.

The Company pleaded guilty to all charges and were fined a total of £600, with £65. 75 costs.

HUMBERSIDE

Conveyance

At Scunthorpe Magistrates Court on 19th January, 1978 Woodhall Duckham Ltd., constructional contractors, of The Boulevard, Crawley, Sussex pleaded uilty to a total of 18 charges under Regulations as fol10ws:Conveying petroleum spirit

(a) in a 7 cwt. van which did not comply with the provisions relating to vehicle construction of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, 1957

(b) in a vehicle without carrying a fire extinguisher (Regulation 6)

(c) otherwise than in a vessel which was securely closed so as to prevent leakage (3 offences) (Regulation 23(1»

(d) otherwise than in a vessel which was of metal and in good condition (2 offences) (Regulation 23(1»

(e) in incorrectly marked containers (11 offences) (Regulation 5 of Imflammable Substance Conveyance by Road) (Labelling) Regulations 1971.

The ccmpany was not represented at Court· and the case was proved. Fines of £10 on each of the 11 charges under the Inflammable Substances (Conveyance by Road) (Labelling) Regulations 1971 and £30 on each of the 7 charges under the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road)" Regulations 1957, totalling £320.

The facts briefly were that on 28th May 1977 the van was seen on a garage forecourt to be loaded with a number of cans which had been filled from one of the pumps. The van was foliowed to a building site under construction by the defendant company. The petrol was to be used to fill the tanks of site vehicles although none was to be stored in the site.

Faulty Tank Wagon

On 23rd September 1977 at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court, Chartermoor Petroleum Limited of Pelican Yard, 61, Hermitage Wall, London E.l pleaded to three charges involving the1r tank wagon registration mark LMD 654P.

The charges were:(a) (b) (c)

Leaking draw-off tap (Regulation 11 of 1957 RegUlations). Plug connector of lighting circuit not insulated (Paragraph 2(b) of 1st Schedule 1957 Regulations). No flame symbol (Regulation 4(1) of 1971 Regulations).

Fines of £100.00 were imposed on each of the first two charges with £25 00 on the last. Fifteen pounds costs were awarded. Their driver Mr H. Childs also pleaded guilty to identical charges under (b) and (c) and fines of £50.00 and £10.00 respectively were imposed with £5 00 costs. A further charge under (a) was wi thdrawn

Carrying Matches

A tank wagon driver was fined £10.00 with £5.0( costs by the West MaIling Maigstrates on 27th September after pleading guilty to a charge of carrying matches on a vehicle conveying petrol.

Trevor John Morrison of Rochester, Kent was seen by a petroleum officer driving in the High Street, Tonbridge with what appeared to be a cigarette in his hand. The vehicle was followed and was later stopped by a police officer at the petroleum officer's request

Cigaret ts and a box of matches were being carried on a n open briefcase in the cab , The charge was laid alleging contravention of Regulation 4 of the 1957 Regulations.

De livery Spillage- Appeal

A number of appeals against conviction and sentence were heard at the Kent Crown Court sitting at Maidstone on 30th November 1977. The appeals concerned a spillage of petrol in the course of delivery and was reported in Volume 16 No l of this Bulletin.

Station Garage (Wateringbury) Ltd., appealed against their conviction and sentence in respect of the Regulation 2 offence an against the sentence in respect of the Regulation 16(10) offence.

A directo r of the company. Micheal Anthony Cayzer also appealed against his con v iction and s e ntence in r esp ec t of Regul a tion 2 and Re gulation 16(6) off e n c es and ag a inst sentenc e in re l ati o n to th e Regul ation 1 6 (7 ) offen ce.

c o unse l f or t h e Ap p e l l a nt s pu t f o rw a rd th e argu ment th at on l y a ver y sma ll qu anti ty of petro l wa s sp ille d , a point whi ch was not confir med by the officer con ce rned. Notwithstanding this he pleaded that the 'de minimis' rule s hould apply and the charge should not h a ve been brought.

In addition he argued that the Regulation 16(6) offence was a specific example of the more general Regulation 2 matter and that they were in effect the same offence

These were rejected by the judge and all the appeals were dismissed Costs were awarded to the Kent County Council.

Tank Wagon Fa u lts

DJ 18th October 1977 before the West Ma Iling James Alfred Quilter pleaded guilty to two charges under the Conveyance Regulations.

For failing to fit a screwcap on a draw-off pipe (Paragraph 13 of 1st Schedule) he was fined £25.00 and for failing to keep a filling opening locked a fine of £10.00 was imposed. Costs of £5.00 were awarded.

At the same hearing his employers Crouch Oil Ltd., of Dartford , Kent pleaded not guilty to two identical counts and the case against them was dismissed. A request for costs against the County Council was refus e d by the Ma gi st r ates.

Unlicensed Storag e

Versatile (Kent) Ltd., of 94, Dove r Road, FOlkstone pl ea d e d guilty before the Folkstone Magistrates on 8th December 1977 to a charge under Section 1 of the Petroleum (ConsOlidation) Act 1928.

tracto r s , The firm, who are floor1ng con had previously been warned that a. licenc e was required f or the keep1ng of certain contact adhesives . Some 58 gallons of adhesives which were d b en found in pet r oleum m1xtures ha e an unlicensed ' store which had no 1 t prevent ventilation and no s1l 0 t outflow. The electrical in the s t ore was alsO not up t o required s t anda r d.

d and wi th im p Ose

A fin e of £50 00 was costs o f £3 0 00

SURRE Y

Conv eyance : Veh i c l e fau l ts and spil l age

At Ch ertsey magistrates Court on 1 3 Apr i l 1 977 , Cab l es Montague Li mited of Fraser Road. Erith, Kent , p l eaded guilty to charges of a) failing to keep the caps of the

filling openings of a tank wagon securely closed and locked, contrary to Regulation 12(2) of the 1957 Regulations, and b) not maintaining in good condition the locking devices of the caps of the filling openings, contrary to Regulation 11. The driver of the tank wagon also pleaded guilty to charge (a). The attendant at the licensed premises taking delivery of spirit pleaded guilty to a charge of permitting delivery to begin without ensuring that the quantity proposed to be delivered could safely be received by the storage tank (as a result of which there was an overfill and spillage) contrary to Regulation 16(6)(a). The company were fined £30 on charge (a) and £20 on charge (b) plus £5 costs; the driver was fined £10, no costs; the attendant was fined £50, plus £5 costs.

Conveyance: Delivery and Spillage

At Epsom magistrates Court on 16th May, 1977, a tank wagon driver pleaded guilty to charges of a) not securing as far as reasonably possible that no petroleum spirit was allowed to

escape into any sewer or drain, contrary to Regulation 3 of the 1957 Regulations and b) not keeping the draw-off taps in the carrying tank of a tank wagon securely closed and locked except during the operation of emptying the carrying tank, contrary to Regulation 13. Petrol was spilled and was allowed to enter the public surface water system. The driver was fined £100 on each charge, plus £40 costs.

Conveyance: Vehicle faults

At Oxted magistrates Court on 14th July 1977, Cables Montague Limited of Fraser Road, Erith,Kent, pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to maintain in good condition the locking devices of the caps of the filling openings of a tank wagon, contrary to Regulation 11 of the 1957 Regulations. The driver of the tank wagon ple2.ded not guilty to a charge of failing to keep the caps of the filling openings of the tank wagon securely closed and locked, contrary to Regulation 12(2). The company were fined £300 no costs. The driver was convicted was fined £20, plus £25 costs.

PETROL - CONTINUING FLOW

by Arthur Pint

Hello again folks!

Due to an underwhelming demand for more homespun logic I'm back.

in entire agreement with h' It ould lm. w obviously be unsafe if you were misled into something like paint or disinfectant

Since the last time I had a few words your fuel tank. You could get stranded with you I've met a chap who claims to be mlles from anywhere that's the danger. employed as a petroleum officer for t'Council. He was leaning on the bar at the local hostelry 1 b then tries to convince me that the supping a half of John Willy's mild -a sure a e ,llng should include the word "inflammable" t . . t He says a flammable substance l'S called in- sign of eccen rlCl y.

If it's not flammable he calls Anyway he says I've got a very false and non flammable. I call it daft. misleading view about petrol, and it's more dangerous than I made out. He volunteered to Continuing his lecture, he went on to P ut me right. I thought he would. tell me how it was the gas or vapour which the petrol gives off that· th main hazard. t b f d · , Th' lS e you 0 e con use ln any wa}, lS lS why undergro d kS are .' un petrol tan Not wishing I'll tell you some yOU can decide for me alter my views, change your mind one you've got!

of hlS strange ldeas and constructed with a f'll' . 1 ger than 1 lng plpe on '. yourselves. He didn't make the suctl0n pipe. So th b ttom of the fl1llng but then you should never pipe is always e 0 This is a covered with petrol. it could be worse than the liquid seal.

He began by saying that petrol cans had to be marked by law for safety reasons. I'm

Now to me. in a time of energy crisis, thi: practice appears inordinately wasteful. On the basis that the filling' two inches from 18 plpe lS

the bottom end, the suction pipe two inches above this. I estimate that most tanks will always have about 50 gallons of 'dead' petrol, just to give a liquid seal.

My energy saving idea to beat this would be to arrange the filling pipe to terminate in a two gallon bucket from which petrol overflowed into the tank. The petrol remaining in the bucket would ensure the liquid seal and the suction pipe could then completely empty the tank. Forty-eight gallons of wasted petrol per tank could then be returned to circulation.

He was unimpressed by my brilliant suggestion but no doubt we shall see it in years to come on Tomorrows World with his name shown as the inventor.

Next a scrappy bit of paper with drawing on one Aide (and the Hatdock runners on the other) was produced from his pocket. I could tell he wasn't too sure of his facts when he had to have a crib sheet. The drawing was of something that looked to me like a war time air raid shelter, and was labelled "Diagram of Petroleum Store". It was brick built, had a thick concrete roof and a heavy, metal, outward opening door.

He reckoned it was constructed in such a strong manner because of the danger should thp.re be a fire or explosion in the store.

Once again he'd hit the nail squarely vD the thumb. If there was an explosion the blast would be held by the concrete, channelled through the outward opening door and cause multiple claims for compensation from passersby. No, it seems to me that this monolithic structure must be to prevent people from breaking in to thieve the petrol.

If I was designing a store for an explosive substance I'd have a very light roof to' fly off and float gently to the ground in the event of a blast. Or if it was for a burnable product, why not have a thin cardboard lining in the ceiling wi th sand on top? As the cardboard burned away the sand could fall onto the fire and extinguish it.

These remarks seemed to agitate him somewhat, .but after drinking half of the pint I'd Just brought him he stopped sulking and if I had any questions about petrol.

Racking my brains in an effort to choose a new area for reasoned diSCUSSion "Liquified Petroleum Gas", I said. At

juncture some of his drink seemed to take the wrong route. When he's stopped choking he explained that he coulrtn't deal with L.P.G.

"Why not?" I asked.

"It's not a liquid and therefore we can't test it in the prescribed apparatus" he replied.

you said it is the gas from petrol that is the most dangerous".

"It is, but it's only the liquid pC"fl"ol that we can test".

"Oh, I see," I said, not really seeing at all, "Don't you deal with any gases then?".

He thought for a moment, "Well, we do deal with liquid methane that's the liquified version of North Sea Gas. The Gas Board liquefy it so that they can keep a large amount in a small space".

It seems wrong to me that there's no control over the L.P.I. which I install and use in my caravan, yet there is control over the liquid methane which is already supervised by experts who may have their '0' levels (or even City and Guilds) in gas. I presume it shows a lack of confidence in the experts.

To get back into favour with him (i t was his turn to buy a round) I thought I'd ask another question. Thinking to restrict it to liquid petrol I asked what safety conditions be applied to the petrol in the national network of pipelines.

. he got hiS This seemed to work S1nce round in although strange to sa Y hiS was a double whisky. He drank it in one. the "We don't deal with petrol 1n national pipelines," he admitted. f gallonS thousands 0 there must be countered. of petrol in the pipelines," I f thOUsandS

There are hundreds 0 it. "Yes. tro l over of tons but we have no con Why don't , h Ministry. It's dealt with by t e . le like fil1 1n g you ask about something S1mp stations?"

d .d have a query 1 · I 1 Anything to ob 1ge. 1 d note-acceptor w-fang e about one of those ne the other . d to use pumps which I had tr1e night.

"WhV didn't it work? right up' its nozzle but no Could I have my pound back

I pushed my petrol came please?"

pc-und out.

GENIUS

This article by BOB SELBY, is taken from the journal SHELLMAN, and is reproduced by kind permission of the Managing Editor of that magazine, PATRICK LYNCH.

"It can," he told me, "do almost anything except stand up and sing. We could make it sing, but the standing up bit would be harder".

The pumps are neat, cleanlimbed, units that can be pre-set in terms of cash value. If a motorist wants, say £5's worth of petrol, he simply touches the £5 button. He will receive no more and certainly no less.

Pre-set pumps have been with us for some while and cannot be accounted news. The most impressive feature to anyone who is not versed in the technical byways of electronics, is the console It is small, compact, and yet the amount of information it can divulge is quite fantastic. You ask the questions by pushing this or than button. Within micro-seconds. the answer is flashed on to a small TV screen. To make this apparent miracle even more impressive it has a memory.

It is a strange world. Whilst much of the motor trade is brushing up its two times table in preparation for t h e £ -a-gallon epoch, one site is emplo y ing self-serve equipment so so ph istical that it takes the breath away . At t he press of a button, it ca n tell the operator more or less anythi n g he or she may wish to know ab o ut t h e station's petrol sales. Wh at ' s mo re, the key to the whole thi ng i s a c o mputer no bigger than a su ga r l ump, and by n o means damnably exp ens iv e .

S h oul d yo u wish f or a c lue to the fu t ure, my advice wou ld be to fo r get the probable fort h c omi n g an t i c s of mental a rith metic as so ciated with h a lf-price p o sting, a nd t o con ce ntrate on this marvel o f mod e rn s ci e nc e It is, of course, a spin-o ff fro m the exploration of space, and i ts p o ssi b ilities are prodigious According to Da vid Andrews, who works for it s ma n u fac t ur ers Bennett Beck, it is curr e ntl y y ie ldin g onl y about ten per cent of its c a paci ty

For example. customer A may be using a certain pump customer B may be on the other side of the island, waiting to use it. A finishes filling up his tank and replaces the hose; Breaches

for it. Ther is no need for any delay. A's can be wiped off the face of the pump at once, and B can get on with the job. The equipment will remember A's purchase until he has come to the cash desk and paid for it.

But this is only part of the whole performance. It will obediently print out such information as the cumulative total of the station's throughput in terms of cash and gallons the number of sales (right back. 1f need be, to the beginning of the year). It will count the takings at the end of each shift ; record the cash sales and the credit sales; show the amount of petrol in stock according to grades and flash a warning to the o perator when it's time he o r de r ed more supplies It can diag n ose i t s ow n ailme n ts , and make the task of c ha ngin g p ric es so easy the

hardest part is putting up a new poster on the pole sign. But they're working on that. The time is not far away when that, too, could be done by remote c ontrol.

According to Gordon Pattenden of Shell U.K. Oil, this data control system is the most impressive feature of the Bennett Beck 5000 series. The information is transmitted from pump to console at a speed approaching that of light. It is, furthermore, in code. There have been instances when electronic gadgetry has become confused by, for example, the noises of engines. In this case, there is no such trouble. Unless the signals are in the correct cipher, the computer refuses to take any notice of them.

The business of micro-processing (that's what they call it) originated in the USA about three years ago. At present, 48 sites over there are equipped with it. The installation at Balham Hill i s the first in Europe, Indeed, in this form, it is the first in the world for the American version does not concern itself with such things as pre-setting and blending.

Such feats have, of course, been possible for much longer but they would have required far larger computers. Said David Andrews, "The equivalent of the micro-computer in terms of transistors would be so big and heavy that I wouldn't be able to lift it. There'd have to be between eight and nine thousand of them. What's more, this one doesn't wear out".

The new system was introduced at Balham Hill Self-Serve at the end of last November. So far, it has been subjected to snow, ice, and hea v y rainfall; the price of the petrol has changed from time to time, and it hasn't flinched. John Keen, the site's manager, told me that "the teething troubles have been very, very small". Nor was the installation of it calculated to add wrinkles to his brow. It was carried out in two stages, and the whole operation took little more than a week. "It was," he said, "very rapid and trouble free".

Console operator Maureen Jaxonelli was full of praise for it. She still has to make one calculation, since the site offers its customers a choice between stamps and cash discount. Only about ten per opt for the former, but it has to be worked out at the cash point. As for Mr Keen, he still has to dip the tanks initially. Once this has been done, and the figures fed into the computer, the inventory is carried out automatically. The amounts sold are deducted from the stocks and, when fresh supplies are received, the quantities are added to the totals. Mind you, it seems unlikely that Mr Keen will have to dip his tanks for much longer. David Andrews and his colleagues are working on a means of cutting out the chore just as they are studying ways of passing on information about the site's stocks of petrol to a computer at a Shell terminal. The fully automatic filling station is certainly not far away. for the time being, however, there are no complaints from Balham Hill SelfService. With only three people on duty at anyone time, they are selling petrol at the rate of over a million gallons a year. A situation in which so few are able to accomplish so much can't be wrong and some of the credit certainly goes to that brilliant mi dget, the tough and encyclopedic micro computer

Unsafe lamp

Taking advantage of his employer's workshop facilities, which included an unprotected lead lamp, at licensed premises in New MaIden a man proceeded to attempt the repair of a leaking fuel pipe on his car. When doing so he pulled off the pipe and petrol fell on the lamp, the glass cracked and petrol was ignited. In the ensuing fire the luckless fellow received burns when his clothing caught alight. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, the car was severely damaged. He was cautioned for an offence under the Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles, etc.) Regulations 1929.

Smoker

The occupier of a fourth floor residential flat in Tower Hamlets chose the kitchen as a place in which to clean a carburettor with petrol. He smoked whilst doing so and petrol vapour was ignited. A bucket of water was used to quell the fire but not before the decor and cupboards in the kitchen had been scorched and blackened.

Line trouble

As each finished vehicle rolls off the lines at a Dagenham car factory a small quantity of petrol is delivered into its tanks by means of one of three dispensers to which petrol is pumped through three 2 inch diameter pipes. The run of pipework is about 750 feet long and is in a trench. About 150 feet of the trench is in the open air and covered partly by concrete and partly by removable slabs. When the pipes reach the Assembly Shop they are taken into the building and run along a shallow trench under the floor of the building. All three lines recently developed leaks- it is believed that pipe couplings were when contractors working on the site shattered one of the removable slabs. The senior inspector found petrol to a depth of about two feet in the section of trench in the open air and workmen trying to repair the damage Petrol was still leaking from pipework in the building and an

Reproduced below are items t2ken frow the London Fire Brigade Petroleum Branch Information

explosive concentration of vapour existed in the trench under the building. The inspector stopped the repair work and before he would allow it to continue he asked for the removal of all liquid in the trench and for the use of an air mover to disperse vapour. The bulk of the liquid tn the trench was removed by a 'tanker vehicle'. Thr resi'due, mainly water plus a layer of petrol, was treated with detergent and pumped into drains. The leaking pipes were subsequently repaired. As the company had not appointed a safety representative under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 the inspector involved the union convener early in the exercise.

The dispensing arrangements outlined in the first paragraph are unsatisfactory and have caused trouble from time to time. The inspector has been telling the company this for years. At long last improvements are in hand.

Smell at tube station

Evening and weekend visits were needed when a complaint was received about the appearance of petrol vapour in a drain at the Angel underground station. Initial checks at a petrol filling station some distance downhill frOD the station indicated that delivery from one pump was delayed on starting up and the records for one tank were suspect. The tank was subjected to a static dip test and a was indicated so the.tank was condemned. The rest of the installation was then checked and the suction line fault was confirmed. Soon after the pump and tank were taken out of use the smell in the drains at the tube station gradually dispersed, aided by frequent flushing with water. There was also slight contamination of road gullies in the vicinity of the filling station.

Extensive pongs

A petrol storage tank installed in sand in 1958 developed a leak and caused problems in Edmonton. Several complaints were received from houses Some 200 yards away and from nearby

club premises, and involved week-end visits by the petroleum inspector. A check on the drainage systems in the vicinity revealed smells of petrol in a foul sewer for a distance of 300 yards or more on either side of a point outside the filling station. Water jetting of the sewer by the local authority did not appear to improve the situation. The licensee thought he was doing the right thing by filling the defective tank with water; it is belived that this action aggravated the contamination by allowing escaping water to carry lost petrol in the ground to the sewer. The contamination lessened when the tank was emptied of water and charged with dry ice pending removal; the smells then slowly disappeared.

The I emaining nine tanks and thei r associated pipelines were pressure tested without any fault being found. However, a proposal to replace the four remaining tanks installed in sand in 1958 has since been received.

Tank dive

A 3,000 gallon tank installed in 1962 failed a pressure test after

complain ts had been received about smells of petrol in the vicinity of a Bromley filling station. Before arranging for the tank to be filled in solid, an oil company requested permission to establish the cause of the failure as all the other tanks on the site had been installed at the same time as the defective tank. With the permission of the Health and Safety Executive and the Petroleum Branch, a diver entered the water-filled tank with a closed cj t television camera. Not 3urprisingly he failed to establish the cause of failure. later solid-filled.

Tail wagging piece

The tank was

On being informed by the manager of a Hillingdon filling station of attempted robberies and a threat by robbers to shoot the pump attendant's dog, the inspector pointed out that the discharge of a shotgun dangerously near a pump or storage tank would constitute a breach of a licence condition.

BRANCH REPORTS

EASTERN

Minutes of the meeting of the Eastern Branch held at the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, Divisional H.Q. , Parkside, Cambridge 8th February 1978.

The meeting was opened by Mr J.W. Frid, the Chairman of the Branch. Mr Frid thanked the 17 members and 12 visitors for their attendance.

APOLOGIES

10 members tendered their apologies.

MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 5th October 1977 were accepted.

MATTERS ARISING

The meeting was asked if any member has been in contact with Mr Nourish of the Health and Safety Executive. Several members had, but said there was nothing to report.

Mr Armstrong of Norfolk, however, related a problem in Norfolk caused by petrol in a well and vapour' collecting in a school. The H. & S.E. were unable to help with it as were the members present.

CORRESPONDENCE

The members were informed that the new Electrical Code issued by the British Standards Institution was now available.

Mr Crewe Editor of the Bulletin, , h d showed members a catalogue he a received from the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations in Canada. It describes suction and vent lines manufactured in G.R.P. and capable of withstanding pressures of up to 2000 Ibs/sq. in.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS None

Mr. Thompson G.L.C., gave a brief description of his experience with G.R.P. tanks and their installation. He said that there were no real difficulties. The tanks were installed in soft sand. It was impossible to state the life of a tank but it was expected to be good. He said he could arrange for a paper to be published in the Bulletin, but in the meantime if any member was interested, they could write to the Petroleum Department of the G.L.C. who have a file on this subject, and he felt sure they would be willing to give any information they had. Mr Armstrong, Norfolk, explained in detail their problem of petrol in a well. Although the petrol had been removed, the vapour persisted in the school. A discussion followed on how to solve the problem.

Mr Lowe, Bedfordshire, raised the question of redundant tanks, expecially those which had failed a pressure test, and the subsequent rendering safe bearing in mind the reluctance of licencees to spend money.

Mr Bailey, Bedfordshire, explained that a petrol company has requested that the tanks at one site be left with a petrol liquid seal and a polythene sheet be laid over the manhole and covered with sand and a cement screed.

Mr Hoghen, Hertfordshire, had experience of a similar method. The meeting thought it acceptable provided that the Licensing Authority keeps the licence in force and lays down special conditions to cover the period of disuse. If such conditions are not accepted by the licensee there is always the right to appeal and the H. S.E. must then decide.

Mr Thompson, G.L.C., suggested that the whole question of redudant tanks should be put to the A.G.M. of the Association perhaps resulting in a nationally agreed method of dealing with this problem.

It was subsequently decided that a Branch Working Party should be set up to on methods of making tanks safe. The Secretary was instructed to write to each Licensing Authority in the Branch to request a nomination for an officer to serve.

Mr Crewe, Bedford, asked the meeting about the various policies of the Authorities represented on the subject of storage of small quantities of petroleum mixtures on display in shops.

The policies varied from permitting up to three gallons within the restrictions of the Petroleum (Regulation) Acts 1928 and 1936 to allowing from 15 to 50 gallons stored in metal bins.

It was suggested that the Working Party could also report on this subject.

Mr Armstrong, Norfolk, asked if there was any news of the revised licensing fees.

The meeting was informed that they had been held up due it was thought to political reasons!

The meeting adjourned for lunch.

During the afternoon two films were shown by kind permission of Calor Gas. The two films from Shell were not available.

It was agreed to hold the A.G.M. of the Branch on 5th April 1978 at Cambridge. The agenda is to be decided by the and Secretary.

The meeting closed at 3.00p.m

SOUTH EASTERN

Minutes of Branch Meeting held on 1st November 1977 at the Council Chamber, Borough Hall, Bridge Street, Godalming which cbmmenced at 10.30a.m. The venue was arranged with the kind assistance of Mr Cyril Pesket through Waverley District Council.

1. Mr Robinson took the chair for his first meeting since his appointment to the position in March and welcomed 17 members, Associate Members and Guests. There were 10 apologies for absence. The minutes of the previouS meeting were accepted.

2. The Chairman expressed his thanks to Cyril Pesket and to Waverley District Council for their hospitality. For the benefit of members who. had not been able to attend the A.G.M. in Birmingham on 20th April he reported on the outcome of the two motions proposed by the branch at our previous meeting. Both resolutions were defeated and the A.G.M. minutes will be printed in a forthcoming issue of the Bulletin.

3. Mr Davies an electrical contractor and Associate Member voiced objections to his lack of voting power. He also complained that having been asked to take advertising space in the 'Bulletin' on the basis of 4 issues a year, he was rather annoyed to have received only 1 issue in the previous 12 months. It was suggested that the national body seems to have gone into something of a coma and that unless something is done there could be no organisation in 12 months time.

4. The Secretary reported that the current paid up membership stood at 82. Enquiries from Cliff Peacock had resulted in 22 names being removed from branch membership as they had not paid subscriptions for 2 years or more and a further 13 had not paid their subscriptions for the current year. Any member not sure about whether he had paid was invited to check with the Secretary at the end of the meeting. He apologised for the delay in arranging the meeting and welcomed a number of Suggestions made by members for suitable venues, visits, speakers and topics for discussion.

5. The Treasurer reported that an amount of £19.09 is currently held in branch funds and suggested that the branch should be investigating ways of using the capitation fees available for the scnefit of members.

6. After a general discussion, the film on the product 'Explosafe' was shown to members. Explosafe is a product claimed to prevent the risk of explosion with containers of inflammable liquid and had previously been seen by a few members at the Association's A.G.M. in Birmingham.

In the afternoon the branch welcomed a talk given by Bill Dale on 'Future Trends in Petroleum Administration. ' Mr Dale's talk was, as usual, both informative and interesting and covered, with the assistance of a number of slides, the following matters:a) After a trial period the use of remote and submersible pumps had dropped from favour and very few requests were now received for such installations.

b) G.R.P. Tanks, although reasonably successful, were not being proceeded with probably because of the increasing cost of the raw materials compared to steel

c) d) e) f) g)

Price computing mechanisms are rapidly becoming electronic to overcome the mechanical problems associated with computing high price fuel and to more easily 1980.

Computors are now being developed for stock control purposes. These would not only give continuous readouts of stock but could give high and low level alarms. The general use of intrinsically safe equipmect is increasing.

The Health & Safety Executive have appointed liaison officers throughout the country to work with local authority Petroleum Officers on mutual problems of enforcement. There is concern over the variations in enforcement on sub-standard sites with the possibili ty of a t'akeover by the Executive.

The petroleum branch of LAJAC have proposed a code of licence conditions. which is being delayed because one authority is holding out for 20' safety distances. It is hoped this code will be accepted as a British Standard Specification.

Hazardous Substances Regs. and L.P.G. Regs are also in the course of preparation but no decision has yet been made as to who will be responsible for the administration. Tank labelling Regs. hopefully covering A/G Tanks as well as road tankers and requiring marking in accordance with HAZCHEM scheme are also under consideration.

The branch proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Dale for his address and showed its appreciation in the usual manner

The meeting finished at 3.45 p.m.

YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE

Minutes of the meeting of the Yorkshire and Humberside Branch of the for Petroleum and Explosive Administrat10 n held on Thursday, 29th September, 1977, at the Berkely Hotel, Scunthorpe.

WELCOME

The meeting was opened at 11.45 a.m by the Chairman. Mr R.J. Smith, who extended a warm welcome to the 22 members and visitors present.

MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on the 10th March, 1977 were read to the meeting by the Secretary. It was proposed by Mr F. Minns and seconded by Mr L.R. Cresswell they be accepted; this was approved by the meeting.

MATTERS ARISING

It was reported by the Secretary that a copy of suggested Branch Rules had been received from the National Honorary Secretary. but unfortunately had not been received in time for circulation. Copies to be produced for circulation prior to the next meeting.

In reply to a question raised regarding the attitude of the Health and Safety Executive towards the adoption of Codes of Practice as provided by the Health and Safety at Work Etc .• Act 1974, a letter from the Executive to Mr J. Frid, the National Honorary Secretary, dated the 14th June, 1977, was read to the meeting.- The letter stated that Codes of Practice similar to the Association Code would not be adopted as an "approved code of practice" as described in section 16 of the Act because of the following reasons:-

1. Only in exceptional circumstances would codes provided by outside bodies be accepted.

2. The Association's code provides guidance to administrators rather than to the public. It is not, therefore, easily related to sections 16 and 17 of the Act.

3. All matters dealt with under the petroleum legislation are being looked at in a wider context. therefore, it would be premature to consider the code until this exercise had progressed further.

However, an Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances has been appointed, and it may be expected in their considerations that attention will be given to the Association's code, amongst other relevant publications.

APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from 6 members.

TREASURER'S REPOR!

The treasurer reported that an account

had been opened in the Branch's name at Trustee Savings Bank, Market Place, Beverley, HUl7 8AJ and the balance stood at £5.20.

Members were urged by the Treasurer to pay their annual subscriptions of 50p in order to boost the bank balance.

The Treasurer's report was adopted by the meeting by being proposed by Mr M.W. Dean and seconded by Mr F. Minns

CORRESPONDENCE

The Secretary reported that the only correspondence received had been in regard to arranging the meeting.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

The question was raised, regarding the subject matter of the next meeting. as to whether Dr Cecil Johnstone of the Health and Safety Executive has been approached regarding speaking to a future meeting. The Chairman informed the meeting that no approach as yet had been made. It was, therefore, decided that the subject matter for the next meeting should be explosives, and the Secretary to make arrangements for a suitable speaker.

It was suggested that consideration be given. as a large number of the population are unable to read, to the adoption in licensing conditions of visual warning signs. This was generally discussed by the meeting and felt to be a worthwhile suggestion.

In connection with the Association's magazine, The Bulletin, the Branch Secretary, Mr R.G. Kitching, reported to the meeting that he had been informed by the Editor, Mr J.S. Crewe, that material for The Bulletin was required any member who had any suggestions or articles to contact the Editor.

TERMINATION OF MEETING

The business meeting closed at 12.45 p.m. , the afternoon meeting being given over to a talk/demonstration by Mr Peter Cox and Mr Brian Coleman of Retail Control

This was a very interesting seSS10n dealing with the conversion of headworks in pumping equlpment to electronic read-outs. It provoked a great deal of interest and made the afternoon session of great value.

Finally, a vote thanks was expressed by Mr L.R. Cresswell.

INDEX

The index to volume 16. was omitted from the last issue of "The Bulletin," .due to lack of space. It is therefore reproduced below:

ACCIDENTS & INCIDENTS

1977

Page

Suffolk, 14th. December 1976 , ......••......•...•......•.......... 50. Westoning, Bedfordshire, 11th September 1976 ..•.......•.............•.....•... 6.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Birmingham, 20th April 1977 14.

BOOK REVIEWS

Hazard Identification.... 36. Hydrocarbon Solvents ................ : : : . : ............•........................ 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Labelling Chemicals.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BRANCH REPORTS

Eastern " '" " " " " 25 49. . . ... . . . . .. . .... .... ...... , South Eastern.. 25 27. Yorkshire & Humberside .....................•............... , , 50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS

Mr B.T.A. Collins 2.

EDITORIALS Branch Meetings.. • 29. H. & S.E. Liaison Officers ................•...................... 1 . . .. .. " " ........... " . " .......... , ............... ,

HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE

H. & S.E. Commission Report 1974. 1976 51. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 News from the H. & S. E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 .

LEGAL NOTES

Criminal Law Act. 1977 .48. Health & Safety at ...•....•.......................... ,. 48. 4. Public Health Act. 1936 • 48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

MISCELLANEOUS

Marketing Safety Code. By 'Bookworm'.

This volume, published February 1978. by Heyden and Son Limited, is Part 2. of the Institute of Petroleum Model Code of Safe Practice in the Petroleum Industry. It supersedes the previous edition, which was published in 1965.

Covering a much wider field than the Home Office Model Code, it provides a comprehensive guide to safe practice in design, construction and operation of service stations, distributing depots, and of road and rail vehicles used for petrol products.

There are one or two points with which I would disagree, particularly with respect to road tank vehicle design, It is suggested for example that circuits may either be wired independently of the chassis, or use the chassis as an earth return. This latter suggestion is clearly contrary to Paragraph

2. (b) of the First Schedule to the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations 1957.

However the few doubtful points are far by the sound advice, which in many instances recommends a stricter practice than that required by law.

I am also interested to note that the code still, (correctly in my view) advises the use of an air pressure test notwithstanding a recent opinion to the contrary, by some vioces from the Health and Safety Executive.

The code is available from the publishers at Spectrum House, Hillview Gardens, London NW4. 2J'1. at a cost of £9 (A discount is available to members of the Institute of Petroleum) .