The Bulletin – October 1973

Quarterly Journal of The Association for Petroleum Acts Administration

R. S. L. ANDERSON

C.ANSBRO

E.V.BEEBY J. BENNETT G.BERESFORD

J. BIRKS D.HALL L. HAGGETT G.H.HARVEY

THE ASSOCIATION FOR PETROLEUM ACTS ADMINISTRATION

Chairman: J. W. HEWISON

Vice-Chairman: J.BEER

Immediate Past Chairman: R. P. HOLDAWAY

Council:

Ayr C. 67093

Darlington C.B. 3446/6162

Rugby RD.C. 2071 Morley B. 5541 Hastings B. 4182 Chesterfield B. 2825 Newcastle-under-Lyme B. 0782 610161 Mel1thyr Tydfil Dudley C.B. 55433

Hon. Secretary: J. W. FRID

Officers:

W. HETHERINGTON B. HODGSON K. C. HUGHES T.KERR K. MacLEOD H. R MELLOR C. R PESKETT R E. J. RODEN

Witney U.D.C. 3241 Wigton R.D.C. 2133/5 Stafford B. 3507

Glanford Brigg R.D.C. Brigg 2441/5 Dumbarton 2351 Blackpool C.B. 23848 Godalming B. 6191/4 Birmingham City 0212353089

Hon. Treasurer: C. T. PEACOCK

Hon. Editor: B. W. THACKER Branch Secretaries : J. W. FRID, B. HODGSON, J. BIRKS, C. ANSBRO, ' H. R J. SHORT, C. R PESKETT, R. E. DUST, R HUNTINGTON, G. BALSHAW, J. BENNETT, P. D. WADSWORTH,

Petroleum Technology Course 76

Index 1973 Cumulative Index 78 79

Talking Point

It now seems clear that the administration of the petroleum regulations will be carried out, after 1st April, 1974 by either fire service or trading standards personnel.

It is also perhaps true to say that some of these officers are still comparatively inexperienced in matters arising out of the day to day administration of the Act and it will, inevitably, be some time before this experience can be gained

In the meantime, surely, it would be imprudent to discard the expertise which exists in other disciplines or associations such as ours. To do so would be to ignore the current thinking within Local Government to create a corporate atmosphere by blending the relevant skills available in different departments.

Editor: B. W. C. Thacker

notes and news

NEW ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

APPOINTMENTS

J. Birks, Deputy Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Chesterfield, has been promoted to Chief Inspector.

,I. P. Honour, Senior Inspector, St. Albans, pas been ,promoted to temporary Chi:ef Trading Standards Of!icer.

E. L. F. Welch, Trading <Standards Officer, St. Al'bans, ,has 'been appointed Chief Trading Standards Officer of Hertfordshire County Council.

RETIREMENTS

J. A., Norrls, Chief. Inspector Weights _ and _Measures, Chesterfield, after 36 years in ,this post. I '

I. R. Roberts, M.B.E., Chief Inspector of Weights and Measures, Manchester, after 50 years local government service.

PUBLICATION

Report of Her Majesty's Inspector of Explosives for ,the year ending 31st December, 1972. 36;p.

The Night Petrol Flowed onFree

Sunday Express, 24th June, 1973

When a motorist found the cut-out switch on a 24--hour self-service petrol pump wasn't working, he spread ithe good news.

His ,friends must have 'been a 'rr-iving all through the night to fill up their ,tanks at 50pa !time.

The fault cost Worthing Motors of Broadwalter Road, Wortthing, Sussex 165 gallons of petrol.

A director, Mr. John Poxon, said yesterday: "We have an alttendan t on duty until 10 p.m. ·then one pump goes over to self-service.

HA motorist who arrived sometime during the night put a SOp coin into !the pump and f ound that it went on pumping SO long as he kept t he 'trigger pressed

"lie must have lots of friends. In a normal night :the pump gives out about lO gallons to two or ,three callers. But we reckon that at least 30 motorists arrived to top up their tanks.

"They must have 'been crawling out of bed all night as the word went round".

A new rule came into force at the garage yesterday. The all-night pump is not to be used manually any more. It will remain permanently on 'automatic self-service to reduce the risk of another fault.

Plastic Petrol Tanks

Daily Mail, lllth August, 1973

Plastic petrol tanks are becoming legal in Britain because a Common Market regulation is over-ruling British Law.

lOur law says that petrol must be kept in slteel tanks. Common Market Law says plastic tanks may be used on most vehicles with four or more wheels.

. And since under Common Market rules E.E.C. regulations ovenide the laws of member countries motor firms are now free to launch plastic tanks that:

Fit neatly into normally 'empty' unused wing areas; Do not rust and are colour impregnated to match the car; Allow more boot and rear seat space; Cause less drumming.

There's only one snag. Plastic rtanks are dearer than steel in la1'ge quantities, because tooling costs are high.

So the Big Four motor firms are likely to consider economics first and motoring pleasure second-and choose steel for two more years at least.

G.R.P. Storage Tank in use at filling Station

On July lSth, 1973 Amoco (UK) Limited ins talled a 6,000 gallon tank, fabricated 'from glass reinforced polyester resin for the storage of petrol at their Iden Park Service Station, Staplehurst. Kenlt. The tank is one of the first of its kind to be used for this application in Ithe UK and the installation marks the ,turning point for the change-over from slteel to gIass reinforced polyester as a construction material for Ithe storage of petroleum products in the UK.

Ronald C. Bentley, Robert C. Craven-Jones, Apex Petroleum Lim1ted, Kenneth G. Shaw, John C. Wbaley,

Polyester resin based on isophthalmic acid was chosen for the rabrication -of the tank 'because of the proven resistance to corrosion which it imparts to the finished product. This is confirmed by case histories from the U.S. where tanks made from isopnthalic resin which have been in use for almost ten years and where there are now 20,000 such tanks installed at service stations throughout the country.

The resistance to corrosion enables a much less compHcated procedure to be used for the placement of the tank and the one at Iden Park will be embedded in well compacted sand instead of the more expensive concrete used at

present. In addition the lighter weight GRP tank enables simple lifting equipment to be used for :the installation.

The tank was manufactured to a Lloyds approved design by Hunting Industrial 'Plastics Limited with resin supplied by ,Freeman Chemicals (UK) Limited and glass reinforcement from 'Fibreglass Industries 'Limited. It is ant·icipated that the life of the tank will be considerably longer than that of a steel tank and that reduced mainta1nance cost and freedom from pollution problems will more than off-seJt the higher initial cost.

EQUIPMENT-RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

A Paper given at LANCASTER

by G. M. Pattenden, Esq., Tactical Planning and Development Dept., Shell Marketing Ltd.

I have 'been asked to talk to you on .the subject of Recent Equipment Developments embodying electronic computing and control equipment and submerged pumping systems. Before talking about these subjeots 'in detail I would like to tell you something about the changing marketing profile which is making it very necessary for us to look towards modern technology as a means of obtaining a greater level of efficiency and reliabiHty.

Whilst the concept of self service in itself can be considered as "one man's meat is another man's poison" self service petrol retailing has proved ·itse}.f to be a very efficient and effective means of selling petrol in high volumes. Whether we like it or not 'the concept of ·self service in the U.K. is growing along ·the similar lines to that in Scandinavia and Sweden in particular.

At this stage there are just over 2,500 post payment self service outlets operating ·in If:he U.K. and they account for something like 25% of the total petrol sold. Shell have just over 400 outlets and -these account for about 23 % of our total retail volume. By 1977 we anticipate tha,t this % will have grown .to about 50%. Our current average annual volume for self service stations is just over! million gallons. By 1977 this average volume will have grown to something probably in excess of i million. This means thllit we will have a great selling in of 1m gallons p.a. These statIOns 1.n partlcular to demand a very high degree of efficlency and rehablhty.

Up ,to now we have developed our self service network to a fairly high standard in terms of basic layout and design in that we have built the stations in such a way that motorists have 'as much space as possible to drive in and out of the station with safety. Unfortunately in terms of equipment we have been forced Ito use conventional equipment modified to meet the needs of ·self seI"V'ice.

Some of the basic customer problems that we had particularly in the early days were: 'Poor hose handling, Dinty hoses, Grade selection--two handed operation on the Opposite side of pump to other controls.

Gradually some of these things have been dmproved and we have seen :the re-birth of the radial arm, and grade selection on ·the blender pump has been substantially improved. The blender pump in itself is a very useful marketing tool in thaJt it has enabled us to make most grades available at all refuelling positions and thus gives us the most economic use of real estate. But ·at :the same have had to live with some pretty formidable problems m terms of -high maintenance costs and a rather poor level of reliability.

Quite clearly we had to start looking at new methods and if we are going Ito meet the demands of Ithe market place during the next ten years we have got to do what we do today with a far higher degree of efficiency.

Thds brings us on to the development of the more sophisticated dispensing systems involving the application of electronic computing and control equipment. We now find ourselves in the position where we in the petrol companies are playing a far more active role 'in the lay·ing down of :the specification of equipmen't rather than Ithe traditional ·situation when the pump manufacturers produced a piece of equipment which we accepted and proceeded to put into the market place.

We are now in the siltuation where we are able to lay down our ·specific requirements. This has meant that we have had ·to sit down with our thinking caps firmly on and decide exactly what we are looking for.

Our thinking on this has always been very clear in that we are convinced thaJt our basic thinking must always stali: with the customer and we have quantified our requirements under three headings:

(1) 111e customer

(2) The station 'Operator

(3) And last of 'all our own selfish -requirements

In customer terms this means:

Cleaner and Easier hose handling. Easy to operate controls. Accuracy. Safety. ReUabiHty.

In terms of the station operator Lt means: Safety-accuracy-reliability. Easy maintenance.

Easy price changing faciltity. Secure and quick -cash handling. Data collection facilities in terms of cash and stock totalisors.

Flexibility allowing for the addition or more sophisticated equipment at a later stage in accordance with the growth of the sltation.

Our requirements are, of course, very cIosely aligned to those of the -station operator with the addition ,that we welcome the opportunity of using equipment which offers us the necessary flexibility to present our image in a different form in Hne with the changing demands of the market, and we really need to obtain flexibiHty to give us longer life 'Of equipment.

One -of the first companies to develop the application of electronics to fuel dispens'ing was Westinghouse Brake & Signal Co.-this being -a natural follow on from earlier work they had carried out on oil company terminal refuelling. Subsequently the Llewellyn Lewis 'Factor 5000 sySJtem appeared and this now 'being marketed through Alan Pond Equipment Ltd. Both of these systems are similar in that they are designed to blend and compute electronically.

One of the first Westinghouse MkI installations was on a Shell location at Derby. This embodies customer display module with push button grade selection and display of total purchase in money and gallons. Their MkII and subsequent systems also embody a numeration display of the unit price per gallon as an integral part of the system. Traditional pumping methods were used with standard hydraulics located at :the actual dispensing point. Hose handling remained a problem. The console control unit which at first sight appears like the night deck of a Boeing jet, houses individual m'Odules appropriate to :the number of pumps and the blend 'seleot, price adjustment and t'Otalisor facilities. 111e whole of this system is now being repackaged into much smaller units in terms of the forecourt d:ispenser and the console control modules. There is still the same quantity of electronic circuitry, and all that has happened is that it has been realigned into a more practical package. The forecourt dispenser is known as the 'P' pump and this is produced -in conjunction with Tokheim who supply all of the hydraulic parts. The main side panels are 'Of fibre glass, a relatively new material in petrol pump

construction and this has been possible on this unit because they are not load bearing components. The front shroud is of stainless steel and the overhead arm in Zintec protected 9teel.

SYSTEMS DESCRIPTION

Both the Wescourt and the Faotor 5000 system provides for up to eight dispensers. Equipment of an established pattern is used for pumping and measuring fuel delivered.

Because of the method used for converting :the flow meter movement ,into visual dispIays the pumps and meters can be mounted adjacent to or -remote from the point ·of sale.

The conversion of the movements of the meter shaft, depicting measurement of unit volumes, into a visual display of volume and cash is carried out electronically in the central computer unit.

The first stage of this conversion is the pulse generators which are mounted directly on to the meter output shaft. The pulses generated during a delivery 'are transmitted to the central computer unit.

The computation of the volume taken ,is made in the central computer unit, and the 'information is continually displayed on the customer display unit.

The pulses generated during product flow are used to drive the electromechanical totaliser for product totals.

The pulses generated during product flow are 'also routed int'O the dispenser computing circuit which continually calculates ,the price for the volume and grade of petrol taken. The results of this computation are continually displayed on the customer dIsplay unit 'and are available for display on the 'attendant's control unit -on demand. pulses resul'ting from the cash computation are used ,to drIve an eleotromechanical totalisor which displays cash value of the total station throughput.

The cost per g-allon, or litre, for each blend is set. up on edge operated switches in the electronic control umt. If a price change is required for 'any particular blend this can be easily accomplished by rota:ting these switch:s required. While a transaction is in progress the prIce IS locked 'into the computation circui1ts and cannot be altered. These switches do not require sealing by the W. & M. Inspectors.

The standard system provides for six blends. The ratio of high and low octane in these blends is set .jn 1% steps each satting being completely 'independent of all other settings and is therefore not restricted to the gear ratios of mechanical systems.

The blend valve is of an established pattern and is mounted with the pumping unit. On the F'actor 5000 this is activated electrically by a positioner which is present, prior to the commencement of delivery. Once product begins to flow the pulses are continuously monitored and checked against the central blend '1'atios switches in the central computer unit. Should, at any ;time, :this check 'indicate a deviation from the desired ratio the signal to the position is 'adjusted, thus altering the mechanical position of the blend valve. The same process is achieved with the Wescourt system but on a pnuematic basil•.

Tests have shown that, ,the overall systems including meter tolerances will give system accuracies on a one gallon delivery 'Of better :than 1%.

Let us now look at ,the basic composition of the Uewellyn Lewis Factor 5000 syS'tems and also go through the operating sequence. The early installation utilised Tokheim hydraulics; since :the Hnk up with Alan Pond 'Equipment Ltd., Ljungman hydraulics have been used, mainly with remote pumping and metering. The ,basic components are:-

S.I.D. Selection, Indicating and Dispensing A.C.U. Attendants Control Unit E.C.U. Electronic Control Unit.

In common with the Westinghouse system .the S.I.D. embodies push button grade selection, display of unit price per gallon together with display of total purchase. It also has a call button which the customer can use if there is some difficul,ty 'in. using the equipment. This equipment is manufactured from sheet steel with cast alloy covers.

The A.C.U. ,in size is approx·imately the same as a large typewrHer. On the customer selecting the product required on the S.I.D. ,the 'Green-enable lamps flashes and there is an audible signal on the A.C.U. The 'attendant checks that 'it is safe for delivery to commence and presses enable button which cancels the audible signal ·and makes the enable light to go to steady. Customer can then take delivery of fuel. On replacing the nozzle the yellow display lamp flashes. Attendant presses Display button-light goes steady-white print button then flashes. The on the S.I.D. is then repeated on the A.C.U. Attendant then presses "print" push button and a ticket is printed. Dispenser is then clear for next transaction.

There is an emergency Stop hutton for each dispenser and a master switch for 'isolating the whole system.

'Bath the Wescourt and Factor 5000 systems have been approved to BASEEFA Home Office and GLC Standards.

Westinghouse have about 70 locations operative within the U.K. Only ·four of ,these are on Shell locations and likewise we have only four stations operating with the Factor 5000 system. Therefore it 'is probably fair to say that we are only just out of the prototype stage but our experience to date in terms of accuracy ·and reliability have been most encouraging we .have found no grounds for refusing any of the claImS made by the manufacturers. The one thing we are anxlOusly looking for is a reduction in costs and we hope that with increasing levels of cO'mpetFtiO'n this may come about.

One O'f the major ·immediate gains from electrO'nic dispensing methO'ds is of layout. Separation of the grade selectIOn, computmg functiO'ns provides .a dramatic increase in fQrecourt flexibility in that the cQmponent parts making up the. dispensing system may now be arranged, to meet marketmg and. econO'mic needs rather than restraints imposed by the equipment itself.

The positioning of the dispens"ing point is entirely independent of the hydraulics and allows full advantage to be taken of remote pumping thus removing the pumps mQtO'rs

and air separatQrs from the major hazard area-the dispensing point. The siting of pumps and mQtO'rs in separate cabinets away ·from the "island is Qne way O'f achieving this but little "is saved in capital costs and installation costs when one cQnsiders that every blending dispenser requires two mQtors and twO' pumps. Surely the logical step is to' eliminate the suction pipewQrk and place ·the pumps inside the stO'rage tanks. This 'is now possible and creates the ideal in dispensing techniques. The submerged pumps and hydraulic equipment which are installed at our WolverhamptO'n location are manufactured and supplied by Tokheim. They are electrically driven, centrifugal pumps having three 'impellors and are fitted inside the underground stO'rage tanks. The complete mO'tor and pumping unit, which is enclosed within a sealed casing, is located at the bottO'm of the tank cO'mpletely immersed by the fuel it is pumping. The electrical mO'tO'rs and pumps are coO'led both internally and externally by the petrol, therefore, ·the construction has to confO'rm to .the very demanding specificat:ion of flameproO'f authorities not only ,in this cO'untry but alsO' on the American continent where Ithey are widely used.

The motors and impellors are connected to the tQP housing by a concentric steel ,tube. The internl tube contains the electrical cO'nnections whilst the external tube contains the spirit as it is pumped.

The tO'P O'f the unit cO'nsists of a hO'using which is attached to a 4" stand pipe for connection into the tank. The housing is in 'two parts connected by three bolts and when the unit is installed -in the tank ,the removal of the bolts enables the submerged pump assembly to be drawn from the tank.

Contained in the tO'P hO'using are:-

Electrical conneotor with junctiO'n box.

Capacitor complete with resistor for starting the motO'r check v·alve which open when all air is eliminated.

GonnectiO'n fO'r syphO'ning arranged.

Pressure relief valve and plug which can be removed fQr line testing.

A'ir separa'Ving tube.

The entire unit is covered by BASEEFA certificate and is apprQved by DTI and GLC.

The use of submerged pumps in comparisO'n to' cO'nventional pumps can considerably reduce 'installation, maintenance 'and running costs. For example a sta·tiO'n with six blending pumps Qf conventional type WQuld have twelve !hp mO'tors and twelve pumping units, air separatO'rs, vee belts and check valves and relief valves, etc., not to mention the twelve sets of associated pipework from pumps to underground tanks. A similar 'installaVion using submerged pumps need have only twO' ihp motQrs, two pumps air separatO'rs, no vee belts, 'by pass valves, etc., and only twO' sets of pipewQrk linking with dispensing pedestal to ,the undergrO'und tank.

Servicing of equipment ·is much reduced due to the reduction in moving parts as well as ,the considerahle reduction in wear and tear assodated with conventional blenders during peak opera'ting periods.

The mstallation of the pump in the tank is quite straightforward. it is desirable to fit a separate manlid to the tank so that the fill dip and vent pipes are segregated.

The delivery line from .the pump need be no larger than I!" in diameter with branch lines to .the .forecourt dispensers. The lines can be laid to suit the actual levels of the site, and as they are pressurised it is no longer absolutely necessary to have the standards I" to 10' fall from pump island to the tank, but Tokheim still recommend ,this when ilt is possible.

Similarly, the length of the delivery line does not materially affect the operation of the dispenser as the product is being pushed and not drawn.

The removal of submerged pumps after installation for any reason at all is simple 'and only requires the removal of three bolts which allows the complete pump and motor to be drawn out of the tank. Delivery pipes and electrical connections are not disturbed <in any way and remain permanentlyconnected to the tank lid mounting pipe. The units are completely water-if:ight and can cperate quite efficiently should the pump manhole become flooded, which is not uncommon.

The delivery lines are installed and pressure .tested to approximately 50 psi even though the operating pressure can be as low as 5 psi. An additional safety measure can be achieved by installing a leak detector valve adjacent to the submerged pump manifold to warn of any leakage in the piping system. This valve can be adjusted to detect the

smallest leak and indicates leakage by responding to the drop 'in pressure that occurs while the pump is shut off for several hours or more. Normally, this valve is held open by system pressure. The valve closes ,if pressure drops below 5 psi. This will occur while the pump is shut off, if a leak is present. When the pump is switched on .the valve will stay closed until 'the pressure down stream has built up, and with no system leakage, the valve will open and stay open almost immediately, alternatively, a simple and relatively inexpensive type of pressure switch ·in series with the submerged pump motor can provide a convenient foolproof system of detection. Both of these systems indicate leakage in the pipework much sooner than can be detected in the current suction pipe installation. Additionally under each dispenser on each produot Hne, a shear valve is incorporated. This operates on impact and in addition has a ''thermal link" which will melt and close the valve in case of fire. Many significant have been made by the petroleum industry in the design and layout of petroleum dispensing equipment with the object of ·improving .the efficiency and overall economics of motor car refuellmg. The use of submerged pumps will contribute both in efficiency and in reducing the cost of installation, and there seems little doubt that future modern .forecoul'lt developments will be utilising this type of pumping equipment, with both electronic and conventional computers.

Along wi>th many other oil companies we firmly believe that a continuous research and development programme in refuelling systems must eventually provide considerable benefit to both the service station operator and the consumer.

COUNCIL AT HASTINGS

Report of a meeting held at the White Rock Pavilion, Hastings on Tuesday, 3rd April, 1973

Present

The following members attended: Mr. R. P. Holdaway (Chairman), Messrs. J. Beer, J. Bennett, J. Birks, P. H. Cartwright, J. W. Frid, S. W. D. Harris, D. Hall, J. W. Hewison, K. C. Hughes, K. MacLeod, H. R. Mellor, C. T. Peacock, C. R. Peskett, R. E. J. Roden, J. Short.

The Chairman, Mr. R. P. Holdaway, welcomed the members ,to the meeting and told the members ·that he bad been informed by Mr. J. Short, Paisley, that due .to other comm'irtments this would be the last Council meeting that he could attend. The Chairman .thanked Mr. Short for the great contribution which he bad made to the Association's affairs and said that he hoped we would not lose touch completely. Mr. ShoJ'lt replied briefly expressing his reluotance to take this step but found that because of his new commitments this was unavoidable. He thanked the Chairman for his good wishes ,and the members of the Council for ·their cooperation ove·r the years.

The Chairman congratuloated Mr. B. W. C. Thacker was unavoidably absent) on his promotion to Deputy ChIef Fire Officer of the Teesside Fire 'Service.

Apolo&les

Apologies for absence were received from Messrs. E. V. Beeby, W. Hetherington, T. Kerr, B. Hodgson, G. H. Ha,rvey and B. W. C. Thacker.

Minutes of Previous Meeting

These had been previously circulated ·to members and were accepted by them.

Matters Arising

There were no matters arising.

Correspondence/Hon.Secretary's Report

The Honol'lary Secretary requested ,that this item, together with Honorary Secret·ary's repol'lt, be taken together. This was agreed.

The Honorary Secretary reported that he had had a considerable number of enquiries regarding associate memgership which he had deaLt with. He also stated that the membership now stood at: Local Authorities and officers 606, Associate members 129, 'Bulletin subscribers 46, Honorary members 13.

The Honorary Secretary felt that ,this was most encouraging as it had been anticipated there would be a falling-off ,in membership during this year. He then quoted he had received from the Civic Trust, the PrOVI?CI'al Government of Ontario, Canada, the Chairman ?f Remforced PIastics Group requesting information regardmg ,the Association's 'attitude to the .installation of G.R.P. tanks; Home correspondence regarding the future of petroleum leglsIatlOn afiter local government re-organisation a number of general enquiries received by him concernlocal government re-organisation generally. He further Informed members of ,the Counoil .that a.rrangements had towards the first of the tripartite meetings to dISCUSS ?ecessaI?' 'amendments to the Association's Codes of Practice and mformed members that the representatives to the first meeting would be Mr. R. E. J. Roden, ChaIrman, and Mr. J. W. Frid.

The. Honorary Secretary told members he had been Informed ,that Mr AS· h . . emor, t e ASSOCIatIOn's Honorary AudItor had resigned from th· , , 1S pOSItIOn and that the Honorar.y Treasurer would give the name of his successor. The ChaIrman and members of the Council present wished their thanks to Mr. Senior to be recorded in these minutes.

The Honorary Secretary then raised the question of the future of the ASSOciation and coupled this with some suggestIons.for a new scale of membership fees. There was some conSiderable discussion on th tt d the Cha· m M H Id ese ma' ers an Ir an, r. 0 ·away, spoke. at some length about the clrcul<ar letter which was to be sent to the Chief Executive Officers of Ithe new cou t ·1 h th k n y councl s w en ese were nown. The contents of th 1 tt greed e e er were to be a With Mr. Wadsworth, the Associa· , 1 Adviser and he ask d .th tlOn s Honorary Lega , e . at as mUch k . 1 . h· field could be decided b Wor as posslb e 'In t IS Y the Eme C·tt· order to avoid the expense of a ful ea I.n was 'agreed by the membe 1 CounCil meetmg. ThiS rs present.

The Honorary Secretary the publication of an .independe t n ·ralsed the question of the future of petroleum administn by INBUCON on the ra Ion in the f Ch h Ire. Many members present ex res 0 es conclusions reached by these p sed their concern at the b d consuH·ants d . uIarly pertur e to hear that the A .:an were partlcconsulted. The Honora.ry Secreta SSOclatlon had not been been .informed that the ,that he had [nsti-tute of Petroleum for inform, t. ad approached the a IOn and w . view which was contrary to 'the find. ere given a Ings of the 100ft t and that there was no mention of th.. consu , n s Honorary Secretary was instructed tolS the report. The wnte to these co suI-tants '10 attempt to obtain the clarifi t. nd k h h· ca Ions of the consuLtants ·an to 'as w y ,t IS ASSOCiation as th body concerned with the administration of 'pet le 1 ed H ro eum legIS- lation was not h. e further instructed to write to the Clerk of tees Ire ounty Council expressing this

Association's disquiet at the use of the findings of this independent enquiry asa standard by other authorities.

Honorary Treasurer's Report

The Honorary Treasurer addressed the members regarding his annual repo11t for the year 1972 and drew members' attention to the increase in expenditure under the heading meetings. This was due, he said, to the that because of the uncertainty of the future destination of responsibiHties for the administration of -the petroleum acts and of the continuance of the Association, more meetings than usual were necessary. These included the special general meeting held at Barrow-upon-Soar. He stressed that the Assooiation suffered in ·the same way as 'Other organisations from the general rise in prices but in this case it was not accompanied by an increase in subscription fees. As any changes in the amount of the subscription fees, he went on, cannot be implemented until next year it would not be recommended that any cbanges be made. He added that he was pleased to note that some of the Association's Branches appeared to be sufficiently solvent to allow them n'Ot to take up from the Association the annual capItation fees due on behalf of the Branch members. The Honorary Treasurer commented upon 'the resignation of Mr. Senior, his Auditor, and wished his thanks to be recorded for the great assistance he had received from Mr. Senior. He nomina.ted Mr. H. Seal, Hemsworth U.D.C. as the Association's Honora·ry Auditor for the future. Members present accepted this.

Finance and General Purposes Committee

The report of the last meeting of this Committee, having been circulated to members of the Council, was accepted.

Constitution and Rules Committee

The Chairman reported ,thatth'ere had been no meetings of this Committee since the last Council meeting but that he had had a number of discussi'Ons with the Honorary Secreary on various membership problems which had since been resolved.

Education and Publication Committee

The Chairman of 'this Committee, Mr. H. R. MelIor, reported that the Northern and Southern sections of the Association were holding University courses. The one at Surrey University, he had been informed by the Secretary, Mr. C. R. Peskett, appeared to be financIally viable and it was to be hoped that a similar course be held at Lancaster University later ,in the year would also be successful. The fee for these three-day courses was expected to be £25.

Reference and Legal Committee

The Chairman of ,this Committee, Mr. C. R. Peskett, repor.ted that there had been no meetings of this Committee since the last Council meeting but he drew members' attention to the considerable number of queries which continued to be raised by members, Ithrough both the Honorary Secretary and himself. He repol1ted Ithat B.A.S.E.E.F.A. had considerable problems ,in that they appeared to be overloaded with work and that there were considerable delays in the certification of safe equipment.

HAZARDS OF STATIC ELECTRICITY

By W. M. Diggle, B.Sc., A.R.I.C., Safety Services Department, Agricultural Division, Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

The generation of static electricity .is not something to be shrouded in mystery, but a well-defined physical phenomenum. This may not be ,the occasion on which to go too deeply intot he physics of the matter, but I hope you will bear with me if I endeavour to explain what static electricity is.

If two electrically neutral, but dissimilar surfaces are put into contact it is possible for electrons, or even in some cases ions to transfer from 'one surface ,to the other. As both electrons and ions are charged par,ticles this means that one surface will have lost electric charges and the other gained them. In other words, they will no longer be electrically neutral, one will be positively charged and ,the other negatively charged.

You will know from experiments with magnets, rthat, like charges, say ,two pos'itive charges, repel each other but opposite charges attract each other. So these ,two surfaces, now electrically and oppositely charged, attract and work has to be done to separate rthem. To be short and simple, the energy used in separating them is translated into electrical energy in the form of an increased charge on ,the surface.

As the electrostatic charge accumulates on an object, what is known as the field strength increases 'and in air at atmospheric pressure a spark discharge will occur when the field strength reaches 30,000 volts.

If you think of almost any industrial process you will quickly realise ,that contact between surfaces and the movement of surfaces over one 'another .is an essential part of the process. It has been shown ,that electrostatic charges are developed when liquids are pumped, when powders are ground. They may even form on a person who walks through 'a cloud of steam. If these charges are allowed ,to accumulate then 'a spark discharge will occur. A hazard arises when it is possible for ,this discharge to occur ,in a flammable atmosphere or -in a cloud of dust which is within the explosive limits for ,that dust.

Requirements

Having now some idea of what static electricity is, it is important to be able to assess the poten,tial hazard in a plant or process. Certain requirements have ,to be met before static electricity can cause an explosion. No fire or explosion will occur if one of these conditions is not fulfilled.

The first is that an explosive atmosphere must be present, that is gas, vapour or a sensitive dust must be present at a concentration wi,thin the explosive limits. This, of course, is fundamental and under these conditions fire or explosion can be caused by many sources of ignition other ,than spark discharges of static electricity. One of the cardinal points of fire prevention is to see ,that flammable or explosive atmospheres do not occur. It -is not always possible ,to

ensure this, as for instance, during the filling or emptying of vessels, when at some time and perhaps for a very long period, the concentration of vapour may be within the flammable limits. It is, of course, during ,this operation that static electric charges are likely to be generated.

The second requirement is that an electric charge must have been generated and moreover must have been accumulated either on the plant, the operator, or the product. Only in this way is an electric field produced in the flammable or explosive atmosphere.

Let us ,think for a moment of ,the factors influencing the generation of static charge. The phenomena is related to contact and separation of surfaces. It follows, therefore, that all 'those factors which increase the area of contact, assist the production of a static electric charge. The simplest to visualise is the s'ize of particles of powder. The smaller the particles the greater the surface area, the larger the smaller the surface area and even smaller the area of contact. The turbulent flow of liquids is another example. If you pour water into a glass gently the surface area ,in contact with the air or glass is virtually unchanged. Splash It in quickly and you get a very different picture. The generation of charge can never be eliminated although .it may be reduced by, for example, the reduction in speed at which a liquid flows.

You will see from this that the generation of static electricity cannot be avoided ,in many industrial processes. Does ·this, then, present a hazard? It need not because the hazard only arises when sufficient charge has been accumulated to ignite the surrounding atmosphere when the charge is released in the form of a spark.

Electrostatic Charging

I think we should look, for the moment, at the problem of electrostatic charging. It may be divided -into two parts, the charging of electrical conductors and the charging of electrically insulating materials. The latter, characteristically, have a high electrical resistivity of the order of 10 to ,the power 12 10 to the power 17 ohms per centimetre. The mechanism of acquiring a charge is different.

Before an electrically conducting materia,l can acquire a charge it must be insulated from earth. Then, it can acquire charge by being in contact with another charged body or by being near another charged body. The first is charge shal'ing, ,the second electrostatic induction.

Charge Sharing

Consider ,the filling of a drum with powder from a mill. The powder is electrostatically charged as it leaves ·the mill and 'as the powder is 'collected in the drum some of .this charge flows f.rom the powder to the drum. If the drum is not earthed <this charge is retained. If, however, it is earthed, the drum -is maintained at zero electrical potential by a flow of electrons from the drum to the earth.

Electrostatic Induction

This can occur when a conducting object is brought into the of a charged produot. The object has to remain neut;al so positive and negative charges are Then, If the product is negatively charged, the mduced ?harges on the objeot separate, the positive charges on the nearest ,the product and the negative charges on the sIde away.from the product. If the object is now the negatIve charge will flow to earth, but may do SD m. the form 'Of a spark across the gap as the earth cDntact IS br.Dught near. If the object is earthed before the IS brought near it, 'the same induction and separatmg of charges occurs, but ,the charges cannot be released to neighbouring earthed objects because they are at 'the same potential.

This shDuld it quite clear ,tha.t earthing can prevent the of electrostatic charge on electrical conand 'In consequence reduce to a minimum the possIbIhty 'Of a spark.

SD much fDr eleotrically cDnducted materials. Electrical msulators dD nDt readily acquire electrDstatic ·charge by charge sharing, but this may take place tD some extent if are in cDntact with a charged bDdy fDr a IDng periDd or if the surface is cDntaminated in such a way as to decrease its resistance. They are charged by friction.

Friction

Quite cDnsiderable charges may be developed on pDlythene, SDme types of rubber and P.V.C. by rubbing with another material. Because they are pDor conductDrs the charge on SDme parts may be retained fDr a long time even thDugh 'Other parts are in contact with earth. We can say that there are ,twD SDurces of hazard from charges on a nDn-cDnductor spark discharge from the nDn-cDnduotor, and the inductiDn of equal but oPPDsite charges on electrically cDnduoting materials insulated frDm earth. Earthing a non-cDnductor, as we have seen, is of little value because the flow .to earth is impeded. The safeguard 'then is 01'0 prevent the accumulatiDn 'Of of charge and there are two methods of dDing this. One is tD intrDduce, as a filler, material which is more cDnductive such as carbDn black in rubber, or make .the surface mDre cDnductive by coating it. The second ,is to make the surrounding atmDsphere more conductive by means of radio-active source. The hazard of introducing such a source has to be weighed against the hazard from the static electrical discharge.

Before going on to talk briefly about earthing, I would like to summarise 'the procedure for assessing-the hazard. It 1s no use waving our hands vaguely 'and saying there may be a hazard from static electricity, attributing the next fire to ,this cause. The hazard must be assessed and preventive steps .taken. So;(a) Assess, by 'inspection if possible, operations that may be expected to develop electrostatic charges.

(b) Measure the charge produced on plant and product during normal operation.

(c) Determine ,the sensitivity of the product to ,ignition by electrostatic charges.

(d) Have a specialist calculate spark energy possible in .the operation being investigated.

(e) Assess the hazard, and recommend 'the safety measures necessary.

Earthing

It has been stated that in all dust explosions proved conclusively (please note ,that word) to have been caused by a discharge of static electricity, the source of the discharge has been an unearthed metal conductor. It is, therefore, necessary that all metal .parts of plants handling flammable liquids or sensitive powder products must be cDnnected to earth by a definite, stable and low resistance path. The earthing system of such a plant ShDuld ensure that the resistance tD earth of structural steel-work, fixed and moveable plant items, etc. will remain at less than 10 ohms throughDut ,the life of the plant. If ·this is to be, the earthing system has to be recDgnised as such and replaced and checked after plant maintenance and plant mDdificatiDn. The checking of .the cDmplete earthing system must be a scheduled item of plant maintenance.

NDrmal plant construction and electrical installation can be used ·to provide connectiDns to ear-th, or a separate earthing system can be .provided. Before dealing w1th .three parti?ular aspects of earthing, I should sound a note of warnmg. It can be unsatisfactory to rely on normal plant construction because dirt or product dust can contaminate and increase the resistance of several types of flODr --e.g., asphalt, concrete, paint, rust, or product dus't, can, very effectively, insula·te .twD metal parts 'Of a plant.

.The first 'Of the three particular problems of earthing I WIsh to mentiDn, is 'the prDvision of earth CDntinuity in flanged pipes. AlthDUgh it has been ShDwn that the bDltS thrDugh flanges prDvide a path 'Of low eleotrical resistance, there are dangers and instances are knDwn where earth cDntinuity has nDt been maintained. Rust 'Or cDrrosiDn immedia'tely CDme .tD mind as agencies ,to insulate 'One sectiDn of a pipe from anDther; paint or pDwder layers may alsD do this. Rubber or P.V.C. gaskets may effectively insulate sectiDns 'Of pipe.

The real point is that it -is a situation subject .tD change and may not remain CDnstant between 'One plant 'inspection and the next. The 'Only satisfactory way to ensure effective earth cDntinuity is tD separately bDnd acrDSS the jDint. An interesting issue arising from .this is ,the accumulation of static electrical charge on metal collars and nDzzles fitted to rubber or plastic .pipe carrying flammable sDlvents or sensitive dusts.

The secDnd problem I wish to mention is that of rotating shafts: A bearing dDes not a path of IDW resIstance. Any bearing may be unsatisfactory in thIS respect. Two spring-IDaded brushes must be used 'and these be in a posiotiDn where ,they will not becDme contammated with oil, grease 'Or product. Where practicable extend shaft clear 'Of all pDssiblecDntaminatiDn. A further PDInt to watch is that rDller cDnveYDrs, etc. may with nylon bearings or made frDm SDme other Insulatmg material .thus effectively .isDlating metal plant frDm earth. Such plant must be separately earthed.

Thirdly, ·there are SDme .plant items which cannDt be permanently bonded to earth _ drums rDad and rail tank machines. There are,' however, pieces of eqUIpment In which movement of liquid 'and powders occurs

during filling and emptying and on which static charges may be expected to accumulate. These items must be earthed by attaching a clip which is connected to the main earth plant by a strong metal wire. In practice the 'mole-wrench' spring-loaded clip has proved successful. It will bite through paint and rust layers which impede the dissipation of charge and it is not easily disconnected by accident.

Simple though this may be, a number of points arise. To avoid any build-up of charge the drum or tanker, etc. must be connected to earth before it is coupled up to the filling point and before ,transfer of product begins. If the proper use of these earthing clips is to be 'insured, the operators must be made to understand clearly their purpose and the proper way of fixing them. The clip must not be removed until transfer of the product has ceased and the mechanical connections to the filling point broken.

So far we have considered evidence which indica:tes that :-

(a) The accumulation of charge on an electrical conductor is the main hazard from static electricity and this may be removed or minimised in the majority of manufacturing processes by efficient earthing of all metal plant. Mechanical connections do not give satisfactory electrical continuity.

(b) A definite earthing system which uses specific items of plant structure or bonding strips should be used when flammable liquids or sensitive powders are handled.

(c) The resistance to earth should be less than 10 ohms.

(d) The earth system should be tested as part of scheduled maintenance and must also be tested after any modification or repairs to the plant.

Movement of Operators

Static electricity is produced by ,the movement of surfaces. Whenever plant operators move, the surfaces of their clothing move against one another; and on wool, plastic sheeting and some other synthetic fibres, large electrostatic charges may be produced. When ordinary boots or shoes are worn and the atmosphere is dry, the charges produced may be sufficient to raise the potential of a person to a voltage sufficient to cause shock when earth objects are touched and incendive sparks may occur. Of course, the person involved is unaware of this until discharge occurs.

As static charge is produced by movement, the greatest charge will be produced when a garment is removed. Hence your hair standing on end when you take off a nylon shirt. The rate of generation of charge is high and so the likelihood of producing incendive sparks is increased.

These garments may remain charged after being removed and then induce a charge on a nearby metal plant which is not effectively earthed.

Many factors affect the charge developed and retained : by a plant operator the type ·of clothing and footwear, whether or not he perspires, the composition of the floor, and the job he is doing. In the handling of powder products, potentials in the order of 10,000-20,000 volts may be acquired by a man wearing synthetic overalls. I have read the story of a man who received electric shocks while moving about a laboratory in cold dry weather. After moving about on a P.V.C. covered chair and walking across

the laboratory, a spark from the end of his finger would light a bunsen burner three out of four times. Low current is involved in these discharges and in consequence no physical harm is done though the sensation may be unpleasant.

The accumulation of charge on a process worker may be minimised or avoided by earthing the man through suitable footwear and floors ,in accordance with British Standard 2050: 1961.

As rubber boots are worn they are continually being flexed and it must be expected that ,the electrical resistance will increase. The resistance of a floor may not be expected to increase for this reason, but contamination by product or anything else will increase its resistance. Good housekeeping will alleviate this but some floors after a time will become impregnated with materials which are nonconducting. How frequently the resistance of floors should be checked must depend upon several factors, the type of floor, the type of product, the extent of contamination, the ability ,to clean effectively and the sensitivity of the product ,to spark discharge. If a general rule were to be laid down I think no longer than six months is a reasonable interval between tests.

So you see, there are three possible sources of hazard associated with the movement of operators. A spark from the electrostatically charge operator, a spark from the electrostatically charged clothing and the induction of charge on nearby plant, etc., by the charge retained on the overall. Taking into account all the factors which influence it, the electrostatical hazard from this source is perhaps small.

Precautions

Certain recommendations should be made where overalls of synthetic materials are used in area where flammable solvents or sensitive powders are handled :-

1. The general precaution all plant should be earthed.

2. Plant operatives should be earthed by the use of antistatic footwear 'and floors.

3. A personal tester should be installed to check the efficiency of footwear.

4. The overalls should not be removed in the hazardous area.

Movement of Liquids

The oil industry, being concerned with the movement of flammable liquids has for a long time recognised the hazards of static electricity and a number of fires and explosions have been attributed ,to an electrostatic spark. Liquids with similar properties are found all through the chemical industry 'and many other industries. When a liquid flows through a pipeline there is a separation of charge at !he inter-face between liquid and pipe. Any turbulence lDcreases the area of contact of liquid with pipe.

The charging rate for a liquid depends ·on its linear flow velocity the rate at which it moves 'along the pipe. This velocity is increased by constrictions, orifice pIatell, valves and sharp bends. These may also ,increase the

The main hazard from a charge generated during the flow of a liquid along a pipe is its 'accumulatioq on the storage

or reaction vessel at ,the end where there is a liquid/vapour surface and the possibility of an explosive concentration of vapour. Clearly, excessive charging due to constrictions, bends or orifices can be dangerous if these are immediately before the entry of the liquid into the tank. This may be overcome by inserting an earthed section of pipe between the constriction, etc. and the tank, which must -allow enough time for the charge to leak 'away. The rate at which the charge leaks away depends on the electricity resistivity of the liquid and is usually expressed as the time for half the charge to leak away -a half value time. It has been recommended that for safety the time for the liquid to flow through the earthed section of pipe should be three to four times this half value time.

A particular form of constriction and orifice is a filter and filters are undoubtedly a source of electrostatic charge: When the filter is earthed the charge on the filter is dissipation but not necessarily the charge of the liquid. In fact, the rate of generation of charge by the liquid passing through the filter is generally greater than the rate of dissipation to earth.

If more than one liquid phase is involved, that is where there are -two or more immiscible liquids, the charging rate may be considerably increased as a result of a very intimate contact between the globules of the liquids. Of interest, is the effect water, as solvents do in some processes contain water. Shell have found that pumping gasoline produced a maximum field strength of 4-5 kilo volts per metre. The addition of 6% of water to the mixture raised this value by a factor varying between two and 50 times at the same pumping speeds.

The effect of water is important in a storage tank because the water entrained in droplet form settles in the tanks and this process produces an electric field. The same may happen when a tank's water bottom is disturbed. As it is turbulence and emulsification which increase surface area and so increase the charge generated, the free fall of liquids must be avoided when filling vessels.

Reduction of Hazard

I have discussed already the fact that the generation of static electricity can never be avoided, but that it may be reduced to a minimum, so perhaps I should complete the story of the hazard of moving and storing flammable liquids by saying something about the reduction of the generation of static charge.

As -always the first step is the avoidance or elimination of a flammable vapour concentration. It is not safe to assume that the space above a liquid in a storage tank contains a vapour concentration in excess of the upper flammable limit because during pumping operations it is quite likely that there will be local differences in vapour concentration and in some, ,if not all parts of ,the vapour space. At some time the concentrations will be within the flammable limits. Even though the vapour concentration is vented to atmosphere in the neighbourhood of the vent the concentration may be between the upper and lower limits. It is well known ,that the use of floating roofs in storage tanks and blanketing with inert gas are effective means of preventing the formation of explosive atmospheres. Have

you ever thought why nitrogen is used for blanketing in preference to carbon dioxide or steam? A stream of carbon dioxide or steam has been known to carry a charge into the very space it was supposed to protect; this, because of the presence of liquid or solid particles.

Although it is recognised that the use of a floating roof is one of the best ways of eliminating a flammable gas mixture there remains the problem of existing fixed roof tanks or the need to store certain products in fixed roof tanks. Floating blankets have been recommended in these cases, but we must remember that because the free liquid surface is considerably reduced the vapour concentration will be below the equilibrium value 'and may be ,in the explosive range. In all cases, therefore, that a floating blanket -is used the tank must be well ventilated. Need I add that the floating cover should be electrically conductive and well earthed at least at two points, and when the tank is empty it must be filled slowly, very slowly, until the cover is afloat.

The conducting nature of all metal parts of plant means that when charge ,is accumulated ;to the point of break down and discharge, the discharge will be very rapid and release all the charge. The result is almost certain to be a spark discharge. So metal parts must be earthed.

What about the product and the removal of static charges accumulated on it? It is not true that earthing makes for absolute safety -and fire and explosion caused by static electricity are not necessarily attI"ibutable to an earth fault. If the product has a high electrical resistivity any charge accumulated on it will discharge to earth only slowlY so that charge may build up on a product even though a plant is effectively earthed.

The only way to overcome this is by ,the use of an antistatic additive and the Shell Chemical Company have decide to safeguard oil handling operations by ensuring the resistivity of liquids should be less than 10 to the power 11 ohms per 'centimetre. This in turn ensures that less ,than one minute after generation the static charge is reduced by a factor of 1,000,000. By this means the charges on such liquids are not hazardous provJding there is a direct path to earth allowing the charge to dissipate. This ,is important because ,if the electrical resistivity of a liquid is decreased and it is contained in an electrically insulating vessel, e.g. one of rubber, glass or plastic, conditions could be produced that increase the possibility of spark discharge from the surface of the liquid. The fitting of ,an earthed metal plug into the bottom of such a vessel will overcome this.

So far we have eliminated the explosive atmosphere and dissipated the charge safely. As a third measure, we must consider how the development of charge may be reduc.ed. I have already said that one principle cause of generatIOn of static is the flow of liquids through pipelines As the velOCIty of flow ,is reduced so the rate of generatmg charge is reuced also and for hydrocarbon/water mixtures a linear ve!ocity of one metre per second ,is reckoned to be safe. At thIS rate ,the splashing and stirring up of the water layer at the bottom of a tank is not great, nor is the emulsification of the water. But at rates lower than one metre per second a hazard may arise because water pockets may accumulate -at low points in the Hne and later be entrained when pumping speeds are increased.

The use of pipeline diameters to keep the linear velocity of liquids down to one metre per second is important when for reasons of product purity anti-static agents may not be introduced. The avoidance of some constrictions has already been mentioned. It may be, however, that these are unavoidable and ·in this case it may be possible to reduce the harmful effect by the introduction of baffles in the form of earthed metal cylinders, co-axial with ,the pipe and running a distance of 1-2 feet after the constriction.

'Finally, a word about dipping storage tanks. The possibility of a spark between a liquid 'and the end of an earthed metal dip rod cannot be excluded although Shell have shown that it is difficult to produce one. Of course, a considerable hazard exists 'if, for 'any reason, the dip rod or tape become insulated. In order to reduce this possibility

Shell use a dip tape which moves down 'cl groove in a perforated pipe and they do not dip until 30 minutes after filling is complete.

Three recommendations on the measurement of the contents of storage tanks are as follows:-

(a) As far as possible, measulling of depth in storage tanks containing high resistivity liquids should be carried out by external gauges and direct dipping should be reduced .to a minimum.

(b) No dipping should take place until 30 minutes after pumping has ceased.

(c) Insulated dip tapes or sticks should be used wherevel possible. These should not possess an insulated metal weight at their lower end.

BRANCH REPORTS

East Midland

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the Town Hall, Loughborough, on Tuesday, 1st May, 1973.

Present

The Chairman of the Association, Mr. J. W. Hewison, the Chairman of the Branch, Mr. M. T. Lucas, 41 members and 6 visitors.

Apologies

13 apologies were received.

MInutes

The Minutes of :the Ordinary General Meeting held at The Guildhall, Nottingham, on 'Monday, 30th October, 1972 were confirmed.

Membership

There was one application for membership which was submitted and approved.

Annual Report of Secretary-Treasurer

The Secretary reported that the Branch membership had increased during the year and there were now 121 Ordinary Membens, 14 Associate Members and 2 Life Members.

Reports were given of meetings held during the year which included a Sped-al General Meeting called to discuss Emergency Procedures.

Members were ,informed that the Northern Education Committee were -arranging a Petroleum Technology Course to be held at the University of Lancaster from 20th to 23rd August, 1973.

The financial position of the Branch was reported to be satisfactory although there had been a decrease in Branch subscriptions.

Annual Report of Branch Representative

The Branch Representative reported that he had attended all three Council Meetings held during the year and 'reported

on the last Council meeting having previously reported on the other two meetings.

Members were informed that the Honorary Treasurer of the Association had reported to the Council that the financial position of the Association had declined. Although the position was not serious it was decided that a meeting of the Finances 'and General Purposes Committee should be convened to discuss financial policy.

The Branch Representative told members that the Honorary Secretary of the Association had corresponded with the Home Office regarding the use of glass reinforced plastic tanks for storing petroleum spirit and for some guidance as the desirability of further sites in addition to those ,in the Greater London Council area. The Home Office had indicated that they favoured the extension of such sites to other parts of the United Kingdom and that they were 'interested in the location of such sites.

Members learned that the Council had been informed of a proposed Tripartite MeeNng consisting of representatives of the Greater London Council, the Institute of and the Association to 1be held in the ,immediate future In order to consider the revision of the Model Code with a recent developments in petroleuI? dlspenSlmg. The Home Office had shown their interest in WIS meeting and considered sending their own representative.

Having reported on the proceedings of the council, the Branch Representative then referred .to the matter of Local Government Re-organisation. He said that the council were continually watching developments and the current thinking seemed to be that Petroleum Administration would be carried out either by the Fire Service or the Weights and Measures Service. The Home Office's statement relating to Petroleum Administration by the new authorities which was delivered by Mr. G. J. Jeacocke at the Annual Conference of .the Association held at Hastings was then read out to members. The Branch Representative emphasised that the experience and expeJ1tise of the members of the Association was recognised by the Bome Office and that it was up to the members :to make every effort to see that this experience

l.,-···· . -,

and expertise was deployed in the right manner whether it be by way of the Fire Service, \\Teights and Measures Service or any other service.

Election of Officers

The following officers were elected :Chairman

H. Booth, Barrow upon Soar R.D.C. Vice-Chairman

R. E. CIarke, Leicester City Fire Brigade.

Honorary Secretary-Treasurer J. Birks, Chesterfield.

Committee

J:. Bantoft, Derby.

F. D.Bates, Premier Pump & Tank Co. Ltd. G. C. Cartwright, Nottingham.

C. W. Howkins, Grantham.

D. T. Jones, Beeston and Stapleford U.D.C.

Branch Representative J. Birks, Chesterfield.

Iluditors

J. Bantoft, Derby.

A. D. Higgs, Hunting Industrial Plastics Limited.

Installation of Chairman

Mr. H. Booth, Harrow upon Soar R.D.C. was installed as the new Chairman by the retiring Chairman, Mr. M. T. Lucas, Scunthorpe.

Date and Place of Next Meeting

It .was agreed that an invitation by Leicester County Fire Bngade to hold the next meeting at Lancaster Hall Leicester,on Friday, 5th October, 1973 be accepted. It .:.ras also agre.ed that provisional arrangements should be made for a .Dmner Dan?e to be held for members, their wives and fnends followmg this meeting.

Any Other Business

There being no other business ·the Ch ,. f h A airman 0 t e ssocW. H.ewison,. expressed his thanks for being mVI e 0 e meetmg. He referred to the huge success of the Annual Conferences which he th h h . with the next one being held' oug t s ould contmue regards Local Government hCountry. As t h t P t I TIlsa IOn, ' e suggested 'a e ro eum Administration could be independent body of petroleum offi car.ned out by an schools set up by the Home Office at speoial iation. for Petroleum Acts that the AssocestablIshed and recognised body which h ldwas now an to use its influence in the future adm s . b: prepared I mls·tratlon of the Petro eum Acts and Regulations by the new th ..' au ontles

The business meeting was then concluded d . an members were taken by coach to have lunch at the Windm'll H Wymeswold, at the kind invitation of Hunting / d Plastics Limited. n us na

Glass Reinforced Plastic Petroleum Spirit Tanks

N.ter lunch, members re-assembled at Wymeswold Aerodrome where talks supported by slideS were given on Glass Reinforced Plastic Tanki by the following lecturers :_

Dr. John UmfrevilIe, Director European LaboratoriesAmoco Chemicals Europe.

Dr. N. Sprecher, Project Manager (pipes and Tanks)Owens Coming. Brussells.

Mr. J. Mountifield, Chairman (Reinforced Plastics Group) -British Plastics Federation.

Mr. A. D. Higgs, MarkeNng Manager-Hunting IndustrIal Plastics Limited.

Mr. G. H. Wale, Chief Engineer-Hunting Industrial Plastics Limited.

Mr. B. S. Chandler, Acting General Manager-Bunting Industrial Plastics Limited.

Members were informed of .the detailed construction and properties of GRP tanks and were -impressed by ,the amount of research and the number of testing operations which had gone into the production of such tanks. There were many questions from members regarding the ability of GRP tanks to withstand internal and external pressures, the effect of temperature fluctuations and the condiNon of the tanks after prolonged underground installation. All the questions were dealt with by the appropriate lecturer and members who formerly had doubts about the suitabili-ty of GRP tanks for the underground storage of petroleum spirit had most of their doubts dispelled as they left the lecture room to tour the hangers where the tanks were produced. There were various tanks viewed in the course of construction and the intricate methods of f·abrication were explained to members. Quality control played an important part during the different stages of construction directed at producing tanks to withstand ;the rigours of underground storage.

At the end of the visit to the Aerodrome members returned by coach to the Windmill Hotel fol' tea where Mr. E: J. Latham, Grantham, -thanked the managemeent of Industrial Plastics for the interest'ing and ,informative VISit to their factory and for their kind hospitality provided at the meeting.

Yorkshire

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch was held at the West Riding Fire Service Headquarters, Birkenshaw on Wednesday, 13th June, 1973.

Present

The Chairman of the Association Mr. J. W. fIewison, the Branch Chairman Mr. P. Murray, and 20 members.

Apologies for Absence

Apologies were received from 14 members.

Welcome to Visitors

The Branch Chairman extended a hearty welcome on b:half of the Branch -to the Na'tional Chairman Mr. J. W. Hewls?n, and to our guest speakers, Mr. AIlan Riggs, Marketmg Manager of Hunting Industrial Plastics Ltd., and Andrew Feathers·tone, of B.P.

Minutes of 1972 Annual General Meeting

The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at Scar borough on 24th May, 1972, moved by Mr. F. Benson and seconded by Mr. G. Price, that the Minutes be signed as a true record.

Report of Branch Secretary

The Secretary reported on the activities of the Brancll during .the past year, with par:ticular reference to the increased interest shown by members which had been reflected in the 'attendance figures at Branch meetings.

Treasurer's Report

The Branch Treasurer presented a statement of accounts which was circulated to members present. It was formally noted and recorded that the report be adopted,

Address by the National Chairman

Mr. Hewison ,talked of the future of 'the Association following Local Government Re-organisation in 1974. He told the meeting he hoped it would 'be possible to hold a Special General Meeting of the Association before April, 1974, at which the future of the Association could 'be dis<:ussed.

An informal show of hands indicated that about half of the members present felt that such a meeting should be of value.

Mr. Hewison illustrated the growing recognition of the Associa,tion by the increasing number of committees and consulotative bodies on which the Association were represented.

Election of Officers

The Secretary reported that no nominations had been received for any of the Branch Offices. It was proposed and seconded that all the existing officers be re-elected, as follows:-

Chairman Mr. P. Murray.

Vice-Chairman

Mr. T. Hendry.

Secretary and Branch Representative to the National Executive Council Mr. J. Bennett.

Treasurer Mr, R. Sample.

Executive Committee (Three members required) M·r. Benson. Mr, Badger.

The vacancy on the Executive Committee was filled by Mr, J. E. Slack.

Petroleum Technology Course--Lancaster

The Secretary reported the above c()urse organised by the Northern Branches of the Association was to be held at Lancaster University from 20th to 23rd August, 1973,

Local Government Re-organisation

A very lively and frank discussion took place on the administrat'ion of the petroleum funotion following Reorganisation, Representatives from various working parties within the Branch area -informed members of the discussions which had taken place, and the recommendations made. It became clear that even within the Branch area the enforcement procedures would vary and not be concentrated with one service throughout.

Chief Fire Officer- West Yorkshire Metropolitan County

The meeting recommended that the Secretary write to Mr. Kevin \Roran on behalf of the Branch congra'tulating him on his appointment to the above list,

Queen's Birthday Honours List

The meeting noted that Mr. Forrest, Chief Fire Officer of the Oi:ty of Leeds had been awarded the Order of ,the British Empire and recommended that the congratulations of the Branch be sent to Mr. Forrest.

Mr. N. WalIace-Associate Member

The Secretary reported that Mr. N. Wallace of Shell-Mex & B,P. Ltd., and Associate Member would be leaving the Branch area 1n .the near future, to take up a new post with his Company in Scotland.

Northern

The Annual General Meeting was held at Fire Brigade Headquarters, Teesside, on Thursday, 21st June, 1973.

The meeting was opened by the Vice-Chairman, Mr, B, W. C. Thacker.

Present

Fifteen Members and two Associate Members.

Apologies

Apologies for absence were received from Mr, A. J. HardyKing (Northallerton U;D.C,), Mr. C, H. Clapham (R'ichmond M.B.), and Mr. J. P. Coughlan (Whiofuy U.D.C.)

Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held at Fire Brigade Headquarter, Darlington, on Wednesday, 17th January, 1973 having previously been circulated, were approved.

Matters AriSing

The Branch Secretary commented upon the similarity between an incident reported in the April, 1973, edition of The Bulletin relating to the conveyance of acetone by road tanker and that brought to the attention of the meeting by the Vice-Chairman. ConNnuing the theme of the conveyance of inflammable liquids, Mr. Thacker informed members that he had arranged with I.C.I, Limited ·for a road tank wagon to be avaUable :for inspection at the conclusion of the meeting,

Membership

The 'Branch Secretary referred to a letter from Mr. R. p, Holdaway, Who had lI'ttended ,the January meeting of the Branch in his capacity as Chairman of the Association, in which it was suggested that having regard to the -imminent retirement of Mr, H. Johnson, Branch Chairman, he be made a Life Member of :the Northern Branch. The meeting was reminded of the active -interest Mr. Johnson had always shown ·in the affairs of the Branch and of the vital part he had played since its formation in 1965, It was then moved, seconded and carried unanimously that Mr. Harry Johnson, O.B.E" be made a Life Member of the Northern Branch.

Report of the Hon. Secretary-Treasurer, Branch Ilepresentatlve

The Branch Secretary reminded members of the foI1thcomin& Petroleum Technology Course to be held a,tthe University of Lancas'ter from 20th to 23rd August, 1973 and advised interested members not to delay in reserving a place if they wished to attend. He then reported that membership of the Branch had remained constant throughout the year 'and that the finances of the Branch, which were derived solely from the Capitation Fees received from the Association, were sufficient for its needs. Reference was made to the 1973 Annual Conference of the Association which had been held at Hastings on 4th and 5th April, 1973. The Vice-Chairman informed members that this, the second two-day Conference to be held by the Association, had been an extremely interesting and informative occasion which had been thoroughly enjoyed by those attending. Finally, the question of ·the Association's precarious financial position was discussed. In explanation of the large deficit for the year ended 31st December, 1972 Mr. Thacker said that this was caused 'by the calling of a Special General Meeting was held at ,the Council Offices, Barrow upon Soar, LeIcestershire, on 11th October, 1972 when the effects of Local Government Re-organisation upon the future of the Association were discussed.

Election of Omcers

The following were elected:Chairman

D. J. Bruce, Teesside C.B.

The Branch Secretary-Treasurer, Branch Representative, informed the meeting of his intention not to stand for reeleotion. He said he had made this decision because he would not be in a position to hold these offices after 31st March, 1974 in consequence of Local Government Re-organisation. On behaIf of members Mr. Thacker thanked the retiring Branch Secretary and expressed appreciation of the manner in which he had performed his duties. It was !then moved, seconded and agreed :that Mr. C. T. W. Ansbro be elected to these omces.

Honorary Secretary-Treasurer

C. T. W. Ansbro, Darlington C.B. Executive CDmmittee

J. B. Newton, Skelton & Brotton U.D.C. W. Scanlan, Easington R.D.C.

Branch Representative C. T. W. Ansbro, C.'B.

Date and Place of Next Meetlq

It was agreed that arrangements fDr the next Branch Meeting be left with the Chairman, Branch Secretary and the Executive CDmmittee.

Any Other Busineu

There being no other business, the Cha'irman declared the meeting closed.

Following the clDsure of the meeting the Chairman introduced Mr. W. Goodall, Transport Manager, Inmperial Industries Limited, Aaricultural -Division, Billingham, who

proceeded to give a short talk upDn design requirements for low pressure road tank wagons and to infDrm members of his Company's procedures for dealing with incidents involving this kind of vehicle. Members subsequently adjDurned tD the Fire Station yard where an articulated road ,tanker awa'ited their inspection. Finally, the Chairman expressed apprecia,tion on behalf of the Branch to Mr. GDodall and his colleagues.

Yorkshire

A meeting of ,the Branch was held at Leeds City Fire Brigade Headquarters, on 25th July, 1973.

Present

In the Chair, Mr. T. Hendry, Vice-Chairman; 22 members as shown in the attendance register and 7 visttors.

Apoloetes for Absence

Apologies were received from the Branch Chairman and 7 members.

Welcome to the Branch Ass'istant Chief Officer SCDM of Leeds Fire Brigade welcDmed the members tD Leeds on behalf of Mr. C. D. Forrest.

Minutes of the last Branch Meeting

Thee Minutes of the Branch meeting held at Birkenshaw on 17.th January, 1973 had been published in The Bulletin and were taken as read. It was mDved by J. Wood and seconded by R. Sample that the Minutes be signed as a true record

Matters Arlslne from Minutes

1.

Metric Quantlties--Petroleum Mixture Paints

The Secretary reported that !the AssDciatiDn Secretary John Frid, had spDken to the Home Office on the abDve matter, and had been 'advised ,that there was no intention at !the present time ,to increase the maximum of 'One pInt per cDntainer, relative to the three gallDn exemptiDn in SectiDn One 'Of the Act.

2. The Secretary repDrted that he had written letters of cDngratulations to the following members, on behalf of the Branch as follDWS:-

Mr. C. D. Forrest, on his award of the Order of the British Empire.

Mr. Kevin HDran, 'On his appointmeJlJl: as Chief Fire Officer for the West Yorkshire MetrDpolitan County.

Mr. S. GascDigne, on his appointment as Chief Consumer Protection Officer for the South Yorksh1re Metropolitan County.

Local Government Re-organisation

A lively discussion tDok place on the future 'Of PetrDleum AdministratiDn fDlIowing re-DrganisatiDn. Members apprDved that the fDllowing resolution be sent to the CDUDcil of the Association:-

"The Yorkshire Branch of ,the Association, having considered the effects of LDcal Government Re-organisation on the Administration of the Petroleum Acts, feel that it is imperative that the AssodatiDn should continue beyond

April, 1974, and wish to record their support for the Council of the Association in their endeavours to achieve this objective".

Non-Compliance with Electrical Requirements

Mr. Wood told members Ithat he had received a report from his local authority electrician that the glands on a newly manufactured petrol pump did not meet the flameproofiing requirements. It was resolved that the matter be referred to the Association's electrical adviser for his comments.

Date, Place and Subject Matter of Next Meeting

The Secretary deferred to the invitation from Alan Higgs of Hunting Industrial Plastics Ltd., to visit the factory at

Legal Proceedings

MORLEY

At Morley Magistrates Court on 3rd July, 1973 John Brennan of 2 Sandyacres Drive, Rothwell, entered a plea of guilty to a charge of "being a person in charge of a vehicle used for the conveyance of petroleum spirit byroad, did not in relation to the transfer of petroleum spirit from the road tanker to a storage tank, keep a constant watch on the oarrying tanker from which petroleum spirit was being delivered during the whole :time of the delivery, contrary to Section 6(2) Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928, and Regulation 16(9) of -the Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance by Road) Regulations, 1957. A fine of £50 was imposed.

Jot was stated in evidence :that during the delivery period of 35 minutes, Brennan spent a total of 18 minutes in the forecourt kiosk of the filling station, ·the remaining 17 minutes were spent coupling and uncoupling, with minimal supervision in <between.

FOLKESTONE

.AIt Folkestone MagiS'trates' Court on 24th July, 1973 Barry Solly of Alkham, near pleaded guilty to haV'ing a vehicle with a petrol cap mlssmg from the petrol tank; two summonses 9th May and 14th May,contrary to the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act, 1928. Fined £5 and £10 respectively with £5 costs.

Loughborough, and it was agreed that the Secretary make the necessary arrangements if a suitable date could be agreed.

The afternoon session was devoted to the inspection of a petroleum spirit tanker which was kindly provided for this purpose by Shell Mex & B.P. Ltd., at their Leeds terminal.

The terminal manager, Mr. John Hoare, and his staff demonstrated the various features of the vehicle and ably dealt with the many questions fired 'at them by the members.

A short tour of the terminal was made and tea was taken at the kind invitation of Shell Mex & B.P. Ltd.

DERBY

At Derby Magistrates' Court on 20th July 1973 Vynil Products and their driver pleaded guilty to contravening a regulation made under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928, 'in connection with the use of a tank wagon, for the conveyance of an inflammable substance, which was not displ'aying the Prescribed Notices and Nature of Contents Notices. Section 6(2). Both fined £10.

At Derby Magistrates' Court on 9th August, 1973 Runcorn Transport Services, Crow Carrying Co. Ltd., and their drivers pleaded guilty to contravening a regulation made under the Petroleum (ConsoHdation) Act 1928, in connection with the use for >the conveyance of a corrosive substance of a tank wagon which was not carrying a fire extinguisher. Section 6(2). Firms fined £100 each. Drivers fined £50 each.

At Derby Magistrates' Court on 20th August, 1973 Leather's Chemicals and <their driver pleaded guilty to contravening a regulation made under <the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928, in connection with the use for the conveyance of a corrosive substance of a tank wagon which was not oarrying a fire extinguisher. Section 6(2). Firm fined £100. Driver fined £50.

Petroleum Technology Course of

Lancaster, 20th to 23rd August, 1973

Leaving the M6 motorway for the more tranquil atmosphere of the A6 and having passed through the smalI township of Galgate the University of Lancaster can be seen, a gleaming white rr:odern development, sited proudly among green fields overlooking the glorious Lancastrian countryside.

This description of Ithe venue for the Petroleum Technology Course organised on behalf of the seven northem

branches of the !Association from Monday, 20th to Thursday, 23rd August, 1973 might well have been found in a glossy travel brochure -and 'indeed could be a true picture of this seat of .learning.

Unfortunately for those arriving for the course on the Monday morning this idealistic picture was marred by dark clouds and driving rain..,.....truly British summer weather.

,.

The disappointment which must have been felt by many was 'immediately dispelled by the courtesy of the staff, the hospitality 'by .the University, the comfort of the accommodation and the efficiency of the reception organised by Mr. H. R. MelIor.

The course started at 4 p.m. on Monday, 20th August, under the Chairmanship of Mr. J. W. Hewison, with a lecture on the products covered by the Petroleum Acts, delivered by Mr. W. M. Lewis, the City Analyst of Coventry. By 4-15 p.m. the first major difficulty had ·appeared. It was discovered that the knowledge and experience of the students attending the course varied considerably. About 40% had little or no knowledge of the subject while the remainder were experienced officers. This situation was speedily rectified by organising a second course devoted to the elementary principles of Petroleum Acts Administration. This informal second course was held each evening from 6-30 p.m. in .the lounge 'bar of the university where Messr.s H. R. MeUor, D. Hall and G. E. Turnbull imbued with ,the spirit of free enterprise dispensed knowledge for standard fee estimated at one pint per hour.

During the course many fine lectures were given and much information and knowledge imparted. The demonstration by Co. Ltd. of the use of their product "Slix" was partIcularly outstanding. To single out this demonstration might seem a little unfair to the other lecturers 'all of whom made outstanding contributions ,to the success the course but so many of us have heard of "Slix" and so few have seen the effect of its use.

As already mentioned, the first lecture was given by Mr. Lewis on the subject of "Products covered by the Petroleum This lecture devoted not only to the classification of mflammable liquids, 'but also to an expIanation of the basic chemical structure of petroleum products must have been of help to everyone present.

Tuesday morning was the opportunity for Dr. J. G. Jeacocke, .H.M. Inspector of Explosives to widen our knowledge of Petroleum 'Law, Conditions of Licence and the Home Office Model Code of Principles of Construction and to make us think deeply about such matters as they affected our own Local Authori<ty areas. Dr. Jeacocke also spoke briefly as ,to possible future legislation relative to the storage of Petroleum Spirit.

The afternoon was devoted <to two very fine lectures given by Mr. D. Ogden, lecturer in Electrical Installation 'at BIackpool College of Technology and Art and Mr. J. Beer, Chief Inspector, Worcester.

Mr. Ogden spoke with olarity and authority on the electrical recommendations of the Home Office Code and the Association Codes of Practice. He was obviously such a master of hili liubjejct that it ill nice to know that his lecture

is being published as a paper so that we may all have it as a means of reference.

"The Pressure Testing of Petrol Tanks and Associated Paperwork" was the subject of the talk given by Mr. J. Beer. He illustrated his talk throughout with a variety of ingeneously constructed apparatus. The enthusiasm for his subject obviously imparted itself to his audience and deHvered as it was in his rich pleasant voice, Mr. Beer's lecture was an obvious success.

On Wednesday morning Mr. MelIor spoke on other methods of Petrol Tank Testing and in his usual humourous manner told of the trials he had experienced in testing tanks to hydrostatic test.

Conveyance by Road of Petroleum Spirit, other inflammable liquids and corrosive substances was dealth with by Mr. R. Bealby of I.C.I. Clearly an expert in ,the field of transporting such products, Mr. Bealby brought home to us all the dangers and difficulties of moving bulk quantimes of such products along our overcrowded roads.

Station Officer N. Quinn, 'Lancashire County F'ire Service, illustrated his short talk on .foam and dry powder fire varying from water pressure to CO. types.

The use of "Slix" has already been mentioned and we are indebted to Messrs. Hoggard & Twelves .for their demonstration and film show.

A petrol filling station sited within the university complex was used by Mr. Hall, Chief Inspector of Newcastle under Lyme to explain methods of inspection which should followed by officers when visiting such premises. As tillS lecture took place in the open it was just as well the weather was improving rapidly.

We were treated to a look into the future 'by Mr. G. M. Pattenden, Tactical Planning & Development Department, Shell Marketing Ltd., using 'a slide projector 'as his crystal ball. Many strange and wonderful ideas were mustrate?, some of which will undoubtedly become commonplace In years to come.

What do you do when a leakage from a storage tank is discovered? This was the 'basis of the final lecture given by Mr. H. T. E. Jackson, Senior Petroleum Officer, G.L.C. MT. Jackson knew and before he had finished speaking everyone in the hall was at least much better prepared to deal with such an emergency.

The final session consisted of a panel of experts who answered questions put to them by Ithose present on all aspects of the Petroleum Acts and Regulations.

Mr. J. W. Hew-ison, Chairman of the Association acted as Chairman ,for the first three days and Mr. R. P. Holdaway, !immediate Past Chairman, did hili duty on Thursday mom-ini·

Subject Index-Cumulative

PERIOD 1969-1973 (VOLUMES 8 .to 12)

References indicate year and page numbers. All articles are not indexed but references to other articles may be found in those listed. The index, particularly in Volume 8 (October 1969), contains information prior to 1969.

ACCIDENTS 1971-3: 1972-1

ADMINISTRATION G.L.C.1973-44

ASSOCIATION AP.AA Constitution and Rules 1970-63

ELECTRICAL Circuits 1970-3 Flameproofing 1971-2 Lighting Units 1972-77 Safety Standards 1969-55 : 1970-4, 16, 24, 26, 82 : 1972-27 Sparking 1969-48 Static 1969-34: 1973-68

FIRE Dangerous Chemicals 1973-55 Diesel Engines 1971-9, 74 Fining on Forecourt 1973-42 Fire Extinguishers 1971-51: 1972-32 Major Incidents 1971-5, 23 : 1972-44 Tanker Accident 1969-52

GARAGE EQUIPMENT Car Park 1971-61, 64: 1972-6,23 Layout of Premises 1969-77, 83 : 1971-45 : 1972-4, 70 : 1973-5, 63

mSTORICAL 1970-61: 1972-46

LAW Administration 1969-49, 75 (Code of Practice): 1971-26 (Code of Practice) Cases: Storage without licence 1971-39, 81 : 1972-18, 63 Licensing Condttions 1969-24: 1970-20,40,62,84: 1972-18 80: '1973-40 Petroleum Spirit (Conveyance, etc.) Regs. 1969-72: 1970-20 40,62: 1971-80,81 : 1972-17, 64, 79: 1973-20, 40, 76 ' Petroleum 'Spirit (Motor Vehicles) Regs. 1969-24: 1972-80 Corrosive Substances (Conveyance, etc.) Regs. 1973-76 Petroleum Law 1969-33: 1970-69: 1971-60,63: 1972-6,22,42,66: 1973-75 Current Legislation 1971-60: 1972-22, 66

LP.G. Car Fuel 1970-43, 58 (Uque6ed Petroleum Gases) Major incidents 1969-53

MODEL CODE 1968 1969-11, 41, 52, 75: 1970-3, 53

NOZZLES

PUBLICATIONS, ETC. 1969-52, 65: 1970-25

Association publication 1969-52 Book reviews 1970-24 Historical 1970-61: 1972-46 Robens Report 1972-19

PUMPS AND FI1TINGS New Fore'court Equipment 1973-63 Pump Air Separators 1973-3 Self Service (see below) Submersible Pumps 1972-70: 1973-24, 63

SAFETY Dangerous Chemicals 1973-55 Emergency Procedure 1972-81: 1973-38, 55 Robens Rep'ort 1973-19

SELF-SERVICE Attended 1970-9,72,77: 1971-30: 1972-4,69 Unattended 1970-9, 72: 1971-30: 1972-23 : 1973-27, 62 Conference B.P., 1969-6

SPILLAGE AND LOSSES

Faults and emergencies 1970-38,48,67 Spillage 1970-76 Pipeline Leakages 1973-3

STORAGE Airport Storage 1969-5,76

Boats and Marinas 1973-16

Bulk Stores 1969-71 : 1970-6: 1971-26, 66

Can Stores 1970-15

Content Gauges 1969-88: 1971-81 : 1972-13

Disused Tanks 1971-43, 46, 72: 1972-14, 40, 47

Double Tanks 1969-53

Glass Fibre Tanks 1969-2,73,88: 1970-66: 1971-63,65: 1972-44: 1973-62,68

Leaking Tanks 1971-57

Mixture Stores 1973-23

Offset Fillers 1969-70: 1972-17

Safe Storage 1972-31

Square Tanks 1973-4

Tank Cleansing 1971-24: 1972-47

Tank Testing 1971-35: 1972-61

Underground Tanks 1969-77: 1970-45: 1973-62

Ventilation 1970-45

Vent Pipe 1970-66: 1971-20, 58, 80

TECHNICAL: Flammability 1969-47, 48: 1971-43 FUEL AND CHEMISTRY Flashpoint Tester 1970-30

TRANSPORT AND Hose Coupling 1969-54

DISTRIBUTION Multiple Deliveries 1972-60

Pipelines 1970-28

Refineries 1971-17, 39, 58, 79: 1972-15, 62

Road Transport 1970-11,67: 1971-63, 81 : 1972-32, 58

Tanker Parks 1972-3, 13, 55

Tanker Ships 1972-47

INDEX

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Hastings, 4th April, 1973

APPOINTMENTS

J. Birks

D. J. Bruce

J. Clifton

J. P. Honour

L. McHugh

R. Thompson .. . E. L. F. Welch

BRANCH MEETINGS

ANGLIA 25th October, 1972 '" 26th April, 1973

EAST MIDLANDS 30th October, 1972 12th February, 1973 1st May, 1973

NORTHERN 17th January, 1973 21st June, 1973 SCOTTISH 23rd 1973

SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS 20th April, 1972 25th October, 1972 ...

SOUTH EASTERN 2nd March, 1972

WESSEX & SOUT,H WALES 16th October, 1972 7th May, 1973

WEST MIDLANDS 17th October, 1972 ...

YORKSHIRE 17th January, 1973 13th June, 1973 25th July, 1973

COUNCIL MEETINGS

York-28th September, 1973 Worcester-7th De.cember, 1972 Hastings-3rd AprIl, 1973

EDITORIALS

A Time for Action Hazardous Loads

Page Page

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Derby-Conveyance by Road Regulations 76 FHntshire-Motor Vehicles Regulations ... 20 Folkestone-Petroleum Regulations 76 62 Liverpool-Conveyance by Road Regulations 40 22 MorleY-Storing without a Licence ... 40 22 Conveyance by Road Regulations 76 62 Teesside-Storing without a Licence 20 42 Wallasey-Conveyance by Road Regulations 40 2 Worcester--Conveyance 'by Road Regulations 20 62 Worthing-Conditions of Licence 20

53

LETTERS

on 'Forecourts-D. J. Pane ... . .. 42 33 Hl.ghly Flammable Liquids-G. A. Hodgkinson 43 50 Store-J. W. Frid ... ... ... . .. 23 SpIllage of 'Inf1.ammalble 'Liquid-B. W. Hutchings 24 13 MISCELLANEOUS 38 72 Annual Conference Report 43 Petrol Stations 17 34 Line 'Leakages 3 E9tJ;lpment-Recent Developments 63 74 'Filhng Station PI-anning 5 G.R.'P. Tank 62 48 Hazardous CO emical Forum 55 Hazards of Static Electricity 68 10 Panel 'A' Report '" ... ... . .. 18 13 -Petroleum-Administrative Responsibility 23 Petroleum-Re-organis-ation ... 44 14 Petrol Marinas 16 Petroleum Course 76 11 Plastic Petrol Tanks 62 51 Remote Pumping Systems 24 Robens Report 19 34 The Chairman '" '" 30 The Talking -Petrol Pump 27 36

ID:TIREMENTS 73 E. Calvert 42 75 R. Coysh ... 42 L. H. Everleigh 2 G. Havercroft 22 7 H. Johnson 22 31 J. A. Norris 62 66 J. R. Roberts 62 J. A. Sharp 42 1 SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING 9 41