8 minute read
NUMBER
by apeauk
VOLUME 14
NUMBER 1
Advertisement
JUNE, 1975
The Bulletin
Subscription: £4.00 per annum
Published by the Association .
Opinions expressed in this Journal are not necessarily the views for Petroleum and Explosives Administration of the Association
Contents
Talking Point ... Notes and News
Legal Proceedings Emergency Proceedures Portable Fire Extinguishers ... Pre-Payment Upsurge? Sale of Explosives ... Storage of Petroleum Installation of Underground Tanks Fibergras Underground Tanks Liquid Petroleum Gas Technical Corner AssoCiation of County Councils 1 2
3
4
8
9
H 12 15 20 23 27 28
Talking Point
Abandoned Cars and Faulty Pumps
Not for the first time we report two news items illustrating the hazards relative to abandoned cars and the failure of a pre-payment self-service petrol pump.
The consequences of the abandoned car would appear to be the more serious, a young boy badly burned. The fact that he foolishly threw a match into the petrol tank is not the point at Issue. It appears from the press report that the car had been abandoned for several months, and the father of the child is appealing to the local Council to collect such cars as soon as possible. Such an appeal should not be necessary. Local Authorities have the power under the Civic Amenities Act of 1967 to take immediate action, and it is to be hoped that any Council facing this problem will act accordingly - NOW.
The free petrol bonanza from the faulty pump may not evoke any strong feelings outside those of the owners of the garage concerned, but the news report which quotes a loss of 341 states that some customers collected the petrol In drums and bottles. It is not reported what hazards they may also have collected. Perhaps some forl!l of a 'fail safe' device on these installations IS called for. Any suggestions?
Hon Secretary: J. W. Frid,
Honorary Editor: R. P. Holdaway,
notes and news
RETIREMENTS G. D. H. DICKS, Head of the Greater London CounGil Petroleum Branch, retired last year after 43 years sennice with this Authority and predecessor the London County Council.
R..p. HOLDAWAY has retired after 43 years local government service. A past Chairman of the Association and founder Editor of the Bulletin, Mr. Holdaway intends to maintain his interest in the Association. His ,previous Authority, Shrewsbury, was an early member of the old West Midlands Group before ,it became a national body.
The Association wishes these two long serving officers a long and happy .retirement.
APPOINTMENTS D. HLACKTOP, Chief Fire Officer Staffordshire, has heen appmnted Commandant of the Fire Service Technical College, Moreton in the Marsh, Gloucestershire.
W. C. R. DALE, rormerly Deputy Head of the Greater London Council's Petroleum Branch SUCCeeQl; Mr. Dicks. J. WALSH takes over as Deputy Head.
OBITUARY We regret to report the death of A. F. MARKHAM. Con- ' sumer Proteotion Officer, Kent County Council.
PETROL GALORE Motorists helped themselves to 341 gallons of free petrol when an automatic self-service petrol pumps an all-night garage oat Bracknell, 'Berks., went wrong.
Some drivers went back for more with drums and bottles. The garage lost about £250.
COUNCIL PROTEST ON GAS TANKS Petitions have been started at Llandudno demanding that the W'ales Gas Board should remove 10 tanks containing lliquefied petroleum 'gas from a storage a'rea alongside a hous'ing estate in the town.
The Board maintains that strict safety precautions are followed but Aberconwy Borough Council has 'asked that the tanks should be moved because even a remote tisk would be unacceptable.
ABANDONED CARS An 'appeal has been made to ChicheSter District Counchl to collect abandoned cars as soon as possible. A boy was taken to hospital with severe burns 'after the petrol tank of an abandoned vehicle eX!plod,ed. He threw a match into the petrol tank and it blew up, burning his face. ;U is repotted the ca,r concerned had heen 1n an abandoned condition for several months. mE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK, ETC. ACT, 1974 "The toll of death, injury, suffering and economic waste from accidents 'at work and occupational diseases remains unacceptably high". The Robens Report on the Committee on Health and Safety at Work.
The new Health and Safety at Work Aot came intO' force on 1st 1975 to combat this srituation. It will put new and heaVIer responsibility on employers, brings in the selfemployed for the first time, and calls for ,the close and sustained co-operation of everyone at work in Britain.
The. new Act was framed with, an eye on the future. It is what IS called 'an "enabling" Aot. By means of regulations and codes of practice, it will move with the times - be amended, ,altered and updated as new haZlards and situations demand. Above all the Act is positive. It is not enough to act after trouble has occurred. It requires all to be positively concerned with health 'and safety at work.
Information and advice on the Act can be obtained from S.14.B., H.M.S.O., Room 223, Cornwall House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9NY.
The address of, the Direotor General Health and Safety Executive, Department of Employmen't, Baynards House, 1 Cheps'tow Place, Westbourne Grove, London W.2. Tel. 01 - 229 - 3456.
NORTH SEA OIL
British Petroleum wHlbe producing enough oil from the North Sea in two year's 'Dime to meet about one-fifth of Britain's oil requirements.
This is the prediction of Mr. Matt uinning, manager of the BP Forties Project.
P\I'oduction would start in the autumn of this year with a flow of 'about 30,000 to 40,000 barrels a day.
By early next year, production would reach about 100.000 barrels ,a day, rising to 200,000 barrels ,Iarter the year. 1977 production would rise to 400,000 barrels a day, eqUIvalent to about one-fifth of British demand. :'The ,Forties Field has a life of 20-25 years" Mr. Linning '
Capacity ':It is. going. to be worth the investment, not only from BP s POInt of vIew but from the balance of payments aspect.
Intel"V'iewed on the rBBC-2 televis,jon programme "Prepare to meet thy Boom", Mr. Linning said that sometJhing like 200,000 tons of oil - equivalent to the capacity of a superwould be needOO to fill up the enormous system of PIpe hnes from the Forties Oilfield to the BP refinery at Grangemouth, on the Firth of Forth.
As the system filled up, more oil wells would be brought into production.
On the same programme Mr. Henri Simonet, EEC Commissioner for Energy, said he thought North Sea oil W'Ould provide between one-sixth and one-fifth of the Community's t'Otal consumption in the 1980's.
Under the C'Ommunity's rules, a c'Ompany was not allowed to sella pr'Oduct at a higher price t'O firms 'Or individuals in its 'Own c'Ountry.
In an appraisal carried 'Out in July of last year of -the various premises licensed for the storage of petroleum spirit in th'Ose Authorities that now form Cleveland, it was agreed by the County Council that there was a need t'O achieve certain standards for such licensed premises.
As a first step and 'afiter with the County Secretary, standard conditions of licence were produced which included the general conditrons and additional conditions 'applicable to certain 'types of storage. As -a 'second step and in respect of existing licensed filling stations, arrangements were made ,f'Or inspections to be carried out to decide whether sub-standard 'Or unsatisfactory features of a particular installati'On caused danger to public safety or constituted an unacceptable risk and what action should be taken to elimin8lte 'Or <reduce such risk.
For this purpose ,the premises were placed into one of four categories:-
Standard I-Premises satisf.aotory 'and complying with the Model Code of Principles of Construction and the Council's C'Ondtbions 'Of Licence.
Standard 2-Premises where non-conformity with the Model Code 'and Conditions of 'Licence is only minor and the premises a<re capable of being upgraded to Standard 1 ina reasonable period of ,time.
Standard 3---,Premises reasonably satisfactory except for one 'Or tw'O features which may not constitute an undue hazard and where they are capable of being corrected.
Standard 4-Premises below standard to such an e:&tent as to be an undue danger t'O the public,and where -remedial acti'On cannot be achieved because of inherent construction or devel'Opment difficulties.
T'O date, ilioll'Owing many inspections, 25 premises have been pIaced under the category of Standard 4 and 'of these 8 premises have already been reported to the appropriate Committee wh'O bave 'recommended refusal of a licence when next it comes up ror renewal.
In each 'Of these 8 cases the licensees have 'been 1nfurmed o.f the 'reasons for the prop'Osed refusal and also 'Of their rights of -appeal under the Aot.
Legal Proceedings
GUULDFORD,SURREY Corr'Osive Substances (C'Onveyance by Road) Regulations 1971
F'Oll'Owing an incident at Guildford By-Pass 'On 6th September, 1974 involving spillage of nitric acid in c'Ourse of by a mot'Or vehicle, a pr'Osecution was ,taken agamst Southern British RaH Services Limited of Northway House, High Road, Whets'tone, London N.20.
A:t Guildf'Ord Magistrates Court on 2nd April, 1975 the C'Ompany pleaded 'Guilty' to ,three summonses as follows:1. The vehicle did not a prescribed notice at the front 3 (1) and Part I of Sched 2). 2. The vehicle did not have a prescribed n'Otice at the rear
Reg. 3 (1) and Part I of Sched. 2). 3. The driver 'Of the vehicle had not been provided with -a c'Opy of <the Regulations or acquainted with same (Reg. 8).
. The Magistrates took a seri'Ous view of -the matter and Imposed a fine of £75 on each charge, a t'Otal of £225, plus £25 costs.
NUNEATON, WARWICKSHIRE On 5th May at Nuneaton Magistrates Court F. D. RawsonMackenzie pleaded guitty to :four charges relating to the storage of petroleum. The charges were:1. Failure ,to secure a vent pipe. 2. N'Ot numbering dipstick. 3. Not exhibiting ,the statutory notices. 4. Not bringing to the n'Otice of persons 'concerned with deliveries the provisions of Regulation 16.
The circumstances of :the case were that on 21st October, 1974 a spillage of petroleum spirit occurred because a storage tank was overfilled and petroleum escaped at ground a vent pipe which had been broken off by a passmg vehicle. Rawson-Mackenzie was convioted -and fined £50 on the first charge and £25 on each of ,the 'Other three charges. Total £125.
