The Bulletin – October 1965

THE BULLETIN

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR PETROLEUM ACTS ADMINISTRATION

Vol. 4 No. 2 October, 1965 30s. per annum

OCTOBER, I 965

Published quarterly by the Association for Petroleum A cts Administration

Opinions expres sed in this journal are not necessarily the views of the Association

CONTENTS

Editor: R. P HOLDAWAY W EIGHTS AND MEASURES D EPT. GUILDHALL, SHREWSBURY

Subscription: 30s. per annum

TALKING POINT NOTES AN D NEWS CORRESPONDENCE

ATTINGHAM-MAY, 1965

26 26 28

PETROLEUM LAw-G l. FULLER 29 PLANNING AND THE PETROLEUM 0FFICER-W. C. R. DALE 30 FUTURE TRENDS IN PETROLEUM SPIRIT DISPENSING B. A. TARGETT 34

LEAKAGE OF PETROLEUM SPIRIT-CARLISLE F. J. LORRIGAN 39

CHEAP PRODUCTION OF AEROSOLS BRING NEW FIRE HAZARDS - H. BECKINGHAM 40

SELF-SERVICE AT SOUTHWARK-W. H. COLLIER 41

TEN PtN BowLING ALLEY AT BouRNEMOUTH-H. R. TARRANT 42

H.M. INSPECTORS OF EXPLOSIVES-ANNUAL REPORT 1964 42

THE NORTH SEA VENTURE 43 BRANCH MEETINGS

SOUTH EAST MIDLAND, 20TH MAY, 1965-0XFORD YORKSHIRE, 31ST MAY, 1965-LEEDS

SOUTH EASTERN, lST SEPTEMBER, 1965 LEATHERHEAD COUN CIL MEETING, 2ND JULY, 1965-DUDLEY THROUGH THE PIPELINE

45 46 48

Talking Point

ACCIDENTS GALORE

The present popularity of motor cruisers is becoming a cause of an increased number of accidents involving petroleum spirit and liquefied petroleum gases A warning to holidaymakers of the dangers of petrol spillages producing an explosive atmosphere in the confined quarters of a boat is given in the Annual Report for I 964 of H.M. Inspectors of Explosives. Four accidents associated with these cruisers were brought to the Inspectors' attention, although on inquiry it was found that at least seven other accidents occurred. The four reports show that two people died and eleven were injured as a result of petrol explosions and subsequent fires.

One child died and two others were injured when they ignited petrol in the tanks of .cars. Three people were killed and seven injured m accidents where petrol and paraffin were kept inside houses. In some of the cases a petrol container was picked up instead of the paraffin can and used for the wrong purpose, with disastrous results. There was one near escape from what have been a major accident when a tanker pump.ed by mistake 500 gallons of petroleum spirit into a fuel 011 storage tank attached to the central heating system of a school.

These and many more are hi_ghlighted in the Report, which as always provides and salutary reading for all concerned in the storage and use of petroleum spirit. Altogether dunng 1964. there were reports of 54 accidents in whi<:h petroleum were involved. Nine people were killed and 53 Injured.

None of these accidents just happened, were caused either by ignorance or carelessness, and m .the examples given above occurred far the .store. It is this feature that is so d1squ1etmg. Strmgent conditions, duly enforced,_ and as licensees on licensed premises are of limited value 1 ' . . · t 't is handled with a once petrol leaves its storage pom 1 casualness that all too often leads to a tragedy.

Burnham-onCrouch U.D.C. H. Clackmannan C.C. W.M. Dunbarton C.C. W.M. Egham U .D.C. H. Hemsworth U.D.C. H. Howden R.D.C. S. Lymington M.B.C. H. Macclesfield M.B.C. W.M. Meltham U.D.C. H.

Essex Surrey Yorks W.R. Yorks W.R. Hants Cheshire Yorks W.R. Glasgow City W.M. Rochdale C.B.C. W.M. Lanes Rochester City W.M. Kent Rochford R.D.C. H. Essex Southport C.B.C. W.M. Lanes Tipton M.B.C. H. Staffs. Tonbridge U.D.C. H. Kent Messrs. R. A. Cocklin, M F. D. Faraway, E. Mitchell, J. Scott, J. L. Walsh, Greater London Council.

New Associate Members

Mr. A. Bedford, General Manager, Filling Station Mechanics, Ltd.

Mr. R. Browne, Engineer, Irish Shell and B.P., Ltd., Dublin

Mr. J. R. Coombes, Gloster Saro, Ltd. (Rejoined) H. Goode, Area Manager, K.D.G. Instruments,

Mr. W. D. Grincell, Engineer, Shell-Mex & B.P., Ltd. Mr. P. J<?hnson, Assistant Engineer, Filling Station Mechamcs, Ltd.

Mr. L. Kearns, Divisional Engineer, Filling Station Mechanics, Ltd.

Mr. P. G. Plumridge, Architect-J. D. Floydd (Chartered Architect).

Mr. J. S. Webber, Petroleum Equipment Distributor Mr. D. E. Wild, Marketing M<tnager, K.D.G Instruments, Ltd. ·

Resignation

Mr. J. Trim, Divisional Engineer, Shell-Mex Ltd. (Associate-Left Midland Area).

Total

Angus

c.c. U.D.C. C.B.C.

W.M. S. W.M. 26

(Previously AssociateL. Burrell, Esq.) Yorks W.R. Lanes

& B.P., Mr. E. H. Rosser, Surveyor and Chief Public Health Inspector, c;heltenham R.D.C., after 30 years service With this Authonty.

Retirement

Mr. A. E. K. _Chief Public Health Inspector Stourbridge, who retires m December. ,

Our good wishes for a long and happy retirement go to these gentlemen.

Obituary

We regret to report the death of Mr. H. H. Thomas Surveyor and Public Health Inspector, Newtown and Llanidloes R.D.C.

Appointments

Mr. L. Grogan, Deputy Surveyor and Public Health · Inspector, Cheltenham R.D.C., has been promoted Surveyor and Chief Public Health Inspector in succession to Mr. E. H. Rosser.

Mr. A. J. Maddocks, Newtown and Llanidloes R.D.C., has been promoted Surveyor and Public Health Inspector in successi.on to the late Mr. H. H. Thomas.

Mr. T. H. Meredith, Chief Public Health Inspector, Darlaston U.D.C., has been appointed to succeed Mr. Kent at Stourbridge.

Congratulations

We offer congratulations to the following:

Mr. W. G. Davies, Surveyor and Public Health Inspector, Newtown and Llanllwchaian U.D.C., who was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Mr. A. Archer, Chief Public Health Inspector, Hale s owen, upon his election as Chairman of the General Council of the Association of Public Health Inspectors. Mr. is a member of the Midland Joint Advisory Clean Atr and a member of the Working Party on the Em1ss10ns from Foundries, recently set up by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Mr. J. R. Roberts, M.B.E., Chief Inspector of Weights and Manchester, upon his election as Chairman of the Institute of Weights and Measures Administration. Mr .. Roberts, who was previously Hon. Secretary of the for 11 years, is a member of the Home Office Working Party on Inflammable Substances and also an officer on the Weights and Measures Sub-Committee of the Association of Municipal Corporations.

Editor's Note

reminded that the closing date for the receipt of art_1cles, letters, etc., is the 20th day of the month preceding publication.

The Bulletin

copies of Th e Bulletin (Volume 4) can be obtained fro1:i the Hon. Secretary at a cost of 7/ 6d. each. There are still a few copies of No. 4 (Volume 2) and Nos. 3 and 4 (Volume 3) available at a cost of 5/ -d. each.

Volume 4 will comprise two issues only: Nos. l (July, 1965) and.2 (October, 1965). No I, Volume 5, will be published in January, 1966.

Examination of Dangerous Loads Urged

Nation-wide alarm over the increasing number of dangerous cargoe_s n?w being carried by road has prompted the Rural D 1stnct Councils Association to urge the Home Office to give an immediate go-ahead to the Government sponsored .committee which is being set up to examine the problem . interested organisations-the local authority among them-have already nominated represe ntation for the Standing Advisory Committee on

Dangerous Substances, but discussions are still going on in Whitehall about the scope of the Committee and no meeting has yet been called. ·

The Rural District Councils Associations request to the Home Office follows a similar expression of concern by the County Councils Association which has decided to press for the newly constituted committee to have wider powers to advise.

Dangerous Substances

The Home Office have re-styled their Working Party 6n lnflammable Substances as the Standing Committee on Dangerous Substances and given them wider terms of reference. These are broadly to advise the Secretary of State on the control in the interests of safety of dangerous substances with particular reference to their carriage by road and their storage.

The C.C.A. welcome this development but have asked that the Committee's ambit may be further widened to cover all aspects of the control of dangerous substances irrespective of the Government Department which may be responsible. They also want to strengthen the representation of local fire authorities on other advisory bodies concerned with acetylene , petroleum and explosives.

A British Standard for Petrol

Petrol is likely to get a ' kite' mark soon. The British Standards fnstitute has formed a technical panel with members of the petrol and car industries , the Ministry of Power and the Consumer Council, which will meet on August 9th to begin drafting specifications for the grading of marks showing how powerful , clean and free from harmful additives motor spirit is.

Though the method of marking ha s not yet been decided , one proposal is that pump s should have one, two, three or more stars as well as a brand name. The B.S.l. says the scheme will help to guide the motorist through the tangle of brand advertising claim s

So far only 'Jet' (which lifted the ?ctane ratin,\?: of standard grade fuel from 83 to 93 when 1t began tradmg), 'V. I. P.' and other cut-price dealer s have shown octane ratings on their pumps. The 8.S.I. gradings will : however, take into account more factors than octane ratmgs.

B.S.f. Inspector s would take random samples of petrol at pumps to see that gradings were being maintained (they now select and te s t one in 300 'kite mark ' car safety belts). This will not affect petrol prices.

At present the only way people who buy from th e major oil companies can compare the products of rival pumps is on a basis of price. Names are confusing, because they change, and because Cleveland Pre mium is a mixture of grade and not a premium grade , B.P . Super is a super grade, but so a lso is simple Shell. Fin a Special is a mixture.

When it tested petrol s last year ' Which ? ' found that on a basis of price , major brand petrols were remarkably consistent in octane ratings: best fuel had 101 octane , premium 97 , mixture 94 and standard grade 90.

With the growth of price cutting, and the possibility of more if the Monopolies Commission report is adopted, price is ceasing to be a reliable guide to similar petrols with different brand names.

.The B.S.I. scheme will help motorists to be sure they are getting the right petrol for their cars, regardless of advertising claims or imprecise titles. Car manufacturers should also benefit in being able to recommend more accurately what kind of petrol is most suitable for a car.

From 'The Guardian'-July 30th.

In Parliament-Dangerous Substances (Carriage by Road)

Mr. George Thomas : . . . A working party on the marking of road tank vehicles drafted a voluntary scheme of marking, but the introduction of such a scheme was deferred pending the outcome of international negotiations on this and related matters. Certain other committees, including the Working Party on Inflammable Substances, have also from time to time considered problems concerned with dangerous substances. There is no prospect of international agreement on the carriage by road of dangerous substances before next year and in order to avoid further delay, as well as to co-ordinate the various activities to which I have just referred, my Right Hon. and learned Friend has suggested to the local authority associations and other interested bodies that the Working Party on Inflammable Substances should be reconstituted as the Standing Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances. The new Committee would advise my Right Hon. and learned Friend on all questions, falling within his sphere of responsibility, which relate to the control of dangerous substances in the interests of the safety of the public, and he will ask it to examine urgently how best to extend the scope of existing regulations on the carriage of dangerous substances by road.

From 'The Municipal Reviell''.

Correspondence

THE INSTALLATION OF UNDERGROUND TANKS

Whilst realising that the above mentioned item was a precis only, there are some items in the synopsis of Mr. Sherwood's lecture at Attingham on which I should like to comment.

Base Concrete. When faulty tanks have been dug out I have noticed in many cases that severe corrosion has occurred along the bottom of the tank. This is clearly due to the presence of voids which are caused by the difficulty in ensuring penetration of the concrete into the fine angle formed by the curvature of the tank and the flat base. Owing to the fact that the base concrete has usually been laid for several days before the remainder of the surrounding concrete there is a weak joint through which water can percolate and reach the above mentioned voids. Conditions are thus ripe for corrosion. A method of overcoming this problem is to lay a thinner base, say four inches thick,

on which are then placed concrete blocks or cradles (two or three per tank) of the necessary thickness to bring the total concrete below the tank to the required nine inches or such greater thickness as may be required in special cases. There is then a clear space between the bottom of the tank and the base concrete into which the surrounding concrete may flow with ease. Whilst my Authority does not insist on this method it is strongly recommended. An method, but more costly and less efficacious. is to cast a plastic water bar in the base concrete.

Mr. Sherwood says that he would be interested to know what Petroleum Officers are looking for when inspecting base concrete. If this is the first inspection made there would be some point in his observation. As far as the G.L.C. is concerned, however, the Inspector will have also inspected the finished excavation before allowing the base concrete to placed. From the two inspections he is thus in a position to know that the base is of the requisite thickness. and he will also have ensured that the base of the pit was correctly prepared, water adequately removed, etc.

Air !est. Mr. Sherwood states that "most engineers·· are satisfied that a test of three to four hours will establish the prese.nce of a leak. From my own observations, I know that a pm hole blow in a weld may not cause sufficient drop in pressure to be read on a pressure gauge of the type normally used. A very important feature is that the size of a hole can be correspondingly larger for a larger capacity tank. Thus, if the three to four hours mentioned were being considered in respect to a 500 gallon tank. then a 5,000 gallon tank would require thirty to forty hours for the test to be of the same stringency.

Whilst the G.L.C. still accepts the twenty-four air pressure test on new tanks it is my opinion, which I believe is by many of my colleagues, that the only really sat!sfactory test for a new tank is a 10 p.s.i. hydraulic test. This does !nvolve the extra work of filling and emptying the ta_nk with water, but these disadvantages may be offset by usmg the water-fill to prevent flotation and thus eliminate need for holding down straps. A further advantage is the test period may be reduced to an hour or so, P.rov1ded that the tank has been completely filled with no air pockets left.

Greater London Council. H.

T. E. JACKSO"I.

Thank you for giving me a preview of Mr. Jackson's letter, the contents of which I have· read with interest. In accepting his view concerning the difficulty in achieving a complete encasure of an underground tank without voids. I agree the tank saddle method does minimise this problem. We are, however, still left with the fact that whatever the method used, the complete encasement of underground tanks does not provide an efficient secondary \'arrier to the escape of products to the surrounding earth.

With regard to the air test, I would suggest that if the gauge does not detect a tank leak at a pressure of IO p.s.i. after four then the graduations on the gauge are too small for practical purposes. I am not advocating that air pressure tests should be reduced to a duration of 3-4 hours, but suggest that 24 hours is an unnecessarily long test.

Esso Petroleum Co., Ltd. K. SHERWOOD.

Attingham - May,- ·1965

PETROLEUM LAW

G. I. Fuller, M.A., LL.B., Chief Assistant Solicitor Solihull

Virtually the whole of the law relating to Petroleum Spirit is to be found in the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928, which replaces earlier legislation on the and in Orders, Regulations and Byelaws made under this Act. The Act is modified in one minor respect by The Petroleum (Transfer of Licences) Act, 1936, and these two Acts are together known as The Petroleum (Regulation) Acts, 1928 and 1936, but in the remainder of this synopsis reference will be to the 1928 Act. There is almost no case law assist (or otherwise) in its interpretation , but in certain areas (notably London) its provisions are supplemented by local Acts. While this Act also applies to Scotland (and of course Wales), Northern Ireland has separate legislation which is, however, broadly on the same lines.

To what substances does the Act apply ?

Pri,n:iarily, the Act applies to Petroleum Spirit. 'Petroleum includes crude petroleum, oil made from petroleum, or from coal, shale, peat or other bituminous substances, and other products of petroleum 'Petroleum Spirit' is defined in Section 23 as follows:

"Petroleum as when tested in the (stated) manner (the Abel-Close Test) gives off an inflammable vapour at a temperature of less than 73 ° F."

In _addition, Orders may be made under Section 19 applymg the Act, in whole or in part to other substances, and the following Orders have been ' made:

The Carbide of Calcium Order 1929

The Petroleum (Mixtures) Order 1929 (which applies to any. mixture of petroleum and any other substance if the product has a flash point below 73 °F)

The Compres sed Gases Order 1930

The Inflammable Liquids and Other Dangerous Substances Order 194 7 '

The Liquid Methane Order 1957

The Carbon Disulphide Order 1958

Of these Orders, those relating to Carbide of Calcium, Petroleum Mixtures and Liquid Methane apply virtually the whole Act to these substances, with necessary modifications. The other Orders apply only minor parts of the Act , such as the provisions as to labelling and the reporting of accidents, and the power to make Conveyance Regulations (which will be dealt with later).

Substances such as Diesel Fuel which do not fall within the definition of Petroleum Spirit and for which no Orders have been made therefore are outside the provisions of i he Act.

The Licensing System

"Petroleum Spirit shall not be unless a spirit licence is in force under this Act the keeping thereof, and the Spmt 1s kept 111 accordance with such cond1t1ons, 1f any, as may be attached to the licence" (Section I). Petroleum Spirit Licences are issued by the Councils of County Boroughs and County Districts upon payment of a prescribed fee, and may be refused because of the unsuitability of t he premises or on grounds of s'.lfety (but . not on amenity grounds, or because the licensmg that the existing petroleum storage fac1ht1es m its area are adequate). There is an to the Secretary against a refusal to grant a licence. may be imposed relating to such matters as of the premises, the method of storage, fac1h.ties and safety precautions, and although there 1s n.o prescnbed form, the Association is hoping shortly to issue. a set ?f Model Conditions. Once a licence has been issued, 1t can be transferred to a new occupier of the premises, but it cannot be revoked or amended and for this reason? licences are usually granted for a limited period , wh 1ch they h.ave to be renewed. The occupier of the premises is for obtaining a licence and for ensunn&, .so far as poss1?Ie, that any employees observe the cond1t1ons that are imposed. A copy of these be kept posted up at the premises, and a person to observe them is also liable to prosecution. may be brought by licensing authorities under their general power contained in Section 276 of the Local Government Act, 1933

Cases where no licence is required

I. The act does not apply to premi.ses (e.g . military establishments) although Ill practice. ernment Departments have their own very rules regarding the keeping of petroleum spmt. should be noted that the Act does apply to .t premises of Visiting Forces , such as the U111te States Air Force.

2. No licence is required for small of petroleum spirit either for pnvate use or or sa so long as (a) The Petroleum Spirit is kept in separate glass, earthenware ·or metal vessels secL!rely stopped and containing not more than l pint each , and (b) The aggregate amount so kept does not exceed 3 gallons.

It should be noted that the other provi_s i.ons of Act (e.g. labelling) still apply to petroleum spmt kept without a licence in this way.

WE PUBLISH A FURTHER SELECTION OF PAPERS PRESENTED TO STUDENTS AT THE MID-WEEK SCHOOL HELD AT ATTINGHAM PARK THIS YEAR.

3 The Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles, etc.) Regulations, 1928

By virtue of these Regulations, made under Section 10 of the Act, petroleum spirit kept for private use (nor for sale) in connection with motor vehicles, motor boats, lawn mowers, electricity ·generators; etc., is exempted from the provisions of Sections 1-9 of the Act (i.e. including the licensing provisions) subject to the conditions laid down in the Regulation s. (If these cannot be observed, a licence must still be obtained). The maximum quantity which may be kept in this way is 60 gallons, and foi: this purpose the amount kept in storage places 20 feet apart or le ss is added together . As the petrol tank of a motor vehicle is a place for this purpose it follows that an indoor car park with a capacity of more than (say) 20 cars, will require to be licensed. Apart from the tanks of motor vehicles, petroleum spirit kept in this way must be stored in suitable metal containers , properly labelled and these must not exceed 2 gallons in capacity when specific notice is given to the licensing authority and special structural conditions are observed. The storage place (e.g. a garage) must be properly ventilated , and if it adjoins a hou se or asse mbly ha!J, then either (i) the partition between must be constructed of non-flammable material s with no opening or (ii) petroleum spirit must be kept only in the fuel tank of a motor vehicle and in not more than two two-ga llon vessels. The Regulations a lso contain certain other detailed condition s.

The Trans porting of Petroleum Spirit

The Petroleum Spirit (Conveya nce by Road) R eg ul a t10n s made under Section 6 app ly to the conve ya nce by road o f more than 32 ga ll o n s of petroleum s pirit or petro leum mixtures (excluding the co ntent s of the petrol t a nk o f a motor vehicle). This quantity is inc reased to 50 ga ll o ns if the petrol e um sp irit is in a s ingle se curely c lose d s teel barrel , but is reduced below 32 gallons in certain o ther circum s tance s The Regulations deal mainly wit h the construct ion of the vehicle, a nd with safety precauti o ns , of which two cal l for particular comment. Re g ul at ion 7 provide s th a t a ve hicle ca rr y ing petroleum sp irit (or mi x ture ) s h all , e xce pt when it i s in a lic e nse d s tore or o ther app roved place , be c o nst a ntly atte nd ed b y the driv e r or by anot her pe rso n ov er the age of 18 years. Thi s is a que s tion of fact in one particular case (Swan sea ) the dri ve r wa s in a cafe 92 ya rd s away, a nd a lthough h e c laimed he could see the ve hicl e , he wa s held to h a ve contravened the Regulation Regulation 16 provide s for the precaution s to be taken when a delivery is made from a vebicle into a storage tank when a Certificate ha s to be s igned and handed to the per so n in charge of tbe vehicle before delivery can begin , and tanks must be dipped , connection s checked, and other precautions taken.

Special Regulations h ave a lso beeft made for th e Co nveya n ce by Road o f Ga s Cylinder s (1931), Compre ss ed Gas Cy lind ers used as fu e l for motor vehicles (1940) a nd Ca rbon Di s ulphide (1958). There a re a lso s pecial prov is ion s as to the loading of sh ips with petroleum sp irit (Sections 7 an d 8) an d the transporting o.f petroleum s pirit by ca n a l (Sectio n 9).

Miscellaneous

Section 5 deals with the labelling ofcontainers in which petroleum spirit is kept, and it is an offence to sell petroleum spirit in a container which does not comply with the requirements of this Section

Sections 13 and 14 deal with explosions at licensed premises, or on ships or vehicles carrying petroleum spirit. The occupier must report any explosion involving petroleum spirit and causing loss of life or personal injury , . t o the Home Secretary, who may order an inquiry to be held

Sections 16, 17 and 18 deal with the powers ofln s pectors the Explosives Act, and of Inspectors appointed b y hcensmg authorities, including the right to purchase a nd test samples, to examine places and vessels where petroleum spirit is kept by a dealer or by a person using it for trade or industry , and to obtain search warrants and seize petroleum spirit kept without a licence. It shall be noted. however, that there is no general rigbt of entry for in s pectors, and that this must therefore be included in the licence conditions.

A1;11ong other statutory provisions , Section 73 of the Public Act , 1961, deals with derelict petrol tanks , and reqmres the occupier of premises containing s uch a tank to take reasonable steps to prevent it from becoming Officers of licensing authorities have a right of mspection, and may require certain safety measure s to be taken. By liaising with his colleagues in other departments, the petroleum officer will also discover other Act s of Parliament,. such as the Town and Country Planning Act , 1962, which, although they do not specifically relate to petroleum spirit , contain provisions which may help to so lve a particul a r problem.

PLANNING AND THE PETROLEUM OFFICER

W. C.R. Dale, A.F.l.P., Greater London Council

Introduction

If the effect of fire is to be minimi se d , adeq u a te fire prevention sa feguard s mu s t be built into a s tructure or s torage at the cons tructi o n s tage. Thi s m ea n s th a t a petroleum officer '.s con s ideration of a prop osa l at the planntng or drawmg board stage is of prime imp o rtance and my purp ose is to indicate what I deem to be th e mo st import a nt points to be a r in mind during thi s consideration.

Objectives

To minimise the effect of fire, one must do two things:

(a) use every endeavour to prevent outbreak of fire; (b) make to localise any outbreak and to limit any nsk to persons· included in thi s wo uld be ensuring th at there is adequate provision for s ummoning the Fire Brigade. ·

When dealing with flammable liquids there i s one further thing that mus t be done and that is to prevent outflow. lt could be arg ued that this falls within th e first

two objectives but it is of such importance that it should stand as an objective on its own. It is no good making the storage area safe if petrol is permitted to flow out to be ignited or to spread fire elsewhere whenever things go wrong.

Prevention of outbreak of fire

Turning firstly to prevention of outbreak there are some facts to be remembered. lt is only the vapour given off by a flammable liquid that burns and this vapour will burn onlv if the concentration of it in air falls within the explosive- (or flammable) range of that vapour. For petrol vapour, the range volume by volume extends from about I % at the lower to 8 % at the end; for acetylene the range is wider from about 2.5 % to 80 %. Even when one h as an explosive concentration of vapour one needs to heat the vapour above its auto-ignition temperature before it will ignite. The auto-ignition temperature vapour is about 300 °C. These elementary facts 111d1cate two separate approaches which can be made to prevent ignition of vapours from flammable liquids.

Ventilation

first approach is to ensure by means of good vent1lat10n vapour can never be present in explosive concentration. The simplest way of achieving this is to all sto_rages in the open air. It is pertinent at this ,,tage to ment10.n that petrol vapour becomes fully toxic at a of 0 5 % with air, i.e. about half the explosive limit. A man can be killed as easily by gassmg. as by burning him to death. One would, however, be seekmg ventilation to prevent much lower concentration of vapour than this.

Exclusion of ignition sources

. other path to follow is to avoid the presence of any source within any area where an explosive concehn.tr11atwn of vapour may possibly occur. In defining areas w 1c must b b ' rr F ear 1trary, one enters the realms of practical po 1 ics. or most risks a distance of 20 feet from the exposure pomt 1s · ' . a 111ce round number of about the nght For large risks, such as bulk distributing fi s, a of 50 feet is more appropriate. Having xe ;n arb1t\ary figure , no relaxation of it should be 'Jtherw1se a series of waivers might in the ultimate w itt e own the figure to nothing.

Jgnition sources

Likely ignit!on sources must now be considered. There are some obviou s ones like fire, flame and lighted cigarTher.e are also some exotic ones like potassium and so dium which burst into flames when exposed to air. The Home Office Code conditions take cognizance of all these.

Electrical heating apparatus

Of interest in the context of excluding ignition s.ources is th.e prohibition in the Code relating to 'artificial hght, electncal apparatus or appliances likely to ignite Use of the word ' likely' shows that discretion is called for. Jn considering how to apply this

discretion, electrical apparatus and appliances can conveniently be divided into two types, namely heating appliances and other apparatus.

With electrical heating appliances a limit must be fixed on the temperature which exposed surfaces can obtain. For reasons already discussed, the limit of 300 °C. suggests itself. Some petroleum spirits such as hexane, cyclohexane and heptane have auto-ignition temperature below 300 °C. and where these substances are suitable adjustment of the general figure of 300 °C. will be necessary.

In a cellulose space, a lower figure of I 80 °F. is required because of the tendency of cellulose deposits to ' fume off' above this temperature. The housing or frame enclosing heaters should be similar to those for other electrical appliances with which it is now convenient to deal.

Electrical apparatus

In deciding the proper type of housing or enclosure for electrical apparatus regard must be had to the area in which the apparatus is to be installed.

Occasionally, as in the case of submersible pumps , it may be necessary to install electrical equipment in a space where vapour at or above the explosive range is always present; this is usually known as a 'Division O' area. Needless to say, equipment installed in a 'Division O ' area must not only be of a safe type but must be as fool-proof as human ingenuity can make it.

Generally, however, it is convenient to think in terms of three areas: a 'danger area' (or Division I area) where there is a constant risk of the formation of a fully explosive concentration of vapour; a 'safe area', where no vapour will be present , and an ' intermediate area' (or Division 2 area) between the other two areas where vapour. occasionally be present but save under freak cond1t1011s the concentration of it is unlikely to build up to anything approaching the lower explosive limit. Becaus.e. petrol vapour is heavier than air, one from a D1v1s1?n l area to a Division 2 area more quickly upw a rds in a vertical direction than in a horizontal direction Pits and chambers below ground will frequently be Division l areas althouoh the area above them can be regarded as a b Division 2 area.

Jn a Division I area one should permit only such apparatus as is Flameproof (Group II gases), Safe (Pentane Cla ss) or pressurised. As an alternative to Flameproof (Group II gases) it is customary to accept the American equivalent of apparatus approved by Underwriters Laboratory Incorporated for Class 1 Group D (Hazardous location)

If one examines the concepts underlying the various methods of protecting electrical apparatus hav_e just been mentioned, it becomes apparent that with suitable combination of Flameproof, [ntrin s ically Safe and pressurised equipment , one can arrange to in stall vir.tually any electrical equipment in a Divi sion I area. There 1s a here. Before one decides how electrical apparatus 10 a Divi sion 1, or for that matter in a Division 0 or 2 area , is to be protected , one should first decide havm _g paid due regard to efficiency and other cons1derat1ons, 1t is in fact necessary to install the equipment in such an area at all.

ln a Division 2 area, it is reasonable to accept vapour tight equipment as an alternative to Flameproof, Intrinsically Safe or pressurised equipment. Hitherto, there has been no hard and fast national standard laid down for vapour tight and similar equipment, but a British Standards Committee has been set up to remedy the omission. The sooner their findings are promulgated, the better.

In a 'Safe area' anything will go so far as electrical equipment is concerned.

Limiting the effect of fire

Attention can now be directed to measures to limit the extent of a fire and to minimise the risk to persons. Naturally one's first concern will be with persons and the way in which they can best be helped is to ensure that they always have easy and safe means of escape from storage areas and buildings which might be threatened.

To limit spread of fire, firebreaks must be established. Distance itself provides an effective firebreak if there are no combustibles in the intervening space. Where adequate safety distances cannot be achieved the use of fire-resisting walls or partitions offer an alternative. Any openings in these walls must be dealt with; windows can be glazed with :fire-resisting glass in :fire-resisting framing fixed shut or if openings are necessary for ventilation, these openings can be protected by hopper type fire-resisting baffles; small personnel doors can be rendered fire-resisting and selfclosing; and large doorway openings can be fitted with :fire-resisting shutters held open only by fusible links.

It is further essential to exclude any avoidable clutter of combustible from a storage area. This means that kiosks and canopies which it is not worthwhile requiring to be of :fire-resisting construction should be made only of incombustible materials or at least of materials having a low surface spread of flame (i.e. Class 2 in British Standard 476, Part I). The same should apply to the exposed lining of any fire-resisting wall or partition.

One should also ensure that adequate portable fireextinguishers are readily available to deal with an outbreak of fire at its initial stages and means should be available for summoning the fire brigade.

Prevention of outflow

The final objective to consider before looking at invividual cases is the question of prevention of outflow. In the case of can stores this is achieved simply by providing a retaining well to the store. The capacity of this retaining well is usually set at I00 % of the capacity of the store. However, in cases where the whole contents of the store may be deposited into the well in one fell swoop and a margin for a layer of foam is desired it would not be unreasonable to ask for I I0 % of the store capacity.

On petrol filling stations, outflow can be prevented by dishing the storage, filling and vehicle charging areas. Obviously these areas will have to be drained and this drainage must be passed through a petroleum interceptor to prevent outflow of petroleum spirit into the sewers. All gullies connected to a petroleum interceptor should be of trapped type.

Filling stations

A lot more could be said in regard to the objectives, but it is appropriate now to consider the conditions that result from the application of the objectives to particular types of storages. It is convenient to start with filling stations.

Storage tanks

All objectives are best met if storage tanks on filling stations are situate underground and not above-ground. This almost invariably coincides with the wishes of the filling station proprietor so the point need not be developed.

The storage tank should be constructed of !in. mild steel plate with welded seams and for convenience should be provided with a manhole. There will be some danger to the tank shell from the dipstick so a plate having minimum dimensions of about 14ins. by 4ins., commonly known as an impact plate, should be provided beneath the dipping opening. Before being installed in a manner which can be considered later, the tank should have all rust and scale removed and then be coated with bitumen or similar anti-corrosive coatings.

Tank fittings

On a storage tank, one needs a suction pipe, a vent pipe and a combined dip and filling pipe. The dip and filling pipe should in all cases be 2 inches longer than the suction pipe so as to ensure the maintenance of a liquid seal on it. Occasionally, on safety grounds, an off-set filling pipe may. be necessary. Whenever an off-set filling pipe is no dipping opening or other opening from which petrol can flow when the tank is overfilled should be permitted. There are a number of contents gauges which are just as accurate as dipsticks. One word of warning, however, many contents gauges have reference to the specific gravity of the liquid being measured so that if !he grade is changed, the gauge may need to be recalibrated.

The suction pipe is normally sealed from atmosphere by and equipment in the petrol pump. There is a possible path of outflow via the air separator vent of the but provision is normally made in the pump to block this outlet.

The vent pipe must connect the tank directly to atmosphere. It should be the only pipe that does so. To prevent the possibility of flash back to the tank via the vent pipe, safety gauze must be fitted in the upper orifice of the pipe. 1J?1mense quantities of vapour are discharged from the pipe when the tank is being filled. It would be best if this vapour were discharged upwards to aid dispersal but general practice unfortunately does not follow this ideal it is alleged rain water may get into the tank. I! JS therefore essential to that vent pipes are so situate as to enable vapour to disperse rapidly. The upper orifices of the vent pipes should be well removed from openings into buildings and dangerous electrical equipment. In this context a roof, other than an imperforate concrete roof, may well be an opening into a building. Incidentally it might be of interest to mention that the weight of vapour laden air in a vent pipe is such that for

every !Oft. of height of vapour in the vent pipe, petrol is 0.1 inch in the dip pipe. Thus after a tank wagon delivery when the vent pipe is full of vapour one would expect the level of petrol in the dip pipe to be higher than when only fresh air is in the vent pipe after operation of the petrol pump.

Th.e installation of tanks is not strictly within the scope o f this paper but may I put in a personal plea for concrete encasement of tanks. In my opinion, rendered brick chambers filled with sand lead to early corrosion of tanks. Most sand has sulphur present in it. Rendering on the inside of the brick walls of the chamber may soon be pushed off by sub-surface water pressure and once water enters the chamber you have ideal conditions for corrosion. If you have. a chamber, I suggest you build the walls of v1.brated reinforced concrete and then permit in-filling only with puddled clay having a specific resistance in excess of 3,000 ohms per centimetre cube and of such nature that it will. not permit the incubation of sulphate reducing bactena after test lasting 42 days.

There is a modern trend towards remote pumping; this that petrol is pumped under pressure towards island dispensers mstead of being sucked as at present Within my of reference , I s hould refer to the need for en s unng that impact check valve is always inserted in the pressure hne at the base of each dispenser so as to ensure petrol is not sprayed all over the forecourt if, or should .1t be when, the dispenser is knocked over by a clumsy dnver. ·

d petrol pumps should be fitted with limiting or pre-set evices to prevent continuous outflow of petrol from them

Siting of petrol pumps and tanks

So far a · · t k h s is pos.sible pumps and the opening to banks ould be sited in the open air and should be set 1 a c . from the public highway. In well ventilated ocat1on s 1t may t b t b no e unreasonable to permit the pumps 0 e canopies or even buildings provided that the canopies and buildings are of suitable construction Tank 0 1penll1g s the tank wagon stand should , a ways be 111 th op . d 1 . . . f ya rd fo. th. en air an t 1e m1mmum size o open 1 is purp:)se should be 30ft. by 16ft.

f btanks should be s ited as far away as po ssible e basements of buildings. If they are within 20 should the usual 9in. concrete encasement Ever eff<e ou led and the mix improved to 1 : 11- : 3-t. y ort s hould be made to en s ure that the bottom of a ny st o rage tank is a t lea s t 18in s below a nearby ba sement.

1n certain cas · sto ag t k . es it may be nece s sary to include the · r. f an 111 a basement. This , however, will require b encasement. of the tank and enclosure of the tank oc. i Ya ventilated walkway with adequate retall1 ng capacity and fire separation.

Buildings near tanks and pumps

It is essential to establi s h a fire break between building s any petrol s torage or vehicle charging area. Tf di s t a nce it self doe s not _provide a sufficient fire break , this ca n be d.o.ne by e n s uring that a ny exp os ed wa ll s and oth e r p a rt 1t1 o ns o f the buildings a re o f two-hour fire-r es isting

construction and that a ny openings in these expo sed walls are dealt with as already discussed. It is also es sential that any exposed supports for the building (and buildings on stilts are not unusual these days) should have a similar standard of fire-resi stance.

There is, however, little point in applying this standard to small single storey kiosks and service buildings. Provided that there is adequate means of escape for pers onnel, it is only necessary to ensure that these buildinas are of incombustible construction. ""

Drainage of filling stations

It has already been mentioned that the drainage of filling stations should be taken via trapped gullies through a petroleum interceptor. The point should, however, be emphasised that in a vehicle charging area, there is constant spillage. Tarmac does not stand up well to petrol and permits seepage of petrol through it. Thus the area within a twelve foot radius of any petrol pump should be paved with concrete.

Brick stores

Petroleum spirit a nd p a rticularly petroleum mixture is not always kept in bulk in tanks ; it is alS) k e pt in can s, drums and barrels. This type of storage is often as sociated with use in a factory in such things as spraying, mixing and dipping rooms The powers an Inspector ha s under the Petroleum (Con s olidation) Act, 1928, enable him to control such use , but it is not appropriate to deal with this aspect in the context of this paper.

All objective s will be met if arrangements a re made for can s, drums and barrels containing petroleum spirit a nd mixture to be kept in a store situate in the open air constructd with 9 inch wa ll s and 5 inch reinforced concrete roof. The do o r of the s tore should be fire-res is ting and normally kept locked , a retaining well not more than 2 feet deep should be provid ed to the store and ventilation arranged by gauze protected air bricks at high a nd low levels in at least thre e wall s. The store is best detached from other building s but objection need .not be r.a ised to its being attached to a building on one side provided the separation is imperforate a nd of a four of fire resi s tance. Exposed openings to buddmgs w1th111 20 feet of the store s hould be protected as h as a lready been di scu ssed for filling s tation s

Some people prefer a roof of light t o .a s tore such that it will di s intearate and provide a rehef Ill the event of explo s ion. The de sirability of w ill o bvio u s ly be decided by the proximity other but the best of both world s might be achieved by requmng the roof to be con s tructed of narrow 5 inch reinforced concrete slabs lightly cemented together.

Iron stores

For s mall storaaes up to 50 gallons , considerable rel a xation may be A galvanised iron. bin (16 S W G) in the open air s hould be that the bm ha s retaining ca pacity. The di s tan ce w1th111 which opemng s t o buildings need protec ti o n can c omfortabl y be reduced to 10 feet. Th e s tore s hould , however , be 20 fee t from th e public way a nd a dj o ining p ro perty t o en s ure o b ser va n ce o f our fir e, fl a m e, e tc , co nditi o n s

Above-ground garages

Basically, there are two types of above-ground g11:rages; those needing to be licensed and clearly to the provisions of the Petroleum Spmt (Motor ':'eh1cles) Regulations, 1929. The Regulations are specific and discussion of them is unnecessary.

For licensed above-ground garages the following standards of separation between them and the remainder of a building is to be recommended:

(a) garages under 5,000 cu. ft.--! hour

(b) garages from 5,000 cu. ft. to 75,000 cu. ft.-1 hour

(c) garages from 75,000 cu. ft. to 250,000 cu. ft.-2 hours

(d) over 250,000 cu. ft.-4 hours

The fire cell size of any garage should be restricted to a maximum of 500,000 cu. ft. in extent or 40,000 sq. ft. in floor area. Fire cells should be separated one from the other by fire division walls each of a four hour standard of fire resistance. Openings in a fire division wall may be allowed provided that they are fitted with double sets of fusible link shutters.

Means of escape should be so arranged that no part of a garage floor is more than 100 feet from an escape door. Escape routes should be enclosed by fire-resisting partitions and should discharge wherever possible directly to the open air. Any doorway openings in partitions for!11ing part of the separation between a garage and the of the buildings should be fire-resisting and se_lf-closmg. Any surface drainage in the garage should pass via trapped gullies to a petroleum interceptor. It is also essential to ensure good cross-ventilation to garages.

1. The increasing number of dispensing outlets per station.

2. Longer pipe runs from tank to dispensers.

3. Greater product storage capacity.

4. Increasing product volatility.

5. Difficult geographical locations where high temperature or low atmospheric pressure affected conventional equipment performance.

These factors are typified by a large motorway service area dispensing high grade fuels at high altitude in a tropical climate and, under such conditions, a suction lift pump, if it worked at all, would be grossly inefficient. Even under conditions more typical of the United Kingdom, some of the factors enumerated are relevant and sometimes inhibit the use of conventional equipment.

Before describing future trends in remote pumping, a brief review of past development may be instructive, if not entertaining, as the first example shows. This was a very early system known as the "Aqua System", which used the mains water supply to pressurise the entire underground system, including the tank. When the dispenser nozzle was opened, water displaced petrol in the storage tank under mains pressure through the system. The obvious disadvantage of this method is the necessity for providing a substantial pressure vessel for storage.

FUTURE TRENDS IN PETROLEUM SPIRIT DISPENSING

B. A. Targett, Assistant Chief Engineer Wayne Tank and Pump Co., Ltd.

Introduction

Probably five years ago, and certainly ten years ago, this lecture would not have contained more than fifteen minutes of subject matter of any interest, insofar as trends in petroleum dispensing equipment were concerned. However, in the last five years, there has been a considerable acceleration in the rate of progress, particularly in the technical aspects of equipment design, as a result of which it will be impossible for me to cover the full extent of past achievement, and beyond my imagination to exhaust the possitilities of future trends, in the time available.

1 propose dealing with as wide a field as possible under four main headings in the chronological order of their development. The first of these is remote pumping.

Remote Pumping Systems

The original concept of remote pumping syste!11s resulted from an investigation of ways to handle changmg system requirements, prompted by the following factors.

Another approach to remote pumping was, and is, t0 utilise gravity to transfer the product from an above ground storage tank to the dispensing outlet. Limiting head and varying flow rate are objections to this system. With the advent of power operated lift pumps, some of the inherent disadvantages of suction systems could be eliminated by removing the pump from the dispenser and placing it near the storage tank. Such units were compact and included all the hydraulic components except the meter. Utilising the integrated motor, pump and air separation system of the Wayne Solo Unit, it became possible to install remote suction pumps within the confines of the storage tank pit itself.

However, future trends in remote pumping are most likely to revolve around submersible pumps which, as the name implies, are designed to be submerged in the storage tank. A submerged pump operates under what is known as a flooded suction, the positive suction head being the height of the liquid level in the storage tank above the pui:np inlet. In consequence, such a pump is always primed whilst the fuel level is above the inlet and its performance is sensibly independent of atmospheric pressure. Furthersince the delivery line between the storage tank and dispenser is under pressure during pump operation, the formation of vapour locks and other phenomena associated with suction pumps are avoided.

The pump is installed in the supply tank by means of an eight inch riser pipe and manifold from which the pump and motor unit may be extracted and re-inserted if necessary. The manifold has provision for two two-inch discharge pipes to remote dispensers and incorporates an integral check and pressure relief valve, together with an installation wiring compartment and an air release assembly which bleeds air back to the tank. The extractable unit consists of the discharge head from which the pump and motor unit is suspended by means of the discharge pipe. A separate electrical conduit runs from the motor control gear to a sealed junction box in the discharge head.

The motor is interestincr in havincr sta tor and rotor windings totally encapsulated in resin and being coo led by fuel trapped within the casino and circulatincr aro und the outside. A combined and thermal overload is contained in a separate sealed compartment above the m?tor. The pump is a single stage directcoupled centrifugal type which will not pump air.

Pu1!1p performance varies with installation factors which c ontnbute to pressure loss in the system, and ratings must be based on representative conditions. The nui;nber of dispensers that may be served by a pump 1s only limited by the acceptable flow rate perb and conventional idea s about this may have the advent of se lf-service equipment, iic 1 · s hall be discu ss ing later on.

That is all we have time for on de sc riptive matter. However, I would like to say that this equipment is by Underwriters Laboratories focorporated of H menca and has not met any serious objection by the h ome Office , Board of Trade or any other authority we 4gve con s ulted. It is presently specified and used in over per cent of all new installations in the U.S.A.

Blending

G Some time ago I addressed the West Midlands Petroleum on subject of petrol blendina equipment This equipment d · 0 · low octa is .esigned to mix two base fuels of high and of inte to produce a range of fuels of ble rating. At that time .I di sc ussed one type t ndmg ispenser known as the proportional price blending pumps are of no special sigtion ;elation to the interpretation and administrat rendo . ie etroleum Acts, I am going to briefly review . s as this type of equipment is undoubtedly 111 importance.

t A vana.ble ratio blending pump is essentially two separa e tl?urnp1mg and metering systems, very similar to a conven 10na two prod d' h f th t . uct 1spenser , except t at the output 0 e wo meters _ is monitored by a proportioning valve hby a special computer. The valve is of the sliding car on s oe type , the shoes being radially mounted on a co mmon shaft. The cylindrical valve chamber is divided for product , and the outlet ports, whose openings are mined by the positions of the carbon s hoe s, are axially a.nd communicate with each chamber. After P.roportionmg.' the products are passed through individual mto concentric hoses . to the nozzle , where m 1x111g take s place.

1:"he most novel part of a blending pump is the computer, which not only performs the normal functions of indicating the quantity dispensed and computing its cash value, but also controls the accuracy of the blend throu<>h the proportioning valve. The proportional price type of computer was fully described in the Quarterly Journal of your Association for January , 1963, in reporting the text of 1'.1Y original lectu'.e. I shall, therefore , only make passmg reference to this type.

Each meter drives a conventional computer variator unit, the respective outputs of which are summated to give a total sale price. The total quantity is obtained by summation also, but without the intervention of variator gearing. Blend valve control is achieved by balancing the speeds of the two meters in a subtracting differential gear, the output of which is attached to the proportioning valve.

Large scale marketing experiments with proportional pricing blending pumps have shown certain difficulties in meeting pricing structures required by oil companies. As a result, it is probable that the proportional system will be replaced by an alternative, known as increment pricincr. A few increment blending pumps have been in use fir some time, but the current production model is s tyled to match the Wayne 1700 Series. The range of products available is displayed on the dial , together with the unit price of each. The required grade is selected by means of a knob and release lever on the side of the pump, movement of which cannot take place whilst the pump is dispensing.

Internally, the components are identical to the proportional price type , except for the comput er. This is of quite different aspect to the proportional computer, with a conventional counter section surmounting a special variator unit and price increment gearbox. In front of the variator are the unit price wheels and a grade indicator drum.

The essential feature of this design is that the basic unit price is that of the low grade fuel , the combined volume being priced at this figure by the special variator. A unit price increment , arbitrarily preset in the increment gearbox by the station operator, is selected for each blend by the blend se lector, and a total price increment , proportional to the total quantity, is added to the base price computed by the variator. The steps between increments may be varied to suit local marketing conditions, whereas in the proportional price scheme the increment steps are iJ?-herently equal. The method of blend ".alve .control. is similar to the proportional price pump with slight vanations in detail.

Remote Indication

Remote indication was, after remote pumping and blending, the next major step in equipment development , although it had a much greater impact on the industry and was responsible for initiating the present continuing rate of development of new ideas.

Remote indication , or readout, sys tems are based on the principle of separation of the components of which a conventional island dispenser is composed into modular units situated where they are functionally most efficient. Remote pumping is the first ste p in achieving this ideal , but only concerns part of the equipment. The only sect ions of a di spe nser essential to the forecourt are the indicator and the hose and no zz le. The meter and computer can be

situated anywhere else that may be convenient and practical. However, the nozzle and the indicator would preferably be separated and placed at the rear and front respectively of a vehicle refuelling, the indicator being of sufficient size and clarity for both operator and customer to read it, the latter without moving from his seat. Also, since more than one grade of fuel is usually required to be dispensed on one island, the dispensers must be compact and closely situated.

cost and complexity, ruled ;out its immediate acceptance on a large scale. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most imaginative developments of which we probably have not seen the last, which is why I think it worth bringing to your attention.

There have been less ambitious and sophisticated attempts at producing remote readout systems, based on modifications of standard dispensers. For instance, one could use a standard dispenser, with hose and nozzle and control gear removed, in conjunction with a post type hosestand operating the dispenser by remote control. The customers view through the windscreen is an improvement over conventional dispensers, although the readout cannot be compared with the sophistication of the large scale arrangement previously described. Of course, remote pumping could be incorporated in this system, as before. Special housings have been proposed which use purely mechanical control means, and it is probable that the possibilities of such systems have not yet been exhausted.

Self Service

Since the actual dispensing stand need only consist of essential controls and pipework with a simple hose retraction device, space demands of this unit may be small. Alternatively, space economy can be discarded in favour of the dictates of styling.

Readout units may be single or dual units, according to the requirements for fuelling one or two cars simultaneously. Information is displayed on each dial in large and legible characters indicating the measured quantity and computed price, together with the unit price and fuel grade When the indicator is zeroised at the commencement of delivery, the grade and unit P!ice c?ange. to correspond with the fuel selected at the d1spensmg pomt.

Using the Wayne Solo Unit, two-piston i_neter and a standard variator gearbox, a compact and reliable remote pump and metering unit is achieved. Mounted on and driven by the variator is an electrical transmitter. Information, derived from the variator and representing quantity and money, is telemetered to the remote indicator in the form of electrical impulses , and the fuel measured by the meter is pumped direct to the dispenser. All electrical lines and equipment are housed in flameproof enclosures, a nd the whole unit enclosed by a fibreglass housing, which is detachable for inspection and maintenance. Where circumstances justify the use of submersible pumps, these can be easily incorporated into the system to make use of their specia l a dvantages.

Blending is an obvious feature to incorporate into the remote indication sys tem , si nce a considerable reduction in di s pen ser units is achieved. A dual blending dispen se r, occupying a mere two square feet of ground area , can serve two ve hicle s s imult a neo usly with a ny one of nine grade s of fuel from the sa me point. Alternatively, one cou ld offer a range of petrol fu els and die se l oil from the same dispen ser , through separate hoses. Unfortunately, but perhap s not unnaturally, the advanced no ve lty of the remote rea dout sys tem , together witb some inhibitions on

The last subject I shall be dealing with is self-service. Except for blending, development in this field has aroused more interest, especially in recent times, than any other. Historically, self-service can be traced at least as far back as the Greeks in the First Century A.D., when a coin mechanism .was described which dispensed holy water. It may have been a pretty serious thing for an ancient Greek to be caught_ short of holy water on early closing day, but equally serious no doubt to modern mechanised man to run out of petrol on his way home from a late night out. It is in respect of an emergency service on unmanned that c<;>in operated pumps can , and no doubt will, perform thelf most useful service although other applications have been proposed. '

The simplest of dispenser is adapted to operate on the 10sert10n of one or more coins of fixed denomination. The actual number and denomination of coins is a function of the unit price of fuel and the availability of suitable coins in respect of physical size and value. For the United Kingdom, two half-crowns are convenient, representing about one gallon's worth at current prices. At first sight there is little to distinguish the of a simple coin-operated pump from a conventwnal dispenser , but closer examination reveal s small but essential variations.

On the side of the instrument opposite the nozzle side is an instruction plate with simple operating instruction s of a form approved by the Board of Trade and the Home Office. There is a slot for the insertion of coins and a return lever for coins rejected but retained in the mechanism , together with a chute into which rejected coins are returned. Also on this s ide of the pump is a special lock which enables the station operator to use the pump for normal attendant operation should he so de sire.

On the nozz le side of the pllmp , the semi-automatic re set and motor switch levers have been combined with the nozzle support in such a way that it is impossible to operate the lever before the nozzle has been removed or to inadvertently squeeze the trigger whilst removing the nozzle

The nozzle itself is an approved pattern of automatic shut-off type which will terminate the delivery if the level o f fuel in the vehicle tank reaches the nozzle tube, that is, when the tank is full. A further safety feature is the provision of a weak shear section in the nozzle tube which will fail in the event of a careless motorist driving away with the nozzle still in his fill pipe.

The hydraulic components of the dispenser are similar to t_hose of a standard preset pump, with the addition of an interlock valve to prevent dispensing fuel whilst the computer is resetting. The computer is automatically reset when the pump motor is switched on, the mechanism being driven from the motor through belt, chain and worm gear, although other forms of automatic reset have been used. The coin mechanism is a proven proprietary assemwhich makes the usual checks for physical dimensions, weight composition, etc. Interlocks between the m echamsm and the computer prevent pump operation until the coins are accepted.

We haye had considerable operating experience with s uch eqmpment and it may now be said to be fully developed and ready to perform a useful service However, to a. great extent, its future, as with other forms of selfserv1ce, depends on a broadening of attitudes on the part of loca l au.thorities in respect of the operation of equipprovided with re aso nable safeguards, by the general pubhc on unmanned sta tion s.

A 1!1ore so phi st icated system de signed to extend tI:ie application of coin operation beyond emergency service t<;:> a completely unmanned twenty-four hour service on laundry line s has attracted intere st. This utilise s a mult1-denomi.national central coin mechanism se rving a bat.tery of dispensers. There are facilities for grade t.he acceptance of any number of each of three of coins, and receipt issuing. This arrangement involve s electrical and electro-mechanical memory and telemetering sys tems controlling the dispensers.

The principal modifications to a variable pre se t dispenser. are the preset selection by means of a rotary solenoid .a nd two signal lamps prominent on the top of the housing. One lamp flashes as credit is tran sfe rred from the control unit on acceptance of the coins and selectrnn of a grade and the other is illuminated when the transfe.r is and the pump ready for use. An att:act1on of the central coin control from a safety aspect _is .that it may be located in a non-hazardous area, thus ehmmating the necessity for providing expensive and bulky housings. From coin operated equipment, tt ts a short step to bank note operation to further the whole idea and enable a motorist to fill hi s tank with ease, speed a nd facility.

From self service of the unattended variety, represented by or credit controlled sys tem , of which I have only the former, we pa ss to attended By I the type of equipment where the motonst, or by incentive , takes over some respontn the dispensing operation, but where an operator 1s in attendance.

" Self-Fill Post Payment" is the term used to describe the m?st popular form of attended se lf- se rvi ce , it h av ing been in widespread use in Sweden for some time , and in the United Kingdom an d other coun.tries too . This a central control system for a battery of but with the essential difference that the control 1s entirely

within the hands of a practised, though not necessarily skilled, operator housed in a conveniently situated ·kiosk. In addition to physical control over every phase of pump operation, the controller may also be in voice communication with each dispenser, as required.

The essential control unit comprises as many identical individual modules as there are dispensers, each module consisting of a display of slave counters, repeating the quantity and cash values registered on its corresponding pump, start and stop buttons, and a manual control key at the rear. The addition of a master intercommunication unit does not affect the telemetering and control function. Installation wiring is more complex than conventional power supply and lighting networks, but not without the capacity of competent electricians. Each dispen ser is individually wired to a control module in the remote console, except for the intercom system, which is simplified thereby and entirely adequate.

The only variations from conventional dispensers are the addition of transmitters for basi c regi stra tion data and microphone when required. Fully automatic reset may also be pro v ided. The dispen se r intercom unit takes the form of a sma ll combined microphone and loud speaker incorporating a call butt o n. It ma y be installed within the di spe nser hou sing, or attached externally.

A prominent instruction notice of a pproved form is displayed near the controls and invite s the customer to press the intercom call button if in difficulty. This action alerts the controller by an audio and / o r visual signal on the master intercom unit and also identifies the di s pen se r concerned; automatic nozzle s are invari a bl y su ppl ied with this equipment as a safe guard.

Several types of transmitter have been used , one being a photo-electric de vice in which perforated discs , driven by the cash a nd quantity output of the computer, interrupted light beam s to photo diode s. The whole being contained in a ftameproof . An improved form of tran smission uses alumm1um discs u:ito which are set a number of permanent magnet s which actuate reed switches. Due to the nature of cash computation , it is necessary to drive the cash transmitter from the computer counter shaft. more accurate quantity registration can be obtarned mdependently of the computer by driving direct. the I?-eter output shaft. Counting speed and defi111t1on are entirely dependent on the slave units at the prese nt stage of development, being of the order of one hundred t h of a.gallon increments of quantity and halfpenn y m onetary unit s

..

A recently opened station operating the post payment self-service system demonstrates some advanced features of design and operation, with a central glass sided building housing the control console, cash register and accessories and general goods shop. The control console in this case has space for an additional slave unit for the registration of sales from an oil dispenser. Dispensers are arranged on two sides of the central building consisting of three dual and one petrol-oil mixing dispenser. The petrol/oil dispenser is interesting as a development in its own right. Unfortunately, I have not covered this field in my text and there is not time to dwell on it now. Suffice to say th_at it is similar in principle to the petrol blending pump with one of the base products being two-stroke oil.

Preset Controls

One advantage of direct cash or credit control systems, which may easily pass unnoticed , is that the manual control function of the nozzle, by reference to the registration, is eliminated for the customer. bemg_ automatic and consequent on such equipment with preset devices of various degrees of soph1 s t1cat1on The development of automatic control by this mu s t surely be a future trend, and I shall now consider the past development and possibilities for the future.

The standard preset quantity selector, setting up a cam and pawl operated device in the computer in increments of half a gallon up to ten-and-a-half gallons, is well known. _n:10re well known is a simplified, fixed, form used as a device in areas where local regulations require the lui:iitmg of non-interrupted deliveries to some arbitrary quantity safety reasons. Not so well known is the fact that a similar device for presetting in monetary units presents no difficulty. Both rely on the computer to operate a valve in the flow line to terminate the delivery. it is not so simple to combine the two to offer the choice of presetting in ca s h or quantity on the same pump. Also, although ea sily carried out by an experienced operator , _the sequence of operations is rather more compl_e x than 1t would be wise to expect a customer to perform ,, practice. It therefore becomes necessary to s im plify the preset function , by means of push buttons or telephone dial type controls , to enable variable presettmg to take it s place in self-service and other develop- ments.

d We have investigated many solutions and are currently relopmg '.'l push button un it permitting the presetting 0 one to nmet y-nine units of quantity or m<;>ney the con!rol. fn addition a tank fill facility is available , t e ce ssation of delivery being controlled by an automatic nozzle. A cancel button to enable setting mistakes by the u ser to b · ' All b e rectified completes the arrangement. when depre ssed for clari_ty i.n poor light c ircu'l! s tance s Pre set s hut- o ff of 11qrnd flow is pen se r is achieved wi t h the use of two solenoid va lve s, o ne o f la rge bore for full flow , or primary ut- o ' a nd t he other of s mall bore for fina! shut- off. ?nt r o l o f the se va lve s is by m ean s of a steppmg s witch p i e set m c ontr o l unit by t he a c tion of the button s J h e s te ppin g s wit ch is a ctu a ted by mean s o f tran s mitter s n ve n_ by th e c o unter s haft s for money a nd q Llctn t it y 1e s pe c t1 ve ly. T he tra n s mitter s are o f the ca mo perated a nd m ic ro s wit ch var.i et y a nd ro bu st and reli a ble.

One application of this system is to speed up forecourt attendant service, particularly with the enlightened advent of automatic nozzles fitted with trigger latching devices, which as you know, are presently forbidden in this country. Another application is as an additional feature to the post-payment self-service system. Other ideas would include pre-payment self-service, which I have not previously discussed, primarily because this only become s feasible with remote presetting.

All aspects of self-service so far discussed have involve d the customer in handling the hose and nozzle and, in some cases, considerable ingenuity and no little trouble has been exercised in simplifying this operation. You will not be surprised, I am sure, if I introduce as a finale a system where the customer takes over the select and reset functions of dispenser control and leaves the nozzle handling business to a forecourt attendant.

Such a control unit would preferably be compact and enable the to stay in his, or her vehicle. Smee the telemetenng problem is the same in priqciple, whether it be blend selection or money presettmg, one solution solves both problems and the system has been designed to be used in conjunction with an increi:nent price blending pump. Accordingly, the control box mcludes facilities for blend selection and mone v An positi?n on the money selecto.r provides for filling the tank with an automatic nozzle. The only other controls provided are start and emergency stop buttons. Slave counters indicating quantity and moJ!-ey the customer what he is getting without strammg his eyesight. The manual blend selector knob and interlock lever on the normal blending pump are replaced by a reversible motor, geneva movement and solenoid. Together with solenoid operated control valves, these are the only modifications to the standard dispenser.

In operation, the station attendant resets the computer , operate s the st a rting lever and place s the nozzle latched open, into the fill pipe of the car. He then the control box to the customer , pointing out the in struction s printed on the box , and departs to a ttend to other matter s . The cu stomer then set s up the control s, depresses the start button , a nd watche s the counter s ticking round. O n completion , the attendant return s, removes the nozzl e from the car a nd replace s it on the pump and , presumabl y, the cu st o mer pays the attend a nt for the pleasure or is it the other wa y round ?

LEAKAGE OF PETROLEUM SPIRIT

We are very grateful to Mr. F. J. Lorrigan, Grad.I.Fire E., Chief Fire Officer, Carlisle, for this personal account of a highly dangerous situation.

At 14.48 hours on Wednesday, 18th August, 1965, the Fire Service control received a telephone message which, in context, was a report of a small fire in a roadway manhole, at the junction of Victoria Place with Warwick Road, Carlisle. The report came from the Clerk of Works of the Engineering Co., which was repairing the road at that particular time.

A water tender and crew and a Station Officer were despatched. Upon arrival at the scene of the 111c1dent the crew commenced work with a branch to extinguish the fire when an explosion occurred, blowing off the covers of nine manholes in the roadways of the surrounding streets.

Brian Rogers who was holding the branch to extmgu1sh the fire sustained burns to his hands and face. Fireman T. J. Smith who was attending to the delivery of water from a hydrant adjacent to one of the disrupted covers received the blast from the explosion, which blew him into the air. He sustained injuries and burns his right ankle and legs. Both men were taken to hospital and after medical treatment were discharged.

J was immediately informed of the incident by radio and proceeded to the scene. Upon arrival, I found the fire had been extinguished but a heavy concentration of petrole.um fumes was coming from all sewerage manholes m the immediate vicinity.

l then took the following actions,:

Two ended hoses were employed in the discharging of approximately 400 g.p.m. to flush the sewer pipe at the of the explosion area. This was an immediate first aid effort.

I reques!ed the Police to contact all garages upstream of the sewer m order to ascertain whether any loss of petrol had been noted. The City Surveyor was asked to produce a plan of the sewer in order that I may organise a search force of. firemen equipped with "explosimeter" gas detectors m an attempt to trace the source of the fumes.

The was also requested to lift off all manhole w1thm a half mile radius of the seat of the explosion m order to allow the escape of petroleum fumes to the This was also an endeavour to lower the atmosphere of the sewer to a point below explosive range.

_meter at the centre of the explosion gave a pos1t1ve. readm_g and it was at this juncture that I requested the Police to Interview all residents of the area to order them t<;> extinguish naked lights, domestic fires, cigarette ends, pipes, etc. I also requested the road repair firm to cease .work with the dumpers and generators. Traffic was diverted and the affected area cordoned off.

_The fall of the sewerage pipe was from south of the City through the eastern area to the north west, i.e., from Harraby to Willow Holme, a distance of approximately three and a half miles.

CARLISLE

As it was my opinion that there was more than just a small leak of petroleum mixture in the sewerage system I decided that our efforts should be directed towards Harraby (south along the sewerage pipe) as a large Esso storage depot as well as many petrol filling stations are situated in this area.

This action was carried out and each manhole cover along the line was lifted and the atmosphere tested. It was found that the further south we proceeded the heavier the concentration. At approximately 18.00 hours on the same day our detection was centred around the Essa Petroleum Co., Ltd., bulk storage depot.

Here it was discovered that petroleum spirit was seeping out of the south bank of the River Petteril and was floating down the river; it had also entered the sewerage system. The atmosphere of another sewerage manhole which is partly immersed in the river adjacent to the depot gave a high positive reading when tested. Further south rrom this particular manhole negative readings were obtamed.

I immediately ordered two fire pumps to work upstream of the area to: (a) flush the river surface-and (b) flush the manhole and sewer pipe.

This work continued for the next fifteen hours during which time approximately 1,000 gallons of water per minute passed down the Sewer.

In order to confirm my suspicions as to the of the leak I contacted the local manager of the Essa depot.

The results of his investigations proved .that there had been a loss of Essa Extra petrol from a rail wagon. petrol had dropped on to the rail line ballast and flowmg over the embankment entered the sewer. There small pools of petrol on the bank and along the_ edge 0 the river. These were not immediately covered as I thought it best to allow as much evaporatwfin . 1 P ossible to take place. This decision proved very bene icia · · )most comas within two hours the pools of spmt were a pletely evaporated. Foam was applied the next day.

Meter tests were taken every half hour from 15.30 hours on the 18th to 12.00 hours on the 19th. Fro!D 16.00 to 20.00 hours on the 18th the of air/gas mixture in the sewers made a gradual nse and at hours I was seriously considering evacuat!ng the area. 0 about half a mile square in the eastern sect10n of the .City. However J decided to try doubling up on the quantity of water wi1ich was being pumped the Another appliance was set into the :1ver and a e 500 g.p.m. of river water was passed .p.ipe. This had the effect of filling up the pipe with wate1 completely flushing the system which had .the effect, viz: at 21.00 hours the meter read mg showed a decrease of 20 % air/gas mixture and from then on there was a gradual decrease until 12.00 hours on the l 9th when a negative reading was recorded.

At 15.00 hours on the 19th I held a consultation with Mr. Ellis, Area Manager for the Esso Petroleum Co., Ltd., and Mr. Hawkins, the Deputy City Surveyor. The result of our discussion was a joint publication which was distributed to the press and the B.B.C.

Two hourly gas tests were continued on the sewerage lines and the City Surveyor obliged me by cutting into the manholes, allowing a direct constant flow of water from the River Petteril.

At 17.30 hours on the 18th I made an appeal through the Medium of Border T.V. for any information which the public could supply in respect of any known petrol leakage.

I also requested the Police to use the Public Address System in an effort to warn the public of the danger which at that time existed. This was repeated between 23.00 hours and 23.59 hours.

At 07.00 hours on the 19th the readings of the sewerage pipe atmosphere began to show negative readings. At this time I requested the Police again to use the Public Address System to tell the public that small domestic appliances could be used for their needs, but they should refrain from lighting domestic fires.

At 12.00 hours on the 19th complete negative readings were obtained and I declared the area safe.

CHEAP PRODUCTION OF AEROSOLS

Paper presented by H. Beckingham, M.I.Fire E. Chief Fire Officer, Warrington at the International Fire Exhibition and Conference held recently at Olympia, London

The development of aerosols in Britain is progressing rapidly. A production of a half million packages in 1950 grew to 12 million in 1957. In 1964 the figure was quite staggering-I JO million packages were produced by reputable firms. This figure does not include those produced by non-reputable firms.

Aerosols are not new a patent for a type of aerosol was grai:ited in 1862. however, aeroso!s are _big busmess based, in some cases possibly, on nsk agamst reward.

· An aerosol, sometimes called a 'pressure pack', is normally a metal or glass container, in which is a liquid and a propellant. This propellant is usually a gas, the vapour of which supplies pressure to eject the product in the form of a spray, which may be very fine, for example in the case of insecticides, or a quite coarse spray where a surface coating is required, for example hair lacquer and moth proofer.

There are basically two types of pressure fir_st is the. two-phase system which consists of a s1!1gle hqu1d or solid phase and a single gaseous phase, and is the most common type. The liquid or solid phase is either the product alone or a mixture of the product and the liquid pr_opellant. In certain cases the liquid product may contam _some propellant, although where a solid is used it consists of only the product.

When the actuator button is depressed the pressure created by the liquid gas propellant ejects the liquid phase out the valve. The decrease in pressure allows the_ hq gas propellant to further vaporise in order" to mamtam sufficient pressure to eject all of the product.

The second type is the three-phase system consisting of either two liquid phases which could be emulsified or one liquid and one solid phase in addition to the liquefied gas propellant. The operation of the actuator valve allows

BRING NEW FIRE HAZARDS

the pressure exerted by the propellant vapour in the space above the product to force up the dip tube and out of the. valve. The propel continues to vaporise dunng the operation of the valve m order to maintain the pressure.

It can be seen then that each aerosol is, in fact, a pressure pack containing essentially a product and propellant and it is therefore possible to have a flammable or nonflammable product combined with a flammable or nonflammable propellant.

The most common products are based on hydrocarbon oils, kerosine, alcohols or water. The propellant may bepropane or butane (highly flammable) or non-flammable propellant, the most common being the fluorohydrocarbons, or commonly called 'Arctons'. All are liquefied gases.

A very small number of aerosols may use a gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide; even nitrous oxide has been used. The completed aerosol may, therefore result in being a dangerous hazard to the consumer or 'one which could be considered quite safe to the consumer during personal use.

It should be noted here that the hazard relating to aerosols must be considered in relation to three headings:

(a) Consumer;

(b) Transport of packages;

(c) Storage of aerosols.

The main hazards of aerosols can be further classified as follows:

(l) The danger that the product, when expelled into the air, may ignite from an ignition source in the vicinity and thereby cause injury to the consumer or cause a fire;

The danger of the aerosol being placed where it can be heated and explode. Aerosol containers may explode very violently under these circumstances;

(3) An aerosol container leaking and allowing a flammable gas to escape and become ignited by a source of ignition or alternatively a flammable product to escape and therefore create a fire hazard. Corrosion is a factor which is directly related to this hazard.

Aerosols being a comparatively new hazard in almost every home in Britain, there are often notices outlining certain precautions, but it is found that very few people read the labels and even fewer people take any notice or act upon them.

Even so, in Britain, there have not been a great number of serious accidents resulting in injury or fire directly <:aused by aerosols. But a number of incidents have occurred-women have been burned. while using aerosol hair pressure pack containers have exploded when stored 111 cupboards or shop windows and an aerosol of insecticide was placed in the steam from a boiling kettle and exploded.

Nearly all these cases result from negligence of the consumer. It is, however, safe to say that many aerosols Flames 24ins. long may be by 1g111t111g the vapour of certain types of domestic aerosols. When heated, an aerosol will explode with a violence which has to be seen and heard to be appreciated.

Larger manufacturers of aerosols are aware of the problems of pressure packs and are doing all they can to produce a safe product. Formulation of contents is extremely important and is calculated after a great deal of research. Containers are tested with the product at an ambient temperature for eight months, and also for eight months at an elevated temperature of around 35 deg. C. to assimilate the worst type of storage conditions.

Because equipment for today's 'pressure filling method' ?f containers costs only about £1,000 there has been an mflux on the market of small firms which have not the knowledge of the larger firms and are onlv interested in making quick money: Thus another hazard is produced.

There is always, of course a market for the cheapest possible product. the cheaper pressure packages are often the most hazardous. At one time 90 per cent of aerosols were produced by the larger manufacturer; today that figure may be down as low as 40 to 50 cent; the remainder being produced by the small, possibly non-reputable firms.

Transp<?rt and storage of aerosols is a subject on its own and is one further problem producing new hazards to the modern fire service· there is a need for the control of storage of aerosols, with adequate marking requirements.

In many other countries there are legal requirements where .regulations exist specifically for pressure packs. There is mention of aerosols by the British Transport Commission in its list of dangerous goods, and conditions of acceptance by merchandise trains relating to substances giving off flammable vapours.

The manufacturers of products containing nitrocellulose or cellulose derivatives are governed by the Nitro Cellulose Regulations, but there are no restrictions

on storing containers. But if the product contains a petroleum derivative it will come within the Petroleum Act, 1928, and storage will be governed by this Act-eveo on retailers' premises.

Perhaps the time has come for more consideration on the use, transport and storage of pressure packs. Britain is behind many other countries in this respect.

In the meantime aerosols must be used with care. Do not use them near open flames and do not smoke whilst using them. Store them away from heat, hot cupboards and sunlight. Take care when disposing of finished aerosol containers-they can explode when heated, even though apparently empty. Never pierce a container.

All aerosols are not dangerous when in use, but if in doubt take care. All aerosols are dangerous if heated.

Certain aerosols may have pure butane in the dip tube and on the first actuation of the valve this highly flammable gas is expelled, so shake the aerosol before use. Never use an aerosol upside down.

Aerosols are so easy to operate that a little thought is well worthwhile.

With acknoll'ledgement to 'The Municipal Journal.

SELF SERVICE

at Southwark

• ..

By W. H. Collier Senior Petroleum Inspector, Greater London Council

A recent newspaper article the forthcoming opening by Gem Self-Service .stat10ns at Abb<?tts Langley, Herts., of the of their ne"'. fill!ng stations as "Another round 111 petrol , be111g placed on the considerable saving 111 costs, which 'Yas expected to lead to a reduction of 6d. per was also made in the article of another stat10n, Stirling Moss's garage at Southwark Bridge i!1 Greater London, which was to be converted to self-service.

Although self-service might ultimate_ly lead to reducti<;m in the price of petrol, one of the pnme reasons for its introduction must surely be to overcome the current shortage of labour. The fact of a shortage. of labour not be of direct concern to a local authority endeavouring to secure the safe keeping of petroleum spir_it but might nevertheless colour its approach to a self-service proposal. It will never be known whether the Greater London Council was influenced in this way when it indicated that in principle it would be prepared to agree under the Petroleum Acts to the company's proposals in respect of Stirling Moss's garage. Final conversion of the station has still to be completed and detailed approval of the equipment given, but it is not anticipated that there will now be any insuperable difficulties.

The filling station at Southwai:k Bridge is fairly of those in the former L.C.C. area, the pumps bemg sited 20 feet back from the rear line of the pavement, and the drainage of the petrol storage and vehicle areas being passed through a three chamber petrol mtercepter before being discharged into the sewers. The pumps are fitted with limiting devices in accordance with the requirements of the Home Office Code. Gem Self-Service Stations propose to employ the post payment system of selfservice and to have two employees on duty at all times, one of whom will be in a control kiosk, situated at a vantage point on the forecourt and the other on the forecourt itself.

The Council's approval in principle was dependent amongst other things upon the maintenance of adequate supervision of the forecourt and the provision of devices on each pump (a) to ensure that a pump cannot be operated until such time as the nozzle has been properly located in the orifice of the vehicle tank fill, and (b) to prevent overfilling of the tank. It was originally intended to require arrangements to be made to ensure that the vapour displaced from a vehicle tank during filling should be carried to a safe position before being discharged to atmosphere, but this requirement was finally waived in the light of the company's proposal to have an attendant

TEN PIN BOWLING ALLEY at BOURNEMOUTH

In this article H. R. Tarrant, M.I.W.M.A. Deputy Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures. Bournemouth describes an unusual site for a petroleum mixture store

In 1964 the Petroleum Officer for Bournemouth was approached by the manager of a local Ten Pin Bowling Alley which was nearing completion, in regard to a licence for the storage of petroleum mixture.

This request caused some surprise as it seemed unlikely that such premises would need to store petroleum mixture. On visiting the premises it was found that from time to time the bowling pins became chipped and discoloured. They were then withdrawn from use, washed, the defects made good, and the pin dipped in lacquer to restore the gloss finish. This lacquer was a petroleum mixture, as also was a cleaner used to remove marks from the lanes of the bowling alley. It was found that the store had already been constructed on similar lines to those constructed at bowling alleys in the area of the Greater Loµdon Council and as approved by that Authority. The s.tore was subsequently approved with a few minor additions and is now licensed for the storage of thirty gallons of petroleum mixture.

The store proper consists of a metal bin about 4ft. by 2ft. 6ins. and about lft. 6ins. high with a hinged and locked overlapping metal lid, the lid itself bearing the usual warning notice. This bin is situated on the floor of a semi-basement room about 20ft. by I 5ft. at the rear of the bowling alley. Access to this room is by two outward opening self-closing solid doors each provided with a sill, both doors are marked 'No Smoking'. The passage way into which these doors open is not accessible to the general public.

on the forecourt in addition to the operator in the kiosk_ It was considered that the provision of the required devices on the pumps would go a long way towards combating one of the major risks of self-service, i.e. the dangerous contamination of a customer's clothing with spilled petrol.

It will be interesting to see how self-service develops at Southwark Bridge. The post payment system will almost certainly necessitate the vetting of customers: what happens, for instance, when a customer attempts to avoid payment ? Granted this could happen on an orthodox station, but it is likely that more staff would then be available to deal with the situation. It is probable, therefore,. that customers will be "regulars" and that they will soon become as adept as the pump attendants, whom the selfservice system has replaced.

As a sidelight on the whole question of self-service and the over-filling device which is normally required to be fitted on self-service equipment, it is of interest to ponder that self-service must ultimately lead to slower pump· delivery rates as customers try to avoid the blow backs causing stammering of the automatic nozzle, yet every automatic nozzle in current production requires a substantial flow rate before its over-filling device works. There is a paradox here but one that industry can surely resolve.

The room in which the store is situated is also used for dipping and drying the bowling pins, and racks are fastened !o each wall, with drainage channels underneath running mto metal trays for collecting the excess lacquer. Exhaust trunks are fitted at floor level at each end of the room and joined together below an exhaust fan which discharnes ".apour _through trunking into the open air. An air mlet is provided at ceiling level. The exhaust fan motor. lights and switches are all fitted above 4ft. from floor level and are all of ftameproof construction.

Foam C02 type fire extinguishers are kept immediately outside the door to the room in which the store is situated and two buckets of sand are kept inside the room.

H.M. INSPECTORS OF EXPLOSIVES ANNUAL REPORT, 1964

The above Report, which should be read by all Petroleum Officers, can be obtained from H.M.S.O., or any bookseller, price three shillings net.

In the Section of the l_leport, H.M. Inspectors state mspect10ns of fifty licensed by ten local authontles were made. In add1t10n, four self-service petrol filling stations were inspected. An increase in this form of petrol sale is anticipated in the next few years and the the view that when properly designed and with Sllltable equipment and appropriate licensing con?itions, no objection need be taken to this type of station.

Comment is also made on the extent of enforcement by local authorities, of the provisions of the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, l 957. A report form, relating to the inspection of road vehicles carrying petroleum spirit, is at present under consideration.

THE NORTH SEA VENT -URE

During recent years Esso has been conducting an extensive search for oil and natural gas in southern England, and is now carrying on the search in the north-west, in Cheshire and neighbouring counties. The Company is also participating in seismic surveys in the Irish Sea. At the same time Esso is a major participant in the current exploration of the North Sea, which, taken as a whole, is probably the most ambitious, the most intensive and the most costly marine exploration project in the history of the oil industry. In the field of what may be conveniently described as domestic exploration, Esso has played and continues to play a leading role

The a re a of the North Sea under British jurisdiction h as been divided up into blocks each consisting of approxim stely 100 squ are miles. More than fifty companies, operatin,g as twenty-three separate groups, have exploration and production licence s from the Briti sh G overn ment for a total of 348 bl ocks covering a ltogether so me 34,000 square miles. Esso Petroleum Company , Limited, jointly with Shell Co mpany of the U.K. Limited , have been granted licences for seventy five of these block s -nearly 7,000 square mile s and more than one-fifth of the current total ex ploration area. In taking a major share in the North Sea venture, Esso Petroleum Company is m a kin g a s ustained major investment which, petroleum is discovered or not , will benefit several sections of Briti sh industry In addition, fixed s ums payable to Government (plu s royalties, if oil or gas are found 111 quantities s ufficient for producing) will provide a useful and regular contribution to the Exchequer.

The :ent a t pre se nt payable to the Government for each of licence blocks is £6,250. The licences are for a period o f six at the end of which time the rights over half the ongmal a rea must be surrendered. The remaining area , o r such as are required, may then be retained on a long-term basis at a steadi ly increasing rental.

_ is found in the North Se a, the Government will also receive a royalty of 12.5 per cent . of its value at the well-head (with the annual licence deductible) w hether the producing company or consortium m a kes a profit or not. These arrangements are of direct benefit to the country But there are indirect benefits as well. All the gr oups of companies involved in the North Sea exhav e agreed to spend not less th a n a total of £80 m1ll1on on their work. A areat deal of thi s monev will be spent in Britain on s uch ftem s as drilling platforms , s upply ship s, helicopters, shore bases and so on. There aga m , _Esso Petroleum and Shell are already committed to project s costing many millions of pounds.

At th! s point it is pertinent to consider why tw o s uc h companres should s hare in such a venture. As ev e ryone knows , Esso and Shell are competitors (and let u s not forget that competition lie s a t the very roots of a free in almost every as pect of the oil indu stry 1ncludmg exploration and pr oduction. Why , then , s hould they join forces for the North Sea exploration ? First , because of the size of the financial risk involved Secondly , because Esso and Shell shared together thirteen years '

experience of exploration in Holland before they discovered the immense reserves of natural gas which have given rise to the present North Sea venture. The fact that these companies find it necessary to 'share the load' in operations of this magnitude does not inhibit or preclude competition elsewhere.

Let us take a look at the load that is involved . As a general rule, drilling at sea is two or three times more expensive than drilling on land. An average exploration well in the North Sea will probably cost between £500,000 and £1 million. One marine drilling platform alone can cost up to £3 million to build and equip. Altogether the operating costs of drilling at sea add up to something like £6,000 per day.

Esso Petroleum and Shell (with Shell U.K. Exploration and Production Limited as their operating compan y) are employing at least three separate drilling platforms. The Orient Explorer is already in existence and has been towed more than 9,000 miles from Borneo. However , it was damaged by gale s on the journey and is unlikely to begin drilling this year. Instead , a similar type of platform, Mr. Cap, will start drilling this Spring. Two other platforms, being built in Britain and costing £2.25 million and £2.5 million each , will be re a dy for operation early in 1966.

With these drilling platforms alone several million pounds of investment is already committed. To this substantial sum mu st be added the cost of three seasons of seismic exploration; the co st of bases at Lowestoft and Hartlepool (complete with heh copter landing facilities, wharfs, maintenance wo rkshops_ and stores); the cost of building two or three design.ed supply sh ip s (about £300,000 of leasmg large twmengined helicopters and of prov1dmg a thousa nd and one separate items of equipment, fuel and food for the men who will operate the drilling platforms.

Against this scale of expenditure it is a thought that the North Sea search for oil or gas will have be measured in years rather than in months. There will be no quick return on investment. After oil or gas has been discovered if indeed it is ever discovered tw? or three ' · · th of the years may have to be spent determmmg e size discovery. And even after that it may well another five yeai's before commercial production can begm.

It is difficult to over-emphasize the magnitude of t he operations invo lved in this venture. With the Esso Petroleum and Shell licences alone covering nearly 7,000 square miles , decidjng where to drill is _t o deciding where to plunge your hand rnto tl1e prover bt a l haystack in sea rch of a needle . True, the se1sm1c s urvey s can indicate the best a reas o f probabilit y' .but they b y no me a ns infa llibl e. fn the end the d ec1sto n to dnll can only be the product of geological d ata plu s experience and , perhap s, a d as h of intuition. ·

The c hoice of loca tion in 7,000 sq uare 1nil e s, the d e pl o y ment of th e drilling platforms , the establishing of s uppl y serv ice s, the logi stics of men and machinery , the urgency of timina a nd co-ordination all the se as pec t s plac e th e venture the le vel of a mil ita ry opera ti o n conducted b y a s iz a ble ta sk force

ORIENT EXPLORER TYPE STAFLO TYPE

SEA LEVEL

field contains about 40 million million cubic feet of natural gas and is the second largest gas field in the world. The size of the Groningen discovery(made by Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij, a company jointly owned by Esso and Shell} stimulated a great deal of interest in nearby areas, including the North Sea. The interest and speculation were increased by the knowledge that there are even small quantities of natural gas on this side of the North Sea, in Eskdale in Yorkshire. Unfortunately the strata which occur at Groningen are not reproduced on the English side of the sea. What happens to them offshore is still largely a geological riddle. The only way to find out is to start drilling wells.

One thing we do know is that oil and gas are found in what geologists call marine basins of deposition. The North Sea has been a marine basin for about 270 million years. It is_ according to experienced oil men, worth serious and intensive exploration. That is why for the last three summers seismic surveys have been carried out over thousands of square miles of the North Sea basin.

As far as drilling is concerned, the North Sea is a formidable challenge. The oil men have good reason for regarding it as one of the worst stretches of water in the world. Although it is fairly shallow-the maximum depth rarely exceeds 600 feet and decreases in the south to about 100 feet-it is very unpredictable, as the east coast trawlers know to their cost. It seems. to blow far more than its share of Force Eight gales; and for about four months in an average year waves will be running higher than 6 feet_ the maximum at which stores can be safely transferred from a supply ship to a drilling platform.

Winds of90 miles per hour are not unknown and neither are waves exceeding a height of 50 feet. Added to which there is the problem, of fog, which occurs on about 30 days in art average year and reduces visibility to less than half a mile.

With all these hazards it is obvious that, if a drilling programme is to be carried out successfully, frequent and detailed weather reports will be needed, and it is equally obvious. that a great deal of time, money and sheer physical endurance is going to depend upon the accuracy of the meteorologists.

Milit_ary operations imply the presence of an enemy. There is an enemy in this case also. The enemy is the North Sea. But before we consider the physical strength ?f the opponent, let us consider why battle is being joined m the first place.

The prize, of course, is energy.

On August I4th, 1959, the drilling bit of the well that became as Slochteren No. I in the Dutch province

Gronmgen reached strata containing enormous quant1t1es of natural gas. It is now known that the Slochteren

The drilling platforms that are being used in the North Sea fall into two basic patterns: those that are supported by long steel legs and those. that _float either on buoyancy tanks or modified hulls while bemg securely anchored to the sea-bed. Most of those that are supported by legs have retractable 'stilts'. When the drilling platform has. been towed into position the stilts are lowered until they get a firm purchase on the sea-bed. Then the platform is 'jacked up' until it is 40 feet or 50 feet above the surface of the sea. These ngs can, of course, only be used in relatively shallow waters.

Mr. Cap, which will begin drilling in the Esso Petroleum and Shell licence area this Spring, is the self-elevating type o f platform. Each of its three legs is 175 feet long-high e nough to allow the platform to straddle a fifteen-storey office block. It is capable of drilling to a depth of 20 ,000 feet in just over 100 feet of water. One of the two drilling units that are now being built in British yards (at Billingh am and Middlesbrough) is also of the jack-up type; but the other one is of the floating variety and will be particularly suitable for operations off the Scottish coast. This unit , could, if necessary, drill to a depth of more than 20.0 00 feet in I ,OOO feet of water. Both the new units have helicopter landing decks and large storage and accommodation facilities. Because they will be operating in some o f the most boisterous and unpredictable waters in the world , the y have been designed to withstand winds of 140 m.p h. and waves of more than 50 feet. They need to be tough because they are going to be used for quite a long time.

The lic ence area s held by Esso Petroleum and Shell are fa irl y well scattered, except for the rather solid grouping off the Sc o ttish coast. There is nothing particularly significant in the Scotti s h a rea except th at it lies in relatively deep water where more bad weather can be expected th an further so uth and where consequently , the problems of d rilling a re likely to be difficult.

But there is no part of the North Se a where the drilling is go ing to be easy. Sinkin g a well on land under ideal condition s is a hard enough task; but there , at least, s upplie s are not too much of a problem a nd , after a long s pell of duty, it is easy enough for a driller to get away

from the site for a few hours. At sea, the drilling crew is alone in a hostile element. The weather is a source of constant anxiety; and despite the wide horizon, and no m a tter how good the accommodation and comforts that are provided, there is the inescapable claustrophobia of having to live, work and relax on a steel island that seems at times to be the fixed centre of the universe. And always there are the changing mood s of the sea. From the drillers' point of view, at best the sea is never benevolent , it is only indifferent. At worst it is an enemy whose resources are inexhaustible. The helicopters and ships bring relief crews, letters from home. Faces change , but night and day the work goes on; and the only real world is the finite universe of a steel platform and a few thousand feet of drill stem that is slowly cutting through layers of pre-history.

We have looked at the magnitude of the operation, the financial resources that are needed, the equipment being used and the difficulties that will be encountered. There rema in s the final que st ion: what are the chances of oil or natural gas being discovered ? No one can say. But there are so me hard and sobering facts to bear in mind. Statistic a lly , out of all the wells that have been drilled , about nine out of ten h ave proved to be dry, and only about one in forty ha s turned out to be commercially productive

It is a good thing that oil men are n o t unduly discouraged by 'odds against' situations. Otherwi se they would never have s ucceeded in increasing the world 's proved reserve of petroleum so consistently over the years.

From Essa Jkfagazine , Spring 1965.

BRANCH MEETINGS

SOUTH EAST MIDLAND

The inaugural meeting of the South East Midland Branch of the Association was held in Oxford on the May. Organi se d by the City's Chief In s pector of Vv'e 1ghts and Mr R E. Du st , at the s uggestion o f the A ssoc iation 's Secretary, and with the venue the T o wn Hall's Council Chamber , there was an attendance of 17 , many of whom had travelled long distance s. It was fe lt b y Mr Dust that a n informal approach to the meeting would_ enable everyone to obtain the maximum value fr?m it , and the re s ult turned out to be an unµsually f nendly around-the-table get together.

The was repre se nted by Mr. E. V. Beeb y, V1ce-Cha1rman; a nd by Mr. G. N. Dean , Liai so n Officer.

Formation of a Branch

The fir st matter on the acre nd a wa s whether o r n ot a branch s hould be c reate d to "'cate r for the la r ge propo se d a rea , and the meeting decided that to s plit th e area at a ll wo uld n ot give s ufficient membe rs to m a intain intere s t. The result wa s th at a branch was formed for th e o ne area , to be called ' South East Midland Bra nch ' The area ,cove red by the Branch co nsists of the geographical

Countie s of Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire, Essex . .Hertfordshire , Huntingdo? s hlfe, Isle of Ely , Norfolk, Northampton shire , Oxfordshire , East and West Suffolk.

Officers

When it came to the election of Officers , Mr. E. A. Melbourne of Saffron Waldon R.D.C. was welcomed a s the Branch's first Chairman and Mr. Du st agreed to continue as Secretary until the branch was properly on its feet. Also appointed were Mr. J. H. B. Hornby of Oxford as tre as urer, and Mr. J. W. Frid of Oxford as Branch representative on the Council. Auditors are Mr. W. Hethenngton of Witney U.D.C. and Mr. D C. Murray of Aylesbury R.D .C. A branch membership s ubscr iption of 5/ per annum was agreed upon.

Wben th e Branc11 Rules were c onsidered , m embers expres sed a wish to have more precise d eta il s members hip written into them. There wa s some confus ion on the exact po s iti o n o f me mb e rs of the branch who wer e not: members of the Associ a tion , but it was agreed that al l cl asses of member s of the Associat io n s ho uld automat icall y become m e mb ers. It wa s finally agreed that th e matt er should be raised at th e ne xt m ee tin g of t he Executive Cou nci.1.

Next Meeting

The last item of the business meeting was to arrange the autumn venue and Mr. F. W. Cartwright of Cambridge City courteously invited the branch there in October.

Discussion

The whole of the afternoon session was occupied by discussion of a prepared Agenda. In his introduction, Mr. Dust said that be felt the real value of these meetings would be in the discussion of current trends and problems; and that by collecting the best of experience of all members, sound and uniform practices would grow up in the area. One of the big weaknesses of local licence conditions was their variety and the resulting confusion in the minds of those subject to them.

The first item on the prepared agenda was "The need for rendering free from danger of explosion the petrol tanks of abandoned cars'. Mr. Dust outlined briefly what was being done in Oxford to render these vehicles safe from the more adventurous (if foolish) type of child, but as his Town Clerk was not wholly convinced that this action was legally sound, he asked that publicity should not be given to the matter.

In the discussion which followed, Mr. Murray of Aylesbury said it was the policy of his authority to remove these wrecks altogether, and so far as he was aware there had been no incidents involving children. Other members s poke on the subject and it was felt that there were many legal, if not practical difficulties to be overcome.

The second item , " The use of 'Slix' as a means of dealing with a large spillage of petroleum spirit", was introduced by Mr. Hor!1by of Oxford , who said that this, for a change, was so methmg new. It was a substance recently developed and apparently had great potential for petroleum work. Mr. Hornby sa id that he was really fishing for information as its exact value to petroleum officers was not known. From the a dvertising material it seemed to be a far better ans"."er to the small s pillage problem than the "sa nd and an m strument for it s application" of the model code. But of course sand could be obtained for nothing and 'Slix' could not.

Member s felt that it would not be appropriate for a s upply of ' Slix ' to be kept as part of the petroleum officer's equipment.

Great intere st was shown in the product biall members, a !1d a hope was expre ssed that a demonstration could be given at the next branch meeting.

fn speaking of the third item on the agenda, " The merits of and ullage testing of underground petrol tanks , Mr. Du st sa id that whilst he was aware that opinion was ju st about divided on the merit s of ullage and testing , his own personal experience had taught _him that ull a ge testing ju st did not show a leak every time there was one. [n support of hi s c ase he produced a photograph which showed clearly IOI hole s o n a tank which had just pas sed an ullage test.

Mr. Ca rtwright of Ca mbridge then set o ut to s how why ullage testing was the best, and the di scu ss ion soo n developed into a new form of Oxford v. Cambridge battle. Howeve r , as always with this subject, the opinion was practically equally di v ided. But there was useful se nsible discussio n from which no member could fail to benefit.

The final item, 'The precautions necessary when changing the use of a storage tank from petrol to paraffin" , was introduced by Mr. Hornby, and he said that this was one of those irritating problems which arises almost every time a filling station is rebuilt and new tanks installed. The proprietor hits upon the idea of selling paraffin from a tank which formerly contained petrol. Mr. Hornby said that some petroleum officers insisted on the tanks being steamed out and passed as vapour-free before paraffin was put in; others allowed paraffin to go in on the top of several gallons of petrol. He thought that so mewhere between the two extremes lay the correct procedure and the matter was then left to discussion.

It was generally felt that in the absence of preci se knowledge of what actually happened when a large quantity of paraffin was mixed with a small quantit y of the wise thing was to insist on a completely dry tank 1f not on steaming.

The day's proceedings were pleasantly concluded with tea and refreshments provided by the Oxford City Council. Votes of thanks were expressed to all those who had helped to make it a success.

YORKSHIRE

A meeting of the Yorkshire Branch was held at the Fire Station, Park Street, Leeds I , on Monday 31 st May. 1965. ,

_

The Chairman, Mr. R. M_. Sample _ (Scarborough), mtroduced Mr. , F. Scott, Assi stant Chief Fire Officer , Leeds , who , in the absence of the Chief Fire Officer Mr. R . French, welcomed members and· visitors, seven of whom were present, as recorded in the Attendance Book.

Minutes of the last Meeting

It was agreed that the Minutes of the la s t meeting be signed as a true record after it was pointed out that the Chairman and Hon. Secretary had 'agreed', n,ot 'offered ' , to accept. ·

Matters arising out of the Minutes

Arising out of the Minutes, Station Officer Wright enquired if there were any new members and wa s that the member s hip remained at fourteen.

Membership

The Hon. Secretary, Mr. C. T. Peacock (Hemsworth R.D.C .) stated that he had written to the l04 Petroleum Officers in the Branch area whose authorities were not members, inviting them and their Chairman to attend the meeting on 3lst May, 1965. Eight had replied statino- that they were not intere sted , seven that the y were but were unable to attend, and 18 that they were intere ste d and would attend.

Branch Boundary

The Hon. Secretary reported that a boundary between the Yorkshire Branch and the Tees- side Branch had been agreed upon mutually by representatives of both branche s

and by Association Council, but the latter had not 1t in writing. The boundary agreed ran from Whitby along the to Picke.ring, thence along the A.170 and A.61 to Th1rsk and R1pon. From Ripon the boundary westwards was to be the boundary between the North and West Ridings, the position of the local authority's office to be the deciding factor in cases of doubt.

The Chairman then introduced Mr. H. Wright, Station Officer, I_.,eeds City Fire Brigade, and invited him to present his paper:

"DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED IN CONNECTION WITH THE STORAGE OF PETROLEUM"

Mr. Wrig.ht drew to the notice of the meeting that on the 1t was to have been a paper given by himself, but tn view of the fact that he felt he could speak better from notes he had prepared, it was not a paper, but a talk. He was well aware that all the members, who were experiOfficers , would have their own particular d1fficult1es and problems , but as far as he was concerned , he could s peak on were those that had been experienced Leeds area. He then went on to describe the Administrative set up for the Petroleum Acts in the Leeds area gave regarding the population of Leeds , the 111 sguare miles, and the number of stores which come with111 their juri sdiction.

He stated that stores with a capacity of over 10,000 gallons , of which there were 28 in the City, required the full of the City Council , but stores with a capacity up to mcluding 10,000 gallons , of which there were l,008 111 the City, the Chief Fire Officer , who was the appo111ted Inspector of Petroleum for the City , had the power to grant licences without consulting the Fire Bn gade Committee or Council. Included in these licences there are 164 filling station s a nJh e 1'.cen sed .quantities range from two g a llon s to four D a 1 ! a limtllton gallon s The latt e r is a t th e Shell-Mex eed s, which has recentl y been moderni sed at a cto s 0 a hquarter of a milli o n pound s a nd is the lar aes t so re 111 t e C it y. ' ""

rn : do lldo win g th 1 e Bri s to l di sa s te r a nd the adverse comP1ent s < e unn g ti e publi c I I . v is io n r I' · enquiry upon tie ack o f s uperL ee d s ?1e m1 ses, it had be e n decided wi t hin the "" nd 176 at ec1c h s to re s ho uld be m s pected a nnuall y " v1 s 1t s a d · · ' o ver I0 OOO , clln 111 s pect1.o ns had been m a de a t s t o re s s t o re s u;1der fto o oon s .ca pacit y, 2,44 9 in s pection s at · , gallon s ca p a cit y

The rec ording of · · d 1 c a rried o ut b v1 s1t s an ot ier rnforrnation was t · d th i{ o f a card mdex sy s tem which contlune t 0 e history of the s tore , and visits !e 1r .s a a ion of new tanks, testing of old tank s neV.: pipte-llmtes, new pumps, anything affecting that ·particular ms a a 1011.

Mr. Wri 0 ht then w t d ' b h. h 0 · en on to escn e the types of s tore s f w IC approved by the City Council. These were our ma111 types.

Firstly , the bin type of s tore in wh1 cl1 th . 1 b k ' e maximum .quanhtl Y to .fie ept wa s 25 gallons. The bin must conform to t e s pec1 cation laid down by the Cou ·1 d tl . nc1 , an ie ma111 requirement s 1i;i :this case were that the bin should be tl!e hd should be sloping with an overlappmg lip , the bin must be capable of being locked when

not in use, and the notice-'Petroleum Spirit-Highly Inflammable' displayed on the lid. The main purpose of the sloping lid was to prevent other materials being kept on top of the bin.

The next type of store, for quantities over 25 gallon s in cans, drums or barrels, was the brick and concrete type of store, of which no doubt members would be fully conversant. There was, however, one feature peculiar to the Leeds ' authority which had proved of value on several occasions, and this was that the soffit side of the concrete roof should be lined with match boarding, leaving a cavity of six inches between the match boarding and the underside of the roof, the cavity being filled with a clean , dry sand.

Thi s had always been a standard requirement for brick stores in the Leeds area, and had proved of value in extinguishing or controlling a fire on several occasions. He then went on to detail the method of underground tank installations in Leeds, and the reasons why this particular method had been adopted. During the years 1948 1954, been a number of petrol leakages m the City which had caused considerable interference with normal business at certain premises, and in particular it had been necessary to close a main road, while leakmg tanks and the loose petroleum spirit had been removed and the area declared safe. Illustrations were given by Mr. Wright of the method adopted , which up to now had been found entirely satisfactory.

The purpose of the above method, i.e. the easy removal of the tank if necessary , had proved successful on several occasions.

The remaining mode of storage is by vertical and horizontal tanks above ground level , the se of course , were mainl y in industrial premi ses, such a s Gas Board premises , and the Bulk Di s tribution Depots. Excellent co-operation had been provided by the Oil Companie s to any s ugge s ti o n by the Fire Bri gade for fire preca ution s at the se p a rticul a r in s tall a tion s Re verting back to the in s tall a tion of underg round tank s, certain requirement s of the C it y Council were de a lt with b y Mr. Wright , a nd he informed th e meetin g th a t offset fill-pipe s were not neither were marri ed vent s He aa ve examples o f 111c1dents wh e re th es e ha d ca use d inco nveni e nce to Licen sees. Su c ti o n and ventil a tion pipe s we re n o t permitt ed to be routed o ve r adj ace nt ta n ks. H e then went o n t o th e requir e ment s for th e e lectri ca ll y o pera ted pump s, a nd d ea lt a t som e len g th with the Leed s requir e me nt s for a d o uble-pole isol at ion switch t o be included in the m o tor and li g htin g circuit s. He al so then outlined th e require me nt s for forec o urt s at filling s ta tion s regardin g :flameproof equipment , which he s ta ted was not required outsid e the pump ca s ing in the open air , but pump s inside building s m a de it neces sary in certain c ircumstance s for the Licensee to provide flame-pro o f equipment , particularl y if the equipment was to be used below five feet from floor level , and within 20 feet of the filling point, and in other cases equipment which was intrinsically safe. He then detailed the limiting device s and spoke of the arrangemen t with the Weight s and Measure s Department, who had agreed to check these on pump s where the &J!lirit wa s fo r re-sale to the public , and report any defect s to the Fire Bri pade Department.

Common contra vention s which were founq durin g inspections w.ere then detaileq:

These included tanks and dipsticks which were not numbered. Dipsticks found in the tanks for which they were not calibrated. Fill-pipes which were not locked, copies of delivery certificates which were not ma!ntained, conditions to be observed by employees not displayed, damaged notices, vent-pipe outlets and empty fire extinguishers.

The speaker then dealt with at some length, on the method of testing underground tanks in the City of Leeds, and how the testing of tanks had been brought about, how this was done in the early stages, and how the present system of pressure testing with nitrogen had been evolved. He stated that of the l,600 tanks already tested, 192 had failed the test, and how in the early days-1951 to 1954, the percentage of failures had been as high as 40 %. It appeared from records that this figure had now settled to approximately 10 % failures each year. He was aware that there were a number of views on the testing of underground tanks, and stated in his opinion that no method of testing underground tanks was 100 % satisfactory. The only method of testing an underground tank to be perfectly sure that it was in good condition was to remove the tank from the ground, clean the tank thoroughly, inspect it and apply a pressure test. He had not known, however, of Local Authority who had requested this to be done, and considered that the method carried out by Leeds was the best possible under the circumstances.

Each Licensee was issued with a Certificate after the test had been carried out which indicated whether this was satisfactory or otherwise and if satisfactory the date upon which the next test will be required.

Mr. Wright felt that members present at the meeting would no doubt have found difficulty in disposing of underground tanks which had started leaking or failed the test, and over the years in Leeds quite a number of underground tanks had been removed from the site in perfect safety and the precautions taken during these proceedings were outlined to the meeting.

The procedure being that before the concrete was broken off the top of the tank area, the tank was filled with water and then exposed the water was then removed from the tank, the tank sealed, lifted to ground level and inspected. Any holes in the tank were blocked with wood blocks or clay. Fortunately in Leeds there are three scrap metal merchants who have agreed to transfer the tanks to their yards, and take steps to de-gas these and dispose of them as scrap metal. Arrangements were made for their vehicles to be present when the tank was lifted from the excavati<;>n, transported immediately to their yard and dealt with m the above manner. This has been found to be a very satisfactory method, and no incident whatsoever had arisen during the transport of many tanks.

Mr. Wright then dealt with another problem which very often arose, this was the disposal of flammable liquids used by industry, such as cellulose paints, rubber solutions, adhesives and sealers, etc. Very often a firm changed its process, and found that they had on hand a quantity of these substances which they no longer required. These could not be disposed of by the normal refuse disposal methods and great difficulty had been experienced in the past. Now, however, quite recently arrangements have been made with the City Sewage Engineer to dispose of this type of substance by burning off, in other words, controlled burning of the substances on open land at the

Sewage Depot at Knostrop. This has now proved very successful, and found to be a satisfactory answer to this particular problem.

Mr. Wright concluded his talk upon the need for regular review of Conditions of Licence, and the necessity of being ahead of various developments, and gave examples of how the Leeds Conditions had been amended periodically, to take into consideration future developments, and gave as an example the proposal for self-service petrol pumps on filling station forecourts, and how the Leeds Conditions had been amended already to take into account this type of storage.

Various questions were put to Mr. Wright by members of the Branch and a very interesting discussion took place on a number of items which included the installation of tanks, the testing of underground tanks (at this point Mr. Peacock put forward a theory upon which he was working for the testing of underground tanks. This was discussed at length), the electrical installation of pumps, the maintaining of Conditions of Licence, until finally the Chairman called a halt, and proposed a vote of thanks to the speaker.

Testing of Petrol Storage Tanks

Arising out of one of the points of the discussion, the Hon. Secretary informed the meeting that the Association's Council was considering the methods of testing petroleum storage tanks with a view to attaining uniformity.

Next Meeting

It was agreed to accept the kind offer of the Leeds ('hief Fire Officer to hold the next meeting in the autumn in the same premises at Leeds again, the precise date and time to fixed by the Chairman Hon. Secretary. It was decided than an expert on electrical matters be invited to speak at the next meeting.

SOUTH EASTERN

A Meeting of the South Eastern Branch of the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration was held in the Council Chambers, Bull Hill, Leatherhead, at 2-30 p.m. on Wednesday, I st September, I 965

Present: Mr. F. L. Barker (Esher) in the Chair and 51 members.

Apologies for absence were received from 9 members.

The Minutes of the last meeting of the Group were confirmed and signed as a true record.

The Chairman welcomed Messrs. D. Hall, Chairman. E. V. Beeby, Vice-Chairman, L. A. Cave, Hon. Secretary, and G. N. Dean, Liaison Officer, of the National Association.

Formation in the Southern Counties of a Branch of the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration. Discussion took place on the formation in the Southern Counties of a Branch of the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration. Jt was proposed by Mr. D. Taunton (Guildford), seconded by Mr. J. Steel (Crawley) and carried by the meeting that the Branch be called "The South Eastern Branch of the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration".

Some took place on the question of recommended boundanes of the Branch and it was decided not to recommend any specific boundaries for the time being, in order to allow the Branch to become firmly established and to serve members in this part of the country who, because of situation or distance, could not join any other branch.

I.t generally agreed not to levy any additional subon Branch members but to rely initially on the capitat10n fee of 5/-, as provided for in the Constitution, defray.expen.ses. It was noted that any initial expenses incurred m settmg up the Branch could be charo-ed to the Association. 0

Officers

The following officers, having been proposed and seconded, were elected to serve the Branch: ·

Chairman: Mr. F. L. Barker (Esher)

Vice-Chairman: Mr. J. R. Domoney (G.L.C.)

Hon. Secretary: Mr. C. R. Peskett (Godalming)

Hon. Treasurer: Mr. J. Hay (Hambledon)

Auditor: Mr. D. Taunton (Guildford)

It was decided that the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and five ordinary members would form the Branch Committee. The following members were duly elected to serve on the Branch Committee:

Mr. 1. W. Hewison (Havant and Waterloo)

Mr. J. Steel (Crawley)

Mr. R. Chaplin (G.L.C.)

Mr. E. A. Williams (Sevenoaks)

Mr. H. C. Robinson (Surrey Fire Brigade)

Membership matters were discussed and it was confirmed that membership of the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration would be recognised for membership of the Branch. Applications for membership of the branch should be made in writing to the Honorary Secretary at the H_ealth Department, Bridge Street, Godalming. Membership of the Association entitled representation by up to three delegates, one of whom was entitled to vote. Guest delegates (in excess of three) of members could attend on payment of 5/- branch fee.

Future Programme. The meeting was informed that arrangements were in hand for 25 members to visit the <?ii .Refinery on Tuesday, 12th October, 1965, by kmd mvitation of the Esso Petroleum Company. Mem?ers were. aske? to contact the Honorary Secretary with items for in the future programme of the branch, \\:hethe_r these items referred to visits, speakers, topics for discussion or any other suggestions.

Any Q_uestions from members were put to a panel compnsed Messrs. W. C. R. Dale (G.L.C.), H. C. Robmson (Surrey Fire Authority) and D Taunton (Guildford). ·

(I) What tests, !f any, are required to be applied to old petrol tanks to be used.for paraffin or diesel oil? tests were not applied, though most petrol had their own procedure when a change of use is. proposed for tanks formerly used for petroleum spmt. The tanks usually are emptied down, b?ttomed out, scoured, and put into use for paraffin, diesel, etc. If the tank(s) were on a licensed site such conditions applicable in the particular circumstances could be imposed, but on an unlicensed site it was

(2)

considered no powers were available to require a test anyway.

What are the safe recommended metho_ds for the disposal of waste petroleum mixtures ?

Jn reasonably small quantities petroleum mixtures could best be disposed of by firing in a shallow trench on open ground, though it was admitted this could perhaps contravene the Clean Air Discussion revealed a number of members with problems of disposal; in some cases up to 300 gallons per week of petroleum mixtures had to be disposed of. No ready answer was forthcoming but Garage ceptor Cleaning Services, Ltd., and Reclaimed Solvents, Ltd., were two firms mentioned as operating in this field.

(3) Should there be a time limit on licensing premises not up to a reasonable standard though licensed.for many years?

Many Authorities were faced with problems in congested areas, "swing-arms", tanks in showrooms, etc., and it was felt that where there was any real hazard the licence should be refused, giving an opportunity to the licensee to exercise his right of appeal. Generally, opinion favoured the imposition of a time limit on installations not up to an accepted standard. Discussion revealed one Authority which notified Licence holders at sub-standard installations that the licence would not be transferred should the premises change hands. Mention was made of the recent Perth and Kinross case (page 13 July Bulletin). Some members were under the impression that the Home Office, in general, did not favour closure of installations which had been licensed for many years. A number of licence renewals had been refused in the new G. L.C. area and appeals in some cases were pending.

(4) Holl' irould the panel act if they found a "pirate tanker" operating in their district ?

The panel agreed in some surroundings sale of petrol in such circumstances could constitute a very real hazard; depending on t_he precise situation in any individual case, legal .action. be taken under existing legislation. A hvely discussion ensued on the pros and cons, legal and otherwise, of topical question. The case of C?lman v. Goldsmith, 1879, was referred to, and was made of the Hawkers Act; action was also possible_ under Section 18 of the Principal Act and Regulat10ns 9 and 19 of the Conveyance Regulations. It was considered that the Home Office should take some immediate positive action in the i:natter and not wait for . an individual Local Authority to pursue a course of action through the Courts.

Next Meeting. It was left to the officers to decide the date, time and place of the next meeting, which is probably to be held early in December.

The Chairman of the Branch thanked members for their attendance and interest and looked forward to a vigorous and progressive Branch in this area. He also warm!) thanked Messrs. D. Hall, E. V. Beeby, L. A. Cave, G. N. Dean for making the journey to attend the meeting and helping the branch to get off to a good start. Mr. Whiting of Leatherhead and the Leatherhead U. D.C. were thanked for making the arrangements and accommodation available for the meeting.

Council Meeting

Present

D. Hall, Esq. (Chairman), with Messrs. E. V. Beeby, J. Beer, R. L. Bloor, C. N. Dean, J. W. Frid, H. Griffiths, ·R. P. Holdaway, C. T. Peacock, R. E. J. Roden, J. A. Sharp, B. W. Thacker and the Hon. Secretary.

Apologies

Received from Messrs. M. Gee and C. R. Peskett.

The Chairman welcomed Mr. Frid (Oxford) and Mr. Thacker (Middlesbrough) and introduced them to members of the Council.

BUSINESS

Cash Registers, Telephones, etc., in Kiosks

briefly outlined his approach to this subject, havmg m mmd the electrical contacts within 20 feet (')f a petroleum installation. Mr. Roden read correspondence on matter. As the business at this stage was exploratory it was proposed by Mr. Beer, seconded by Mr. Dean, that Sharp be asked to proceed and report to the Councils next meeting.

1965 School (Finance) Report

The Hon. Treasurer reported that receipts totalled £592. 4s. Od. and expenses were £432 Os. 6d., leaving a Credit Balance of £160 3s. 6d. The Hon. Treasurer said that in the expenditure were refunds of School fees to nme Local Authorities who had paid before places were allocated and their nominees were not granted a place.

Mr. Beer wa s of the opinion that a separate School Account be kept and s uggested the Auditor and Trea s urer discu ss the subject.

Branch Rules

A from the Hon. Legal Advi ser was read expressing his approval of the proposed Branch Rules.

The Chairman read a letter from Mr. Dust (Oxford) ra ising doubts about No. 3 of the Branch Rules. After s ome discussion Mr. Griffiths proposed and Mr. Dean seconded, that the following paragraph be added to No. 3:

" Jn addition , any person employed in the administrati on of the. Petrol('!.um Act s shall be eligible for Branch Member.s h.1p , provided hi s Local Authority or any of its offi ce rs IS Ill membership of the Association as provided a b ove".

Correspondence

The Hon. Secretary read a letter from the Chief Public Health Inspector for Seisdon R.D.C. expressing regret at the reply of the Council to his enquiry about limiting devices. Mr. Bloor agreed to discuss the subject with the Seisdon Officer.

A letter offering an invitation to the Association to hold a Conference at Eastbourne at some future date was read. Resolved that the Hon. Secretary reply.

Membership Application Forms.

A draft form of application for Local Authorities Officers and / or Associate Members was submitted'. Resol.ved that, subject to minor amendments, 500 forms be pnnted.

The Bulletin

The Editor explained the production of the new form of Bulletin and suggested that for it to pay its way the charge should be 7s. 6d. per copy. This was agreed.

The Editor also pointed out that in its new form space was now available for advertisements. He strongly urged the appointment of an Adverti'sements Manager. The and Liaison Officer, Mr. Dean, was with mstruct1ons to report to the next Council Meet mg.

Committees

Mr. .Beer that much of the. business discussed at Council Meetmgs could be dealt with more expeditiously by sm<l:ll Standing He proposed that a SubComm1ttee to consider this matter be formed. Mr. Bloor seconded.

The following were appointed: The Chairman , Hon Secretary , Mr. Beer and Mr. Griffiths.

Multi-storey Car Parks

The deferred Sub-Committee meeting was fixed for Friday, 9th July, at Solihull.

West Midlands Branch

It was decided to invite the attendance of all Petroleum Officers in the West Midlands to a Meeting to be held a t Dudley in the Autumn.

Next Council Meeting

The' date of this meeting was left for the Chairman a nd Hon. Secretary to fix

Report of a meeting of the Council of the Association held at Dudley on Friday, the 2nd July, 1955

THROUGH THE PIPELINE: by OTTO

IS THERE A HOLE IN THAT SUCTION LINE?

The modern petrol pump is so efficient th.at it will petrol from a tank even though the suction hne has quite a sizeable hole in it. While petrol is being up b_Y the pump, petrol will not leak out of the hole, mstead air or water will tend to be sucked in. Once the pump stops, however, and suction is removed, the petrol falls back and will then flow out.

Thus with a suction line leak one loses a little petrol every time the pump motor is stopped. The pump for its part loses efficiency but it would probably take more highly skilled pump attendants than are available tod.ay to notice a little thing like that. From the inspector's P<?mt of view, the question to be answered is whether there is a simple and quick way of detecting a suction li?e leak. No sensible reply to this query can be given without some consideration of how a standard measuring instrument works.

All modern petrol pumps are of the "wet hose" :and the hose is maintained primed by means of a sprmg loaded and anti-milking valve. Before petrol can flow past this valve, the pump's hydraulic circuit ?as to be pressurised sufficiently to overwhelm the sprmg. The pump's hydraulic circuit is fully pressurised only whe_n :sufficient pressure has been developed beyond the air separator to open a regulator valve. If no air is present

Legal Proceedings

PRISON FOR "WICKED ACT"

A ne.w American car being along Hospital Street, Nantwich, ran out of petrol. A passer-by obtained a can ?f petrol but when the motorist was pouring the petrol mto the tank o!le of a group of young men standing nearby threw a lighted match on the can.

a 23 years old unemployed labourer, Police Superintendent H. O. Kenworthy told the Magistrates that the the boot of the car and the road became Ill flames and the youths then ran away. "This is as wicked ':lnd an act as you can hear about. was w1.th a callous disregard for human life .md property , contmued the Superintendent.

Senten.cing .the man, who pleaded "Not Guilty'", to six months imprisonment for committing malicious damage to the car to a suitcase in the car to a total amount of £66, .the Chairman of the Court asked him, "Have you considered might have been burnt to death .and that adJommg property might have been destroyed by fire ? "

The motorist fortunately escaped injury.

in the suction line or elsewhere on the upstream side of the air separator, full pressurisation occurs immediateJ_y the pump motor is _if, on the hand, a!r is present, then pressunsat10n is delayed while the air separator performs its function.

This delay can be significant and its length depends on the amount of air to be removed. The easiest way of recording the delay is to open the control valve on the nozzle with the petrol pump motor switched off and to hold it open while the pump motor is switched on. If there is no air on the upstream side of the air separator, petrol will flow immediately; if air is present petrol will not flow until it has been cleared and this may take a few seconds. The test is best carried out after a pump motor has been left switched off for a few hours in order to give the suction line a chance to empty if there is a hole in it.

Like all field tests, the method outlined will show only the balance of probabilities. The suction line may be emptying because of a faulty check valve, or alternatively a leak may not be revealed because the air it introduces into the line is insufficient for a significant delay to occur.

In a sound fully primed petrol pump, the air separator should have little to do. If it does, then something is wrong on the suction side. Excessive vapour displacement from the air separator vent indicates a leak on the suction side of the pump. This may be difficult to detect but if the vent can be sealed completely, air bubbles will appear in the sight glass if air is entering the suction line.

The state of a suction line will of course ultimately be decided by inspection or pressure test but in an emergency it is worthwhile to be able to carry out a quick assessment by other means.

MILK IN TANK PREVENTED AN EXPLOSION

Only the fact that milk had been into the petrol tank of a milk float prevented what might have been a serious explosion involving 70 at the Dudley Co-operative Society Garage at N1th Place.

Before Dudley Juvenile Court was an I I-years-old Dudley boy who had bee11: remanded. for .three weeks for reports after he had adn:utted breakmg mto. the garage with his friends and causmg damage amountmg to £330. He was ordered to make £50 restitution.

He also admitted breaking into the garage with other boys and stealing cigarettes and cigars worth £14 15s. Od. and asked for two other offences to be considered.

Inspector W. Melbourne told the Court that on July 5th a milk roundsman arrived at the garage and saw flames coming from the petrol tank of a milk float. He the fire brigade and it was found that the fact that mtlk .had been mixed with the petrol had prevented a very serious explosion.

The Chairman (Mr. A. J. Hillman) told the. boy : "Although you are only 11 you have pleaded to two serious offences and asked for two to be considered. We are not going to send you away, but it _is the neare.st thing you could imagine. You have been g<?mg around m bad company and you will not get the slightest chance of any more leniency".

VOLUME 4 Page

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Solihull, 13th April, 1965

APPOINTMENTS

JULY, 1965-0CTOBER, 1965

MISCELLANEOUS

4

L. Grogan . . 27 2

A. J. Maddocks 27 T. H. Meredith 27 E. A. Williams 2

BRANCH MEETINGS

South East Midland 20th May, 1965-0xford-Business 45 Discussion 46

South Eastern (Previously Surrey) 12th May, 1965-Leatherhead-Business-Discussion 21 lst September, 1965-Leatherhead-Business 48 Any Questions 49

Yorkshire

31st May, 1965-Leeds-Business 46 -Paper by H. Wright (Leeds)

"Difficulties encou/lfered in co1111ectio11 with the storage of Petroleum"

A British Standard for Petrol

A Message from the Chairman Appeal under Sec. 3(1), Perth and Kinross C.C. B.P. Rotterdam Refinery

Cheap Production of Aerosols bring new Fire HazardH. Beckingham

Dangerous Substances

Examination of Dangerous Loads Urged Explosions on the Broads Flammable Substances

France-Self-Service Petrol Station

Future Trends in Petroleum Spirit Dispensing-B. A. Targett 34 H.M. Inspectors of Explosions-Annual Report 1964 42 Holland-Regulations concerning L.P.G.-P. Brus 5 Home Office Circular No. 101/1965 16. In Parliament-Dangerous Substances (Carriage by Road) 28. Leakage of Petroleum Spirit-Carlisle-F. J. Lorrigan 39 Musings on Electrical Equipment-W. C.R. Dale 9. Petrol Osmosis-G. D. H. Dicks 14 Petroleum Law-G. I. Fuller 29·

CONGRATULATIONS

A. Archer w. G. Davies J. R. Roberts

CORRESPONDENCE

The Installation of Underground Tanks-H. T. E. Jackson K. Sherwood

COUNCIL MEETINGS

Dudley, t9th May, 1965

Dudley, 2nd July, 1965

!AL-TALKING POINT

EoffOR

Accidents Galore Self-Service

PROCEEDINGS

LfGAL d ·ff-Jnadequate 111struct1ons to employee car I dley--Damage to property m garage . . . . DU h Malicious damage to car . . . . . . 1antw1c I" f-f rtlepool-lmproper keeping of Petroleum Spmt west a

47 27 27 27 28 28 20 50 26 2 19 51 51 19

Pipeline for Energy t 5 Planning and the Petroleum Officer-W. C.R. Dale 30, Residential Mid-Week School-Attingham-W. E. Line 17. Self-Service at Southwark-W. H. Collier

Television in Petrol Sales Ten Pin Bowling Alley at Bournemouth-H. R. Tarrant

The Chairman

The Installation of Underground Tanks-K. Sherwood

The North Sea Venture

OBITUARY

H. H. Thomas

RETIREMENTS

A. E. K. Kent E. H. Rosser

THROUGH THE PIPELINE

Is there a hole in that Suction Line ?

VISIT

Paris-23rd to 25th March, 1965

41 J 42 2 17 43 26. 26· 26. 51 22