The Bulletin – July 1983

Using the latest computer technology, Tank Master measures fuel oil, chemicals, milk, drinks in fact any liquid in any shape of tank at the touch of a button with the added option of Specific Gravity Compensation.

• No electrics in tank area

• Any number of tanks may be measured on one unit

• High level, low level , fail safe , and air fail alarms built into system

• Alarms can be set to warn if S.G. of product goes outside pre programmed limits

• Alarm status of all tanks displayed on demand

• Delivery capacity of each tank can be displayed on demand

• Additional product loss alarm available to activate if contents of tanks drop more than a pre set percentage

• Facility to back ca librate the gauge against petrol pump totalisors for extreme accuracy

• Integral ticket printer

• Video monitor can either show details of a single tank or groups of tanks on system

• Printer will give details of one tank or full shift totals if required

• Simple operator controls

• End of shift totals on printer will show quantity gone from tanks since last shift

• Time and· date facility built into system

• Full facilities for Remote Data collection or for interface with modern petroleum self service units

• Accurate volume measurement of any liquid product in any shape or size of tank

B MER TAB-LINK FOR LONGER LIFE EASIER SERVI

DUring the past 2 years a different type of drive belt has appeared on forecourt petrol dispensers. The name is Tab-Link, and its unique polyester/polyurethane construction enables this belt to last a minimum of six times longer than conventional V-belts

It's easier to service, as one reel enables the service engineer to make up any length of belt to suit all pump assemblies, thereby greatly reducing the stock carried.

When it comes to the manufacture of pump equipment a Simpler design is possible using ' Tab-Link, as the tensioning and sliding adjustment systems used with conventional drive belts aren't needed. . Tab-Link is in successful use in petrol dispensers throughout Britain, including those serviced by Pump Maintenance Limited, and built by Avery HardollLtd., TokheimLtd and Ferranti Ltd

The Bulletin

VOLUME 21 Number 3

JULY, 1983 £2.50 (Free to Members)

Published by the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

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

Contents

TALKING POINT 37 NOTES AND NEWS 38 PROSECUTIONS 40

PLASTIC PETROL CONTAINERS 41 SELF SERVICE TRENDS 42 HIGHLINE 2 43 THOUGHTS OF CHAIRMAN LOWE 45 HEALTH & SAFETY ON THE FORECOURT 46 SAFETY TRAINING & LPG 47

Talking Point

The AGM this year was well attended and among those who did attend were a number of Honorary members who started the Association 25 years ago. Several letters were received from those who were unable to come, wishing the Association well.

The Business of the AGM went through in the Morning and Mr Barry Lowe of Bedfordshire became the new Chairman for the coming year. Two new members to be welcomed on the Council were Mr Nairne of Gilbarco and Mr Duchesne of Heron Service Stations. The afternoon session was very interesting with an excellent talk from Mike Blount of Esso the chairman of the Institute of Petroleums working party on dispensing LPG on petrol filling stations. The code should be published for comment shortly.

Honorary Secretary

Mr. E. Brown, Cambridgeshire County C '1ounc!

Honorary Editor

Mr.J A.J Thompson,

PROPOSED INCREASE IN LICENCE FEES FOR STORING

PETROLEUM SPIRIT

An increase in the licence fees for storing petrol eum spiri t is proposed in a consultative document recently published by the Heal th and Safety Commission.

It is the Health and Safety Commission's policy that the fees payable in respect of licences to keep petroleum spirit should be maintained at a level which will enable the full economic costs of administering the licensing system to be recovered by the licensing authorities. Petroleum licensing fees are intended to cover the administration costs of islicenses and directly related site Illspections; they are not meant to include costs for in:pections for enforcement purposes or the provision associated general advice on health and safety matters.

The proposal is to increase the fees by 6% with effect of 1st October, 19H3.

, In addition to increase the transfer of licence fee by £ 1 to .H.

Under the new fees the amounts are as follows with the old fees in brackets

In respe.ct of a licence to keep a quantity

Not exceeding '2,:iOO litres

Exceeding '2,:")00 litres not exceeding 50,000 litres

Exceeding ;")0,000 litres

fees payable for each year of licence £17 (£16) (£24) £51 (£4H)

The higher fees are proposed to take account of the increase In costs to the Authorities since 19H 1 when the levels were last set.

ROAD TANKERS INCREASE CAPACITY

, 'rhe it ted ng capaci ty of petrol eum spiri t road tankf'rs has lI1creased from :'m,ooo litres (6,600 gallons) to cll) 000 lItres (7 <J'20 11 ) , t' t' f '.. ,( " ',. ga ons III an exemp IOn cer 1I( d t€ N UIll ber '2 of I <Jg'i) d b h HSE d h I), , ' ,Issue y t e un er t e dngerous Sllbsta '(C ' , , ' nces onveyance by Road III Road I ankers and T- kC' ) an ontall1ers Regulations 1!JH I. It has also allowed an ' , 'h ' Il1crease In t e maximum for a tank comwhich has gone from 5,000 litres (I 100 gallons) to I,I)()O htres (J Cn '11, )"' ' ( ' ," ) ga (ms. I he changes enable the OIl AJlnpames to operat th 'JU h k ,,' e e ao tonne gross weig t tan ers dnel With larg'er (oo ,,' eI I' 'I apauty e Ivery fleets it will eventually ( lit ( 0\\ non (JI)erat' 'h I Illg costs 111 w at is a very competitive mar (Pt I lll1e1erstand th Sh II h f()r lar 'f' 0' 0, e ave placed.orde,rs f' II g .1 tankel s cllld most other Od Compames wIll () ,,\\

'f \\0 "f (hp fan( rs '}' h f'f' , , ) , W IH (I eets petrol station developI1lC'nt IS tlw SIZ<, ( f tl d " ) H'lua tankers and providing suitable 1)( 'SI III 'liS for t1Wll1 t ,t d os all and to manoeuvre onto the fore(' III!'t I)n oldpr rH" ' I ' , ,I I ,10 stallOns such vehicles may not be ) (, trl df'l,v(,1 S' f' I 'I'h' ,cl y, IS also raises once again the 'llfl'SII('fl"f 1!J('Slllt'd I ' f' , 'c ) e Size ur a petroleum interceptor, the iIJi('j(f'pl,,, hadllS('" I ' , dlM( It\ (Plf'rnlllwd many years ago by iI"'lzf',J/I/If'I<lI"f'st(' , 'I' ", 0111 p<lrtlll(·1l t of a petrul tanker, It t 118 I"" j( i', I, • 1.( t f) 11, •I\( 'dl11 h h , IOllg Iwr apS\H'C(lneXpecttospp ,,;/1',. "/'" .' "11,, I, "" "11)' I I f' " ('()() I' ' " , Ca) e lJ retallllllg I, ) I tres 111 1.,IIII( ,d". f, "0 "'f', : I 1111 PS tlwsiz('oflllost f'xistingollPs,

CONVEYANCE CERTIFICATE HICCUP

Esso Petroleum Co Ltd have been experiencing difficulties over a new style motor fuel delivery note, in which they use a pre printed section on the delivery note as the Petroleum Delivery Certificate. While this encourages the practice of completing the certificate at the time of delivery and ensures that the driver does not lose the certificate it has meant that in many cases it does not meet the requirements of the Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 19H1.

The Regulations require the certificate to be kept at the petrol filling station for a period of six months after delivery. In practice the delivery note gets sent to the filling stations Head Office, or accountant and is not usuall y retained at the premises concerned.

Due to these difficulties I understand Esso are considering amending their delivery note to include an additional copy or tear off slip to enable their customers to comply with the law, In the meantime customers are being advised to complete the certificate from the pad available from the HM Stationery Office.

SILVER JUBILEE SEMINAR

A seminar is being held this year at The Queensway Hall, Dunstable on Tuesday IHth October 19H3,

The literature will be sent to all members and interested parties. Should anyone require advance information or wish to reserve a place they should contact the seminar secretary Mr B Thompson, 94 Windmill Avenue, Marshalswick, St Albans, Herts Tel 0727 6344H or 0 1 4720,

DOUBLE FIRST

Congratulations to J], Corfield recentl y appointed Chief Trading Standards Officer at Southend-on-Sea in succession to J. Goldie Clark now retired, on his election as Chairman of the Institute of Trading Standards Administration.

John, a keen supporter of the Association was actively engaged in the production of the Bulletin during his service at Shrewsbury from 1951 1965.

PETROL FUMES CAUSE EXPLOSION SCARE

A lorry loaded with petroleum solvents and other dangerous substances was at the centre of a major explosion alert at Warash in April. The alarm was raised when the driver was overcome with fumes from the petroleum based produds hp was carrying which had leaked from the containers. The lorry was parked in a residential area and emergpncy services were called, The Fire Brigade moved it to a saff'r spot and using full protective rlothing and breathing apparatus and under the advice of a company representa tive IInloadf'd the lorry, The driver was treated in hospital bllt recovered sufficiently to be allowed home later.

HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE WARNS OF POTENTIAL FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS WITH THE USE OF IMPORTED FLAMECUTTING EQUIPMENT

An urgent warning has been issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) about the potential fire and explosion hazards which could result from the use of an imported flamecutting blowpipe.

The blowpipe, known and labelled as "British Cutter" is almost identical in appearance to typICal UK tu red models. It is primarily intended for commercIal operations and this could include, for example, flamecuttmg and welding work carried out by one-man businesses such as back-street car repairers.

Torches seen and tested by HSE have shown the following potential dangers:-

torch head sets are not always compatible with standard UK manufactured nozzles which are likely to be used with the blowpipe as it was not supplied with its .own nozzle. A poorly fitting nozzle, is liable to cause eIther internal or external leakage of fuel gas and/or oxygen. In particular, poor contact between the and middle seats of torch heads has been noted, whIch although undetectable by observation alone, could lead, in certain circumstances, to flammable gas/oxygen mixtures being produced in the torch bodr and connecting hoses with the resul tant risk of backfIre or flashback;

some joints on "British Cutters" especiall y at the end, are of soft solder having a much lower meltmg point and strength than jointing normally used for this purpose. Damage of these Jomts could result in leakage of fuel gas and/or oxygen.

More than 500 blowpipes are thought to be in circulation from a trial batch of about 1,000 originall y imported by Ensum Ltd, of Beefeater House, 99 Sunnyside Road, Ilford, Essex. The company has since gone into liquidation and sales records which might assist in tracing distributors and users, cannot be found.

A number have already been withdrawn from sale following concern expressed about their safety, and a further 270 torches which remained in the warehouse have been destroyed. However, says HSE, more than 500 are still thought to be in existence.

Because of the difficulties in identifying suppliers and usof the equipment, the HSE urgently advises those who thmk they have a unit to have it appropriately tested and modified, as Soon as possible, noting the following points:

the tests and modifications should be carried out by a suitable skilled welding/flamecutting equipment engineer. In this respect, local suppliers of the equipment may be able to assist.

the equipment should not be re-used until it has been tested by a competent person and shown to be safe.

Information on the possible hazards associated with the use of the "British Cutter" has been circulated to all Area Offices of the Health and Safety Executive in England, Scotland and Wales. If a Userur distributor believes he may have one of the suspect blowpipes, and is uncertain about any aspect of the HSE advice given above he should contact his local Area Office for further assistance.

EXEMPTION PERMITS ROAD FREIGHT CONTAINER HAULAGE OF EXPLOSIVES

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued an Exemption Certificate (No 3 of 1983) allowing road freight containers to carry up to 16 tonnes of explosives.

The exemption is made under the provisions of the Explosives Act (Exemptions) Regulations 1979. It will apply to movements which are under the control of competent persons acting for persons licensed by HSE to manufacture, keep or import explosives or for the Ministry of Defence.

It follows representations by industry to the Department of Trade. HSE has consulted the CBI, TUC, local authorities, police representatives and other interested bodies all of whom acknowledged the need for exemption.

Stringent conditions to safeguard the road haulage of mass risk explosives will be applied. The route must be planned and notified to the police and in advance and the freight container must be accompamed by an escort vehicle.

Special condi tions will appl y to vehicl.es to to the loading and unloading of the m addI hon to those normally required under the ExplOSIves Act These will apply to quantities of more 4 Irrespective of whether the explosives bemg carned can present a risk of mass explosion.

PETROLEUM AND ITS PRODUCTS

BSI has recently issued a further 19 Parts of BS 2000 troleum and its products, a series of test methods on.gInally published by the Institute of Petroleum (IP) whIch have since been accorded British Standard status and are now being revised as necessary and presented in A4 format under a single BS Number. For easy identification, each Part number is identical with the corresponding II' method number, BS 2000 : Part 0 General introduction gives ?etails of the BSI/IP agreement for publication of the senes, lists more than 60 methods that were initiall y scheduled :or publication during 19R2 and 19R3, and general formation on safety precautions, sampl1l1g and other ma ters.

The first new document in this issue is Part () Addendum 1 Standard reagents and thermometers, which fom1ah . t in other Parts lizes the various references to suc eqmpmen A' of BS 2000 since these details are based on AppendIX 111 Part 1 of the IP book.

I Parts which are The following list details the ut 1er ne", now available: Identical Part: with Price 13: :14: 47: SO: 104:

Conraclson carbon residue of petroleum products II' l:i/H:2 Flash point by Pensky-Martens II' :·14/R:2 closed tester '. fR') Solubility of bitumlllous b1l1c1els 11 41 of II' :>()/W(7!l) lubncat1l1g grease . Mercaptan sulphur content 01 d t iP 1041:>:\ light hydrocarbon pro ue s (silver nitrate method)

LI!I.SO no.so [ nl.oo [ H.70 1:2:-1: Distillation of petroleum products 11'11:1 Hl [1·1.00

1:-3:): Rust-preventing characteristics of steam-turbine oil iTl the IP 135/64(81) £ 8.70 presence of water

137: Oil content of soluble cutting oil dispersion IP 137/82 £ 4.50

13S: Oxidation stability of aviation fuels (potential residue IP 138/82 £ 8.70 method)

13D: Neutralization number of petroleum products and IP 139/65(SI) £10.50 lubricants (colour indicator titration method)

1+3: Asphalteues in petroleum products (preciptation with IP 143/82 .£ S.70 normal heptane)

ISli: Hydrocarbon types in liquid petroleum products by IP 156170(7S) .£ S.70 fluorescent indicator absorption

177: Neutralization of petroleum products and lubricants IP 177/64(79) £10.50 (potentiometric filtration method)

ACidity (inorganic) of petroleum products (colour indicator IP .r 4.50 titration method)

I!JI: Distillation of natural gasoline IP 1911(i5(S1) .r 8.70

I!JS: Distillation range of volatile organic liqUids IP 19.')/SI .rI0.50 Acidity of bitument (neutralization val ue) IP :-3176 .£ +.SO Cloud point of petroleum oils IP .£ 6.00

: Anti-wear properties of hydraulic fluids by the vane IP ,r S.70 pump method

Sodium, nickel and vanadium in fuel oils and crude oils IP £ 8.70 by atomic absorption spectroscopy

:lOli: Oxidation stability of straight mineral oil IP .r 4 ..10 :l()7 : ()xidation stability of mineral insulating oil IP 307/S0 .r 4.S0

Copies of may be obtained from The Sales Departnwnt, British Standards Institution, Linford Wood, tiLE, Telephone: Milton Keynes I elex:

Prosecution

North Yorkshire County

Followi lIg<J ((Jlllplaint by the Police regarding the tranSplJlCJtHln of petrol in large plastic containers from one IdlIng station to another. it prosecution was taken against JulIali Le5. the

AI IlarrlJgale Magistrates Court on May 11J83,.Julian I,I'S pi 1',Jcil'ci gud t \ to two summonses as follows, r it) I ('/lVI'\ iIlg petrolpUlll spirit by road ill a manIwr that did 'lid <il ('lId \\ Ilh Sl'ction L.l of tilt' Petroleum Spirit (COll".\ ,Iill I' i,\ J{oad) R.l'gulati()lls f !J,j/ cOlltrary to Section t,il 'll illl' 1'!'Ir"il'llill (:ollsuliciatioll) Act

(b) being a holder of a petroleum spirit licence, filled containers with petroleum spirit in a manner in accordance with Part B : S5 (2) of his said licence, and the Petroleum Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations 1982, namely Regulation 3(1 )0, contrary to SI (3) of the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 192H;

and was fined.£lOO on each account. In addition, he was ordered to pay £79 costs to the Fire BIigade and .£30 advocate fees.

Prosecution - Humberside County Council

On 21 st April, before the Scunthorpe Magistrates, Robin Randall Burt and Christopher Frear pleaded guilty to breaches of the Humberside County Council Licence Con· ditions, Health and Safety at Work Act, and the Trade Descriptions Act, 1968.

The offences arose out of the submission to the department of an electrical certificate which bore a false declaration, it being a licence condition that examination and certification of the electrical equipment can only be carried out by suitably qualified authorised personnel, (the accepted qualification and designations being stipulated on the form) .

The garage proprietor, Mr. R.R. Burt, after allowing his electrical certificate to lapse, submitted a certificate on which he had declared himself as the examiner in the capaci ty of a Chartered Electrical Engineer. For failing to submit a certificate for a period of ten months, he was fined £.10, and by virtue of the Trade Descriptions Act, 1 for recklessly making a statement to the effect that he was a Chartered Electrical Engineer, he was fined.£ 100. Costs of .cm were awarded.

Subsequent enquiries revealed that previous certificates had been completed by Mr. C. Frear, a car dealer who had on two occasions, made false declarations the first as an Electrical Engineer employed by a member of the Associated Officers' Technical Committee and secondly, as a Chartered Electrical Engineer employed by the Committee. On both counts he was fined £.10.

Letter to the EditorPlastic Petrol Containers

2 Kings Close, Hartford, Huntingdon PE18 7QQ

Dear Mr. Thompson,

At the recent AG.M. of the Association one of our retired Honorary Members who had been invited, in thanking us for the invitation, remarked that he thought he would be out of his depth haVing not dealt with petroleum matters for some long time. But, he said it seemed we were still talking about the same old things and he really felt quite at home. I wonder if that is a reflection on how effective the ASSOCIation is or has been?

This was after discussion on the marking and labelling of the new plastic containers and on the new Code of Practice relating to LPG dispensation.

The container labelling question arose because of the variations in opinion of various authorities as to the 'durability' oflabelling of a certain firm's container. The firm had had several labels printed but now were unable to dream up one which would suit all shades of opinion and so were approaching the APEA for guidance. Our answer was, it seemed, to wash our hands of it saying, correctly, only the Courts could decide as the law stands at present.

However, we all know the type oflabels applied to plastic containers of all sorts and it seems obvious this assertion will keep up if something is not done about it. We know WOrd111g can be em bossed on to plastic and there must be a process whereby it could be in a different colOlu;ng to the base colour. If this was required and labelling deleted the problem ma 'f t d Id ., 111 es e wou surely disappear. Cannot the Association p'e f h' ? C I b I ss 01 t IS. ommonsenseseemstosaya a el should never have been permitted in the first place.

I have had but short . . h' I b expenence 1\1 t IS sp 1ere ut am surpnsed at the apparent lack of contact there seems to be with those at the sharp end th . I h . , ose reqll1rec to enforce t e variOUS codes conditions and la'" It hA' H. seelns to me t e ssonatlOn could and shuuld make its' presence felt on such practical aspects and so bnng about a greater degree of national conformity.

Yours sincerely, L. Brooks

Plastic Fuel Containers-The reply

The Editor

The letter received from Mr. Brooks refers to a discussion at the AGM on the suitability of some plastic containers being sold for use with petrol, as complying with the legislation. The Petroleum Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations 1982 in the schedule makes clear the requirements of those regulations in the marking and labelling, it states:-

Schedule

Marking and Labelling

1) The plastic container shall bear legible, indelible and durable marking or labelling showing the following:a) The manufacturer's name; b) the month and year of manufacture; c) the nominal capacity of the container in litres and half litres rounded down to the nearest half litre below; d) the words and figures "complies with S.1. 1982/630"; e) the words "PETROL" and "HIGHLY FLAMMABLE'" f) the app'ropriate hazard warning sign; and g) an appropriate phrase or phrases in English indicating the precautions to be taken.

2) The words and sign on the container in accordance "'ith para 1e, and f, and g, of this schedule shall be capable of being easily seen and read when the contamer IS placed in an attitude in which it may nonnally be expected to be placed and shall stand out from their background so as to be readily noticeable.

3) Any label shall be securely fixed to the container with its entire surface adhering to it.

It is up to the person \\·ho manufactures, imports, or supplies the plastic containers to comply with this schedule.

I have seen some plastic cuntainers which do comply with the regulations, many are imported havll1g been approved for use in another country and have a label stuck on them which does not comply With the schedule above. I looked at one plastic container manufactured .for Bell Products Ltd. in Germany; this is obviously made WIth h I · . . d 'th' ,ddl'tl'on to the label the t e regu atlOns In mln ,WI , In d statutory labelling embossed into the vessel.

'h "f f' t . . "Ill g'et it rig'ht and C0111' 1 erefore I Inost Inanu ac UI eI S(, L L .' t tl 'It offendin o' C0111- PI\.' with the requirements It IS up 0 1, D J • t' f ·theReg·ula(lllns Panv to do likewise or face prosecu iOn, 01 J '(1 dUStIT Local Autho- were made after consultatlllns \\1 1 In , , . d ' , 1 t I do aon'£' tha t there IS ntlesandotherll1tereste p,utltS JU D,,, a lack of contact vvith HSE and the "SHARP END, a pCllnt I have often made in this journal.

On the point of the retired member reflecting t,hl' ., Id tl "I dCl recdl'ls a IW\\ Iletroleu111 Offll t 1 <It same () lIngs ' , . I' d · '.. b· th'It retired nH'mber \\ hen \\"l' (IS ten ll1g meetll1gs lUll \ ' cussed the comino (i self service, the effectiH'lH:'ss of latched nozzles \\ifh amusing expt'riments, and (he "hur rors"' of unattended self service. I call the discllssing uf plastic petrol containers and 1.1'(; dispensing, prugn'ss, although others might not agree.

B. Boyes, ICI Petrochem & Plastics Division,

B. Goldsmith, Mr. R.N. Andrews, Mr T.B. Govan,

Self Service Trends on Petrol Filling Stations

The Institute of Petroleum has completed a survey of retail petrol filling stations in the u.K. and concluded that there are now 24,108 petrol filling stations.

The Regional breakdown indicates there are 20,418 in England and Wales and 2,283 in Scotland, 1,194 in Northern Ireland; 171 in the Channel Islands and 42 in the Isle of Man.

The number of outlets fell by (iS2 over last years figure but the number of self service sites in the UK rose by 4:·3:1 to now take 29.6'1., of the total. The amount of petrol sold during 1Sl82 increased on the 1981 figure by 3.7%.

The following figures are reprinted from Petroleum Review, the monthly magazine of the U.K. Institute of Petroleum.

Analysis of each company site

Brand 11,;, self- 'j" compa ny- % retailing service owned derv Esso :·l(J.(i :-l4.1 4X.(i Shell 44.X 40.3 :-lO.O BP :-l(jA :1:1.3 Texaco National 3.X :-l:-l.X 11.1 Jet/Globe I.X Mobil (i3.3 ;iXA 41.7 Bunnah Group i Fina 41.X Total 4!!.1 7 :-l.7 UltramarlSummit .i.li Elf ., 1 ·1·0.1 Anglo Pace L!) O.X ICI 17.7 Gulf 41A Others I I (i.7

No. of motorway sites included in survey 8ralld Esso Mobil BP Shell Texaco Total Amoco Elf UK Petrol sites VI). III 11)111/ VI'II I 11/(11t/,/; I 'IX.! 21.l1lX I'IX! 2 1.1 (,1) I'IXIJ 1.."". )17 j (1)( J .!.I" I XI) I'(,X !X .!.fJ' I (I; .!.' 1.7d I '(;1, i'l/ ;I.UI, 'I I ;1 I I, ; ;/.11"; I I ''-,j Jllldt(·( J " ,·,;·d

/illal illrilldillg Number of 5'/zared Sites :-l() :,>() IX ; 7 2 I Sdi ''',01 ,\l'i7)1({' tolal /, I i) .!.!I.II 1',712 .!.I. I 1,.11:,>:,> .!.U, ),.; III .!.11.2 I.' /(,1, 17(, l.I-l! I 1·1'1 l.7'J·1 IL, I, I IX 11.11 j '1'1 ),'11-, XX

BREAKDOWN OF OUTLETS

No. of sites per company

Brand

Total Self- CompallY- Retailing service owned Derv

Esso :-l,47H I,()(i!) I,IXli I,(iX!) Shell I,I!)!) BP X!)O 777 XU:-l Texaco I,77!) :"i:n National I,:-lliX 41i3 :-lX!J (i07 Jet/Globe 1,077 Mobil 1,04.1 (iliI (ilO ·I:-l(i Burmah Group !J90 14X Fina H7H I !);J 3(i7 Total 40:-l (iO;, UltramarlSummit (i03 14 3·1 I:1:-l Elf .1!)I :-l4!) I!)·I Anglo !)W I I:-l3 Pace :J IS " 11.S ICI 470 X:-l

Gulf 44li EJH IHI I :-l!J Others 4,171 4!J!J W):i

Grand Total 7,I4:i 7,Sli3 H,OOO

No. of Company sites as % of UK total

Brand Total Self- Cam j)(IIlY- Retailillg service owned Derv

Esso 1·1.4 I·I.!) ];J.7 1.1 Shell IH.(i j;,.!) 11.1 BP !J.7 Il.!) 10.3 Texaco 7.1 H.7 (i.;, National ,S.7 li.S .';.1 7.(i Jet/Globe 4.:i :u :-l.:' Mobil ·u !J.3 H.I ;l ') Burmah Group 1.1 .1 :-l.1 Fina :Ui :u .1.( i Total :1.4 ,J.(i KO :Ui UltramarlSummit 0.1 1.7 Elf L.,1 I.!) :-l.1 Anglo 1.7 Pace O.:l 0.1 1.1 ICI I.!) Gulf I.!) 1.7 Others 17.:1 7.0 11.0 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.1) AI/mdI'd 11'/1 C'mll!JIlIIY- 1;-I,Oj' Average sill' tolll/ ol{'lIed total throughpul (1(;) I 7().L 7,.'ld :ll.·j I':' I H,IIIX n.!1 7,7% 31,)

GiIbarco Highline 2 and self service.

One of th e most successful elec tronic self service pumps in recent years has been the Gil barco Highline models. The Highline 2 is a petrol dispenser with electronic computer and high lev el hose suspension for attendant or post pay m e nt self service operation a nd avai lable in single, two or thre e blend versions with optional pre set facility.

Design features

The lowe r housing contains the hydraulic compone.nts which are very similar to those of the Highline 1 HOUSIng Covers are o f G.R.P. The requisite amount of natura l ventila tion is provided

The vent from the drain lin e eliminator (Air separator di sc harge) to the open air through the housing at low level. An additional out let of similar ap pearance is from a drain for the no zzle boot.

The nozz le boot is located on top of th e hydraulic houslI1g.

Th e electronic unit is mount ed on the dispensing column a nd the display is by electro-mechanical segmented units. The unit provides some management functions such as plice setting, readout o f shift totals etc.

A lighting fitting is provid e d to illuminate the display figures. A sm a ll battery is mount e d within the unit to maintain memory circuits.

The electrical components in the hydraulic housing are component certified for Zon e 1. Eith er Ex(d) or Ex(e) motors ma y be used.

BASEEFA have certified th e whole dispenser as cam pi y . ) in g with S.F.A. 3002.

The upper part of th e disp ens ing column is fonned by a Single pip e with twin passages. This pipe swivels 4Y each sid e o f the ce ntre lin e of the dispenser and will automati ca ll y return to w ithi n each sid e of the ce ntre lin e

Mechanical totalisators for Hi g h and Low grades are proVid ed and r ead in litres

The lim iting device is se t in th e elec troni c unit by th e u se of a Manager's key and allocation switch und er th e price cover. The limi t set is indicated o n the volume digit s of th e read ou t.

T h e fac t that the Highline rano'e aniv e d on the marke t at th e co rrect tim e is du e to the of the co mpan y's R e searc h a nd Deve lopment programme.

As part of th e produ c t e ngineering pro g ra mm e G ilbarco hav e co nstru c te d a sp eC ial EnV ironmenta l Test C hamber to sim ul a t e th e mo s t rigorous cl im at ic co ndi tions. Th e pumps are s u bmi tted to temp e ratures o f 40"C a nd up to S O"C wit h re lat ive hum idi ty of 30'X , to

.

oaa·ao """"','" alj a·a . ' :r:

New Product Development

Gilbarco confirmed its continuing commitment to the UK petroleum retailing market place and unveiled 2 important new product development programs for service station equipment the T12E petrol pump controller which will be going into production in the near future, and the T15 Retail Data System intended for early field trial installations.

The target Gilbarco set itself was to provide new products capable of functional expansion to assist the retail petroleum industry to combat today'S low margins, difficult trading conditions and improve forecourt efficiency.

The prototypes are the results of:-3 years of pilot projects engineering design, and a truly significant investment III Research & Development facilities.

AI though not on general release at present, proving trials major oil company retail chains, will refine the basic deSign parameters.

T12E Self Service Petrol Pump Controller

,The T12E is a new advanced petrol pump controller aimed at satisfying the requirements of the majority of UK s.ervice stations. Interfacing to a maximum of twelve Highh.ne 2 petrol pumps the l' 12E will buffer all pump transactIOns allOWing faster forecourt throughput.

Two level central price setting for -4 fuel grades cuts price time and the 'one shot' operator price change authonsatlOn increases site security.

Money and volume totals are of course available in a y of formats along with a declining balance wetstock system offering si tes better, more effective business IIlfonnation.

vyi th an operator training mode, self diagnostics and cash interface port built in, the T 12E represents a sign f t d . I Ican a vance m the range of Gilbarco products.

T15 Retail Data System

The 1Ti c t··· d d . , oncep IS 1I1ten e to venfy a unique breakthroug'h in 'u ' f' dl' f ser nen y orecourt equipment.

Unique becllls C'lb'·' ' I . , < e I dlCO S engll1eers 1ave mtegrated 1I1to one cons)1 b th d d , , (e 0 a vance pump controller and cash reglsterfuncti 'tT' 1 . onsu 11ZlngaVDUforthesimultaneousdisp ay of both sets of functions,

A breakthrough be ' h l' r:' h ' c' t 1I Cduse t e I,) IS t e first forecourt on ro er to have b cl' '" een eSlgnecl from the beglIlIllng to 111corporate functional h require L en ancements as petroleum retailing ments oecome I , more comp ex and sophisticated.

1 he basic form of th R 'I work stat' b" ectal Data System is a single kiosk < IOn (om IIII ng' sel f . gister [unct' cl service pump control, cash reo, " A Ions an an interface to electronic tank contents gauges. praclical cas I . I t' ' I b ' ' 1 UlI1tro and wetstoc k reconciliaIOn dl1C USll1ess operating report structure is built ill.

The catalogue of functi ' I , ' '. (.ll1S IS tuu arge to mention ill detdJ\ but Il1cludes sOphlstH"ltecl ' t· I I' .' H ' 0' ,'c()n 10 0 up to sixteen

IghlIne 1. pumps and SIX gTades l)f fit I' t , ., ." ,ue , cen ra pnce se tll1g <it tllO le\ eis, m311dger modilil"lt' I' t' I ,< Ion 0 opera Iona sequences, and extenSI\e cash register facilities,

Some of the additional functions available include: a magnetic stripe card reader for Agency and Credit Card Transactions a modem for data transfer to remote host computer(s) extensive file handling facilities for fast report generation on a separate manager line printer

In line with Gilbarco's target to provide functional expansion of products the T15 has the ability to incorporate, when the market requires, the following functions: bar code reader and price look ups manager tenninal for simultaneous business analysis and reporting automatic price pole sign which changes price with the pumps

The T15 Retail Data System is intended as the product of the future providing an integrated solution to the problems of service station operation and management control, which wi th the continuing programme of feature enhancements render the word 'obsolete', obsolete.

For further infonnation contact Gilbarco's Product Planning Manager Tim Holland on Basildon (0268) :-3090.

The Thoughts of Chairman Lowe

It was with some pleasure, and particular plide, that I accepted the Chainnanship of APEA in this the SilverJubilee year of the Association. At the AGM on 28th April, 1 I made brief mention of a number of matters, but feel it may be appropriate to enlarge my thoughts in print, particularly for those who were unable to attend the meeting.

Firstly, we must all place on record our grateful thanks to the retiring Chainnan, Reg Smith. There is an old saying that, if you want something done \I'ell, give it to a busy man, and that could not be more true than in his case. He is currently V ice-Chairman of the Institute of Trading Standards Administration and has been Chairman of the Metrology and Quantity S'tandards Committee of that Institute for a number of years, All this requires not only intellect, but stamina, and Reg appears to have a surfeit 01 both!

,-\I' ell, the question mllst be raised, what the Association over the next t\I'enty five years? Sll1ce I D/·j It has been without doubt a struggle to keep the ship .afloat, but we are all greatly encouraged by the s.upport which has de· veloped over the last two years, partIcularly sll,1Ce the acceptance into full membership of those engaged 1l11l1dustn and COll1mel'Ce, They will, I am sure, make a c()nsiderable contribution to the ;'\ssociation in the coming H'ars.

Obviollsly, the major questions to be resoh'ed by go\er nment over tl1l' next few \'ears will be the scope and l1H'thod of control of all hazard;>lls substances, and sl'condh the most appropriate l'nforcement agencies for implementing the contr()ls,

As to the first question, there is in existence legislation which has stood the test of time in controlling the storage and conveyance of highly flammable products, and which could be updated without too much incursion into parliamentary time. The only exception to that is the relatively high increase in the volume of LPG which is being stored, and which is at present subject only to H & S Executive Guidance Notes and an industrial Code of Practice, in conjunction with broad based regulations. This problem, we understand, will soon be resolved by a Code of Practice which will have legal status under the Health & Safety at Work Act.

I am sure that all of us operating at the 'sharp' end greatly prefer the positive nature of a 'licensing' system, as against the 'negative' connotations of a regulatory system, but whatever the outcome of the deliberations of the Health & Safety Commission/Executive, of paramount importance at the end of the day is the adequate enforcement of the legislation. Since 1974 this has been the responsibility of 'top tier' authorities through their Trading Standards or Fire Service Departments, and in my view should remain so as far as petroleum-spirit/mixtures is concerned. The concept of one premise/one authOrity, adopted by the Health & Safety Executive in The Notification of Installations Handling Hazardous Substances Regulations, is eminently

sensible, and will I trust be continued in future similar legislation.

I do however find it quite impossible to accept that the wealth of experience of the members of this Association does not warrant a place on the 'official' list of bodies to be consulted on draft proposals, when other institutions having minimal interest in the subject are invited to comment. It would appear that we shall have to continue to lobby the Health & Safety Executive through the back. door ters which can cruciall y affect the fu ture of thIS ASSocIatIOn and its members; not a satisfactory situation.

It is therefore obViously impossible to answer my original question as to the future course of this Association, for we are not reall y the master of our own ship, but I would assure the members that despite the difficulties which I have mentioned, the Council will continually strive to make our voice heard in the corridors of Baynard House.

Finally, may I ask Branch Secretaries to with dates of meetings, as I would be very pleased to VISI t every Branch during my year of office, and thus have the opportunity to repay in a small way the honour bestowed on me.

B.O. Lowe Chairman APEA

Health and Safety on The Forecourt

Mike Duchesne MITD, Training and Safety Manager

Heron Service Stations limited

. In addition to the legal obligations placed on a Petrol StaOperator (owner, tenant, manager etc) by the ConditIOns of the Petroleum Licence and the various Acts specificall y con:erned with petroleum, the Licencees must comply WIth many other items of legislation.

These last items can be grouped under the following main headings.

Trade DeSCriptions

Weights and Measures

Consumer Protection

Employment (Protection, Race Relations, Sex Discrimination, Equal Pay, Young Perons etc)

First Aid

Local By-Laws

Statutory Sick Pay Industrial Training Act ()ffices and Shops etc Sale of Goods and last but by no means least the Health and Safety At W()rk An I

This is tlw must comprehensive of regulations, placing a dut y on f.mployers to provide a safe place of work and also to protect customers and members of the public as well as employef's from any possi ble risk through the nature of the ,\/)rk (arr)(xl out and the materials handled. This Act in gt'f1r-ralls nut specific but its requirements are laid down in , fides ()f practl(p, guidance notes, and local by-laws.

, Ilf's!' f"('quin>mf'llts. including the provisions ofa safety 1,,,/1' " 11\ all Lmployprs (with more than.1 employees! aJ:e III 1/,' 111i11 fI pnl( J)"( t·r!IJ\ Pf'lrolplIlll ( )fficprs a nd local j',nvl ,·'I,;d IIt·alll. (llfi( f'I-S

The Safety Policy prepared in accordance with the Health and Safety At Work Act must state the employers policy on safety, the provisions of a safe environment, the procedures for its maintenance, and the obligations of employees while at work to take reasonable care for the safety and heal th of themsel ves and any other persons who may be affected by their work or omissions of work and a duty of employees to co-operate with the employer to ensure these standards are maintained. All staff must be aware of this policy which must be available for inspection at all times.

Training must be provided by employers to ensure that all staff can deal with an emergency situation immediately and effectively. This means in the case of Petrol Stations that operatives must know where the emergency stop and firemans switches are located, where the fire extinguishers are kept and how to use them, basic knowledge of first aid and location of first aid kit. They must also know the procedure to follow including calling the Fire Brigade/Ambulance and contacting the Licencee or his representati ve. One way of ensuring these last items is a small card fixed near the telephone (figure 1).

Having provided all safety equipment and various forms, an employer must make regular checks to ensure all the necessary items are in place and in good order. A simple way of doing this is for a responsible person to make a monthly inpsection, complete a record form and record the action taken to correc t an you ts tandi ng item s tha tare ei ther defective or missing. An example of a suitable form is shown on figure '2.

An employer must also make sure that consol operators are carefull y trained and instructed in their responsibilities and are a ware of the requirements of the Petroleum Licence insofar as they affect the operator. Any employee who will be responsible for receivng tanker deliveries must be fully trained in the correct procedure including completing the

Form of Certificate and all the precautions that must be taken.

While the above its not exhaustive is does cover the main requirements and should assist an employer in continuall y complying with his legal obligations.

Safety Training for people who handle LPG

By G. A. Edney.

In a previous article, I stressed the importance of training those who handle petroleum spirit. It is just as importa,nt, if not more so, that the training of those who handle liquefied petroleum gases is also seriously considered.

If the fire is on the forecourt switch off the electrical supply by the Emergency Stop Switch on the Console or the Fireman's Switch located outside.

If the fire is located inside the building turn off all the electricity at the MAIN SWITCH.

If you can SAFELY tackle the fire use the extinguishers provided:

BLUE Dry Powder for petrol, electrical and gas fires.

CREAM Foam for all other fires. DO NOT use Foam on electrical equipment. Make sure you are in a safe place and do not get trapped by the fire. If necessary evacuate the building and site and wait for the Fire Brigade.

The use ofliquefied petroleum gas (LPG) incl uding its use as an automotive fuel is rapidly expanding. In practice, LPG has a very good safety record, but those accidents which do occur, by their very nature, tend to have disastrous consequences. The cause of these accidents, in many cases, can be attri buted to the fact that someone did not know or failed to understand the characteristics of the fuel. The Health and Safety Executive confirmed in the C!1emical Series of Guidance Notes that both in the installation of equipment and in its operation, it is essential that all concerned are fully aware of the properties and hazards of LPG.

In running training courses for industry, I have found that the first and most important objective to be achieved is to introduce trainees to a basic concept one which is alien to most people's experience the concept of a gas which is a liquid. This seeming contradiction is the source of most people's ignorance ofLPG. But it is from this that most of the problems that occur when LPG is misused.

In any training programme for those who handle LPG, the same criteria exist as I discussed for petroleum spirit the need to mix theoretical with practical training, the need to introduce understanding more than just mere awareness, and that this understanding needs to be at a higher level than that just required for routine operations. The programme is also basically the same:

PROPERTIES OF LPG LEGAL DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.

but with LPG more than any other fuel the need for practical demonstration is very high. For wi thou t practical demonstration, can the causes of the problem be fully gTasped and applied to the trainees own operations? For instance, the demonstration of how an "insignificant" leak of one drop of LPG liquid e\-ery fiye seconds from some badly fitted piece of equipment can fill a of 1-1 cubic feet (the size of an average car's boot) with a potentmlly explosive mixture of gas and air within ten minutes is far more effective than the mere words alone.

Again, because of the special nature of the fuel, the problem of effective fire prevention and control training needs more than simple back-yard tray fires with extinguishers. The nature of an LPG fire must be dramatically demonstrated, and the methods used to prevent and control it n;ust be seen in operation in realistic situations.

Manv of the special pn lperlies of LPC its high m le of lhennal expansion, ils high heat ofvapllllsation pay an important part in its safe use and need to be deadv demonstrated. Disastrous accidents will continue to happen all of LI'C's charal"lt'ristics are knO\\n, and, more importantly, understood by those \\ ho are associated with this fuel.

As with petroleum spiIil, tmining of people \\ hl! handlt' l.Pl; is presenth-- ulldertakt'n in yarving But onct' ,wain t1Wrt' is little deiInitin' guidance for and I that I'Plru leul11 (llTkers can ('\.ert a positi\e int1ut'nn' Ill!' sald\ 11\ pa\ ing l1lort' ("om'ern to emplmpes compt'tt'nn including the training thl'\ han' re("Pi\ ('d

Fire, Safety & Training

• Training for forecourt staff at your own location.

• Properties & Hazards of LPG Training at your own location.

• Management Training in the New Regulations etc.

• Driver Training to meet the Requirements of Regulation 21.

• Practical Fire Training for oil & LPG at Norwich, Blackpool etc.

•

The Dipstick is as Dead as a Dodo

The CMS 2000 gauging system is not a dipstick' it is an effective stock control and manage ment system.

CMS gauges are based on advanced technology . d by Smiths Industries for accurately plOneere 'd d measuring fuel in some of the world s most a vance aircraft. It is this technology that the CMS 2000 brings to today's forecourts.

Th . e CMS incremental fill method of e unlqu calibration, involving the use of specIally developed . t d sophisticated computer programmes, equlpmen an th t the CMS 2000 system IS so accurate ensures a f d that it can monitor the 0 pumps an , for the first time, provide effective management checking on what is delivered mto the tanks and what goes out of them.

That's why it's in daily use with major oil companies, distributors and independent retailers throughout the UK.

The CMS 2000 puts management in control of its liquid assets.

PETROL. o NEEDS IT?

If you run a fleet of petrol engine vehicles, the last thing you want is expensive petrol.

Especially when there's a cheaper, better alternative . Calor Autogas.

Autogas is a liquefied petroleum gas. The big difference between it and petrol is 40 pence or more per gallon.

Put another way, you could save over £ 1 for every three gallons of Autogas you use.

And that's only the start of it.

Autogas is a cleaner burning fuel. So the engine, the plugs and the oil stay cleaner, longer. Oil life, for example, can be as much as four times longer. Think what that means in reduced maintenance costs.

With Autogas, you don't need the choke to make a cold start. So costly petrol isn't swamped into the engine to wash away the protective oil film.

It's pi Ifer proof.

You can have your own pump installed for fuell ing your fleet. Autogas is also available at a growing number of points around the country - currently over 300, including some Motorway and self-service sites - and can be bought on a Calor Autogas credit card.

And converting your fleet to run on Autogas doesn't eliminate petrol operation: you can even switch from one fuel to the other while on the move. So you have the back-up of petrol should you ever need it.

More miles per £1. More miles between plug and oil changes. More miles per vehicle before it needs replacing. What more could you ask for. Get the full, money saving story.

Contact your regional Calor Gas office now.

Scottish Region. Friarton, Perth PH2 8DQ. Tel: Perfh (0738 ) 25222. Telex. 76129

Northern Region

171 Ello nd Rood, Leeds LSll 8BU. Tel: Leeds (0532) 707193 Te lex : 55479

North Western Region Dockyard Rood , Ellesmere Port , Wirral , Cheshire L65 4EG. Tel : (051 ) 355 3700 Telex : 629332.

Eastern Region. 63 Thorpe Rood Norwich, Norfolk NRl 1UF o Tel: Norwich (0603) 27207 Telex : 97151.

South Western Region. Millbrook Trading Estafe Millbrook Soufhampfon S09 lWE Tel: Soufhampfon (0703) 777244 Telex: 477442

South Eastern Region. Poinf Pleasa n f, Wondsworfh London SW18 1NN

Tel: (01) 870 4231 Telex : 928613

Autogas