The Bulletin – October 1969

Quarterly Journal of The Association for Petroleum Acts Administration

E. V. BEEBY

THE ASSOCIATION FOR PETROLEUM ACTS ADMINISTRATION

Chairman: B. W. C. THACKER Vice-Chairman: R. E. J. RODEN

Council:

Rugby R.D.C. 2071

J. BEER Worcester City 23156 J. BIRKS Chesterfield B. 2825

B. HODGSON K. C. HUGHES

R. HUNTINGTON T. KERR J. W. FRID Cambridge City 58977

Wigton R.D.C. 2133-5

Stafford B. 3507

Thornbury R.D.C. 2258

Glanford Brigg R.D.C. Brigg 2441/5 Blackpool C.B. 23848 H. GRIFFITHS Walsall C.B. 25661 H. R. MELLOR C. T. PEACOCK C. R. PESKETT J. SHORT

D. HALL Newcastle-under-Lyme B. 60161

Hemsworth R.D.C. Brierley 301 Godalming B. 6191/4 G. H. HARVEY Dudley C.B. 55433 W. HETHERINGTON Witney U.D.C. 3241

Paisley Burgh 5400 J. W. HEWISON Havant and Waterloo U.D.C. 6311

Officers:

Hon. Secretary/Treasurer:

Hon. Editor: L. A. CAVE R. P. HOLDAWAY

ANGLIA

CUMBRIA

EAST MIDLAND

NORTHERN

NORTH WESTERN

SCOTTISH

SOUTH EASfERN

SOUTH EAST MIDLAND

WESSEX AND SOUTH WALES WEST MIDLAND YORKSHIRE

Hon. Electrical Adviser:

J. A. SHARP,

Hon. Legal Adviser: P. D. WADSWORTH,

Liaison Officer: G.N.DEAN Branch Secretaries: J. W. FRID, B. HODGSON, J. BIRKS, B. W. C. THACKER, H. R. MELLOR, J. SHORT, C. R. PESKETT, R. E. DUST, R. HUNTINGTON, G. H. HARVEY, C. T. PEACOCK,

Talking Point

Glass Reinforced Plastic Tanks for Motor Cycles

We note in the report of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Explosives for the year ended 31 st December, 1968, a paragraph relating to the above. In a previous editorial we referred to the increasing use of 'fibreglass' petrol tanks and drew attention to the concern of Road Safety Committees and other bodies over this development.

The Inspectors' report states that following the recommendations of a joint committee of the Horne Office and industry, a British Standards Institution Committee has been set up to prepare a standard for non metallic fuel tanks for motor vehicles. It further states that a draft standard for glass reinforced plastic tanks for motor cycles has been prepared and circulated for comments.

Clearly, the Committee's main concern is with the performance of the tank rather than its chemical make up, and it is expected the draft specification will produce a tank which will stand up to normal usage and survive in the event of an accident.

Assuming the B.S.I. is satisfied upon this point, as a legal expediency it will be necessary to remove fuel tanks from the requirements relating to the keeping of petroleum spirit in metal vessels as set out in the Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles, etc.) Regulations, I929.

notes and news

New Members

Chelmsford Horsham Nantwich Potte r s ·Bar · Wisbech

Associate Members

Retirements

Mr. J. Barber, Borough Engineer and Surveyor, Louth.

Mr. A. Pickering, 'Q.F.S.M., Chief Fire Officer Oldham, after 34 years service . '

We wish these gentlemen a long and enjoyable retirement.

Appointments

.·· Mr. J. Barker,peputy Boro l!gh Engineer and Surveyor: Louth, has been promoted Borough Engineer and Surveyor.

H. B. Hornby, Deputy of Weights and Measures, Oxford, has been appomted to a simila:t position with Wiltshire C.C.

Mn H. Garlick, Chief Fire Officer Oldham has been promoted Chief Fire Officer ' '

Congratulations

Mr. F. J. L<miga,µ, C:hief Fire_Officer , Carlisle, has been awarded the M.B.E: · · · · Mi. E. S. Ca!vb'rt, Chlef Fire Officer , Brighton, has been installed President of the Chief Fire Officers' Association

Mr. K. L. Holland, Chief Fire Officer, West Riding of Yorkshire, has been installed President of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

Petrol crash kills five

A double trailer petrol tanker .hit a car, over and burst into flames in heav y traffic m Flmt, M1ch1gan, killing five people and critically burning a sixt h

A nearby tyre company was destroyed and other businesses damaged as firemen fought for nearly an hour to bring the blazing 11,000 gallons of petrol under control.

Firms in the area had to close down because of power interruptions. Firemen ordered residents within a six. block radius out of their homes while unburned petrol was flushed from the sewer system.

Driver moved burning LPG tanker

Army Aviation Centre fire appliances responded, including an appliance which was on crash line duty on the airfield at Middle Wallop, Hampshire, when a call was received to a fire at the officers' mess, reports Mr. E. R. Ashill, Chief Fire Officer, Hampshire Fire Service.

On approaching the incident, the officer in charge of the first appliance observed that a "Calor Gas" tanker was involved, and that the driver was attempting to remove the tanker.

He stopped his appliance at the entrance to the courtyard, allowing free access to the tanker driver who then drove his burning tanker to open ground.

Hampshire Fire Service water tenders from Andover and Stockbridge found on arrival that a 5 OOO-gallon road tanker was involved, together with two '3 10-ga llon bulk storage propane gas containers and the adjacent singlestorey kitchen and office buildings.

The fire involving the rear of the tanker was quickly extinguished, using water spray and foam. Meanwhile, the fire surrounding the bulk storage tanks and involving the nearby buildings, was dealt with. · ·

It appeared that the fire started while the driver was preparing his vehicle for discharge. It is thought a leak resulted from a burst in the high-pressure pipe between the tanker's discharge pump and its meter.

The whole of the area became enveloped in a vapour and, despite the obvious dangers of ignition, it was m this cloud that the driver in the initial stages worked to shut off the tanker valves. His shouts of help were heard by Army Aviation personnel in the vicinity and the call was put in to the Fire Service.

Almost immediately a flash and a muffled explosion occurred which it is thought resulted from the ignition of the vapour by the flame of a cooking stove in the building adjacent.

In spite of severe burns sustained in the explosion, the tanker driver attempted to extinguish the fire using a dry powder .e;xtinguisher and subsequently drove the tanker to a pos1t10n away from the premises. "There is no doubt that the driver showed exceptional presence of mind great personal courage in his actions", reports Mr. Ash1ll.

The ready appreciation of the situation by the office_r m-charge of the first Army Aviation Centre appliance m not blocking the exit from the courtyard with his appliance was most commendable

Mr. adds it is interesting to note that one of the subjects dealt with at this year's "spring study" at Esso Refinery , Fawley, attended by officers of the Hampshire Fire Service and members of the petroleum industry , was th e handling of bulk liquid petroleum gases .

MBC UDC .VDC UDC RDC

Essex West Sussex Cheshire Middlesex Isle of Ely

H s s H S&H

J. V. Cheetham, Weights and Measures Office ' G. W. Hamblett, Fire Service Officer, ' R. J. Hopkins, General Manager, C. R. Jennings, Safety Officer, ' W, F. M, Noble, Construction and Maintenance Superv1sbr, Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd., · ' ' M. T. Paddon, Regional Operations Manager, Petrofina (U.K.) Ltd., Petrofina House, '

letters

Codes of Practice

My _attention has been drawn to what appears to be an error m Note I to of Licence as printed on page ?I the s recently published Codes of Practice, m which it 1s sta!ed " . . a fine not exceeding £100_ for each day on which the contravention occurs or contmues".

Criminal of 1967 alters the penalty for petr?.leum spmt m contravention of a licence con£20,,for each ?ay on which the offence contmues to £100 · There 1s no mention of a continuing offel"!ce. It therefore seems inescapable that the maximum fine is amended to a straight £100.

Chairman, Technical Committee C. R. PESKETT

* * * * *

Petroleum Administration and Maud

It is months now since Maud surfaced, and there has time to study the proposals of both the major and mm or reports; unfortunately such study reveals no clues. as to_the fut ure :idministration of the Petroleum Acts and its allied The following are my personal comments, designed purely to stimulate discussion among our members.

There is no _mention of petroleum anywhere in the reports, so it seems me that two possibilities arise, firstly that will be a umtary authority function in which case will be 61 or secondly that it will be on a reg10nal . with a corresponding decrease m the of authont1es I have ignored the only other alternatives, that it becomes a governmental on the pattern of the Factories Act Inspectorate, or th_at 1t a Maud "local council" function, since I believe that neither of these is feasible.

<?n this_ if it is to be a unitary funct10n, ex1stmg will little change per se other to re-define local authonty" and its connected clauses v:1th regard to etc., but the practical differences with regard to admmistrative personnel will be drastic. It seems to me that one of two results would emerge: either the authority would drop the administration in the laI? of one of its departments such as the Surveyors, and or Public Health (or whatever permutat10n of the ex1stmg set-up survives) in which case I would expect the same department to be responsible throughout the country, or a specialist officer would emerge , perhaps forming a section within one of the recognised departments. Since generally speaking the administration is at present a side-line to a different pro-

fessionalism, and since it is reasonable to assume that in most the professional will remain loyal to his first love, it could well be that unless great care is taken the day-to-day administration could for a not inconsiderable time be in the hands of people with little practical experience in the field. The same difficulty would also obtain in the case of specialist sections within recognised departments, the "specialists" are just not available. One other, to my mind, regrettable result of such standardisation would be the diminution of the various expertise available. Made up as we are at present of a variety of professions, there is always available a source of knowledge and experience which stems from different training and orientation; since an expert has been defined as a man who knows more and more about less and less until he eventually knows everything about nothing, I think the loss of variety may well be a matter fot regret. Within the area covered by Maud we must think in terms of some 3,000 administrators, the bulk of whom because of other professionalism may not be available after the shake-up, this is the order of the replacements which may become necessary.

As a regional function, of course, almost anything can happen. One could almost stick a pin in the map of administrative personnel and come up with a possible candidate-police, most unlikely; fire service, probably favourite; engineers, why not when allied to highway functions; regional transport, rank outsider; there are many permutations available and I am not even prepared to guess. Yet again, wherever it settles, having removed the responsibility from its present domicile the need to replace the officers immediately will still remain.

But where all this leave Association ?

I really can not see 61 unitary authorities, or the Jesset number of regional authorities, economically viable avibority association, particularly when ;one such as ours w h.ose availability and informality at local level has been such a 'valuable part of our present set-up.

It seems to me, therefore, that only two possibilities are a side interest to an already existing professional body or setting up a petroleum professional organisation. In both cases it seems .inevitable that the new arrangement will be officer financed and officer coritrolled, although I would not exclude the possibility of authority support in the matter of time off, travelling expenses and the like. For my part, I believe petroleum administration to be too big, too important, too serious a matter to be treated as any other business by some other professional organisation; we have succeeded to some extent, at least as far as some 550 local authorities are concerned, in the past few years in showing that it is a function which requires something more than opening the files periodically during the licensing season; it would be regrettable if we slipped back to the old "if we do not wake it up it will not bite" attitude; it would be a tragedy if all the efforts of the pioneers of this Association were to go by default.

May I make it clear that I write as an individual; the Constitution and Rules Committee has not formally discussed this matter since we have insufficient information with which to work. However , any comments and reactions which may be forthcoming may be of use when the time for serious discussion arrives. '

Chairman , Constitution and Rules Committee

Ready for Jumbo

The entry into service of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet (late 1969) and the BAC-Snd Aviation Concorde (early 1970's) presents many ground handling problems. The economics of efficient airline operations demand that as little time as possible is spent by each aircraft on the ground and servicing companies must contribute to speedy turn-round in every way possible.

The Boeing 747 will uplift about 35,000 gallons of aviation fuel each time it lands from a trans-Atlantic flight while Concorde will need approximately 20,000 gallons. Compare these figures with 15,000 gallons for a Boeing 707 and some idea of the problem may be obtained.

To cope with this size of delivery, and yet keep the time taken within the limits set by the operating companies, the Shell-Mex and B.P. Group has designed a special hydrant dispenser. This dispenser, which will be used in conjunction with hydrant systems as installed at Heathrow Cargo Terminal, was recently taken to Fairford to be tested and demonstrated with Concorde. This step was necessary as the extensive flight schedule of the aircraft precluded the testing taking place elsewhere.

Since the fuelling points on Concorde are 1 l ft. 3in. above ground level compared, for instance, with 5ft. on the Trident and are placed in the fuselage just in front of the main landing wheels, it is necessary for the dispenser to drive transversely under the fuselage to its operating position. The operative stands on the lower platform just to the rear of the hydraulically operated upper platform which will be used when fuelling the Boeing 747.

A Senior Airfield Operator from the Maintenance Area Terminal at London Airport took the dispenser to Fairford where, in spite of the fact that the aircraft was on jacks which raised it about 2ft. above its normal operational height, he demonstrated its functioning succe ss full y .

The Installation of Underground Storage Tanks and Associated Pipework

Paper presented by K. SHERWOOD, Senior Equipment Engineer Essa Petroleum Co. Ltd.

to students at Attingham Park

Since last presentation of this talk we have been blessed with <i: new Model Code of Principles

~onstru.ctJon and L1censmg Conditions for Petrol Stat10ns: At least I considered it a blessing until I that it meant the rewriting of this talk which after six years I had learned by heart.

. First <?fall will consider the installation of steel tanks with ass<;>ciated pipework, in the latter half of the talk we will consider the more controversial topic of glass fibre tanks.

Storage Tanks

At yresent the .tanks are invariably made of !in. thick plate with all seams welded to B.S.S. 2594. Prior to Jeavmg the manuf<l:cturers' works they should be pressure tested to.10 p.s.1 and a certificate issued. They should also be given a protective coating of Bitumastic paint or similar after all rust and scale has been removed.

Each tank is supplied with a brass dipstick for measuring contents. It should be appreciated that these are not accurate measuring apparatus, but only approximate the tank contents. Most tank manufactuerrs process the tanks and it is not unusual for the dipsticks to show errors of 2 %-3 %.

It is statutory that each dipstick bears a number which corresponds to a number clearly marked on the tank for which it was supplied.

One of the most important additions to the new Code is the section and sketches defining safe and unsafe areas at the forecourt of service stations.

If a local authority accepts this recommendation the marketing c.ompany is usually extremely safety consc10us, has a startmg basis for siting his tankage · he knows that the centre line of the tank manhole chambe; must be at least 14 feet from the public thoroughfare. Bearing this aspect in mind, the Engineer must then consider operational aspects, such as lengths of suction lines, road vehicle access and standing area for product deliveries.

The code details two methods of installing tanks. We will deal firstly with the concrete encasement method, which has almost come to be regarded as the standard method.

The mass concrete method has some disadvantage but until new materials and methods are fully developed, it must be considered the best method available where site circumstances necessitate an encased tank.

Prior to commencing the excavation for the tank it is for an employee of the marketing company to determine by calculation the required depth of the tank below ground level. Factors affecting this are the length of suction line and any gradients at ground level. It is generally accepted that the tank manlid should be no less than 2 feet below ground level. On the other hand, the vertical distance between the base of the dispensing unit and the bottom of the tank should not exceed 13 feet. It is normal to position the tank at the minimum depth by calculation between these limits

Most excavations are carried out by mechanical means with the bottom of the dig being trimmed by hand.

In many instances water is present in the excavation; this can usually be dealt with by means of a bottoming pump installed in a corner sump of the excavation.

Where ground conditions make it necessary, the walls of the excavation should be shored until the tank is installed.

The next operation is to provide a base of 6in. minimum thickness reinforced concrete. The length and width of this base should normally exceed the length and diameter of the tank by 9ins.-12ins. If holding down wires or straps are necessary to prevent flotation, which might occur prior to pouring the casing, the fixing bolts should be cast into the base.

At this stage, most authorities require an inspection by the Petroleum Officer. There is no doubt that many inspectors do little more on this visit than establish that a base exists, though the intention of the inspection must be to ensure that the thickness of the base, and the quality of the concrete are in accordance with requirements. One possible method of ensuring correct thickness is to insert small diameter steel rods into the ground, prior to the concrete being poured. The rods should be at approximately l 8ins.-24ins. centres.

After the tank has been lowered into the excavation and before it is surrounded by concrete it should be tested for leakage by one of the following methods:

(a) An internal air pressure of 10 p.s.i. for not less than 24 hours.

(b) Filled with water and subjected to a hydrostatic pressure of 10 p.s.i. for not less than 15 minutes.

There have been long and involved arguments as to which is the better method and it is doubtful if a conclusive answer can be reached to suit all conditions. Whichever is selected the Marketing Companies will comply with the wishes of the Licensing Authority, though they might have a little moan about the problems of disposing of 5,000 gallons of water if the latter method is required.

There will be louder shouts of protests concerning the one or two "belt and braces" Authorities who ask for a hydrostatic test above ground followed by an air test after the tank has been lowered into the excavation. There is no justification whatsoever for this requirement.

After a satisfactory test, the mass concrete casing can be poured. It is advisable to use a sulphate resisting concrete as in some areas sulphate concentrations are present in the surrounding ground and these sulphates can cause severe damage to ordinary Portland cement.

Whereas the old Code recommended a minimum thickness of 9in. concrete, the Home Office have considered that this thickness can be reduced to 6in.

We are still faced with the hoary old problem of the purpose of the concrete encasement.

It certainly does not prevent the escape of product if the tank is holed. It does not prevent the ingress of water leading to possible corrosion of the tank. If the concrete is properly poured and precautions are taken it does prevent acid forming solids such as cinders from coming into direct contact with the steel and leading to more rapid corrosion. By reducing the thickness to 6in. it can be argued that the risk of foreign bodies coming into contact with the tank is increased and there is little doubt that during the pouring stage more tamping will be necessary to ensure that the concrete flows under the tank.

This leads up to the second of the installation methods mentioned in the Code. Many Petroleum Officers were horrified when they learned that the Home Office were recommending that steel tanks be installed in simple excavations, without mass concrete or the completely outdated brick vault. If we analyse the pertinent clause it apparent that it is perfectly logical that if the soil is certified as being non-corrosive or the tank is fully protected against soil corrosion then there is little sense in encasing it in concrete which we have already stated does nothing except prevent corrosive elements from coming into contact with the tank.

. I am not advocating that from now on, prior to installmg a steel tank, one should have the soil analysed in the hopes of being able to install a tank in a simple excavation. I would, however, suggest that this course of action could considered on a country road location at a considerable distance from habitation.

No_ tankage installation is complete without its associated pipework. The pipes and fittings should be to B.S. 1387, those for gasoline being galvanised and those for diesel fuel in black iron.

Each tank or compartment should have a vent pipe not less than Hin. in diameter. The coupling of vents of adjacent tanks is a dangerous practice which should not be permitted.

At last we have a firm recommendation that vent pipes should discharge upwards in the open air, this is especially gratifying for those of us who have campaigned, for many years, to get rid of those ghastly U-bends which directed all vent vapours down to ground level.

Except in exceptional circumstances the vent pipes should be no closer than 5ft. from a boundary; this ensures that they are a safe distance from any possible source of ignition on adjoining property, not covered by the Petroleum Licence.

Suction lines up to 80ft. in length should normally be run in 1-}in. bore pipe, if the length is in excess of 80ft. then the total length should be run in 2in. pipe.

There should be a fall on the suction and vent lines back to the tank. Normally this fall is quoted as 1 : 120 but on long suction lines this leads to deep tankage, and a fall of 1 : 250 is adequate. The suction pipe should terminate not less than !in. above the bottom of the filling and dipping pipes so as to maintain a liquid seal and prevent the accumulation of a static charge during the filling process.

It is normal to have a common filling and dipping pipe which should be carried down to within 1-!in. of the tank bottom. Directly under this pipe should be welded a compensating plate to ensure that with constant use the brass dipstick does not punch a hole through the bottom of the tank.

This leads us naturally to the controversial topic-why have dipping pipes and dipsticks ?

If good housekeeping is practised at the Service Station the tanks should be dipped at least twice per day. Can you think of anything more antiquated than struggling with manhole covers weighing anything up to 200 lbs. then having to get on one's bended knees to unscrew a cap to reveal a brass dipstick which is almost impossible to read if the sun is shining or if it is raining. Let us where possible adopt the modern approach and use hydrostatic contents gauges or similar apparatus.

Whilst on this topic, why do we not encourage greater use of the offset fill pipe. The offset fill pipe, in association with a hydrostatic contents gauge, with all other tank openings sealed gives a far safer installation than the conventional manhole chamber. Additionally the road tank vehicle can be kept away from the forecourt area and is able to discharge without impeding other traffic.

Before the pipelines are covered and if necessary encased in concrete they should be tested by an internal pressure of 10 p.s.i. for not less than 15 minutes.

The installation cannot be considered complete until the fillpipe, whether conventional or offset, is clearly marked with the number of the tank or compartment of the tank to which it is connected.

Most people also accept the principle that it is good housekeeping to mark the fill pipe with the grade of product to be stored in the associated tank.

There is little doubt that within the next few years underground tanks will be made of materials other than steel. Glass reinforced polyester or, to use a more common term, glass fibre is a material that immediately springs to mind.

In 1968 Esso Petroleum Company Ltd. decided to install a 5,000 gallon double compartment G.R.P. at a Service Station in the Greater London Council area of licensing control.

This tank failed completely in less than one month after installation. The tank was a failure, but the experiment was a great success in, that many lessons were learned not the least of which was that the Petroleum Industry and the Local Authority, in this instance Esso and the G.L.C. respectively, could work very closely together on an experimental project, the like of which had not before been tried in the United Kindgom, without jeopardising the safety of persons or property.

Some preliminary work was carried out in 1966/67 with the construction of a 3,000 gallon tank. This tank was never put into service though it underwent every possible test we could think of, including a test suggested by one of your colleagues on a previous course at Attingham Park when, during question time, he asked if rats could possibly eat tanks of this material. We had not considered that possibility, but were subsequently able to prove that it had no attraction for rodents.

From the results of these tests we considered we had sufficient information and knowledge to construct a tank for installation and normal operation at a Service Station.

It was decided to build a double compartment tank divided internally by a G.R.P. partition into compart- ments of 3,500 and 1,500 gallons.

The skin of the tank had a minimum design thickness of 0.268 inch. The internal fin ish was a resin rich coat which gave a glass-like appearance, externally the tank was ribbed to_ provide additional strength and rigidity. The ends and mternal partition were dished.

Tests were carried_ out on typical samples of the G.R.P. proposed to be used m the fabrication of the tank. Results of the tests and the conclusions drawn from them are briefly discussed under the following headings.

Combustibility

The material was found to be combustible although it permitted only a medium surface spread of flame (Class 3 m B.S .S. 476, Part 1). This characteristic is not significant provided that there is no exposure of the tank shell. To meet this proviso, the tank manholes were constructed of and were sp_ecially contrived so that only steel is v1s1ble or accessible from within the tank manhole chambers. chamber surrounding each tank manhole was formed m fibreglass with a concrete screed at the bottom so that for. the first time probably a liquid tight chamber "'.as l?rov1ded collect those drips of petrol which are durmg filling operations and which usually leak away the ground causing varying degrees of danger and/or nuisance.

Static Electric Charge

The G.R.P. was found to retain a charge of static electricity. However, having regard to the fact that the tank is in intimate contact with earth it was not anticipated that there would be any risk from this source provided that any metal projecting into or exposed in the tank was effectively earthed.

Strength

It was not possible to make an accurate of the likely strength of the tank without actual to failure tests. However, from the figures available! it was calculated that the maximum pressure, before the tank would have to be in excess of 100. p.s.1. This being far greater than any possible workmg on test pressures.

.

Installation details ensured that surface loads by the heaviest forecourt traffic would not crack the mner rich resin coat.

Impact Resistance

h r ht but visible damage w en

The test pieces suffered s ig l ball with a force of 8 foot struck by a 3 in. diameter necessary during transport pounds. means that is moreover, apparent that and !nstallat10n of the be to prevent the tank special ;1 dipstick impact. shell bemg damage Y

Point Loading

l·able to suffer h lass fibre was 1

It was found t e gin- oint loading. In practical damage when subject to Pt kmust be surrounded by a terms this n:eans that down" substa!lce sufficient thickness ofd a possibility of a sharp object such as sand to exclu e any r d earth and the tank shell. bridging the gap between so I d .. ns normally obtammg on site

Having to con should be completely suTit was decided that s of sa nd. It should be menrounded by at least SClX me rd have pre ferred a minimum tioned that the G.L. · wou ' thickness of one foot.

To secure adequate spread of loads imposed bx:forecou.rt traffic it was considered that the tank shell should be nbt'iesi'thaii thfee 'feei beioW level. ,:''. .·' .. •• • • • •'": '. ·"" :• ..;

Attack by· Soil Environment ·'

::

.. was .. be subject to attack by chemicals occurring natura,ly ill the soil. ·· · ·

Chemical Attack by Solvents

G.R.P. can be destroyed by certain solvents but none of them is contained. in petrpl. This .• however, again emphasise the for-en.suring that ther(::_is no· ex'posure of a11y part c:>f the· tank skin after.· insfallatj,on. ·.

. ·Obviovsly· every will have its. special to bring out .the tiger in its own special brand atJ.d ·equally obviously. one. Cannot predict exactly what the:se additives will be in the future.

one accurately forecast how these unknown additives will affect the life of a G.R.P. tank. It is, however, rea_sonable to approach the problem from another angle.

For.years oil company chemists have grown accustomed to blending their products for a specific purpose, taking ma11y criteria into account-not least the nature of,.pipes anc,l ccontainers with which the petrol will come info contact. That future tanks may be made of G.R.P. is only one.mote factor which these experts can be trusted to take into account when formulating new products. · ·

After due consideration, the G.L.C. decided to waive certain .its principles of construction so al'! to permit the experimental use of a G.R.P. tank surrounded by six inches of fine sand subject to the conditions which are commented on below. ·

(i) The Jank shall be fabricated in accordance with the .details submitted and the arrangements generally shall be as indicated on the drawings submitted. . ·

The drawings made provision· for sufficient concrete anchor blocks connecting to steel hoops, which circumscribed the upper half of the tank, to prevent flotation. had originally been the intention to use nylon ropes, but it was found that these could stretch up to 30 %under load.

There is a possibility that without additional protection steel hoops will corrode during the permissible service life of a G.R.P. tank. ·

(ii) The installation work shall be carried out and the tank shall be tested, all to the satisfaction of the Council.

After being lowered on to its sand bed, each compartment of the tank was filled with water at least to the bottom ?fthe neck of the manhole. The small remaining air space IJ?. each compartment was then pressurized by introducing air from a small foot pump. The pressure on one compartment was set at 10 p.s.i. and on the other at 12 p.s.i.; this differential pressure ensured that a check was made at the same time on the integrity of the internal partition. The pressures, because of the small amount of pressurizing air m each compartment were maintained for only two hours before the tank was declared sound. It is recommended that this type of test should always be applied to G.R.P. tanks.

(iii) All pipes·inside..the tank shall be;ofmetal:and together with: the metal' man/ids shall be ·effectiliely earthed; ·the pipes, i-vith the-exception of tire vent pipes, shall be carried down to as near the bottom of the tank as· is practicable, .The SU(:tion pipes shall, terminate not less . .. ··.than 2 inches above the .bottoms of the filling pipes• .;

; The major·purpose behind this'condition is the preven'tion of risk due to the accumulation and discharge of static electricity. ·

(iv) Suitable provision shall be made to prevent the tank shell being damaged by dipstick impact.

It was decided to use a contents gauge rather than a dipstick. However, it was felt that as the fill pipe gave direct access to the bottom of the tank, someone sometime would use a dipstick and do damage to the tank shell

To overcome this risk it was decided to provide a plate secured by welded straps to the bottom of each fill pipe so arranged that a dipstick could not reach the tank shell.

(v) Use of the tank shall be discontinued after three years and the tank shall then be excavated and examined.

A portion of the tank shell cut away to provide one of the manhole openings was lodged with the G.L.C. It was t_he intention to compare this with the shell of the tank after three years in service.

It was also intended that throughout the three years test period a strict quality check on the petrol in the tank would be kept.

This quality check should provide some guide as to the performance of the tank against solvent action of petrol and should to this extent give early warning of any rapid internal deterioration of the tank shell from this cause.

Physical Installation

The lo"'.ering of the tank into its hole in the ground and engagmg of the anti-flotation hoops took but a fe.w mmutes. The t.ank weighed only 19 cwt. and was, m consequence, quite easy to handle.

·

It took 45 minutes to fill the tank with water in prepar- ation for the pressure test and while it was being loaded in this way with some 25 tons of water it sank 3tins. into its sand bed. The tank had to be bedtled down before pipewas connected; filling it with water was one of the eas1es.t ways of doing the job and moreover it enabled .an effective test of shorter duration than a standard pressure test to be applied to the tank. Suffice it to say that the tank was lowered, tested and completely surrounded by sand, all in one day.

It would be a fair question to ask what was the purpose of the exercise. Not unnaturally we were interested greatly, if not primarily, in the economics of the installation. The tank ?Jaker was concerned to prove glass fibre tanks and sell his products. But local authorities have an interest too. At present steel tanks are required to be installed in a specified (often varying) manner. The tanks are then licensed until they leak.

How much better and safer it would be if new tanks of proven performance were permitted to be used only for the period, whether.20, 30 or more years, during which it was known with reasonable certainty that they would not leak.

Mobil's Terminal at .Kingsbury

of a highly complex control system, either straight into the pipeline; into Coryton refinerY'.s bulk terminal; direct to hired storage a:t Lori:doq and Thames Have·Oil Wharves; .or returned to the refinery product tank farm.

Products pumped into the pipeline system from Coryton are programmed through it by the computer at Kingsbury complex, which monitors the flow and ensures that the correct products are fed into the correct tanks at· the Mobil terminals at Buncefield and Kingsbury. _·. .

Both these terminals have been designed to make .t.he best use of the space available and to promote greater efficiency in Mobil's distribution operations. Kingsbury is very similar to Buncefield in its basic design.

At Kipgsbury ; better use of time and less jnconvenfonce to drivers of tanker vehicles is made possible by a new centre island despatchers'/checker's office. Drivers arr!ving at the terminal stop at this central office to h:;i.ve the.tr load tickets and ·-other documents checked at a high level window; they therefore do not have to leave the cab of the tanker.

Mobil is now operating out of both its terminals on the UKOP pipeline route-at the Buncefield complex near Herne! Hempstead (which went on stream on 29th July last year) and at Kingsbury near Birmingham (which started _up March). The company is also preparing to receive aviat10n products through two spur lines from to London Airport. This section is a shared facility, and will feed into the tanks of Aviation Fuel Services at Heathrow, in which Mobil is also a partner.

Mobil products for shipment through the pipeline are produced at the company's Coryton refinery, which is locat ed at the southern end of the line at its terminal point on the Thames. The 65,000 barrel a day refinery (soon to be doubled in capacity) feeds three grades of motor spirit Super Special (5-star), Premium (4-star) and Regular (2-star)-jet fuel, diesel oil, kerosine and gas oil into special storage at Coryton.

This tank farm consists of six tanks with a total capacity of 300,000 barrels, while a seventh, with a capacity of 60,000 barrels is used for jet fuel. These gathering tanks are arranged so that products can be pumped, by means

They then drive round to the covered loading bays where the vehicles take on the products, and return to the other side of the despatch office (to avoid impeding the flow of inward bound traffic) where their documents are once again checked before they leave the terminal.

As a further aid to efficiency and time saving, Kingsbury (and also Buncefield) is equipped with the company's unique high-speed, single-arm loading rig in the loading bays. This rig proved highly successful in the trials at Mobil's Barry terminal some two years ago.

The special loading system dispenses 800 Imperial gallons of product a minute through any one of three loading meters on each of the islands in the loading bays. Each single loading arm is capable of handling three similar products without contamination-in this case three grades of motor spirit in three bays and diesel and gas oil in another bay-thus providing speedy tanker loading and turnaround.

An important time saving feature is that the driver controls the rig remotely from the top of his vehicle at the safety handrail level. Three remote meter head s are placed at this level , one for each grade of motor spirit. The

Using a unique loading system for three grades of motor spirit, gas oil and diesel oil, Mobil has succeeded in saving both time and effort in tanker loading and turn-around operations

required volumes are pre-set on these meters and when a valve is actuated, product is metered through the control valves which close when the pre-set volume has been delivered.

Due to a special valve system, speed of delivery is slow at the start of the diesel and gas oil filling operation to prevent static build-up. It is again automatically slowed down over the final 50 gallons entering the compartment, thus reducing shock waves.

In case of any emergency there is a stop button which, when pressed, will cut off all electrics, thus stopping the pumps clos_ing a solenoid operated valve, at the top of the ng. This a lso activates an air-operated valve at ground level, which also closes off the flow.

A further safety precaution is provided by the earthing at the_ loading b ays. Vehicles are earthed immediatel.Y on arnval by the dri ver until this is done and an effec tiv e connection made to earth, the loading equipment ca nn ot be operated

At both Kingsbury and Buncefield, Mobil has vehicle maintenance workshops equipped with automatic lubrication hose reels and facilities for washing and inspection. Equipment at Kingsbury also includes a Triang brake tester to assist in ensuring that the company's vehicles all comply with the latest Ministry of Transport test regu- lations.

Storage at Kingsbury consists of five tanks-three floating roof tanks for gasoline and two fixed cone :oof tanks for diesel oil and gas oil. Each tank is fitted with a special gauging device and levels are transmitted electroncally to the main office where readings can be taken automatically by merely pushing a button.

The needs of the 45 drivers and other personnel are not neglected. The office administrative block, which is an integral part of the de spatch office section contains a combined mess and rest room. Washing and shower facilities are provided with heated clothes lockers. There is also a full y-equipp ed fir st- a id roo m.

Safety

Marketing Operations

Presented by R. A. DAVIS, Chief Engineer, Safety and Oil Conservation, Essa Petroleum Co. Ltd.

to delegates who recently visited the Essa West London Terminal

In my I would like to outline some of the measures we practise to .ensure while handling Petroleum we act ma responsible manner in order to minimise the hazards associated with such operations.

v:;e as in most other industries, assets and people, which are mterdependent on each other. So I would like to cover !Wo main areas today: People and their behaviour, and Equipment.

As a we are continually assessing the needs to have a. d1stnbut!on system to suit our Marketing Sales Operat10ns. This results in the construction of new terminals, pipelines, rail heads, etc., also modernising existing plants and terminals.

New InstaJlations

Let us assume we have decided to build a new terminal and acquired the necessary land and outline planning perm1ss1on, we then commence detailed design of the plant.

We design to a high standard using Engineering standards and specifications which have been evolved over many years which take account of all Statutory Regulations and obtained from operations in the industry. This is the stage when we will start to have detailed discussions with people like yourselves, the Fire Brigade, local Water Conservators and many others. This is to ensure that all aspects of an installation are covered before we actually break any ground and that all interested parties have had opportunities to make comments.

Sometimes our views are different to those of the local authorities and the Fire Officers. While we do not claim to be experts, by discussion we have always managed to resolve our diffierences and we very often learn from each other.

During construction we invite yourselves and the Fire Officers to the site, to meet the people and get a for the site and its equipment. All engineering work 1s carefully monitored and any deficiences corrected which have been overlooked. Modern plants are usually small in area and highly automated with low manning. Technology as you are aware is advancing almost hourly and we take maximum advantage of this within economic limits. Many

of the features you will see at the Terminal are innovations which have been designed and tested by our engineers and which were not available in the open market.

As each section of the plant is completed and tested, a detailed procedure is drawn up for commissioning by the Plant Staff and Engineering Department. These form part of the operating instructions which are specific to that location and support our Marketing Manual which covers all aspects of operations in great detail. As completion approaches staff start to build up to familiarise themselves with the equipment. These people are drawn from existing plants and have the basic knowledge to operate the new plant in a safe manner.

Product is taken into the plant and again a detailed procedure is followed to ensure that all equipment operates as designed. When we are satisfied that everything is operating satisfactorily the throughput is increased. Regular monitoring and inspections are carried out and if new equipment is used, inspections will be more frequent to enable us to build up information for establishing periods between overhauls, etc. This is then incorporated into the monthly inspection programme which is carried out monthly of all equipment in each plant by the staff and monitored at least twice a year by independent inspectors.

Existing Plants

A similar procedure is adopted when an existing plant is expanded or modernised, but now the hazards are different. Building a grass roots plant we have no dangers from the product and mechanical work can proceed without any difficulty. Once a plant is operational to carry out work in a safe and approved manner a very strict permit procedure is adhered to. In general terms this means that no work can be done on the plant without permits being issued. The procedure for this is covered in a very comprehensive document which forms part of our Engineering Standards. While it is not possible to be definitive to cover all risks in such a document it is left to local Management and Engineering Departments to assess each hazard and take suitable action to cover this together with the necessary permits.

Fire Protection

The biggest hazard that faces us is the danger from fire and explosion. However, if we keep the fire triangle separ- ated this risk is minimal. We install in each of our plants first aid fire fighting equipment to deal with minor fires. We have provided portable fire fighting equipment can be used by the local brigades in the event of a maJor emergency. This equipment consists of portable foam and water monitors, bulk foam stocks, either in drums or vehicles, fixed foam and B.C.F. equipment, water sprays and drenching equipment. In our larger installations some automatic fire detection equipment has been installed and the use ofV.H.F. radio is becoming commonplace in many areas. Direct lines are installed to some Fire Brigades and we encourage their participation in training and practical exercises. Fixed equipment is tested on a routine basis and fire drills with the staff are held.

Looking to the future we are constantly evaluating new methods and media in the range of fire detection and extinguishing agents to ensure that we have the most suitable protection for each particular risk.

Operational procedures ensure that these risks are mini- mised and while our incidence rate is low our aim is to have no incidents.

Spillages

Each plant has a laid down procedure for dealing with spillages and the recent innovation of the High Level Cut Offs which are now being installed in our vehicles will we believe nearly make overfilling impossible. We hope to have all our vehicles equipped with these by the end of the first quarter of 1970.

Safety Training

It is of vital importance that the personnel who operate our plants have a good understanding of the "Oil Business". To this end a comprehensive set of Safety Training Guides has been prepared for our staff. Each covers a module and is designed for the Truck and Plant Operator in a manner which is easily understood. Some Safety Manuals I have seen have been excellent documents running into several hundred pages, but far too formidable the average operator who probably only reads the papers. Each man has about eight of these sections which he carries in a small wallet in his pocket.

were trained centrally. After completion each tramer took away a trainer's guide, with slides and films as back up. These trainers trained other trainers which helped to improve the trainers' knowledge and they in turn tramed the men. Each section takes approximately two hour_s; this was classroom training with practical demon- ?trations. At the end of each session the delegates filled ma short questionnaire which gave the trainers a measure of understanding acquired by the students. On comof the course the delegates each received a set of gUJ?es.. This forms the basic training in Safe Operations which 1s applicable throughout the country and in the past year 2,500 men have received this training. In addition 250 personnel attended a four day course in Fire Fighting and General Safety at our Fawley Refinery. We have extended our basic training to the Authorised Distributors who use our plants and to date the majority of their staff

have been trained. Encouragement has also been given to Contractors' Management to attend these courses in order that they may train their own staff.

Plans are currently being prepared in each Plant for the Safety training programme for 1970, which will be designed to meet the specific needs of each plant.

To support the practical training aspects we are current- ly running two incentive schemes to improve safety and housekeeping. These reward the individual and groups for good performance and we believe give motivation to the whole programme, and encourage them to be more aware, with an ultimate aim of behavioral change and subsequently a change in attitude.

Each man is supplied with a comprehensive set of pro- tective clothing for his personal protection and is en- couraged to wear safety helmets and safety shoes.

Service Stations-Personnel

Safety is covered in our trammg schools where our dealers receive training in Service Station Operations. Currently we are running a series of articles on Safety in the Esso Dealers News which goes to each station monthly and has a circulation of 23,000. To assess the interest we have a questionnaire with each article and the winner receives a prize. According to the publishers the response is very high for this type of competition. This proves the entrants have read the article and hopefully somethmg will be absorbed.

Equipment

. Two recent innovations are the supplying and installa- t10n of Grade Identification Rings and Kerosine Adapters. These have been supplied and installed by the company to ensure that product is delivered into the right tanks, thereby reducing the risk of contamination and the wrong product being_ sold to the general public. We all know !he dangers of usmg contaminated kerosine in free standmg oil heaters, occasionally resulting in serious fires and loss of life.

Incident Reporting Procedures

In the event _of an incident occurring, concise instruc- tions are contamed in the manual which details steps to be taken. Each incident is investigated to find the causes, so positive P.lans can be made to prevent recurrence. of a serious nature are investigated by a team of mvest1gators set up by senior management.

Conclusion

Safety is of paramount importance and receives atten- tion at all levels of management. The Management Safety Committee monthly to set policy, review and make positive plans. Similar committees operate m each Region, and Plants have committees with represen- tatives of management and men. This ensures full par- ticipation of all concerned and commitment to policies and plans. We are proud of our record but far from being complacent. We are constantly seeking ways improve our performance and achieve Zero incidents m all areas. We believe this can be done by motivating people to change behaviour by understanding that accidents do not happen, they are caused.

BRANCH REPORTS

Cumbria

Meeting of the Branch was held at the Town Hall Whitehaven, on 16th April, 1969.

Present

Mr.. R. V. Bewsher, Whitehaven B.C. (Vice-Chairman) and mne members.

Apologies

'

(iii) Tanks which are to be used for the storage of other types of fuel which do not require licences. It is recommended that these tanks be cleaned out by a competent firm and certified gas free before further use is made of the tanks.

* * * * *

A Meeting of the Branch was held at Cockermouth R.D.C. Offices, Holmewood, Cockennouth, on 24th September, 1969.

Apologies for absence were received from the Branch Chalf_man, Mr. F. J. Lorrigan, and Messrs. Sewell and Cunnmgham.

Minutes

Item (I) Apologies as above

Item (2) Minutes of previous meeting (copies circulated)

. It was proposed Mr. Platton and seconded by Mr. Simpson that the Mmutes be accepted with the exception that Mr. P. Wilson be added to those members present at the meeting. This was agreed.

Item (3) Matters arising from previous meeting

There were no matters arising from the previous meeting.

Item (4)

(a) Petroleum spirit tank testing

It was agreed that for the sake of uniformity in the B_ranch area this Branch recommend that all tanks and pipe work be subjected to an internal pressure test, the work _to be carried out by a firm of competent engineers expenenced in this type of work, and that in the event of any doubt as to the condition of the tank after this test additional types of test should be applied.

(b) Discontinued petroleum spirit tanks

The question arose as to when tanks could be classed as "discontinued". It was agreed that this would be when a licence was not renewed, or was refused, and when the tank had failed the test. In all cases the tanks must be rendered safe as soon as possible.

It was also agreed that discontinued tanks could be placed in three categories:

(i) The straight-forward case when the tank could not be used again. Tank failed test; complete close down of installation; old derelect tank, etc. It is recommended that these tanks be filled in with fire concrete or removed by specialist firms.

(ii) The case where the owner can not be sure as to the position in respect of the tank. Closed down station; owner wishing to sell; redevelopment to take place in area; site of new tanks not certain. etc. lt is recommended that these tanks be filled in with water and every endeavour be made to come to some agreement as to the future of the tanks.

Present

Twelve members and the Hon. Secretary/Treasurer, Mr. B. Hodgson, Wigton R.D.C.

Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from the Branch Chairman, Mr. F. J. Lorrigan and Mr. R. Battersby.

The Branch Secretary reported that the Branch ViceChairman, Mr. R. V. Bewsher, Whitehaven B.C., had left the local government service and that the branch must now elect a new Vice-Chairman.

Office of Vice-Chairman

It was proposed by W. A. Clarkson and seconded by P. Cunningham that J. R. Loy be elected Branch ViceChainnan. This was agreed.

Mr. Loy then took the chair for the meeting.

Minutes

Item (1) Apologies for absence as above.

Item (2) Minutes of Previous Meeting (copies circulated).

After a long discussion it was proposed by W. A. Clarkson and seconded by W. R. Simpson that these be accepted. This was agreed.

Item (3) Matters Arising from Previous Meeting. There were no matters arising from the previous meeting.

Item (4) Discussion on the Association's 'Code of Practice'.

It was proposed by P. Wilson and seconded by B. D. Powell that special extraordinary meetings be called to allow the branch to discuss the Codes of Practice and that these should be full day meetings. This was agreed.

Item (5) Any other Business.

The Branch Secretary reported on the proposed Northern Petroleum Officers course to be held at York on 6th, 7th and 8th July, 1970.

The meeting was then closed by a film called "What is Fire ? ". This was shown by kind permission of the Cumberland County Fire Service. Part of the tilm showed the danger of petroleum spirit vapour when dispensed from a pump or container.

South Eastern

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held in the Richmond Room, Town Hall, Worthing, on Wednes- day, 3rd September, 1969.

Present

The Chairman, Mr. F. A. Smith, and 31 members.

Apologies for absence

The Secretary reported apologies had been received from 17 members.

The Minutes of the last Meeting of the Branch Held on 13th February were read, confirmed as a correct record and signed.

Morning Visit

It was reported that 12 members visited the Toluene Solvent Recovery Plant and works of Messrs. Beechams Ltd., at Worthing, and had spent an interesting morning touring the works. Thanks were expressed to the Company by the Chairman.

Finance

In the absence of the Branch Treasurer a report and statement of accounts was read; the balance in hand amounted to £50 Os. ld. A separate account should now be opened at the Midland Bank, Guildford, and a formal resolution to this effect was required. It was proposed by Mr. Jackson, seconded by Mr. Robinson and agreed by the meeting that an account be opened with the Midland Bank, Guildford, on behalf of the South Eastern Branch of the Association for Petroleum Acts Administration and that the funds of the Branch be deposited.

Chairman's Address

The Chairman briefly addressed the meeting, expressing thanks to the officers of the Branch, the Branch Committee and all members for their enthusiasm and support during his year of office. The Branch went from strength to strength and much was to be gained from regular Branch Meetings and the opportunities presented for discussion of the wide variety of problems met with by Petroleum Officers.

Election of Officers

The following members having been duly nominated were elected to serve the Branch for the ensuing year:

Chairman: J. W. Hewison, Havant and Waterloo U.D.C.

Vice-Chairman: H. T. E. Jackson, Greater London Council.

Secretary: C. R. Peskett, Godalming M.B.C.

Treasurer: J. Hay, Hambledon R.D.C.

Auditor: A. R. Prue. Haslemere U.D.C.

Branch Committee

The following were elected to serve on the Branch Committee:

D. Taunton, Guildford M.B.C. F. A. Smith, Worthing M.B.C. F. T. Barker, Esher U.D.C. J. Ellis, Brighton C.B.C. T. Steel, Crawley U.D.C.

Proposed Petroleum Technology Course

The secretary outlined proposals for this course in the Spring of 1970. Accommodation was available for 40 and arrangements could be made for day attendance at the Manor House, Godalming, a Surrey University hall of residence at approximately £3 per head per day inclusive either during 6th to IOth or IOth to 17th April, 1970. A suggested programme had been prepared and some lecturers approached. It was known that support was forthcoming from other Southern Branches of the Associa- tion; i_f the proposals were accepted the Committee would or&amse and run the Course in conjunction with represen- tatives from other Branches. After some discussion it was resolved to proceed with the Course on the Imes md1cated and the Committee were given power to act.

Arising from the discussion the Branch Committee were asked to give consideration to providing within the Branch some form of Basic Training for new Inspectors. The secretary was asked to determine whether or not the 1970 Course would be approved by the Local Government Training Board.

Association Council Activities

The secretary briefly reported on recent activities, most details of which appeared in the July issue of the Bulletin.

Codes of Practice

took part in a general discussion on the Codes of Practice recently published by the Association. the v.:ere to be accepted either entirely or with mmor by those authorities represented at the. meetmg. Members were very appreciative of the tat10n :ind content of the Codes and whilst many pomts were discussed very little criticism was offered. It was felt by some members that the Codes could have omitted optional of underground tank installation but it was explamed that whilst in almost ,11! cases the traditional met.hod installation in concrete would be required, the allow for an alternative in exceptional cases. In d1scuss1!1g problems relating to the testing of old and new tanks it was agreed that the secretary should circulate to all members details of the various tests and means of application now available.

At the close of the discussion a vote of thanks was expressed to Mr. Smith for making all the arrangements for the day and to Worthing Corporation for providing the accommodation.

Anglia

A meeting of the Branch was held at the Council Offices at Saffron Walden on Wednesday, lOth September, 1969.

This was the first meeting of this Branch since the decision was made to divide the old South East Midland Branch into two more convenient areas.

Present

The meeting was opened by Mr. J. W. Frid, Branch Honorary Secretary and a welcome was extended to Mr R. J. Roden, Birmingham, the Association's Cha!rman. 37 members were present; 2 apologies were received.

Election of Officers

The following officers were unanimously elected: Chairman: J. G. Clark, Southend C.B.C. Vice-Chairman: J. J. Wookey, Chesterton R.D.C. Secretary /T_reasu_rer /Branch Rep.: J. W. Fnd, City of Cambridge Auditor: R. J. Hoyle, South Cambs. R.D.C.

These officers to fill posts until A.G.M. Spring, 1971.

Committee

Chairman, Immediate Past Chairman Vice-Chairman Secretary/Treasurer and two others. ' '

Branch Rules

A copy o.f the new Branch's rules were supplied to each to the meeting. These were accepted and will be submitted to the Council for its approval.

Treasurer's Report

It was reported that the Branch finances were audited m October, 1968, when the S.E. Midland Branch divided. The sum of £13 l 6s. 5d. was carried over. At the date of this meeting the Branch's funds banked and elsewhere stood at £24 l6s. 6d. The report was accepted. It was agreed that Branch membership fee should be 5/- per annum.

Southern Regional School at Surrey University, Spring, 1970

After a letter from Mr. C. R. Peskett, Hon. Secretary, South Eastern Branch, had been read by the Secretary, the Branch decided unanimously to support this venture. The question was raised of an advanced course to be held at a later date. This was strongly supported and its possibility is to be explored. The Branch Delegate to the Executive Council was instructed to raise the question regarding the possibility of the Association conducting a qualification examination for Petroleum Officers.

Date, place and business of next meeting

It was resolved upon the Chairman's suggestion that the Spring Annual General Meeting be held at Southend on a date to be agreed later. The business of the meeting to include, if possible, a speaker on the subject of Petroleum Mixtures.

Discussion on Association's Codes of Recommended Practice

A full discussion on various points of the Codes filled most of the afternoon's time-table. The meeting felt strongly that the Association should be congratulated upon its production of this document, which they felt would be of great assistance to all Petroleum Officers. During the general discussion on this subject the question of non-injury petroleum fires was raised. As there is no compulsion to report such accidents to the Home Office, it was felt by members that national records of petroleum accidents could well be misleading. It was unanimously agreed that all accidents involving petroleum installation, whether injury occurs or not, should be fully reported to the Home Office. The Branch Delegate was asked to bring this matter to the attention of the Executive Council.

Vote of thanks

The meeting was closed at 4.00 p.m. after Mr. J. M. Halliday had proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Scrivener of Saffron Walden, the Clerk of the Council and to the Rural District Council for their generous assistance in providing the venue for the meeting, and for their hospitality. This was carried with acclamation.

Legal Proceedings

Teesside

Breach of Licence Conditions

I. Following a fire and explosion at 367 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, Teesside, which was a licensed petroleum installation the licensee was fined a total of £100 for contravention of Regulations 7 and 8 of the 1957 Regulations and also for his contravention of Conditions 5 and 8 of Conditions of Licence. The tank wagon driver was fined £10 for contravention of Regulation 7 of the 1957 Regulations and the forecourt attendant was fined £5 for her contravention of Condition 3 of the licence.

2. A tanker driver was fined £2 at Middlesbrough Magistrates' Court for being in possession of live matches in a no smoking area on a licensed premise contrary to condition of licence.

3. A licensee of a petroleum installation was fined a nominal £6 for failing to renew his storage licence.

Through the Pipeline by Otto

WHO IS TO DECIDE ?

Rumour has it that there is in typescript if not in print a specification for plastic petrol cans. One presumes that the specification will set out a number of standard tests which individual cans will have to pass before they are accepted as being satisfactory. It is open to speculation whether appropriate amendment of the Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles, etc.) Regulations, 1929, will follow. if and when the specification is approved and issued.

There can, however, be no speculation about the position regarding fibreglass petrol fuel tanks. Statements issued by the Home Office show quite clearly that that authority holds the firm opinion that fibreglass fuel tanks are not only dangerous but contravene the provisions of the aforesaid 1929 Regulations. Despite this official view, fibreglass fuel tanks continue to appear on motor vehicles as well as on a well known motor mower renowned for its peculiar means of perambulation.

The problem does not end here because motor car manufacturers now commonly use plastic piping between the fuel tanks and the fuel pumps of their motor cars. In some cases the plastic piping runs unseen in chassis channels where even the most conscientious welder might be excused for not knowing until too late of its existence. Melting of the plastic piping with consequent outflow of the fuel tank contents has caused one or two nasty fires recently.

In this connection, it is interesting to note that one car manufacturer who uses plastic piping for fuel lines and for the clutch hydraulic system does not use it on the brake hydraulic system. One wonders whether this is because the manufacturer does not consider the plastic piping good enough to use on a braking system.

Hom.e Office _cannot responsibility for policy regard1_ng plastic petrol cans. Responsim of plastic fuel tanks and pipelines is shared with the M1mstry of Tra_nsport. Certainly the question of the use of plastic fuel Imes on motor vehicles would be most properly dealt with under the Motor Vehicles (Con- struction and Use) Regulations.

Whoever takes the plunge let us hope that sensible decisions are reached before too many people get hurt unnecessarily !

WHO'S CONTENT ?

There has always been the wildest speculation about what it was exactly that Archimedes saw floating which caused him to jump out of his bath and shout "Eureka". About his Principle there has never been the slightest doubt.

Archimedes' Principle can be readily demonstrated by suspending a cube of iron on a spring balance and slowly immersing the cube in water. It will be observed that as the cube of iron becomes increasingly submerged the weight recorded on the spring balance progressively reduces. In fact the reduction is exactly equal to the weight of the volume of water displaced by the cube of iron at any one time.

There have been many applications of Archimedes' principle. A comparatively recent one is to be found in the design of a contents gauge for petrol tanks.

A long metal probe is suspended in a tank so that when the tank is empty the full weight of the probe bears on a supporting member. When the tank is full the weight of the probe bearing on the supporting member is reduced virtually to zero. The supporting member connects to a piston which transfers the effective weight of the probe onto hydraulic fluid contained in a cylinder. The pressure thereby generated is transferred by hydraulic pipe to a manometer fixed in a convenient position.

If the weight of the probe in the "tank empty" condition is 50 lbs. and the cross-sectional area of the piston is 5 square inches, then the pressure to be read by the manometer will vary between 10 p.s.i.g. for an empty tank to zero for a full tank. It is convenient that the gauge should work this way because in the event of failure of hydraulic pressure the tank is shown as being "full". From the point of view of minimising the risk of accidental overfilling of a tank it is better that the gauge should show "full" on failure than "empty".

The dial of the manometer of the contents gauge is marked in gallons instead of pounds per square inch. The scale shows 20 gallon sub-divisions and is made sufficiently large to permit a minimum spacing of 8 mm. (5/16 inch) per 100 gallon division. The shape of the probe is so disposed that the dial scale is virtually linear.

The suffers the same defect as pneumatic contents gauges m that the reading obtained depends on the specific gravity of the liquid being measured. However, for the different grades of petrol alternative dial faces are provided. By supplying a continuous reading the gauge gains an advantage over most pneumatic gauges.

The price of petrol being what it is, it is remarkable that so many filling station proprietors should be so remiss in failing to check stocks regularly. It may be that they are deterred not only by the physical effort involved in dipping tanks but by the formidable task of lifting some of the manhole covers currently in evidence on forecourts. If this be the case, then the availability of a continuous reading contents gauge may be reason enough for them now to shout "Eureka".

The New Index

. With the publication of this issue, the Bulletin has now been with us for eight years and has accumulated within its pages much useful information to which there should be easy access. It has been decided therefore to provide each year a further index, under subject headings, but covering the previous five years' issues. This will not only be a index containing all matters of immediate interest, but will also provide easy access to those subjects that, either by their scope or technical depth, only appear very irregularly in print; it will also filter out surplus information by the five year limitation.

As this is the first such issue, this current index only will cover the whole period of publication, but the index in October, 1970, will only cover 1966-1970. Index references given are self explanatory, giving the page number in year of publication. Due to the fact that, prior to 1965, volumes did not coincide with calendar years, the followmg early publication dates will help to clarify the position.

Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Volume 4 Volume 5

June, October, 1962; January, April, 1963 July, October, 1963; January, April, 1964 July, October, 1964; January, April, 1965 July, October, 1965 January, April, July, October, 1966

Pages in each volume are numbered consecutively except for the first issues of Volume 1. is a shortage of publications on this subject, a vacuum at least partially filled by the _Your hope_s this new index will allow the technical contents to be used more easily and readily by anyone wishmg to study m detail any particular aspect of the safety of petroleum handling and enforcement of the Petroleum Acts. W.H.

Subject Index-Cumulative

PERIOD 1962-1969 (VOLUMES 1 TO 8)

References indicate year and page numbers. All articles are not indexed but references to. other articles may be found _in thodse /ijtjd. Number sequence prior to volume 3 does not relate year to volume as dates were changed m 1965 to run from January mstea 0 u y.

AEROSOLS See L.P.G.

DRAINAGE Pitch fibre pipes 1967: 76 Petrol interceptor 1966: 47, 66

ELECTRICAL

Common conductors 1962: 4 Earth leak protection 1966: 89

Electrostatic spraying 1967: 76

Flameproofing 1966: 19; 1968: 27

Safety standards 1965: 9, 31 ; 1967: 90; 1969: 55

Sparking 1969: 48

Static 1967: 22, 28, 76; 1969: 34

Submersible pumps 1965: 35 Tank protection 1967: 9, 40

FIRE

Boats 1964: 64

Extinguishers, garage requirements 1963: 46 Fire extinguishers 1966: 24, 33, 53; 1967: 22, 88; 1968: 19, 31, 75

Ignition 1967: 98; 1968: 27

Major incidents 1966: 32, 62; 1967: 60 Railway accidents 1964: 67 Tanker accident 1969: 52

FORECOURTS See Garage Equipment

GARAGE EQUIPMENT

Heaters 1965: 82: 1967: 18, 80

Layout of premises 1963: 56: 1965: 30; 1966: 37, 49, 90: 1969: 77, 83

Planning requirements 1963: 63 Suction lines 1965: 51

Swing arms 1965: 49

LAW Administration 1962: 1; 1969: 49, 75 (Maud proposals), 75 (Codes of Practice)

Major cases 1965: 12 (Appeal on installation, Petroleum Act Sec. 3) 1966: 28, 48; 1968: 28, 52; 1969: 24 (Licensing conditions) 1965: 91 (Swansea), 145 (Oxford); 1966: 28, 71; 1969: 72(Petroleum Spirit Conveyance, Etc.) Regulations 1965: 19; 1967: 98: 1969: 24 (Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicle) Regulations) 1965: 19, 116 (Wrong delivery)

Faulty tankers 1968: 51, 110

Petroleum Law 1965: 29; 1966: 83; 1968: 88; 1969: 33 Tanker dispensing 1966: 71, 83

L.P.G. (Liquified Petroleum Gases) Aerosols 1965: 40, 128; 1967: 97

Frozen earth storage 1966: 96

Major incidents 1966: 32, 36; 1969: 53 North Sea Gas 1967: 14

Regulations-Holland 1965: 5 Safety 1968: 8 Storage 1966: 35; 1967: 29; 1968: 8 Testing 1967: 3 Transport 1968: 8, 33

MODEL CODE 1968 1969: 11, 41, 52

NOZZLES 1967: 79; 1968: 5, 47, 57, 68, 84, 88; 1969: 52, 65

PARAFFIN Vending machines 1965: 103, 108

PUBLICATIONS, ETC. Association publication 1965: 83; 1969: 52

Association history 1962: 1 ; 1965: 3 Historical licence 1966: 12 Textbooks 1967: 7

PUMPS AND FITTINGS

Blending pumps 1963: 38; 1965: 35; 1967: 4

Mobile sale 1964: 116; 1966: 28, 71

New forecourt equipment 1967: 11, 49; 1968: 91 Paraffin pumps 1965: 103, 108 Petroil 1968: 47

Plastic pipes 1966: 54

Pump construction 1964: 79 Pump motors 1965: 35; 1968: 109

Pumps-future trends 1965: 34; 1966: 87

Self service (see below) Suction lines 1965 : 51 Swing arms 1965: 49; 1967: 26

SELF SERVICE Attended 1964: 104; 1966: 65; 1967: 49, 79; 1968: 12, 37, 62, 93, 107 Unattended 1964: 104; 1966: 76; 1967: 30, 36; 1968: 4, 12, 31, 47, 62, 73, 93, 107

Conference, B.P. 1969: 6

Credit card 1966: 57

Note acceptor 1966: 39; 1967: 30 Paraffin 1967: 34

SPILLAGE AND LOSSES L.P.G. 1966: 36

Oil slick 1965 : 106

Spillage 1965: 39, 145; 1968: 50

Suction lines 1965: 51

Wrong delivery 1965: 116, 122

STORAGE Airport storage 1969: 5, 76

Boats 1964: 64; 1968: 39

Bulk stores 1967: 16, 62; 1968: 41; 1969: 71

Can stores 1967: 63

Depot fire 1966: 62

Disused tanks 1964: 128; 1968: 49

Double tanks 1969: 53

Filling 1968: 72

Frozen earth storage L.P.G. 1966: 96

Glass fibre tanks 1967: 8, 38; 1968: 20; 1969: 2, 73, 88

Leaking tanks 1966: 27

Offset fillers 1968 : 49; 1969: 70

Plastic storage tanks 1966: 55; 1967: 8, 38; 1968: 2, 20

Public Health Act, 1961, 1964: 128

Safe storage 1965: 31, 93; 1967: 85

Tank cleansing 1967: 6

Tank numbers 1968: 43

Tank protection 1965: 93; 1967: 9, 40

Tank testing 1963: 71; 1964: 142; 1967: 21, 47; 1968: 102, 105

Ullage test 1964: 87

Underground tanks 1965: 17, 28; 1966: 80; 1969: 77

Ventilation 1967: 98

TECHNICAL: FUEL AND CHEMISTRY

Abel test 1966: 70

Evaporation 1967: 39

Fibreglass 1966: 26

Flammability 1969: 47, 48

Flash 1967: 98

Hydraulic oil 1967: 5

Ionising radiation, use of 1963: 83

L.P.G. 1964: 24, 71; 1968: 8

Nature of petroleum 1962: 8; 1966: 77; 1968: 8, 98

North Sea Gas 1965: 43; 1966: 41

Octane number 1963: 42; 1966: 6

Proof spirit 1966: 70

Refining 1967: 31

Safety classficiation 1967: 90; 1968: 3 Small pumps 1968: 109 Solvents 1967: 85

Ventilation 1967: 98

TRANSPORT AND DISTRIBUTION

Dangerous liquids 1965: 85; 1967: 97

Heavy oil 1968: 11

Hose coupling 1969: 54 L.P.G. 1968: 33

Offset fillers 1968: 49

Petroleum bulk 1968: 17 72

R Pip_e1ltines 1963: 24, 33; 1965: 15, 24; 1967: 14; 1968: 15, 59 a1 ransport 1964: 67; 1966: 61 Road transport 1966: 95· 1967· 97

Tanker ships 1967: 82 ' ·

Volumes I N D EX 1969

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Doncaster, 24th April, 1969

APPOINTMENTS

R. N. Allman

R. S. L. Anderson

H. Appleyard

J. Barker

G. H. Barrett G. E. J. Benn

J. L. Billings

H.J. Davies H. Garlick

A. Gibson J. E. Gledhill

G. T. Gordon

J. Gray W. J. Harris

J.P. Honour J. H. B. Hornby

J. Howie

D. King

A. Leese

K. McLeod

S. Pape

C. Savage

J. Slack

H. R. Tarrant

L. E. Thompson

J.M. Todd

W. H. Veitch

A. B. Whittingham

D. E. Wright

N. P. Youlden

Page 58 26 51 26 74 26 51 51 51 74 51 2 2 51 51 15 74 2 51 26 51 2 51 51 26 51 2 27 28 2 26

BRANCH REPORTS

Anglia

lOth September, 1969, Saffron Walden Cumbria

19th February, 1969, Wigton .. 19th March, 1969, Carlisle 16th April, 1969, Whitehaven 24th September, 1969, Cockermouth

East Midland 14th November, 1968, Mansfield 12th May, 1969, Derby Northern 4th September, 1968, Framwellgate Moor 11 th March, 1969, Teesside

North Western I 6th October, 1968, Manchester Scottish 24th October, 1968, Hamilton 15th April, 1969, Glasgow Airport

South Eastern 2nd October, 1968, Godalming 4th December, 1968, Godalming 3rd September, 1969, Worthing

South East Midland 2nd October, 1968, Huntingdon 22nd April, 1969, Witney

Wessex and South Wales

5th December, 1968, Thornbury 14th May, 1969, Thornbury

West Midland

I Ith December, 1968, Halesowen 26th February, 1969, Burton upon Trent

Page 87 45 63 85 85 18 66 61 62 39 15 63 1 1 40 86 12 64 19 68 41 43

Yorkshire

23rd October, 1968, Birkenshaw

6th November, 1968, Birkenshaw

21st May, 1969, Scarborough

CONGRATULATIONS

W. Babbington

E. S. Calvert

R. E. Cooper

D. J. Davies

W. T. Gilby

H. F. Griffiths

K. L. Holland

A. Leese

F. J. Lorrigan

J. Stewart

F. Taylor

COUNCIL MEETINGS

Brierley, 15th October, 1968

Birmingham, 8th January, 1969

Birmingham, 26th March, 1969

Birmingham, 2nd June, 1969

EDITORIAL-TALKING POINT

Glass Fibre Petrol Tanks

Glass Reinforced Plastic Tanks for Motor Cycles

Post Office Petrol Installations

Up the Garden Path

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Page 13 14 69 52 52, 74 52 52 27 3, 52 74 3 74 52 3, 27 19 46 59 60 2 73 25 49

Hartlepool-Illegal Keeping of Petroleum Spirit 24

Greater London-Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance) Regulations 72 Teesside-Breach of Licence Conditions 87

LETTERS

A.D.R.-W. C. R. Dale Car Ports-C. L. Davids 4, 28 4 H. T. E. Jackson

Codes of Practice-C. R. Peskett

Definition of Petroleum Mixtures-G. Beresford

Drilling for Lost Petrol-M. Stevenson

Gas Pressure Testing of Tanks-S. Gascoigne Latched Nozzles-a. K. M. Symons Model Code-F. W. Brown Petroleum Administration and Maud-D. Hall Storage of Petroleum Spirit and Diesel Oil in Double Compartment Tanks-G. H. Harvey

MISCELLANEOUS

A Proud Day

B.P. Self-Service Conference

Certificates for Safe Electrical Equipment

Collected Facts and Definitions relating to Electrical Standards and Safety Areas in the Storage of Petrol-W. Hetherington Coventry Fire Brigade-Applicator for Use at Spillages

Cumulative Index

Drilling for Lost Petrol Driver Moved Burning L.P.G. Tanker Erratum

4 75 3 28 4 52 28 75 53 57 6 27 55 27 89 3 74 3

Experimental Oil Fired Grass Drier Explosion and Fire, Wilton Works, Teesside-H. Johnson Flex Colour Code for the Home

52 53 27 Hydrant Fuelling System at London Airport (Heathrow) Cargo Terminal In Parliament

Mobil's Terminal at Kingsbury Nairobi Garage Fire Petrol Crash Kills Five Petrol Tanks in Rail Disaster at Johannesburg Publications

Quick Acting Couplings Aid Productivity Ready for Jumbo Safety in Marketing Operations-R. A. Davis Sarahan Adventure

Secretary's Notes ••

Serious Fire Situation involves Discharging Petrol Tanker Stanhope-Seta 9 lb Portable Flash Point Apparatus Static Electricity-C. L. Davids

5 38 81 27 74 52 3, 51 54 76 83 29 3, 52 52 3 34

The Chairman 50

The Eighth Wayne Engineering Conference-P. E. Parberry 10

The Installation of Underground Storage Tanks and associated pipework-K. Sherwood 77

The Petroleum (Inflammable Liquids) Order, 1968-N. Wilkins 33

OBITUARY

A. P. Andrews A. H. V. Marsden E. Vaughan

RETIREMENTS

J. Barber J. R. Beasley J. Beveridge A. B. A. Campbell G. F. Cantrill W. T. Gilby H. W. Grummett E. Jarman G. H. Lancaster A. Pickering G. Poole W. E. Rudgley W. H. D. Summers F. Templeman A. J. Williams C. Wilson

THROUGH THE PIPELINE

How is it Safe ? How will it Burn ? Quo Vadis .. What's the Content ? What's the Retainer ? Where's the Point Who's Content ? Who is to Decide ?

51 2 27 74 26 51 51 51 26 51 51 51 74 27 27 27 51 27 51 48 47 23 70 71 23 88 88