The Bulletin – March 1986

Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

B MERTAB-LINK FORLONGERLIFE EASIERSERVI

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 throughoUt Britain, including those serviCed by Pump Maintenance Limited, and built by Avery-Hardoll Ltd ,TokheimLtd. and Ferranti Ltd

Light to lift and very strong, yet never noticed.

suprabloc covers have been specifically desiQned for use where frequent access IS required to part of a chamber within a block paved petrol filling station forecourt.

The system presents the minimum of exposed metal to the general layout yet provides easy, lightweight access

The solid bottom covers and frames are offered with 300 x 300mm lift-out section available as recessed or solid chequer top which can be fitted centrally or offset over chamber.

All units are hot-dip galvanised after

manufacture to ensure long-life resistance against corrosion and are fitted with nitrile sealing gaskets.

Detailed and illustrated technical handbook available to speclflers.

Recessed peephole

Solid top peephole

Frederick Jones & Son (Oswestry) Ltd., Oswestry Shropshire. (0691) 653 251

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

TalkingPoint

The Council of the Association has accepted the resignation of the Editor Gerry Edney, he regretted he is unable to spend the amount of time necessary to carry out the functions, and the Association wish him well and thank him for the excellent work he did as Editor.

Mr. J. Thompson has been appointed caretaker Editor until the AGM.

The Association is quite busy with a Code of Practice on Can Stores to be published this year, and a Seminar to be held in October. The Council has meetings with the Institute of Petroleum, and are represented on the British Standards Committee on Petrol Pumps. It is therefore important that members make their views known on topical issues either through Branch Meetings or The Bulletin.

BRANCH SECRETARIES

SOUTHERN BRANCH R. Edwards M.R.B. (Petroleum Services) Ltd

MIDLAND BRANCH Derek Hopkins Warwickshire County CounciL

Honorary Editor: Mr. J. A. J. Thompson.

UnleadedPetrol

Oil companies have been sent a questionaire by Government asking what they intend to do regarding the marketing of un leaded petrol.

Under EEC regulations, unleaded petrol must be available in all Community countries by October 1st 1986. The companies are being asked how they envisage unleaded petrol is to be introduced onto forecourts, which garages are going to sell it, whether they feel that there should be some requirement to sell it, if they believe that there should be some change in price by tax consessions or otherwise, and the steps should be taken to ensure that motorists do not use the wrong grades.

The problem for the oil companies is the usual "chicken-or-egg" one; which comes first, the fuel or the vehicles that can or must use it. Presently, unleaded petrol is on sale in this country to cater for tourists from countries where such vehicles are available. A definite home market is required to justify the expense and problems of making this fuel generally available. What the British industry wishes to avoid is the situation in the USA, where marketing of both grades on forecourts has dragged on for more than 10 years.

MoreUnleadedPetrol

A survey by a major oil company in a European country reveals that uncertainty about the introduction of unleaded petrol has lead to a stagnation in vehicle sales, which is felt will continue until the matter is finally resolved. However, the general trend is upward, with the children of the 60's "baby-boom" taking to the road and causing a boost in vehicle sales by the end ofthe 80's.

MoreDieselSales

There has been a rise in direct diesel sales of 36% the past two years from 1,250m litres to 1, 700m lItres. Of the increase in inland demand of all petroleum of 2.8% lat year over 1984, DERV showed an Increase of 7.1 %. The number of retail outlets retailing DERV At the end of 1985 was 10,586 with 9,448 in 1984), which represents just ver half the number of outlets. A considerable to this has been the rise of the diesel car. rn to this, the major oil companies have been their ideas about the positioning and design of diesel pumps including the much publicised Ing pump".

SurveyofRetaDlPetrolOut!ets

According t Petrol 0 a survey carned out by the Institute of U K uem. there were 21,140 retail petrol outlets in the at th d 19R4' TI e en of 1985, a drop of 892 from the end of 1.66{) were 18.211 ?utlets in England and Wales, Isle of W·cotland. 1.028 10 Northern Ireland. 62 in the were self_lsght .and 34 in the Isle of Man. 8,307 of these and a 6.642 were owned by the oil company I nde d the I 262 were operated by four chains of pen ent proprietors.

HSENEWS

The Health & Safety Executive has published twc documents aimed at reducing the number of from hot work on tank, drums and containers in whid flammable residues may be found.

In a special twelve-page guidance note, the Executivt: gives detailed advice and recommendations on tht: various methods of gas-freeing and cleaning of sud vessels before heat is applied. It also includes a usefu diagramatic summary of these procedures. Tht: Guidance Note (CS15) will be of particular value te those regularly working in area of risk. this Guidance Note, the Executive have issued a fret: leaflet which sets out briefly the hazards created by hOI work and the ways in which those who may encounter hot work of this nature as garage workers. scrap breakers etc. Guidance Note CS15, entitled The Cleaning and Gas Freeing of Tanks Containing Flammable Residues is obtainable from the HMSO 01 booksellers, price £2.50. The free leaflet Hot Work on Tanks and Drums is from any area office of the Healt.h & S:=tfety Executive or from their various public enqUIry pomts.

TheGLCand PetroleumLicensing

The much publicised demise of the GLC has me that the petroleum licensing department which has ant for some 60 odd via the LCC has been to the London Fire and Civil Defence Authoritd. The st.aff were transferred by order to th: Authonty and WIll work under the Chief Officer M t Bullers. r.

The LFCDA is being split into five areas with thr in North London and two in the South. The Petrole ee Licensing Department address remains ul11 Queensborough House, 12/18 Albert Embankmenat London SEl. t,

TheAPEAstandon BlackIron

Several authorities requested adviCe from the ASSOCiatIOn on the subject. of a major Oil company's request to Ibe to mkstfal black iron. pipe work in of ga vamse plpewor or petroleUI11 spirit installatIOns.

The council of this Association has discussed the b' ct and sees no reason to make any recommendation. the recently published Code of Practice. T(} pt the request is to lessen the accepted standard.. acce I" L . " f the safe-keeping of petro eum spmt. ocal licenSing have a duty to the safe-keeping Of etroleum spirit and not to give 10 to what appears t(} be commercial flexibility.

The council is concerned that the request is contrary to accepted Codes of published by both this Association and the InstItute of Petroleum. therefore. the council would advise any licensing authority receiving a request to use black iron pipework for petroleum installations to reject the request.

Constructi?n work on the £35m petrol-from-coal plant began m January the Point of Ayr Colliery in Clwyd, North Wales. ThIs pilot plant will process 2 5 tonnes of coal a day into petrol DERV d ..' b · f I . ,an aVIatIOn tur me ue. It IS expected to operate f . h or elg t years.

APEANEWS

Following the great success f h f' of practice work' f 0 t e Illmg statIOn code , IS now ar adva d practice for the Model C . nce on a code of Petroleum Spirit Can donstructlOn for this wiII be available It IS hoped that e ssoclatlOn later this year.

The annual Seminar f h '" at Dunstable on 0 t bot e AssocIatIOn WIll be held in their diaries. As 14th m.ake a note of this date to accompany the S ua., there WIll be a trade exhibition last year found it em mar. Everybody who exhibited limited, so if any well wort.h while. Places are take advantage of wish to contact the Secreta umque opportumty, please ry as soon as possible.

CompanyNews

Centre-file, part of th Group is launchl' P e NatIonal Westminster Bank b d ng etrol Partn ase service which I' er, a microcomputer complete forecourt c aims to offer petrol stations a is understood th tmanhagement accounting system. It e . a tree maJ' 0 xpressed mterest and . r compames have are carrymg out evaluation trials.

Nlxdorf Computer Ltd' sale system has be . s 011 Retail point of of With certificates by the m conjunction with A owmg the system to be used Further applications and Micre,lec other makes of p pprove the system s use WIth ump are m hand.

Ferranti Industrial E . worth. £428,00 to suppl has received orders use WIth petrol and 011 Co. with pumps for

Joseph Ash & S m . on Ltd of B' contract for su Irmmgham have won a OIl s service stations fuel tanks for Shell UK of some 600 Shell North and Scotland, a total

which was pump.ing the ,Propane, when the ignition occurred. There IS no of safety lines or any other remote system whIch would allowed him to switch off his engine or close his valves without his having to enter the gas cloud. The subsequent fire burned for 24 hours and completely destroyed the vehicle. It also caused extensive damage to the installation. Investigation revealed that is was probably due to a rupture of the tankers hose. Recommendations arising from the investigation include a dual inspection by both customer and supplier of a vehicle's equipment periodically, not to remove the responsibility from the vehicle's owner but to provide that extra measure of safety which could prevent a tragedy.

AnyOldIron?

During a delivery of spirit to a filling station, the driver overfilled the first tank. He waited while customer use lowered the level, then went to fill the second tank. In disconnecting the hose he accidently spilled 8 to 10 litres of petrol into the manhole chamber. Shortly afterwards. neighbouring premises started to report petrol fumes rising from their cellars. The fire brigade arrived and flushed out the drains. The petroleum officer ordered the station closed for inspection. It was found that old unplugged suction lines had been left attached to the tanks. When the tanks were overfilled, or even merely filled to the top limit, petrol escaped through these old lines and found its way into domestic sewers. The overfiIl incident caIled attention to a situation that had existed for years. After the lines were plugged the station was allowed to reopen. This incident highlighted the need to ensure that all old pipework is removed from underground tanks and sealed.

DeathCausedbyContaminationof Paraffin

INCIDENTFILE

PropaneFireballKillD·sriver

WhIle unloading prop ff d f ane from h' su ere. atal burns. The IS. vehicle, a driver approXImate a third of the InCident happened A b h d way through th ang was ear followed b! h e off-loading. Th \ t e form t' mist. e operator immediat I a Ion of a heavy ( e y c osed th . valve and started the d e qUIck-action tanker dnver ran to his cab t .eluge system. The 0 SWitch off the e . ngme

From overseas comes a report that one person died and five were injured in a series of fires and explosions foIlowing a delivery of spirit into a paraffin tank on a service station. The retail outlet took delivery of what was presumed to be 8.000 litres of Subsequently. 940 litres of this was sold as paraffm. Following the fires and explosions. sales were immediately stopped. Investigation revealed. that delivery had been of premium petrol. A dlsturbmg aspect of the incident is that after seven only 180 litres of the 940 sold were accounted for. It IS not clear what was the main cause of this incident. Obviously there were errors in the loading of the vehicle. But these should have been found if the driver and the service station representative had checked the load. by sight, smell and touch. prior to discharge. Other simple steps such as tagging and marking both the vehicle outlets and the fill connections might have prevented this incident Finallv. adherence to the IP's Code of Practice: cails for a different type of filling connection tor heating oil tanks- i.e. over/under size connections. left-hand threads. bastard threads dc would have minimized the possihility of trageLi\.

Petroleum ConsolidationAct

1928:Abel Flashpoint Apparatus

Under the provisions of this Act the Department of Trade and Industry (formerly Board of Trade) is responsible for testing Abel flashpoint apparatus against the standard held.

Apparently there have been rumours recently that they no longer carry out this work and/or that the legal requirement to have such apparatuses re-tested every ten years no longer applies. The rumours are not correct.

Any question about the testing of the apparatus should be addresed to Peter Kelly (01-211 0076)

National Weights & Measures Laboratory Dept. of Trade & Industry 26 Chapter Street London SW1P 4NS

SmallScaleStorage ofLPGatRetail Premises

In recent years, as a re s ult of the expansion in the use of petroleum gas, (LPG) particularly for and leisure purposes, there has beel? a Considerable increase in the number of retail premises se l.ling LPG in cylind e r s a nd cartridges. This r ece nt gUidance note is int e nd e d to show proprietors sa fe of of whatever LPG is kept for p clflc adVice designated to ensure compliance With the general duties of th e HSW Act is contained in the ne w guidance.

The n t o f u o. e. IS mtended soley for the storage and display co tq ·a nti ties totalling not more than 400 Kg in n amers w·th d · h 20 K I m IVldual capacities of not more t an Out SiJ · deals with a di sp lay, storage indoors and a dj o infn m .o utl e ts including premise s with illu strat:d r eS id e ntial acco mmodation. It is well Large r q to s.h.ow the b es t pr ac tical methods of storage. kept Onua n:ltl e.s and bigger cylinders shou ld s till b e reco mme er e ml ses which comply fully with the (Febru a r; in Guidance CS 4 1 which IS currently bemg reVis e d It·IS ImpOrta h co rr ec tly ha ndr t t a .LPG co nt a iner s should always be fl a mmabl e . e d , dl sI? layed a nd sto red. LPG for m s co n ta in er a With a ir. If LPG escapes from a a n ex p 1os ·n IS IgOIt ed , particularly in a co nf in ed space

IOn COl Id .. ' damage and I OCc ur ca usm g se rI OUS s tructura l perSo n a l 1T1Jury.

CSH IS B N 0 11 883614 5 £2.50

NewProduct Development

NewHandPumps

Bowser Pumps Ltd have developed a new range of hand pumps called the GP8 Series. The manufacturers claim that these can take the place of a tanker when emptying an underground tank. A GP8 can transfer 50 gallons of water a minute more of petrol or DERV. These pumps are self-priming manually to 6ft and are tamper proof, maintenance free and can operate in either direction. They are self-lubricating and will not be damaged if run dry. The manufacturers have designed them for on-site refuelling, emptying vehicle and inspection pits, standby pumps for emergencies, for barrel emptying and for emptying tanks, both underground and above ground.

Further details from Bowser Pumps Ltd, 67 Bewsey Street, Warrington, Cheshire.

GravitySeparators

ENTEC announce a new range of interceptors which work on simple gravity separation principles. There are three types of interceptors available; leading the range and the most recently introduced is their By-Pass Interceptor. This, claim the manufacturers, represent a. significant advance, as it is capable of handling the hIgh volumes and flow rates associated with storms on large hardstanding areas -a problem tradItional full retention interceptors find hard to handle. Other models in the range are full retention interceptors, available as single or multi-chamber units. The are all virtually maintenance free, being manufactured from GRP with UPVC connections.

Further details from: ENTEC (POllution Control) Ltd, West Portway, Andover, Hants SPlO 3LF.

M. Amber, Gilbarco Ltd., Ms. G. L. Dickinson M. Hessey, Trading Standards Department. Senior Fire Preventi?n Northamptonshire FIfe BrIgade, G. M. Paczynksi A G. Stow Petroleum Co. Ltd.,

D O K Tarn, S .' d F' and Rescue erVlce, Northumberlan Ire

J. Cairns, MSA (Britain) Ltd.,

W. Cunningham, Forecourt Management Services

K. J. Lain, Timeplan Ltd., M. Lennox , W. M. Macdonald, K. Taylor,

N.P.B. Mackenzie , Consumer Protection Department, J. N. Pert, Consumer & Trading Standards Department, M. G. Sewell, D. P. Spratt, Faradays (Electrical Contractors),

I. Taylor, Hytek (GB) Ltd., R. R. Thompson,

Galvanisedinto Action

J. A. J. Thompson, M.I.FIRE.E.,M.lnst.Pet PrincipalPetroleumInspector LondonFireBrigade

The is concerned at the efforts of one of the major <?tl a basic safety concept fo!, mstallatIOns of pIpes m forecourts without reference It would seem to the Institute of Petroleum or. the APEA whose codes are generally accepted as the most up to date and authorative at the present tIme.

T?e proposal is to use black iron pipe work in all areas to the company commercial flexibility to use diesel fuel m any of the tanks or lines on the premises, and these proposals are made to the detriment of the petroleum spirit storage. This appears a cavalier attitude one does not normally associate with a responsible Oil Company.

The APE!, codes states that all pipes must be co.nstructed with BS 1387: 1967 to the specIfIed for medium tubes (Blue Band). Any pIpe used for petroleum spirit must be galvanished and threads. are cut the metal must be protected agamst corroSIOn. at that point. The Institute of Marketmg codes also states that galvanised pIpework must be used for gasoline.

In general corrosion of buried metals is greater nearer of the ground because of the greater ease m WhICh can penetrate the soil to gain access to the buned metal. The facility with which oxygen penetrates naturally decreases as one goes deeper. At greater .depths. oxygen cannot penetrate the anaer?blc for an attack by sui hate reducmg bactena lIkely to arise. p

other than an attack by sulphate reducing bactena an unprotected steel pipe comparatlv71y qUickly. Experience and tests have revealed anything between 18 months to eleven.Y7ars USI?g thiS method. Corrosion in salted soils (co?tammg chlorate) can be four times as rapid as m nat.ural SOils, .the action is also exacerbated by bemg partly m and out of water, by having a varymg water table.

Tanks which are subject to both corrosion and attack by ?acteria are treated by a double coat of bltummous pamt and then encased in sulphate resisting concrete.

Suction lines, vent lines and offset filling lines are generally more susceptable to corrosion. The corrosion of a pipe can be external and also internal from the flow of liquid the Therefore protection has been by galvamsll1g the Ill1e which affords double protection.

Another method could be the installation of cathodic protection of the installation to prevent stray earth leakage currents causing electrolytic cell corrosion.

When corrosion takes place there is a positive flow away from the point of corrosion to the surrounding ground. If we can ensure that current always flows towards the metal then corrosion cannot take place and this is what cathodic protection does. The planning of cathodic protection is a matter for an expert on the subject, and while protection of the installation is provided the cathodic protection could destroy the pipelines of other services eg Gas, water drainage etc.

In the 1970's following failure of a number of steel pipes used for services, within five years of installation, the GLC Building Division completed a study into the problems of pipe failure.

It was found that the soil in London was particularly corrosive some of the black iron pipes had been wrapped with a petroleum impregnated fibre tape to the following standard:-

1) The surface of the pipe must be dry and covered with a light coating of paste supplied by the man ufacturer.

2) The tape to be spirally wrapped around the 'pipe with overlaps half the width of the tape, formmg.a double throughout, taking care to remove all air pockets.

3) The entire surface to be smoothed by hand to ensure good bonding.

4) The wrapping must then be covered with a plastic tape supplied by the same manufacturer.

Even with this method being followed the'pipe faile?, it has been found that cellulose decomposmg had attacked the tape and caused d Inadequate workmanship also contn u e. were failure, and lack of : after found where the wrappmg. a s emost important as installation, the wa tected could lead the smallest area of plpewor , to failure of the whole installatIOn.

The etroleum section of the has firmly that tte proper protection of pIpes on petrol stations is to use galvanised pipes, and to protect t at d 'ng the lines with 150mm of sulphate by surroun I d Th d t" of resisting concrete, vibrate: a op IOn this policy of increasmg cover and vlbratmg le.d to a decrease in the number of pipeline leaks. It .IS fair to record that by far the biggest nu,?ber of stIll comes from pipes, in relation to tank mstallatlOns.

It is accepted that some of the Oil Companies diesel to run through black iron pipes, although thIS IS by no means universal. and companies have some diesel running through galvamshed lInes.

Flexibility has always been achieved in the past by altering services, I cannot foresee the need to alter. the tanks and lines to the amount suggested. Double hnes or the use of stainless steel could perhaps be considered if this road is to be persued.

In the end Petroleum Licensing Authorities have a duty under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act IlJ2X to the safekeeping of petroleum spirit. and they will resist any attempts to lessen standards of public safety. I am happy to report that the majorit\ of the Oil Industr\ is behind

MODEL109

The superb, new HYTEK 109 pump represents the last word in commercial fuel dispensing. It has been specifically designed to meet the rigorous day to day needs of a wide range of transport operators including:- Hauliers, Farmers, Parcel carriers, Taxi & vehicle rental operators, local authorities and public utilities

The pump switches on automatically when the nozzle is removed and switches off when it is replaced. This greatly eases operation and eliminates possible abuse or damage of the separate onloff handle found on some commercial pumps.

It is available in 50 or 70 litres per minute, Which means that the right pump for the job can be selected whether you are fuelling small cars or the largest lorries.

A unique front loading nozzle makes the HYTEK 109 simple to use and particularly suitable for locating in confined spaces. It can be supplied with either a manual or automatic shut off nozzle and also features a locking bar which may be padlocked to prevent removal of the nozzle.

The front of the cabinet is fitted with a hose hanger where the hose can be hung when not in use, therby preventing unnecessary scuffing and "run over" damage.

The all steel cabinet is thoroughly etched and primed prior to a finishing coat of baked petrol resistant enamel. The final high quality, high gloss treatment presents a clean, smart and professional commercial pump, well up to its tasks,

DerailmentofTankWagonsResultingin

MajorSpillageofPetrol

Barnetby-Ie-Wold,Humberside16thJanuary1986

This report has been prepared by Robert Chaplin, Senior Petroleum Inspector, Fire Prevention Branch, London Fire Brigade

The author has twenty-one years field experience in the storage and safe handling of petroleum spirit and has made a particular study of the conveyance of dangerous substances.

PREFACE

This report has been compiled from conversations with and de-briefings by persons directly involved with the emergency incident.

ItJs not intended that the report should pre-empt the fmdmgs of the official investigations being made by the Inspector of Railways and Humberside County Council.

Any short-fall of detail is due largely to the fact that the were involved in dealing with an on-:-gomg and there was no wish to impede them m carrymg out their duties.

SUBJECTOFREPORT

On Thursday 16 January 1986 at 06.00 hours at Barnetby-Ie-Wold railway stat" H b 'd derailment of tank Ion, urn e, a 173655 I"t (382 wagons resulted m a spillage of , res , 00 gallons) of petroleum spirit into surroun mg ground.

LOCATIONANDLOCALITY

Barnetby-Ie-Wold, Humberside (population 1500)' , IS a small village Scunthorpe north of sKlt.uated equi-distant east of , mgston upon H 11 d t f Grimsby. It lies in a vall . u an wes 0 ey runnmg east to west.

The village is within the Glanford B area and the Humberside Count Council approach to the village fro h Y area. The . d m t e north IS downhill along Kmgs Roa and at the bottom of th h'lI is Railway Street and the entrance to I .fn the fore-court. Kings Road continues uned ral wha y hi" er t e ral way bndge t. e pomt m the village _ where it becomes Vlctona Road, turning south east d . h . r f war s Wit a gentle mc d the station. On the south side of the ral way n ge IS the entrance to the British Rail goods yard. Between the goods yard a d th . Id' n e rear of residentIa an commerCial properties in F . . . Rd' ernenes Road off Vlctona oa, IS Skegger Beck d ' . , an open stream flowmg east to west. Skegger Beck takes surface water from local roads flows to the River Ancholme at Brigg, in turn, supplies the drinking water for South Humberside. The Beck, after its journey through the village. passes through the local sewage works located 900m west along the valley,

BRITISHRAILPROPERTY

Barnetby-Ie-Wold station is on the line between Scunthorpe and Grimsby and, in addition t? normal traffic has a considerable number of rail tanker to and from the two refineries at Immingham.

The station approach road, forecourt and offices are on the north side of the tracks and the goods yard on the south side. There are four platforms with the slow up line alongside 1, the fast up and down lines between 2 and 3 and the slow down line alongside 4. At end of platform 4 there are points to allow sWltchmg from the down slow to the down goods line

The ground to the south west of the tracks is owned by B,R. and used as a spoil tip. That part of the relevant to this report covers 10,800-m. The goods yar is made up ground with a fall towards Skegger Details of the ground structure will be found later m this report.

SITUATIONBEFORETHEINCIDENT

Shortly after 05.30 hours on Thursd.ay 16 January, a train left the Conoco refinery at Immmgham en route for Langley conveying 1,309,235 litres (288,000 gallons) of petroleum spirit in fifteen tank wago?s. Each rail tanker was fully loaded with 87,282 htres (19,200 gallons) of petrol.

The tank wagons, owned by Procor, consist of a partment shell mounted on a pair of double bogie. B com th the tank at each end and partially protected enea , d' h by the inner axle of the bogie IS a T shaped arge i e which incorporates the valve assembly. Discharge be achieved from either side of the tank but t 'ng wheels for the valves are on opposite Sides, opera I 'h' (See Fig. 1) At 06,00 hours, the tram was mg Barnetby-Ie-Wold station on t,he slow down Ime ready to switch to the down goods Ime,

It was the hour before dawn and the wind was blowing from the north west across the goods yard towards the main residential part of the village,

THEINCIDENT

The diesel locomotive and the first six tank wagons negotiated the switching points but the leading double bogie of the seventh tank wagon jumped the line causing destructive damage to the track,

T shaped discharge pipe beneath rail tank wagon.

Police evacuated thirty families from Ferneries Road, Silver Street and Victoria Road, Kings Road and Victoria Road were closed to through traffic, Anglia Water Authority was notified and a protective barrier was placed across the Skegger Beck downstream. A sand and earth bund was constructed between the goods yard and the Beck, The attendance of a petroleum inspector was requested,

SEVENDAVSPOST-INCIDENT

It was not possible in the time available to me to research in detail the sequence of events immediately after the incident and during the days and nights following because those persons available to me were performing operational duties, I therefore, t.o give a precis of some of the actIVItIes of the mam authontIes involved.

F E

A tank shell

B- neck of discharge pipe C- valve operating wheel D- flange E- discharge pipe F discharge hose connectors

F

An obstruction beneath the seventh tank wagon, possibly the damaged track, fractured the neck of the T shaped discharge pipe immediately below the tank shell at the trailing end resulting in the total loss of contents.

The eighth tank wagon was pulled sideways with the leading double bogie being torn from its mountings. The front and rear discharge pipes were fractured at the neck causing total loss of contents. The tank wagon came to rest at an angle of 60°. The front end of the ninth tank wagon was embedded in the track bed but received no damage to the tank shell or discharge pipes and the contents remained intact. Tank wagons ten to fifteen remained on the lines undamaged. The total loss of petrol from tank wagons seven and eight amounted to 173,655 litres (38,200 gaJlons). The petrol was absorbed into the ground as it flowed across the goods yard towards Skegger Beck.

IMMEDIATE

The emergency services were notified, In accordance with, procedures for such emergencies, the !cadl,ng SIX tank wagons were uncoupled and taken down the hne to a safe position,

The initial Fire Brigade attendance was made up to ten pumps plus control unit. foam tender and additional foam compound supplies. A 30m protection zone was estahlished around the incident. A blanket of foam was Iclld over the derailed tank wagons and the goods yard,

Humberside Fire Brigade

An incident control unit was located in a private car park opposite the entrance to the goods yard with direct land line telephone links and radio control. Humberside has a number of petrochemical complexes and, accordingly, substantial supplies of foam compound were available from locations within the Brigade area. Following the inital t?e Brigade maint.ained an average attendance of SIX day and mght depending on the degree of actIVIty m the search and recovery opeations, Crews stood by with foam monitors whenever recovery took place in the g?ods yard and other crews were dIspersed around the Immediate area in case of need.

Police FO,llowing the initial closure of the VIllage centre to traffIC and the evacuation of local police maintained patrols to safeguard vacated premIses. On Sunday, 19 January, the families were allowed to their homes, The road closures were mamtamed to protect firefighters who constantly traversed the roads arOUnd the statl'o h'l ' n area w 1St proceedmg to or from the Control unit.

British Rail On the day of the' 'd mCI ent, crews transferred the petroleum spirit from t k ' to another rail tank wagon Be an w h originated in and appeared be td e sBPI , con me to n IS RaIl property, the search and rec 'a I d b B R ff' I overy operatIOn w s e y , ,0 ICl,a s. An emergency committee was convened on the fIrst day to co-ordinate the activities and to pool the resources and ex t' f h rious interested parties, per Ise 0 t e va

T,he committee was chaired by the regional civil B:R., and consisted of representatives of vanous sectIOns of British Ral'l H b 'd police H b ' " , urn erSI e ' urn, erSlde FIre Bngade, HUmberside County council TradIng Standards Department Gl f d Borough C ') A )' , an or ounCI, ng lan Authority, Conoco Ltd,,, and contractors, commItte met daily (10,00 and 15.00 to revIew the situation, discuss procedures and receIve reports, O? the second day, Friday, B',R, the Wlmpey organisation to prOVIde equIpment for sinking bore holes and a leB to dig Doitag Brigg. a local contractor In petroleum engineering, was contracted to prOVIde men to prepare the bore holes and trenches and to provide pumps and road tankers for the collection of recovered petrol, The derailed tank wagons were

recovered using heavy lifting gear and the Fire Brigade maintained foam cover during the operation. The tanks were filled with foam for extra protection. Holes were sunk at various points around the perimeter of the B.R. property. The first holes were later abandoned because they were not deep enough.

The holes have been dug to a depth of 6m and then lined with 150 mm diameter plastic pipes fitted with closures. Trenches were dug at various positions in the goods yard but only two proved productive. The trenches did, however, provide useful information on the ground structure. With the assistance of B.R. soil mechanics and an independent geologist, it was found that the ground under the goods yard consisted of made up soil (lm), sand and gravel (3m) and Kimmeridge clay (20m). (See Fig. 2.)

The general flow of water over the clay bed was in a south w.esterly direction and the top of the clay stratum deepens m the same direction. By Wednesday evening 12,274 litres (2,700 gallons) of petrol had been recovered by hand operated pumps from the two trenches nearest. to the point where the spillage occurred. The mam bulk of the spillage had not been located.

Figure 2.

Soil Structure under Goods Yard Track Level

Skegger Beck

Humberside County Council The council is the petroleum licensing authority and officers of the Trading 'Standards Department are authorised petroleum inspectors. Following the initial attendance of a petroleum inspector, a roster was prepared to provide two inspectors, working an eight hour shift, to be on side day and night. The inspectors were responsible for monitoring all bore holes and trenches with explosimeters and reporting their findings to the Fire Brigade control unit for logging. They also monitored surrounding areas outside the B.R. property to check against possible creepage including, initially, the outfall of the Skegger Beck at Brigg.

Anglian Water Authority supplies and it appeared that no slgmflcant quantIty of petrol had reached the Skegger Beck and was .no danger to water sources. A constant watch IS bemg maintained.

Conoco Ltd. The company provided road to carry recovered petrol from the contractor's vehicles on site to the Immingham refinery for disposal. Laboratory facilities for analysis of samples of recovered product were made available.

POST-INCIDENT- 22/23 JANUARY

On Wednesday, 22nd January, I Barnetby-Ie; Wold I was de-briefed by senior Fire Bngade.offdlcefr , F 'I't' ere prOVide or and petroleum inspectors. aCII les w ff me to visit the incident area and to accompany 0 Icers on monitoring tests.

On Thursday, 23 January, following by . . . f B R I was mVlte to the regional clVlI engmeers 0 .' attend the 10.00 hours of the committee. At the meeting the the spillage still appeared t.o he had Rail property. A B.R. sCientist. reporte t a sam les studied the analysis reports of soil samples fhat of recovered petrol and had t.o the conc USiOtn high there was little merit in mamtallllllg the presen profile operation.

Analysis of recovered petrol ind!cated the a considerable proportion the was estimated that approximate y , , gallons) of the spillage had evaporated. ,

The 3m stratum of sand and gravel under the site had the capability of absorbing the total anal sis indicated an average of mg g by hydrocarbons in th: area of the s iIlage and it was estimated that approximately 53,600 lftres (11 ,800) had been absorbed in the sand and. gra.vel belt It was claimed that hydrocarbon to 600 mg/kg was not dangerous base.d on eVidence that a normal residential garden. contallls 100mg/kg hydrocarbon from rotting vegetation. It would need contamination equal to 100,000 mg/kg hydrocarbon to sustain flame.

With 5,000 litres evaporated, 12.274 litres recovered and 53,600 litres absorbed, there was a total of litres (23,000 gallons) unaccounted. The sCientist claimed that the unaccounted total could and probably would be absorbed without any significant increase in the present contamination figure. If any of the petrol

is on the water above the clay it will travel south westerly going deeper and presenting no hazard. The B.R. soil mechanic confirmed that continued pumping out of trenches and bore holes would have little effect. He suggested that trial holes sunk lm below clay level be placed in a line from the goods yard to the south west corner of the B.R. property and be regularly monitored. He also recommended that all existing trenches be filled in and all bore holes within 30m of public access be abandoned.

SUMMARY

As with all incidents it would be preferred that it had not happened. That an accident did happen is, however, a fact and in this particular incident there were more fortunate circumstances than to the contrary, namely,

incident occurred at a position which gave the emergency services reasonable access;

no ignition of petroleum vapour;

no personal injuries or damage to property (other than train and track);

structure of ground absorbed spillage before it reached Skegger Beck;

no contamination of water supplies;

containment of spillage to B.R. property made task of search and recovery possible without inconvenience to others.

APOLOGY

If it appears that the services rendered by any person or or have not been fully recoglllsed or apprecIated, It IS due to the reason given earlier in this report.

It is to be. hoped. that the official reports, yet to be prepared, WIll provIde the detail and the recognition.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I w.ish to my appreciation for the considerabl assistance gIVen to me by. A.C:O. Harrison members of the HumberSIde FIre Brigade' R Kitchen, David Bucknall and fellow officers ' f Tradings Standards Department, Humberside /! t e Council; officers of the Humberside porc . Bielby, David Philpott, Ken Brown and othe I ef, B . ff f h PI . rs 0 ntIsh RaIl; sta 0 t e annmg Department GI Borough Council, for supplying maps at sh anf?rd rail head staff at Conoco refinery at Im orht notIce; h" mmg am (fo answerIng searc mg questIons at 05 00 h) r ours.

Del ega tes from Cambridgeshire

Alan Stow , Dr. lim leacocke & Mike Sewell discussing transport

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