The Bulletin Magazine - December 2005 by apeauk

The Bulletin Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

December 2005

Editorial

Contents Regulars

Tony Jenner

Chairman’s Report

Editor’s Report

Letters to the Editor

Business Manager’s Report

Editor Cameron Forecourt Ltd Platts Common Ind Estate Barnsley South Yorkshire S74 9SE

New APEA Members

News

tel:

01226 742441

fax:

01226 747441

mob:

07715 375140

e-mail:

tonyjenner@cameronforecourt.co.uk

Articles Spotlight on Malta

Depollution - The Safe Recovery of Petrol from End-of-Life Vehicles

A Tale of Enforcement

Catalist Market Fact Sheet ROI V2 2005

Autogas Installations - Inspector’s Aid Memoir Check List

HSE Petel 65/59a - Dispensing Control Measures

Underground Danger Set to Hit Bottom Line

SuperVault in Pole Position

APEA Annual Exhibition, Conference and Dinner 2005

The Hydrogen Partnership

Revisions to Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations

Jamie Thompson Publishing Chairman 70 Wangford Road Reydon Southwold Suffolk IP18 6NX

Tel/fax:

01502 722999

Mobile:

07770 625851

email: jamiethompson@ukonline.co.uk

Jane Mardell Branches

Business Manager (including Bulletin Advertising and Production)

Training

PO Box 106

2006 course dates and booking details

Photographs from recent courses

Membership application form

Saffron Walden Essex CB11 3XT

Tel/fax:

01799 541816

Mobile:

07815 055514

email:

admin@apea.org.uk

Front Cover - A service station in Malta

Published by the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration A company Limited by Guarantee registered in England No. 2261600 Opinions expressed in this Journal are not necessarily the views of the Association.

to report that we made new friends (and

Chairman’s Report

new members) whilst there. I have to

Another year has almost passed by

say it was an enjoyable trip and both

and it is time to reflect on the

Jamie and I were honoured to represent

achievements of the APEA over the last

the association outside of the UK. We

twelve months.

both believe the visit was worthwhile as we were able to give substantial

As is tradition, this Bulletin issue carries

reports

from

our

Annual

Conference and Exhibition, which this

technical assistance during our short stay and are hopeful that we can build on this new international relationship. quieter this year. However, bespoke

year was held in Birmingham on 13th As a member of the Petroleum

course have proved extremely popular

thought

Enforcement Liaison Group (PELG) I

where “we come to you”. Should your

provoking presentations. I would like to

can report that the review of standard

organisation have a requirement for

express my sincere thanks to these

licensing conditions is ongoing. We

training in this way please give Jane a

guest speakers who freely gave their

have

call.

October. Once again we attracted lively speakers

who

delivered

seen

many

revised

drafts

Often we are able to offer very

time to share their thoughts and

circulated as we continue to determine

generous

discounts

knowledge with us.

the right level of regulation to reflect the

training in this way.

delivering

needs of modern business in the 21st century. Obviously it is extremely

Well I draw to a close this report

increasing

difficult to get total agreement across

which is to be the penultimate in my

demands placed on the personnel in it,

the industry, this makes the whole

term of office as Chairman. I would like

it becomes increasingly difficult to

review process prolonged and time

to wish you all a truly enjoyable

arrange and host our annual event. But

consuming, but I’m sure we will get

Christmas and New Year. Rest assured

thanks to the hard work of Jane and the

there eventually!

your Association will be here to serve

With the continued contraction within our

industry,

and

the

you well next year. Thanks also go to

events committee we once again succeeded in holding a first class event

Recently I had cause to go “legal”

enjoyed by many. I certainly enjoyed the

where a routine inspection resulted in 3

whole day immensely and it is always a

Prohibition

pleasure

Improvement Notice being served on a

meet

friends

and

colleagues, both old and new.

Notices

and

my colleagues on Council and to Jane who is forever on the ball.

an Very Best Wishes to all

retail Petrol Filling Station that at the time presented dangerous conditions to

Brian

Contractually it has been quiet

staff and public alike. Enforcement

though. I have just seen a new ASDA

Notices are rare these days and the

site open recently, the first green-field

incident itself presented an unusual set

site I have dealt with for a long time.

This site is particularly interesting as it is

ownership on licence applications (and

Controls,

fully automated (unmanned) without a

in this case a transfer of licence) is not

Management

Forecourt Shop. Being unmanned, this

called for. The Petroleum (Transfer of

recently been awarded the Project

site called for extremely careful risk

Licence) Act 1936 does not specifically

Management contract Shell Europe.

assessment. To my knowledge there

call for this and it only came to light

The Association have been requested

are around 20 of these sites within the

when speaking to the freehold owner

to supply a range of training courses

UK at present, each with a need for

who

across

careful remote monitoring.

Operator had not signed a lease and

where Shell have a presence, the first

One piece of exciting news is that

therefore did not have control of the

being in Copenhagen, Denmark. This

Jamie Thompson and I were invited to

premises! I hasten to add that the man

represents yet another landmark for the

Malta to meet representatives of the

hours spent in serving legal documents

Association and re-affirms that we truly

Malta Resource Authority (MRA). An

was considerable.

are an international organisation. Final

circumstances

revealed

where

that

the

proof

Forecourt

At the time of going to print, the APEA have been contacted by Johnson a

many

world-wide Company

European

Facilities who

have

Countries

details are being concluded and a more

account of this visit can be found elsewhere in this issue, and I’m pleased

STOP PRESS

As expected, training has been a little

detailed report will be made in the next issue. 5

Convex was rescheduled to take place

Editor’s Report

in Las Vegas on 16th – 18th November

Where on earth has the time gone? It

and I understand that it was a huge

seems only a couple of weeks ago that

success. Unfortunately I was not able to

I was sitting down writing my report for

attend,

the September Bulletin and here I am

disappointing as I was looking forward

doing it again with the onset of winter

to going and being able to report on the

imminent.

weather

event. On behalf of the entire APEA

pundits predictions of a hard winter in

membership I would like to commend

the UK will turn out to be little more than

the management team of the PEI for the

scaremongering.

way they so quickly rescheduled their

Hopefully

the

which

was

particularly

event. Having been involved in the organisation of the APEA conference

their knowledge with the readers of this

annual

and exhibition (a humble event by

much respected trade publication.

conference and dinner and I am

comparison to the PEI) I can only

pleased to say that once again the

imagine how much “midnight oil” was

Once again I would urge you to

whole event went off in fine style. Our

burned in making these alternative

submit your news and opinions for

guest speakers entertained with their

plans. Well done to all at PEI, you did a

inclusion in the Bulletin. This publication

themed presentations on “What Comes

magnificent job and can be justifiably

is distributed throughout the world and

Next” and we heard of future plans for

proud!

is the perfect vehicle for our members

When writing my last report we were looking

forward

our

to express their opinions and provoke

hydrogen as an alternative fuel, the introduction of stage 2 vapour recovery,

You may remember from my previous

interest and reaction from readers not

and an insight into the possibilities of

Editors reports that we were trying to

only in the UK but also in other

Nano Technology being utilised within

adopt a “Themed Approach” for future

continents. I would also encourage you

our industry. It was refreshing to learn of

Bulletin issues. This issue was due to

to make use of the “Letters to the

these developments, each subject

carry news and information on the

Editor” feature where we should be able

giving us much food for thought. It is my

subject of Drainage & Oil Separators.

to encourage lively debate on topical

opinion that our industry has become

As you will see, this subject has well

subjects.

rather stagnant over the past few years,

and truly gone “down the drain” as we

and

new

did not receive a single article relating

All that now remains is for me to wish

technology which promises to revitalise

to drainage! I do find this particularly

every one of you a very happy and

should be enthusiastically embraced.

disappointing and perhaps reflective of

prosperous Christmas and New Year.

the apparent apathy in our industry! I

To this I add my sincere wish that 2006

obvious

and my colleagues on the Publications

proves calmer than 2005 with many

reasons the Petroleum Equipment

Committee still feel that there is great

less natural and man made disasters

Institute Convex which was due to be

benefit in adopting an overall subject for

than have made the headlines so

held in New Orleans at the beginning of

individual Bulletin issues and we will put

frequently in the past year.

November did not share our successes!

together a forward schedule for future

I’m sure you will all join me in offering

editions. Hopefully, this will encourage a

our commiserations to those who were

greater response from the various

wishes.

so badly affected when Hurricane

experts in the featured fields who will

Katrina delivered her fury! The PEI

take

any

advancement

Unfortunately

and

for

and

advantage

this

very

best

unique

opportunity to air their views and share

Letters to the Editor Dear Sir, On behalf of Sue and myself I wish to express our appreciation for the invitation to the Annual Conference, Exhibition and Dinner. It was great to renew old 6

acquaintances and to meet new faces. From the attendance and comments made at the event it was obvious the Association was in good shape and pleasing to note its work was being recognised in other countries. May it continue to develop and progress for the benefit of industry, the regulatory side and all those associated with the industry. Whether it be by

means of employment or use of the product. Thanks once again for the invitation and the very pleasant time we had in your company. Yours sincerely R G Kitching Head of Trading Standards

Business Manager’s Report It was good to see so many of you at the APEA Exhibition, Conference and Dinner in October, I hope you all had a good time and found the day interesting and enjoyable. There is a review of the day and articles by the speakers at the Conference, in this issue of the Bulletin. 2006 Yearbook Unfortunately we have been let down by the production company this year in that we received less Yearbooks than we ordered, which meant that where Corporate members normally receive five copies of the Yearbook, this year only received four. The production company have apologised to the APEA and are offering a refund on the costs for production. They also sent the following: ‘With regards to the shortfall, you are quite right: our standard conditions are that all manufacturing orders are subject to 5% under or over the ordered amount. However, when our factory are producing a bespoke product such as the APEA diary we do run the risk of losing additional copies due to spoilage and general quality control. Much of the process is automated and occasionally a machine may malfunction and damage a batch of diaries. As the components (i.e. covering material, special matter pages etc) have to be ordered in advance it is not always possible to replace goods damaged during the manufacturing process. This does not always happen and in most cases the factory produce overs. I realise that this is a disappointing result but as per my previous email the factory have confirmed that they will not be able to produce the shortfall. Once again my sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.’ This is disappointing as the production and distribution went smoothly for the 2005 diary and this was produced by the same company. Thank you to all of you that advertised in the 2006 Yearbook and also to those that registered to be included. I will be sending out the registration forms for the 2007 Yearbook with the March issue of the Bulletin and hopefully we will not experience the problems that have occurred this year. As with every year the forms need to be returned to me 1st April in order for

the diaries to printed and distributed in the Autumn. 2006 Membership Renewal Unless you joined the APEA between October and December of 2005 you will find with this copy of the Bulletin, your 2006 membership renewal notice, I would be grateful if you can make your payments by January 1st 2006. This also helps cut down the number of reminders that are sent out each year and keeps down the costs for the APEA. As in 2005 you can renew your membership via the secure payment facility on the APEA website, your membership number is shown at the bottom of your renewal notice. Please click on the ‘Membership page’ on the website and you will see the option to renew your membership at the bottom of the screen. This will then take your through the payment process. You can also pay by credit card and by cheque, please complete the payment slip at the bottom of the renewal letter and send this to me at the APEA office with payment or you can fax your credit card details. We also have the facility, this year, for you to set up a direct debit. There is a form included with this issue which should be completed and either faxed to me on 01799 541816 or posted to the APEA office. Bulletin Thank you to all of you that have contributed to this issue of The Bulletin. Please send me any news items, press releases or articles for the March 2006 issue and I will pass them onto our Editor for approval. We are always pleased to receive contributions from our members and it ensures that the Bulletin remains and interesting and informative read. Bulletin Advertising Thanks to all of you that advertised in the 2005 issues of the Bulletin. I am now taking advertising bookings for the 2006 issues. Remember that if you book in all four issues you receive a 25% discount and we are able to offer discounts for those of you that wish to book for more than one issue but less than four issues too. You will also receive a 50% discount on Yearbook advertising too for the 2007 issue. The advertising rates remain unchanged for 2006 and are listed on

our website on the ‘Publications’ page at www.apea.org.uk If you would like to book advertising in the Bulletin for 2006, please call me on +44 (0) 1799 541816 or email me at admin@apea.org.uk for a booking form. Publications The revised Blue Book is now available at the discounted rate of £40 to APEA members. If you wish to purchase a copy please contact me on 01799 541816 and I will be able to provide you with details on obtaining a copy. We also publish the Code of Practice for Ground floor, multi storey and underground car parks. This can be purchased directly from our website or by calling me at the office. APEA Members £10.00 plus p+p Non APEA Members £20.00 plus p+p Training Thanks to all of you that have booked on our training courses. I have been busy arranging bespoke courses for various companies which enables members to receive training at a discounted rate and at a time and location suitable to them. If you are interested in hosting a bespoke course for your company please do not hesitate to contact me. We can offer discounted rates for these courses if you are able to provide a venue and catering. Thanks go out to all our trainers who often travel long distances to provide their valuable services. You can download a booking form from our website training page, just click on the course you are interested in and the course details and form are displayed or please contact me by email or by phone and I can email you a copy or you can simply book online from the website. Course dates for 2006 are listed on page 64 and further dates will be added as we progress through 2006. You can 9

now view the up to date list on the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk/training New Members There have been 29 new members joining during July, August and September and details can be found below. Website By the number of hits that we are receiving it looks like the website is proving to be a benefit to the APEA

New APEA Members Detailed below are new members that have recently joined the APEA during July, August and September 2005. July 2005 Bill Mundia Triton Petroleum Co. Ltd 7th Floor, House of Vanguard Chiromo Road, Westlands, P O Box 38771 Nairobi 600 Kenya Richard Oliver 10 Loganlee Terrace Dundee Angus DD2 2DA Gary Burgess 94 Hadrian Ave Dunstable Beds LU5 4PS Iain Jones Calves Hill Ltd Unit 3 Park Close Ampney Crucis Cirencester GL7 5RY John Prendeville Texaco (Ireland) Ltd. 1st Floor, Block B, Liffey Valley Office Campus, Quarryvale Dublin 22 Ireland Gary Jacobs 92 Clifton Avenue Benfleet Essex SS7 5QU David Leahy David H Leahy Architects Elysium House Caherconlish Limerick Ireland Joerg Mueller Lübbering Umwelttechnik GmbH Landstrasse 2 58730 Fröndenberg Germany Phillip Brodie 19 West Avenue Hendon London NW4 2LL

members. I hope that you find the information on the site useful. If you wish to contribute anything to the site please feel free to log on and go to the APEA Resource Centre where you can submit your article for approval. There is a ‘Help’ pull down menu if you need some assistance. If you need any assistance please do not hesitate to contact me. You can also use the website to change your contact details, just logon and you will be able to access your record. If you cannot remember your logon details please contact me.

General Assistance Finally if any of you need any assistance with general or technical matters, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01799 541816 and I will endeavour to help. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jane

August 2005 Stuart Urban 3 Station Cottages Middleton-in-Teesdale Barnard Castle Co Durham DL12 0NF Jonathan Best Best Safety Solutions Limited 43 Limekiln Way Barlborough Chesterfield Derbyshire S43 4WB Midhat Dzemic Asterix d.o.o. Danijela Ozme 7 Sarajevo 71000 Ian Little Little Electrical Engineers 30-32 Queens Place Lurgan Co Armagh BT66 8BY Simon Borg Malta Resources Authority Millennia, 2nd. Floor, Aldo Moro Road Marsa LQA 06 Malta Charles Buttigieg Malta Resources Authority Millennia, 2nd Floor, Aldo Moro Road Marsa LQA 06 Malta Anne Marie Quinn North Lanarkshire Council Municipal Buildings Kildonan Street Coatbridge MI5 3LN Sean Kearney D Maintenance Ltd Stoneridge House 15 Moseley Wood Lane, Cookridge Leeds West Yorkshire LS16 7ER

Brian Mold TC Contractors Sapphire House 74/76 Walton Street, Walton on the Hill Tadworth Surrey KT20 7RU Robert Adkins Wally Mays (Contractors) Ltd 57 Spyvee Street Hull East Yorkshire HU8 7JJ Damian Kelly J F Little Electrical 68 Mullaghmore Road Dungannon Co. Tyrone BT70 1RB Suraj Lal Lubrizol Ltd The Knowle Nether Lane Hazelwood Derbyshire DE56 4AN Garry Mclachlan 40 Torlea Place Larbert Falkirk Stirlingshire FK5 4QZ Turgay Kasap Ejder Petroleum Ltd Ejder Petrol Station Serdali Lefkosa, Kibris MERSIN 10 Cyprus September 2005 George Farrugia PowerPlan Ltd C. Borg Calleja Street Qormi Qormi QRM09 Malta Ogacheko Atanu Saudi Aramco P.O. Box 13135 Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabia

Julian Lamb 91 Westwick Crescent Beauchief Sheffield South Yorkshire S8 7DN

Mark Vidler Qatar Fuels P O Box 7777 Doha 7777 Qatar

Michael Carpenter BP OIL UK Hamble Lane, Hamble Southampton Hampshire SO31 4 NR

Matt Walker AKSWard One West Smithfield London EC1 9JU

News

UK, Licensee Fined For a Serious Breach of Health & Safety Regulations On 4th and 5th April 2005, Hazmat Officers of the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service responded to complaints made by a number of occupiers in the immediate vicinity of a petrol filling station, that their properties were affected by strong smells of petrol. The smell was so pungent in one domestic property that a fire crew had to deploy a forced ventilation unit to clear the atmosphere. On 6th April, Fire Safety Officers (FSO) visited the Dene Service Station at Kirkburton near Huddersfield as part of the investigation into the possible source/cause of the smells. The licensee, who was on site at the time, was adamant that there had been no leaks or spillages. When the FSOs examined the (direct) fill points of the storage tanks they found 3 of the 4 chambers to contain petrol floating on water. It was significant that one of the affected chambers was the fill point of the diesel tank. Also of significance was the fact that the fill pipes of two of the petrol tanks did not have their caps securely in place with one fill pipe being totally uncovered. An inspection was then made of the triple chamber oil separator where approximately 98 litres of petrol was found in the 1st chamber. From the distinctive smell, the FSOs were certain in their own minds that substance in the chambers was petrol. However, any doubts were quickly dispelled when a polystyrene cup, used to take a closer examination of the substance, totally dissolved within seconds of being immersed in the liquid. It was estimated that there was somewhere in the region of 137 litres of petrol in all the chambers. It had also been noted at this time that the drainage channel surrounding the road tanker stand was completely blocked with detritus with the grassed verge beyond the channel showing the effects of petrol contamination.

In the interests of public safety, one of the FSOs used his powers under S22 of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to close the site until the residual petrol had been removed and the drainage channel cleaned-out. With the first complaint of a smell of petrol being made some 90 minutes after a road tanker delivery had been made to the site on 4th April and the presence of petrol in the fill point chambers and the oil separator, the investigating officers suspected that a spillage had occurred during this delivery. The licensee was cautioned and samples of the liquid were taken. The two tanker drivers who made the deliveries on 31st March and 4th April were interviewed as part of the investigation, as was the competent person who received the two deliveries. All three interviewees were insistent that no spillages had occurred. When interviewed, the licensee’s explanation for the presence of the petrol was that it had been put there by some young vandals who had been trespassing on the site when it was closed at nighttime! With the evidence of a spillage being circumstantial, the investigation identified that the licensee (the employer) was in breach of DSEAR1 Regulation 6(4)(b)2 in respect of the storage tank fill pipes not being sealed and Regulation 6(4)(e)3 in respect of the presence of petrol in the fill point chambers and oil separator and the blocked drainage channel. These two alleged offences were made into one charge of contravening a requirement imposed by Regulation 6(3)(a)4 of DSEAR. At a hearing at the Huddersfield Magistrates’ Court on 8 September 2005, the defendant entered a guilty plea to the charge. The magistrates made it clear to the defendant that they viewed the offence as a most serious one due the risk that it had caused to the people in the neighbourhood. This was reflected in a fine of £3000 with the full investigating costs of £979 being awarded to the prosecution, the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service. NB: The investigators were interested to note, that in his mitigation, the defendant accepted that a spillage must

have occurred during the delivery on 4th April. The reason he gave for accusing vandals of planting the petrol was the pressure he was under when being interviewed. 1 The Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002. 2 6(4)(b): The avoidance or minimising the release of a dangerous substance. 3 6(4)(e): Ensuring that any release of a dangerous substance which may give rise to risk is suitably collected, safely contained, removed to a safe place, or otherwise rendered safe, as appropriate. 4

6(3)(a): To control the risks, including measures specified in Regulation 6(4)(a) to 6(4)(g). Roger Marris West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service

UK, Solihull, July 30 2005. Contaminated fuel found at garage Contaminated fuel at a West Midlands garage has damaged scores of cars. Tesco said it has closed a number of pumps at its garage in Monkspath, in Solihull, after an unleaded tank was contaminated with diesel fuel. The tank is thought to have been contaminated on Friday and up to 40 cars have been affected. A Tesco spokesman said anyone affected can call its customer service department for advice. An investigation has been launched.

UK, Two hurt in petrol station blast Police, ambulance and the fire service were called to the petrol station shop at Sainsbury's in Cwmbran at 0645 BST on Thursday 13th October following an explosion. Two workers at the store were opening up when they were thrown from the building by the blast. Gwent Police said the cause of the 11

News explosion was gas and confirmed that the Health and Safety Executive had been informed. The two workers were treated by paramedics before being taken to Newport's Royal Gwent Hospital with minor injuries following the blast, which blew off the back doors of the building. A cordon was placed around the store and petrol station, which was closed whilst investigations were carried out. British Gas and Wales and West Utilities (WWU) were also called to the scene. A spokeswoman for WWU said it was too early to speculate about the cause of the explosion. Local car parks and the nearby Asda store were also closed following the incident, but reopened when it became apparent that no risk to the public remained. A Police spokesman confirmed that all other shops in the town centre remained open and local schools were unaffected. BBC News at bbcnews.com

UK, Woolston, July 23 2005. Polluter pays the price for oil pollution A Warrington company was fined £13,000 after an oil spill polluted a brook and killed water birds. Generator Power Limited, which provides diesel generators for hire, was also ordered to pay £1,720 in costs. The oil entered Spittle Brook in April 2004, after vandals broke into Generator Power’s premises off Pipe Lane, Woolston over the Easter weekend and released about 2,000 litres of fuel oil, from containers. The oil entered the drains on site which are part of the surface water drainage system and therefore discharge into rivers and streams – rather than the foul sewer system which takes effluent away to be treated. Although the company had equipment for dealing with small spills and has a stand-by arrangement with a clean-up contractor in place, there were no safeguards to contain larger spills. The company had not investigated what would happen to any oil that got into the on-site drains. As a result, 12

Generator Power had not been aware that oil spilled on its premises could get into rivers and streams and had not contacted the Environment Agency about the incident. A representative of the company had been to the site earlier in the day and done some cleaning up of the premises using the equipment available. However, further clean-up was required as there was oil on the yard near the drains connecting to the surface water system. The spill was reported to the Environment Agency on Easter Sunday by a local Park Ranger on 0800 80 70 60, the Environment Agency’s free 24hour emergency hotline number, after a concerned member of the public saw what appeared to be red diesel or gas oil in Spittle Brook. The oil was apparently coming from a surface water drainage outfall, intended to discharge clean, uncontaminated surface water. An Environment Agency officer attended the incident and had to call in our emergency workforce team to start cleaning up the brook. Generator Power then arranged for its contractor to attend and take over the extensive clean-up work that was needed. Generator Power paid for this work. Oil affected several birds on the brook and the RSPCA and Woolston Park rangers had to rescue four of them. Despite the RSPCA’s best efforts to clean and treat the birds, two of them – a mallard and a moorhen – died. When Environment Agency officers interviewed a representative of Generator Power, he said that the company was aware of its legal responsibility to store oil safely and responsibly. However, it had stored oil close to surface water drains and had not installed any form of barrier to contain accidental spillage. Jane Morgan, prosecuting, told Warrington Magistrates’ Court that although Generator Power had been a victim of vandalism, it was not the first time that the company’s property had been broken into - three recent incidents should have suggested to the company that it was vulnerable to break-ins, even though the previous break-ins had resulted in theft rather than vandalism. The company had not taken steps to

ensure it met the standards required for oil storage and failed to investigate the site's drainage arrangements. Generator Power’s failure to store oil appropriately had caused a significant incident on Spittle Brook and resulted in harm to its wildlife.

UK, Fireworks warning after shopkeeper fined £2.7K Trading standards are warning retailers to be responsible when selling fireworks after a shop owner was fined. Sinniah Sankar, owner of Portland Wines, Portland Road, Croydon, was fined £2,700 and ordered to pay £1,210 in costs on September 28th after he pleaded guilty to incorrectly storing fireworks in his shop. Trading standards officers visited his store in December 2004 and saw loose fireworks behind the shop counter. They also found more stacked on the store room floor and in an unprotected cabinet. For details on correctly storing fireworks call trading standards on 020 8407 1311.

UK, Sheffield, October 6 2005. Petrol spillage An Esso -Tesco Express site in the Chapeltown area of Sheffield was forced to close following discovery of a petrol leak. Forecourt staff acted promptly in reporting the incident to the emergency services as soon as the leak was spotted. Drivers were evacuated from the premises at approximately 10.30am on Thursday 6th October. A petrol pump was reported to have spilled some 40 litres of premium fuel onto the forecourt and the area was cleared of all personnel to avoid risk of ignition. The service station said the leakage was caused by a “faulty pipe”. Fire-fighters from both Elm Lane and Ringinglow Fire Stations attended the scene, to help with the clear up operation and administer chemical controls. Officers used sand to control the flow of petrol and minimize its travel

News across the forecourt. A spokesman for the Service Station told the local press that the spillage was not extensive and was soon cleared up, adding that the attendance of the Fire Brigade caused a stir, but the incident was quickly dealt with and the site was soon back in business. Staff from the Elm Lane Fire Station confirmed that they attended on the incident at around 10:30am on Thursday 6th October and cordoned off the area. It was explained that the leak was isolated thus preventing a further spillage. It was also confirmed that there were no injuries and the threat of ignition was quickly removed.

UK, August 3 2005. New pollution regs focus on oil storage Almost any organisation which stores oil is set to be affected by new regulations that come into force in September. Organisations with oil tanks should find out how the new regulations will affect them. The regulations, which are designed to reduce the risk of oil spills, will apply to anyone who stores more than 200 litres of oil in tanks or containers outside and above ground. The strict requirements are likely to affect businesses, schools, hospitals, churches, hospitals, museums, offices, warehouses and banks and others who store oil in substantial quantities for oilfired central heating or other reasons. Domestic oil users are exempt unless they are storing 3,500 litres or more of oil. Simply failing to comply with the new rules can lead to a fine of up to £5,000 and if oil is actually spilled the polluter could be fined up to £20,000 at a magistrate's court. A recent report from the Oil Care Campaign found that three of the top four causes of oil and fuel pollution incidents were tank failure, pipe failure and overfilling of tanks. The risk from all of these can be reduced by making sure oil storage meets the regulation requirements. The Environment Agency and Oil Care Campaign have published a

checklist outlining some of the major issues those responsible for oil storage should be considering before September. These include: • Storing oil in a suitable container which is kept out of harms way. • Using secondary containment big enough to hold 110% of the oil stored in tanks or 25% of oil in drums. • Making sure secondary containment is leak-proof. • All ancillary equipment must be within the secondary containment when not in use. • Locks must be on all taps and valves. • All pipework must be protected from damage by impact and corrosion and underground pipes tested for leaks. • Valves in pump feed lines or manual pumps must be checked. • Using an automatic overfill prevention devise when the delivery driver can not see the tank vent pipe whilst filling. Oil Care Campaign manager, Richard Martin said: "Oil pollution incidents have a serious impact on the environment and the decline in incidents over the past few years shows that regulations along with the concerted effort by the Environment Agency and industry partners is paying dividends. "Our recent oil pollution report is being championed by the industry who are already looking at ways of addressing concerns in order to keep the trend going down. "However, there is still more to do." Some oil tanks and containers are not affected by the regulations, such as those used for waste mineral oil. For full details of the regulations and exemptions, see the Environment Agency's website. Anyone who sees an oil accident should call the Environment Agency free of charge on 0800 80 70 60 to report the incident as soon as possible.

UK, London, October 4 2005. Oil spill in Thames as pontoons sink Oil has leaked into the Thames after two re-fuelling pontoons sank with more than 50 tonnes of diesel on board. Two small workboats, moored alongside the pontoons, also went down with them near Cherry Garden Pier in Bermondsey, south east London. The Port of London Authority believes "less than ten tonnes" of oil has spilt from the pontoons, a spokesman said one had not leaked and is completely secure. The spilt oil was light and would not form a slick on the river's surface, hazardous to seabirds, the spokesman added. "It may show up as sheen on the water, but we believe it will evaporate quickly. "It poses no threat to humans and would cause little damage to the environment. "Nevertheless, we don't want any oil in the water." No one was injured in the accident. An inquiry into its cause started on October 5th. There was no collision with another vessel beforehand, the spokesman said. The loss of the pontoons, which were used by City Cruises to refuel its boats, has not affected Thames Clipper passenger services.

UK, Milford Haven, August 2005. Homes worry after Haven oil leak The fuel spill has contaminated an area around a stream Oil that has leaked from a storage container in Milford Haven has entered the sewerage system of nearby houses. Air quality checks in the area may be extended to the inside of homes around Hazelbeach. A clean-up operation has been on-going for a week since around 500 tonnes of kerosene leaked from a storage tank at the Petroplus site near Milford Haven. The Environment Agency said the 15

News spillage had contaminated a stream, beach and cliffs. It said to date the operation appeared to have minimised the impact. There have been calls for measures to be put in place to prevent similar leaks in the future as there was a previous spillage from the tank in 2001. Around 500 tonnes of jet kerosene leaked from a storage tank on 2 August. The Environment Agency said it was told by Petroplus on Tuesday afternoon that oil was contaminating the groundwater near the tank. Petroplus added water to the tank to seal the leak and started pumping out the contaminated groundwater. Around 500 tonnes of fuel leaked from a storage tank but the following morning, the agency received reports of oil contamination of Hazelbeach stream which borders the Petroplus site, near the village of Llanstadwell. The agency added the oil leak was, "causing a localised visual and odour impact from oil contamination on the Hazelbeach in the vicinity of the stream". Petroplus, the Environment Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales and Pembrokeshire Council are all involved in a clean-up operation and the council has put up signs warning of oil contamination on the beach. The Environment Agency said the impact was limited to an area around Hazelbeach stream but said steps needed to be identified and put in place to prevent a re-occurrence. Councillor Ken Edwards said he believed further measures were needed. "This community is not just going to sit on this and just wait for the next event," he added. "We're concerned that this matter has got to be sorted out within the next six months." Friends of the Earth Cymru spokesperson Gordon James called for legal action to be taken. "There is no excuse for this sort of polluting incident within an area of high environmental value such as the Milford Haven waterway," he said. "This area, along with much of the Pembrokeshire coast marine environment, has been designated a Special Area of Conservation because it is an internationally important marine habitat." 16

UK, Tesco to buy up to 30 Morrison Petrol Stations Britain's No.1 supermarket group Tesco Plc, is buying up to 30 petrol stations and related shops from rival Wm Morrison Supermarkets to boost its presence in the fast-growing convenience store market. Britain's biggest retailer said that following the deal it would have around 6 percent of the UK's 24-billion-pound ($43.38 billion) convenience market measured by sales. Britain's supermarkets are boosting their presence in the fragmented convenience store market as planning restrictions limit their expansion of larger shops. Tesco said the 30 petrol stations and convenience stores were formerly part of a joint venture between supermarket group Safeway and oil giant BP Plc and that BP had right of first refusal on 12 of the sites and stores. Morrison bought Safeway in 2004 to become Britain's fourth-biggest supermarket group. Neither Morrison nor Tesco disclosed the value of the deal, although Morrison said the 30 sites had a gross asset value of 55.3 million pounds on Jan. 30. The deal is subject to approval by the Office of Fair Trading. "This is a small deal that will allow Tesco to convert freehold sites in good locations, with new and conforming forecourts and shops, to its Express convenience format," Tesco said in a statement.

UK, Coventry, September 20 2005. £5,000 fine for fireworks find A Coventry firm has been fined £5,000 for storing more than three tonnes of explosive fireworks on its premises without a licence. D & D Powder Coatings, based at Hales Industrial Estate, Rowleys Green Lane, was raided by trading standards officers and fire officers on October 15 last year. Coventry magistrates heard

that 200 boxes of rockets, weighing 3.2 tonnes, were found hidden under plastic sheeting. The firm was charged under section five of the explosives act for possession fireworks in a place without an appropriate licence. David Campbell, prosecuting on behalf of the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service, said: "A normal sized shop would be allowed to store a quarter of a tonne of fireworks with a licence. "Larger premises would only be able to store one tonne. This was three times greater than the amount allowed even with a licence. "Bearing in mind that this company used baking ovens and employees were seen smoking in proximity, these premises were clearly unsuitable." Handel Rex, managing director of the firm, which specialises in powder coatings, claimed he had agreed to store some goods as a favour for a colleague and was unaware they were fireworks. Ben Judge, defending, told magistrates: "This is a man who was set to make no commercial gain from these fireworks. He did not own these fireworks at any time." Mr Judge added that D & D Powder Coatings was struggling and would not be able to survive too hefty a fine. Magistrate Graham Payne told Mr Rex that the fine would have been £10,000 if not for his very early guilty plea.

UK, Norfolk, September 2005. Boat hire firm polluted river A diesel spillage into the River Yare could have been avoided if a boat hire business had put up barriers around storage tanks and a pump, a court heard yesterday. Alpha Craft, of Brundall, near Norwich, admitted at Norwich Magistrates Court letting fuel get into the river and failing to put a bund, or low wall, around tanks and pumps as a safety measure. District Judge Philip Browning heard that the family firm had not responded to a change in the law on oil storage nine months after it came into force. But Alpha Craft claimed the delay followed problems over new flood defences, which interfered with where a

News new storage building would be built. The company, run by Langford Jillings and his sons Paul and Langford, was fined £9500 for the spillage, on June 12, 2004. Peter Barley, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told the court that officials had visited the firm in March 2003 to talk about changes in fuel storage and supply rules. But when, in September 2003, the new rules came into force, no changes had been made. “The agency received a phone call alerting them to a spill of diesel at Alpha Craft,” said Mr Barley. Diesel spilled on to the ground, formed a puddle, and drained into a dyke which leads to the River Yare. Mr Barley said that while it had not been possible to say how much diesel had been involved, there was no evidence of damage to wildlife. Mike Magee said in mitigation that the company had acted quickly by putting an inflatable boom into the water to stop fuel getting to the river. And even after that boom had punctured, a second boom, made of cork, had been bought and left in place for several weeks. Absorbent pads had also been put into the water to soak up the fuel. He added that before the new rules came into force, design work had started on a new building containing storage tanks and a pump. “The difficulty has been that the building needs to be behind the new flood defences and until the line of those defences is finally decided, the new building cannot be put up,” he added. Judge Browning fined the firm £7500 for allowing the spill, two fines of £1000 for failing to provide a barrier around the tanks and pump, and £1878.64 costs. He said the dangers of allowing a spillage into “waters that link the river and broads speak for themselves”.

investigation after an alarm in a tank

UK, September 15 2005. BP to probe claims that gas leak was ‘ignored’

service and arrived at around 4.30pm to

holding gas for LPG-powered vehicles was sounding for about three hours. Reports from some nearby workers said they heard an alarm ringing at the petrol station in North End in the

Scotland, Dunfermline, August 2005. Motorists caught in fuel mix-up

morning. However, the fire service were alerted to the potential gas leak only after they happened to be filling up at the garage themselves at 3.30pm. Businesses and residents within a square kilometre radius were then evacuated and emergency vehicles, including 12 fire engines, were sent to the scene. BP said the alarm had been triggered after the LPG underground tank had been overfilled and was overpressurised. Although BP staff were assured there was not a gas spill, West Sussex Fire and Rescue said they should have been alerted immediately. A spokesman said: "We would advise people to always contact us if an alarm goes off. It's as important as a house fire alarm or a carbon monoxide alarm going off. They should

have

contacted

precautionary measure." Sidlow Garage, which is located at the back of the BP garage, was one of the companies affected. Twenty of its staff had to evacuate to Imberhorne Lane for more than 45 minutes. Staff member said: "If the tank went bang it would take all the other tanks up with it, and could be catastrophic." Felbridge Hotel was used as a base for some of the evacuees, which included elderly residents from Felwater Court nursing home. Fire appliances attended

the

scene

from

East

Grinstead, Horsham, Horley, Burgess Hill, Crawley and Lingfield. A BP engineer was called by the fire confirm there was no leakage. London Road and Imberhorne Lane were reopened by police at 4.45pm but the closure caused grid-lock to the East Grinstead area. Sheila Williams, a spokesman for BP,

Questions are being asked after a

said: "An alarm went off after the tanker

potential gas leak at the BP garage in

had filled the LPG and wouldn't go off.

Felbridge in Surrey went unreported for

However, there was no leakage and no

several hours. BP is promising an

danger to the public."

Diesel was put into the cars instead of petrol. Hundreds of drivers are thought to have been affected by a fuel mix-up which resulted in diesel instead of petrol being added to their tanks in Fife. The Asda supermarket in Halbeath Road, Dunfermline, has been trying to find out how the mix-up occurred. Nobody realised the error until cars began to break down later on Monday. Incorrect fuel would cause the engine to stop at any moment and would cost hundreds of pounds to have the diesel cleaned from the tank. The store, which has CCTV footage of every vehicle affected, has apologised to drivers and urged them to contact their local customer service desk for compensation. An outside contractor was thought to have mistakenly filled a petrol tank with diesel and three pumps were affected.

Ireland, Galway, September 28 2005. Garda 3000 fireworks find Gardaí intercepted 3,000 worth of fireworks on their way to the black market in Galway in the run up to Halloween. At 1.30pm on 27th September Gardaí stopped a van on the Headford Road en route to Galway. Inside the van they discovered a substantial amount of fireworks, from rockets to bangers. A Galway city man was arrested in relation to the find. Although illegal in Ireland, fireworks are in huge demand in the weeks leading up to Hallowe’en. A Garda spokesman appealed to parents to be careful where fireworks were concerned. “Accident and Emergency will have a busy few weeks from now until Halloween, as many children are brought in, - thankfully usually with just minor injuries - related to fireworks,” he 17

News said. “Fireworks are illegal and dangerous and people in this country don’t know how to handle them properly,” he added. Gardaí are asking that anyone with information relating to illegal firework stashes contact the Gardaí at Millstreet Garda station on (091) 538000.

Northern Ireland,South Armagh illegal fuel ‘harms environment’ Illegal fuel laundering in Northern Ireland is harming the environment, customs officers have warned. It follows the discovery of an illegal fuel operation at Camlough in south Armagh in July. Two vehicles adapted with concealed tanks for transporting fuel and 17,000 litres of laundered fuel were seized. John Spence from HM Revenue and Customs service said the chemicals used in the laundering process caused damage to the surrounding area. The harmful chemicals are used to remove the red dye from "low tax" diesel intended for agricultural use. The fuel is then sold to motorists. "We estimate that there was a potential revenue loss of £1m from a plant like this over the course of a year," said John Spence. "However, we also need to be aware of the environmental and safety issues of illegal laundering plants. "We need to consider what happens to the waste by-product and the damage caused to our land, our water and our rivers. "We know that waste like this has been dumped close to where this laundering plant was and that clearly causes damage to our environment."

Norway, Oslo, July 15 2005. E18 finally reopens after explosion The petrol station explosion brought all traffic on the busy E18 highway to a complete standstill for several hours on Thursday evening.

The E18 highway west of Oslo finally reopened early Friday morning, nearly eight hours after an explosion at a nearby petrol station forced its closure in both directions. Traffic chaos ensued, and local homes were evacuated. Police blamed the explosion on a leak in an underground propane tank, that in turn was caused by a faulty vent. The blast blew three sewer covers into the air, some of them landing on the adjacent highway and one dangerously near a strawberry seller's stand along the road. Witnesses also told of smoke in the area, and that the loud explosion left bits of metal and concrete scattered on the road. It also blew out windows at the petrol station itself. The explosion occurred at a Shell station at Strand, and the main artery in and out of Oslo was closed from Strand to Høvik. Traffic was backed up for several kilometres in both directions, stranding motorists in their cars. That also led to, severe congestion on local streets as motorists lucky enough to exit the E18 sought other ways of getting to their destinations. There were no injuries, but police took few chances and evacuated local homes and businesses near the Shell station. A gas expert from Shell managed to stop the leak around 12:30am. The highway reopened at 2am.

USA, Ind, Muncie, September 27 2005. Cops: Man falls asleep while siphoning gas A man fell asleep while siphoning gasoline into a 55-gallon tank that had been installed in the back of a van, police said. The manager of the Swifty station on the city's south side noticed the white van parked on its lot when he arrived Tuesday morning and called police. Inside the van, officers reported finding a man asleep next

to a 55-gallon tank and a batteryoperated pump. A hose from the pump led to the gas station's underground tank. "That's a lot of gas," Police Chief Joe Winkle said. "I'm sure he felt like this would be a pretty good heist for himself." Firefighters were called to disconnect the hose, and the man was arrested on charges of theft and possession of a firearm without a permit, Winkle said. He was being held in the Delaware County Jail. Winkle said investigators were working to confirm the man's identity. With regular unleaded at the station selling for $2.67, the tank would have held nearly $150 worth of fuel. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005 092701223.html

USA, KS, Lawrence,September 23 2005. Gas tank pushes through concrete - heavy rains cause problem Heavy rains caused gasoline storage tanks at a Lawrence service station to rise above ground level Friday morning. Authorities are working to build an earthen dam around the tanks to stop gasoline from spilling into storm sewers. Officials believe an overnight downpour surged around the tanks, causing them to push through the concrete pavement at the Miller Mart, which is located at Sixth Street and Frontier Road. The tanks started to rise at about 4 a.m. and broke through the surface at about 8 a.m.

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Spotlight on Malta By Brian Baker & Jamie Thompson The Association often receives calls and requests for technical advice and assistance such a call was received from the Malta Resources Authority (MRA) that was to lead to a visit by the APEA to the Maltese Islands to provide support. Here is a summary of that visit. The islands of Malta (Malta, Gozo and Comino) are one of the most densely populated areas in Europe with a population of some 400,000 people that doubles each year with tourism. Car ownership is high with a quarter of a million vehicles in use around these small islands.

Since the mid 1950’s there have been legal c o n t r o l s enforced by the Commissioner of Police known as the Petroleum Regulations 1955 but little has been done in the enforcement field and they have to some extent become obsolete. In 1986 the Typical site infrastructure was under governmental control. With a single supply terminal at B’Brugia in the south west of the island, the controls lead to an autonomy that existed until recently. Malta on joining the EU has to introduce competition and comply with the many EU directives The APEA were asked to undertake the following:

Since joining the European Union in May 2004, much work has been done in preparing the population to the inevitable changes to the local economy and none more so than in petrol retailing.

Night operation

Kerb side site

downstream oil industry was nationalised with the Enemalta Act 1986 that saw state control on the distribution of automotive fuel where the whole

1. Visit the island for 2 full days to meet government officials from the Planning Department, Health & Safety Authority, Representatives of the General Retail and Traders

Unattended kerb site

Articles 5. The geology of the island is mainly rock based with no data in respect of leaks and spillages but there are many water extraction points on the island 6. There has been no approval of new sites or equipment being installed to make sure these are being built in accordance with modern safety and environmental standards 7. A number of sites had new dispensers installed about 10 years ago with most Dispensers provided with site glasses to provide customers with visual indication of fuel quality.

Tank Chamber

Union (GRTU), and Department of Transport in respect of tanker distribution under the guise of our host, the Director of Energy. 2. We are asked to demonstrate what and how petroleum legislation is applied in the UK, including licensing conditions. 3. To visit a small number of sites to establish a feel of how they comply (or not) in respect of European Directives and European Norm’s 4. Produce an Action Plan of recommendations for the MRA to implement The visit was interesting and two busy days were fully taken up with intense discussions, which left us with the impression that things will change for the better. A few salient facts were established to begin with: 1. There are in total around 90 Retail Petrol Stations on the islands, about 10 of then on the northern island of Gozo.

2. Of these 90 sites, 35 are “Kerbside” Pumps (Sites) 3. The island has a “closed shop” approach where all sites open at around 6 am until 6 pm in the evening and perhaps Saturday mornings whilst all other times the majority move to unattended service using n o t e acceptors. Sites are Attended Service so latch pins are used on nozzles 4. Stage 1B has not been introduced and is deemed a major priority, but bottom loaded r o a d Note acceptor tankers and a vapour recovery system has to be installed on the island

8. There has not been until now any audit or inspection regime or risk assessments conducted for any sites. Those with a long memory may recall an article in the Bulletin in 1990 regarding Malta’s service stations and the building of their first “European” station with double wall tanks and

plastic pipes. Some station owners did follow this line but many “cherry picked “ the parts they could afford, and with no guidance or control then you could build almost anything. Malta entering the EU has changed this and the adoption of the “Blue Book” as an approved construction method for service stations seems likely. New petroleum legislation and an inspection regime also seems a probable result of their deliberations and hopefully we will report their progress. In the meantime the Association welcomes the new members from Malta.

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Depollution - The safe recovery of petrol from End-of-Life Vehicles By Rex Wheeler The End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations came into force in 2003 and are gaining more prominence as an increasing number of companies apply for registration as Authorised Treatment Facilities. Many of these companies are storing and dispensing petroleum spirits. The End-of-Life Vehicles Directive (2000/53/EC), adopted on the 21st October 2000, is aimed at promoting the collection, re-use and recycling of components from vehicles which have reached the end of their life, in a manner which protects the environment. The Directive requires that End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV’s) may only be treated at licensed sites and that such sites must meet the required standards for storage, depollution and dismantling, as appropriate. Treatment includes depollution, dismantling, shearing, shredding, recovery and preparation for disposal. The Directive currently only relates to certain classes of motor vehicles, i.e. cars and light goods vehicles. However the Government appears to have decided that the same environmental protection standards will apply in respect of all endof-life vehicles, irrespective of their class. Certain provisions of the EC Directive resulted in the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulations 2003 (SI 2003, No. 2635) being introduced. The Regulations required that ELV treatment facilities carrying out depollution needed to be licensed as “authorised treatment facilities” (ATF’s) by the environment agencies In the UK it is envisaged that approximately 2 million ELV’s will be generated each year. These will be classified as a hazardous waste (under the Hazardous Waste List 2000/532/EC and amendments) and as a consequence of the EC Directive, will need to be depolluted. The minimum technical requirements for treatment operations for the depollution of ELV’s are: (1) Removal of batteries and liquid gas tanks (2) Removal or neutralisation of potential explosive components, (e.g. air bags) (3) Removal, separate collection and storage of fuel, motor oil, transmission oil, gear box oil, hydraulic oil, cooling liquids, antifreeze, brake fluids, airconditioning system fluids and any other fluid contained in the ELV, unless they are necessary for the reuse of the parts concerned (4) Removal, as far as feasible, of all

components identified as containing mercury. The individual hazardous components and materials removed during depollution should be kept separately. It is anticipated that an average of 10 litres of fuel will be removed from each ‘depolluted’ vehicle. In many cases this will be petrol, creating a serious health and safety risk from fire and explosion. It is essential that everyone involved in processing vehicles has equipment and working practices which can properly control the potential risks of petrol draining, storage and, if relevant, dispensing. As vehicle depollution will involve removing fluids which may be explosive or corrosive, applicable legislation includes: (1) The Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 - covering general health and safety requirements (2) The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 - requiring risk assessments on activities, employees to be informed of the risks and preparation of emergency procedures (3) The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 - requiring assessments of the risks to health of employees from each hazardous substance (4) The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 - covering risks of fire and explosion from hazardous substances. The HSE wills normally be responsible for enforcement of the above legislation. However, the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 will apply, (in addition to the above), at premises where the recovered petrol is dispensed into other motor vehicles. (‘Dispensing’ is defined in DSEAR as ‘the manual or electrical pumping of petroleum spirit from a storage tank into the fuel tank of an internal combustion engine, whether for sale or not’.) Whether the dispensed petrol is for private or work use, a Petroleum Licence must be obtained from the local Petroleum Licensing Authority (PLA). In addition to issuing licenses PLA’s will also be responsible for enforcing DSEAR, but only for those parts of the premises to which the licence applies. A Petroleum Licence will not be required for the petrol extraction process

or for other storage activities which do not involve the direct transfer of petrol from a fixed tank with a pump into motor vehicles. The ELV Directive will inevitably change the structure of the vehicle recycling industry with the creation of ATF’s. It is highly unlikely that many of the existing recycling yards will invest in depollution systems with petrol storage and dispensing facilities, because of the costs involved and the requirement to register as “authorised vehicle processors” under the ELV Regulations. Application for registration is made to the Environment Agency (EA) or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The agency is responsible for ensuring that all ELV sites, whether they are licensed, registered or otherwise exempt from licensing, meet the environmental standards set by the ELV Directive. Those premises which receive authorisation are likely to have installed equipment which has been specifically designed for carrying out the required depollution operations. The use of such equipment should ensure that a high level of depollution can be achieved i.e. the removal of over 98% of fluids contained in an ELV. The majority of commercially available equipment is operated pneumatically and can achieve the above in a relatively short time span. ATF’s can use simpler, alternative methods to achieve depollution, but health and safety requirements should not be compromised. For those premises where storage and dispensing of “clean” petroleum spirits takes place, prior to licensing, PLA’s will need to be satisfied that the ATF applicant has followed the advice given in the guidance issued by the HSE - ‘The safe recovery of petrol from end-of-life vehicles’ (or equivalent). This guidance contains general advice for vehicle dismantlers which, if followed, will ensure that they are normally doing enough to comply with the relevant health and safety legislation. Reference may also need to be made to the IP/APEA publication ‘Design, construction, modification, maintenance and decommissioning of filling stations’ (2nd Edition 2005). This article is the author’s interpretation of the Directives and Regulations and references have been taken from the above-mentioned documents. It hoped that the Midlands Branch will be able to visit an operational ATF site, in the near future. The arrangements will be circulated to other branches and all will be welcome to attend.

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A Tale of Enforcement By Brian Baker, Milton Keynes Council What should have been a routine inspection of a Petrol Filling Station on a bright September afternoon turned into a significant action by the Licensing Authority in the serving of three Prohibition Notices, an Improvement Notice followed by the probable instigation of legal proceedings against the site owners. The case also revealed significant shortcomings in current UK petroleum legislation in terms of “Proof of Title” . Background & Site History N.H. Service Station Ltd had requested a transfer of licence under the Petroleum (Transfer of Licence) Act 1936 in July 2005. A postal application The Inspection I arrived on site in the early afternoon to conduct what was anticipated to be no more than a routine inspection to ensure that the licensing conditions were being complied with. The previous routine inspection had taken place some 18 months ago and at that time everything appeared to be satisfactory.

had been received together with the prescribed fee of £8 which was duly processed in accordance with normal procedures. The site is one of the oldest installations in the Milton Keynes area, with two of its underground petrol tanks having been installed in 1957. However, according to the records no serious problems had ever been recorded on the site. The site is situated in a built up area in the town of Wolverton which is to the

north of Milton Keynes. Although occasional contraventions of licence have occurred throughout the 48 years the site has been operational these have amounted to nothing of great significance. To all intents and purposes, the site has always been managed reasonably well.

My attention was immediately drawn to a Hand Car Wash facility that was open to the public. There were several cars waiting to use this facility and the site was busy with a number of drivers sitting around or moving around, some using mobile phones, others smoking. From the way people were conducting themselves I correctly assumed that this was not a one off occasion but the norm. The problem with this car wash service was its location! The whole operation had been set up immediately

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above the tank manway chambers and the tanker delivery stand, effectively the whole lot was in a hazardous area! I called for the Site Manager and asked if he had granted his permission for the car wash business to be set up, explaining that I could find no record on file of the authority having approved such an operation. The manager explained that he was not responsible for the car wash and the permission for it being set up had been granted by the owners of the freehold, one of which

Enforcement Action At this stage the Environmental Health Officer showed interest and expressed a wish to visit the site. It was during this visit she decided upon two further prohibition Notices under the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (Section 2) failing to protect the health and safety of persons and the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (Regulation 3 in respect of unprotected electrical apparatus in a hazardous atmosphere). My Prohibition

Needless to say the plot thickened when the site owner made contact 3 days later requesting an urgent meeting following closure of the hand car wash operation. Having shown him the extent of danger presented by the car wash business a discussion took place on how to reduce the risk and try to establish what prospects there were for re-opening the business safely. It was then the bombshell struck. The conversation revealed that the petrol filling station operators had not signed a lease with the owner and therefore cannot be the person(s) in control of the premises.

was involved in the car wash business. I completed my inspection and took photographs together with making notes of the various activities going on in the area of the vehicle wash and then returned to my office. As I operate in a Unitary (Single Status) I spoke with the Area Planning Officer regarding any approvals which may have been granted to operate the car wash. Much to my surprise I found that planning approval had been given in July 2005 although due to an oversight I had not been consulted! My next step was to visit our Environmental Health department (all of 20 metres down the corridor) as it is this department who are responsible for drawing any legal notices instigated by me. My inspection of the site had already led me to the conclusion that the risk was excessive and therefore an immediate Prohibition Notice was necessary.

Notice was served under the Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, All three notices were served jointly on the freehold owner and the person we believed to be the licensee.

To ensure the enforcement process is carried out correctly my authority utilise a software programme know as the “Enforcement Management Model” (EMM). This requires a check with Companies House to ensure that the correct details of the business in question are recorded accurately. Yes, you have guessed it, the Licensees were not registered as a business and therefore we had to

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revoke the served notices and re-issue them exclusively on the owners.

A check through the Petroleum (Transfer of Licences) Act 1936 confirmed my worst thoughts. Under current legislation there is no requirement to establish “proof of title”. Therefore, the prospect remains open for literally anybody who applies to transfer a licence does not necessarily have to provide proof that they will control the business.

The Aftermath An Improvement Notice followed a week later requiring the freehold owner to carry out a risk assessment under Regulation 5 of the Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 Countless hours were spent on this one case. A “Tale of Enforcement?” - I would think so, do you?Fire Safety & Petroleum Officer Footnote; Since this event the matter has been raised at the UK’s Petroleum Enforcement Liaison Group (PELG) to investigate these implications. At the time of going to print, Milton Keynes Council are considering implementing legal proceedings on the owner

Catalist Market Fact Sheet Republic of Ireland V2 2005 This fact sheet provides a summary of the data in the latest release of the Catalist ROI database. If you would like further information or explanation please contact your Catalist Country Manager. Full contact details are provided at the end of this document. All data in the following tables and charts is based on ‘open’ sites (including sites under development and unsurveyed and excluding Non-Retail sites). Market Share by Brand Brands are listed in order of market share for motor fuel volume sales (see below for a definition).

Brand *

Number of open sites**

Average MF volume per site (kl p.a.) ***

% Market share MF volume

% Outlet share

Effectiveness ****

STATOIL ESSO TEXACO MAXOL SHELL UNBRANDED TEDCASTLES EMO TESCO STAFFORD OIL AMBER FOOD STORE MORRIS OILS MINOR BRAND

261 287 326 249 124 481 208 117 7 101 33 10 52 22

2,238 1,959 1,555 1,226 2,066 521 784 957 12,786 695 849 2,055 318 625

19.7 18.7 17.1 10.2 8.7 8.4 5.5 3.7 3.0 2.4 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.5

11.5 12.6 14.3 10.9 5.4 21.1 9.1 5.1 0.3 4.4 1.4 0.4 2.3 1.0

1.72 1.49 1.19 0.94 1.60 0.40 0.60 0.72 9.88 0.54 0.64 1.59 0.25 0.48

TOTAL

2,278

Brands include sub-brands or subsidiaries as appropriate (identified as Share Brand in the database).

Open sites includes all currently operating petrol stations and those sites that are under development or unsurveyed at time of publishing.

***

MF Volume refers to all grades of fuel bought on the forecourt by cars, vans and light commercial vehicles (Petrol, diesel, LPG etc.) and is based on Catalist estimates. This excludes fuel sold to the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) commercial sector usually through separate facilities away from the normal forecourt.

****

Effectiveness is Volume Market Share divided by Outlet Market Share.

Articles Market Share by Ownership The table below shows how the ROI market is divided according to ownership. Ownership

Number of open sites

Average volume per site (kl p.a.)

% Market share MF volume

% Outlet share

Effectiveness

COMPANY DEALER HYPERMARKET

363 1,908 7

2,874 968 12,786

35.1 61.9 3.0

15.9 83.8 0.3

2.20 0.74 9.88

TOTAL

2,278

Definitions: Company: Dealer: Hypermarket:

Owned by the supplying Oil Company whose name appears on the brand sign. An independently owned site usually supplied under an agreement with an Oil Company whose name usually appears on the brand sign. Alsoincludes unbranded sites with no Oil Company identification. Owned and operated by the multiple retailers (Hypermarket groups). Also includes sites that may be away from the main Hypermarket store but are owned and branded by the Hypermarket.

Market Development by Brand The table below compares the number of open and under development sites by brand, for the current release of data and the same period last year.

No. open sites V2 2004

No. open sites V2 2005

% Change in site numbers

AMBER EMO ESSO FOOD STORE MAXOL MINOR BRAND MORRIS OILS SHELL STAFFORD OIL STATOIL TEDCASTLES TESCO TEXACO UNBRANDED

32 128 303 13 304 20 56 178 104 268 207 3 364 416

33 117 287 10 249 22 52 124 101 261 208 7 326 481

3.1 -8.6 -5.3 -23.1 -18.1 10.0 -7.1 -30.3 -2.9 -2.6 0.5 133.3 -10.4 15.6

TOTAL

2,396

2,278

Articles Percentage of Sites with a Shop and Car Wash by Brand The table below shows the percentage of sites with a shop and car wash by brand.

Brand

Number of Open Sites

% Sites with Shop

% Sites with Car Wash

AMBER EMO ESSO FOOD STORE MAXOL MINOR BRAND MORRIS OILS SHELL STAFFORD OIL STATOIL TEDCASTLES TESCO TEXACO UNBRANDED

33 117 287 10 249 22 52 124 101 261 208 7 326 481

79 81 85 100 82 73 77 90 83 83 79 86 81 59

39 53 69 50 61 36 12 81 40 77 45 43 59 20

TOTAL

2,278

Comparison of Shop Sales in Relation to Shop Size The table below gives average shop sales per annum and average shop size and looks at the relationship between the two.

Brand

Average Shop Sales ( '000 p.a.)

Average Shop Size (sq m)

Average Shop Sales/Sq Metre Shop Space

Average shop sales in /'000 litres fuel sold

AMBER

535

7,357

1,273

EMO

672

7,728

877

ESSO

933

107

8,685

533

FOOD STORE

1,232

122

10,098

859

MAXOL

689

7,900

666

MINOR BRAND

372

5,317

1,675

MORRIS OILS

270

5,794

1,351

SHELL

823

9,073

433

STAFFORD OIL

571

7,396

1,120

STATOIL

1,055

108

9,785

511

TEDCASTLES

574

6,785

897

TESCO

525

5,600

TEXACO

785

8,455

589

UNBRANDED

397

6,514

1,239

Further Information For further explanation of any of these figures or if you require any information, please contact:

Arthur Renshaw Country Manager, UK and Ireland Catalist Ltd Richmond House 22 Richmond Hill Clifton Bristol BS8 1BA

Tel: 0117 923 7113 Mob: 07810 300025 Fax: 0117 923 7166 Email: arthur.renshaw@catalist.com

Articles

Autogas Installations - Inspector’s Aid Memoir Check List By Health & Safety Executive / Local Authorities Enforcement Liaison Committee (HELA) Subject: Autogas LAC Number: 65/60 Open Government Status: Fully Open Issued: September 2005 Review date: September 2008 THE DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES & EXPLOSIVE ATMOSPHERES REGULATIONS 2002 PETROL FILLING STATIONS AUTOGAS INSTALLATIONS Inspector’s Aid Memoir Check List Explanatory Notes 1. Initial and periodic surveys of autogas installations (at petrol filling stations) by Fire Safety Officers and LA Inspectors can only, for practical reasons, encompass the following features: -

a visual survey of the unconcealed parts of the storage vessel(s), associated equipment/fittings and the dispenser;

compound security, means of escape, notices and fire-fighting equipment etc; and

ii. At sites where the storage vessels are buried/mounded, other than the dispenser(s), there will be little to inspect. 2. Under the Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR)a the site operator has the responsibility for the operation of the installation, including the maintenance even other duty holders may carry out the maintenance work. For example on some sites it is not unusual for there to be other duty holders involved by virtue of the storage vessels and the installation being owned by separate companies. 3. The Written Scheme of Examination required under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2002 (PSSR)b is very specific and Section 8 requires that ‘The Written Scheme’ must cover the periodic examination of: a) all protective devices;.

the examination of documentation to ensure that there is an effective maintenance regime in place.

NB: i. Certain parts of the installation may be inaccessible when unannounced inspections are carried out, as the site operator may not hold the keys to dispenser and access chamber covers.

b) every pressure vessel and every pipeline in which (in either case) a defect may give rise to danger. (Note: Pipelines have a specific definition and there are none on LPG installations unless the pipework crosses a property boundary). c) those parts of the pipework in which a defect may give rise to danger NB: - The term “danger” in the context of

PSSR applies only to the release of pressure; -

The Written Scheme may or may not be held by the site.

4. PSSR, DSEAR and Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)c require that maintenance be carried out. This may be carried out independently from or as part of the work required by the ‘Written Scheme’. As the operator is responsible to ensure this work is carried out, then there should be suitable records available. If they are not kept on site then they should be readily available from a specified location; e.g. a head office. 5. Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (LPGA) Code of Practice (CoP) 20 includes recommendations for the maintenance of Autogas installations on which the notes in following table are based. The Code also recommends that the site operator should be carrying out routine checks of the main parts of the installation, especially those parts that could affect customer safety. e.g. nozzle, hoses, pullaway coupling, dispenser condition and emergency shut down system. 6. The following tables also give an indication of what should be included in the installation checks carried out by the site operator or specialist contractors.

Electrical Installationd No.

Item

Electrical inspection schedule and/or maintenance records available.

Notes See LPGA CoP 1 & 20 and Blue Book

Mechanical Installation The maintenance record should include the following information. It may be possible for some of the information to be verified by an inspector during a visit. Storage Vessel Compounds No.

Item

Notes

Storage type

Above ground/Mounded/Buried

Chamber gas sensors

Confirm installed (for buried installations only). Although not mandatory, sensors are installed at many sites.

Means of escape from vessel compounde.

Two outward opening, lockable, gates on opposite sides of the compound. See LPGA CoP 1 (para 2.6.1) 31

Articles Storage Vessel Compounds No.

Item

Notes

Condition of compound and base including security fencing and any radiation wall(s).

Fence and/or radiation wall to be no closer than 1.5m.

Vessel surroundings clear of flammable materials and excessive vegetation.

Condition of paint/external surface protection of vessels.

Confirm no significant external corrosion started

Presence and vessel/compound

Should be clearly legible when viewed from the limits of the relevant separation distance.

Emergency telephone number displayed and is correct

Required by emergency services.Should be clearly legible when viewed from the limits of the relevant separation distance.

Condition of all valves, pipework and fittings

Confirm no evidence of damage or severe corrosion. Moderate surface corrosion may be expected on some fittings and earth bonding points without impacting on overall integrity.

Condition of pump(s) and motors

Confirm no damage or severe corrosion

Emergency (pump) isolation switch(s) installed in the compound.Fitted with a suitable sign

For use by the tanker driver or engineer working in the compound.

legibility

signs

Fitted with a suitable sign Pipework & Ducting No.

Item

Notes

Condition of flexible (under dispenser) pipe

Confirm no evidence of mechanical damage. See PETEL 65/54a. Check there are no leaks mechanical damage or corrosion.

Buried pipework – inspection strategy.

Confirm that there is a strategy in place that covers the buried/concealed pipework with the necessary checks and tests to establish continued integrity, the intervals between checks/tests and the rationale supporting the strategy. See LAC No 52/18

Condition of seals in ducting.

Effectively sealed with mechanical or compound seals. See PETEL 65/54a. Builders (PE) expanding foam not sufficient on it’s own

Location of buried pipework

Should be marked on the forecourt or shown on a site plan available to contractors and the emergency services. Dispensers

No.

Item

Notes

Shear couplings

Visual survey to confirm brackets are in place and secure. Check the thinned section to confirm no cracking

Dispenser hoses

Hoses should receive daily visual check (by the site operator) and an annual leak test at operational pressure

Pullaway

Many manufacturers recommend testing every 6 months. The period between testing should not exceed 12 months.

Nozzles (general)

Nozzles should receive daily visual check (by the site operator). In addition they must be checked

Articles Dispensers Item

No.

Notes by a competent person for correct and safe operation at least once every 12 months. Replace nozzle if any evidence of mechanical damage or leaking during normal operation.The manufacturer of Gasguard nozzles recommends a nozzle is replaced after 24 months service for new or reconditioned unit. (Reconditioned nozzles should be to the latest factory standard.).

Nozzle adaptors

Does the site operator have a policy on the use of adaptors?

Emergency isolation valves (ROSOVs)

The system should be checked at least once a year to confirm correct operation.

Signs on dispenser

Warning signs plus instructions on how to use the type of nozzle fitted. Fire Precautions

No.

Item

Separation distances being maintained between autogas installation and other site features.

See LPGA CoP 20

Hazardous area classification

See LPGA CoP 1 & 20, Section 3 Blue Book (2nd edition) and DSEAR

Water supplye

See LPGA CoP 1

Fire extinguisherse

See LPGA CoP 20 & Blue Book (2nd edition).

Notes

Documentation No.

Item

Notes

Instructions for operations, maintenance and emergencies

DSEAR, PUWER, LPGA Codes of Practice.Include results of previous surveys and schedule for checking underground pipework

Installation details and test certificates.

Test certificates may be held elsewhere especially if the vessels are owned by another organisation.

Hazardous area classification

See LPGA CoP 1 & 20, Section 3 Blue Book andDSEAR

Records of staff training

Relevant staff should have received training on the hazards, safe handling and emergency procedures for LPG.

Incident reporting

Are records kept or reporting procedures for any leaks of LPG or incidents of customers or staff receiving cold burns.

Enforcement Allocation at a Petrol Filling Station Legislation a

Enforcing Authority

DSEAR

PLA

PSSRb

LA (Environmental Health Dept)

PUWERc

LA (Environmental Health Dept)

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989d

LA (Environmental Health Dept)

Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997e

Fire & Rescue Service

HSWA

LA (Environmental Health Dept) 37

Articles APPENDIX 1 Schedule for Equipment Maintenance Annually2

Equipment

Every 10 Years2

Every 5 Years2

Base and steelwork

Visual

Vessel*1

Visual

Test

Vessel signs1

Visual

Change - if mild steel springs -

Change Change Change Change Change

Test

Change

Vessel fittings*1: fill liquid out liquid return vapour return relief valve* pressure gauge drain

Test Test Test Test Visual Visual Visual

Filter

Change -

Pump4

Test

Change

Internal bypass valve

Test

Change

External bypass valve

Test

Change

Hydrostatic relief valve*

Visual

Change

Test point valves

Test

ROSOVs

Test

Dispenser: filter measure overall

Test 5Test option4 Visual

Hoses6

Test

Change

Pull-away coupling

Test

Safe-break coupling

Visual

Nozzle

Test

Change

Underground pipework

See item number 14 in check list

Change

Notes: Those items marked * should be included in the “Written Scheme of Examination”. (WSE) 1

Vessel maintenance is often carried out by the gas supplier. Some suppliers have a 20 year period between major overhauls.

For guidance only, the intervals for each installation should be specified by the competent person drawing-up the Written Scheme of Examination and maintenance schedules 3

Vessel signs should be changed if they are faded and/or cannot be read from the separation distance.

The periods between pump and/or bypass valve changes will depend on the performance of the installation

The periods between cleaning/changing depend on the performance of the dispenser and the type of filter.

6 The BS for hoses requires a test at periods not exceeding 12 months for hoses >25mm inside diameter. Most autogas installations will have hoses with internal diameters of <25mm.Procedures for testing for measure should take into account typical volumes dispensed and the flow rate applicable for the installation under normal conditions.

ROSOV: Remote Operated Shut-Off valves (Emergency Shutdown valves.) 38

Articles

HSE Petel 65/59a Dispensing Control Measures HELA LACORS PETEL · · · · · ·

Subject: Petroleum LAC Number: 65/59a Open Government Status: Fully Open Keywords: Petrol filling stations, dispensing, forecourt management Issued: February 2005 Review date: February 2007

Officers and site operators on the measures to control the fire and explosion risks when petrol is being dispensed into vehicle fuel tanks or portable containers at petrol filling stations. This circular updates and replaces the guidance given in PETEL 65/51 and 65/59. General Dispensing Activities 4

To: All Unitary and Island Councils; County Councils in England and Fire Authorities For the attention of: Environmental Services / Trading Standards / Fire Authorities This circular gives advice to Petroleum Enforcement Officers PETROL FILLING STATIONS DISPENSING CONTROL MEASURES

Petrol should be dispensed only by means of dispensing equipment of an appropriate standard into the fuel tanks of internal combustion engines (i.e. on vehicles, motorbikes, boats, planes, mowers etc.) or into appropriately marked or labelled portable containers suitable for keeping petrol. The definition of a suitable container includes demountable fuel tanks and fuel retrievers as well as those containers defined by the Petroleum-Spirit (Motor Vehicle) Regs 1929 and the Petroleum-Spirit (Plastic Container) Regs 1982.

Introduction Note: The 1929 and 1982 Regulations do not apply to work activities. This means that an employer's risk assessment, under the Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, may determine that containers of a type and capacity different to those mentioned above are suitable for the storage (and transport) of petrol in connection with a work process/activity.

1 The purpose of this circular is to advise Petroleum Enforcement Officers and site operators on the measures to control the fire and explosion risks when petrol is being dispensed into vehicle fuel tanks or portable containers at petrol filling stations. This circular updates and replaces the guidance given in PETEL 65/51 and 65/59. Background 5 2 The dispensing arrangements can operate in a variety of ways; from attended service, where site staff refuel customers' vehicles through to sites that are unmanned and where customers refuel their own vehicles without any on-site supervision or assistance from the site operator. Some filling stations now function on an alternating system where the site is operated as attended self-service at busy periods (i.e. day time and evening) and as unattended self-service during quiet periods when throughput is low (i.e. late evening and through the night). 1 The purpose of this circular is to advise Petroleum Enforcement 40

equipment designed to be operated by an attendant should be operated only by an attendant). Delivery hoses should not be kinked or stretched. After dispensing, nozzles should be firmly stowed in their housings to switch off metering pumps and dispensers or, in the case of centralised pump systems, to isolate hoses from sources of pressure. If appropriate, hoses should be draped to avoid damage by moving vehicles.

Where portable containers are to be filled they should be removed from inside vehicles and be placed on the forecourt and filled with the nozzleoperating lever held open manually. Containers should be securely closed as soon as dispensing finishes. Pedestrian customers should be discouraged from bringing full containers into the shop when paying for petrol.

6 As far as is reasonably practicable, persons under the age of 16 years should be denied access to petrol. 7 Engines of vehicles should be switched-off before dispensing starts. Dispensing equipment should be operated in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions (e.g.

If any equipment develops a fault or if spills, leaks or other emergencies occur during dispensing, those operations should be stopped and the nozzles returned to their housings. The electrical supply should be isolated from faulty equipment. Dispensing should not be restarted until any faults affecting safety have been corrected or any incidents have been dealt with.

Irrespective of the mode of operation, forecourt attendants should not be under the age of 16 years and no one under the age of 18 years should be left in sole charge of a filling station.

Mobile Telephones 10 Generally mobile telephones are not designed and certified for use in explosive atmospheres. Their use can also create a serious distraction for people carrying out dispensing activities. Radio transmissions from individual mobile telephones are generally too low to induce dangerous electric currents in nearby equipment and the risk of incendive sparking from the battery is low, however, they should not be used in the hazardous areas that exist when actually dispensing petrol. Neither should they be used in the hazardous areas around the fill and vent pipes during petrol deliveries. 11 Rather than applying a total prohibition on the use of mobile telephones on petrol forecourts which has resulted in some anomalies and frequent abuse to staff, the following controls are recommended:

Articles Mobile telephones should not be used by customers or forecourt staff whilst actually dispensing petrol into fuel tanks or containers; During petrol deliveries mobile telephones should not be used on those parts of the site that have been designated as hazardous areas by the site operator or the driver; Mobile telephones should not be used during other petrol handling operations or during the maintenance of petrol equipment unless a specific assessment shows the risks are negligible; There is no need to restrict the use of mobile telephones, with respect to the safe keeping of petrol, at other times or in other areas of the forecourt. This includes in the shop, in motor vehicles parked on the forecourt or in other non-hazardous areas. 12 The use of radio equipment fitted on emergency vehicles and citizen band (CB) radios may create an ignition risk. These types of transmitting equipment do have a power out-put sufficient to induce dangerous electrical currents in nearby fixtures and they should not be allowed to be used at the dispensing points or in the vicinity of the road tanker when unloading. It should be noted that the radio equipment mounted on most emergency vehicles is under automatic interrogation from the base station. This means that radio messages are being received and transmitted without anyone speaking into a hand set. The Home Office has issued the emergency services with separate advice on the use of radios and CB equipment in the vicinity of filling stations. Portable Credit / Debit Card Terminals 13 The introduction of high security chip and PIN credit/debit cards together with the requirement to provide equivalent services for disabled drivers has created a need for portable credit/debit card terminals to be used at the disabled driver's vehicle after it has been filled with petrol. 14 Portable credit/debit card terminals are not certified for use in explosive

atmospheres. They may be used, however, on the petrol forecourt by trained attendants provided suitable procedures are established and adopted that will prevent the terminals from being taken into the temporary hazardous areas that will arise during petrol dispensing. The procedure will include the attendant ensuring that there are no petrol spillages in the area and that petrol is not being dispensed from any nozzles within 1 metre of where the terminal is to be used. Management of the Forecourt 15 Whether the site adopts pre or post authorisation of the dispensers the site operator will need to ensure that proper supervision of the forecourt is achieved particularly during busy times or when the site is taking delivery of petrol or other provisions. In carrying out his assessment of the ability of staff to supervise the dispensing operations he will need to consider:

adequate training and relevant information for all employees involved in the storage and handling of any dangerous substances. It will, therefore, be necessary to identify the training and retraining needs of forecourt staff by an assessment of the risks relating to fire and explosion. Further general information can be found in Approved Codes of Practice6 to these Regulations. 18 Training in matters relating to the dispensing operation should include: Procedures for activating controlling dispensers;

and

Safe dispensing procedures; Use of systems, systems;

customer information e.g. public address

Safe filling of petrol containers;

Appropriate staffing levels

Dealing with customers' enquiries on safety matters;

Other duties expected of staff (ie. restocking shelves, sales, petrol deliveries) during times the forecourt is open for business.

Spillage control and emergency procedures during dispensing including the practical use of the types of fire extinguishers provided;

Management of forecourt staff Training of forecourt staff (see para. 17). 16 Where the forecourt layout gives rise to poor visibility of dispensers, additional methods of work will need to be introduced for the forecourt staff. It may be necessary to delay authorisation (or to cancel the preauthorisation) of a specific pump until a temporary obstruction to vision has moved away or instructions may be given over the public address system for the customer to move to an alternative pump. When portable containers to be filled are out of the attendant's line of vision it may also be necessary to use the public address system to ask the customer to show the container, prior to filling, so that it can be identified as being suitable. Training of Forecourt Attendants 17 It is a requirement of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 to provide

Recognising the circumstances when it is not safe to authorise a dispenser and when preauthorisation should be over-ridden; and Understanding customer behaviour and unacceptable customer practices. 19 It is the responsibility of site management to instruct forecourt attendants not to authorise (or to over-ride the pre-authorisation of) a pump when a situation of poor visibility arises. Dealing with Spillages 20 Spillages of petrol when dispensing activities are taking place are foreseeable events and control measures and equipment should be in place to deal with such occurrences. Experience has shown that spillages can be put into the following three general categories in the order of frequency: a. Blow-backs from the fuel tank or container when the liquid level is 41

Articles reaching full capacity. Due to the safety features designed into the dispenser nozzle, this type of spillage will normally only involve a small quantity of petrol; most of which will quickly evaporate on the forecourt surface; b. A leak from a defective fuel tank of the vehicle being refuelled. This type of spillage can arise from the sudden and catastrophic failure of the fuel tank resulting in the full contents being discharged onto the forecourt. The quantity can be in the region of 50 litres if the failure occurs when the tank is full; and c. The failure of a hose coupling or a leak from a hose that has been cut or stabbed by vandals. This is, potentially, the most serious type of leak as it can result in the customer being splashed with petrol. In a worst-case scenario, there is the possibility of a customer being 'showered' with petrol if, for example, there is a coupling or hose failure on a 'high hose' dispenser. The types of spillages described in paragraphs 'a' and 'b' can be easily dealt with by trained staff using the dry sand or other absorbent material, which should be available. The likelihood of a customer's clothing or skin being contaminated with petrol in the circumstances outlined in paragraph 'c' should not be discounted. Staff should be trained in how to deal with such a situation and there should be facilities available for a customer to wash the affected parts of their body and remove contaminated clothing. Consideration should be given to keeping a supply of disposable cover-all suits for use by customers. Attended Service Operation 21 Whenever an attendant service filling station is open for business, a trained attendant should be available to operate the dispensing equipment. The attendant should not allow customers to operate the equipment with or without supervision. 22 Trigger latching mechanisms are acceptable on petrol pump nozzles operated by an attendant. However, site operators should be aware that latched nozzles have been implicated in a number of forecourt fires. Static charge is able to build 42

up on users if they let go of the earthed nozzle during dispensing and this can subsequently cause an incendive discharge when they make contact with the nozzle again to complete the transaction. Where trigger-latching mechanisms are installed the site operator should ensure that attendants are provided with, and wear, appropriate antistatic footwear whilst carrying out dispensing operations. Attended Self-Service Operation (ASS)

what can be observed from the control point. What it is reasonable to observe from the control point will vary from site to site, from dispenser to dispenser, and from situation to situation and will not always include a complete view of various nozzle positions. 25 Knowledge that a customer is being observed from the control point is likely to ensure customer adherence to commonly accepted practices and instructions. Other Aids

23 At these sites control over the dispensing is exercised by one or more attendants located at a control point or points. The location and design of the control point should allow, as far as is reasonably practicable, the attendants a clear and unrestricted view of all the dispensers so that they can prevent unsafe practices and if necessary switch-off the dispenser, if for instance: inappropriate containers are being filled with petrol, or containers are not placed on the forecourt when being filled with petrol (static discharge hazard); sources of ignition are present (i.e. smoking, vehicle engine still running, radio transmitting equipment operating); inappropriate use of the dispenser (i.e. devices being used to hold open the trigger mechanism on the nozzle, the hose being overstretched/damaged due to the vehicle position; and children (under 16) operating the dispenser or attempting to obtain petrol Note: Latching mechanisms on nozzles should be removed or disarmed. 24 In practice the attendant will not always be able to observe all details of self-service operations even at well-designed sites. Observation of the nozzle actually being placed into the vehicle fuel tank or container will frequently be restricted because of the configurations of vehicles, dispensers and customers relative to the control point. The attendant often needs to make judgements of the customer's intentions based on

26 Mirrors may provide some improvement in vision at specific dispensers. Generally, however, their use will be restricted because the small and distorted image will not provide sufficient detail if installed with a total viewing distance (i.e. from control point to dispenser via a mirror) greater than about 10 metres. The effectiveness of a mirror to improve supervision can only be determined by practical trials at specific locations. 27 Supervision of the dispensing operation is likely to be improved as a result of a direct attendant service or by the presence of staff on the forecourt. Use of Closed Circuit Television Equipment (CCTV) 28 CCTV should not normally be required at sites that are designed in accordance with accepted good practice to maximise the visibility of the dispensers from the control points. Such designs will include locating the control point so that an attendant can see the forecourt and dispensers clearly when no vehicles are present and also arranging the dispensers so they are aligned with the attendant's line of vision rather than at right angles to it. Additionally road tankers or other delivery vehicles properly parked for unloading should not obscure the view from the control point. 29 CCTV can be used as a supervisory aid at existing sites in order to overcome visibility problems at specific islands. For example CCTV may have applications in the following circumstances when alternative solutions have been explored and found not to be practicable:

Articles When the dispenser cannot be viewed directly from the control point. For example, a building, car wash or a large stanchion obstructs the view; or Large multi-hose dispensers are installed so that their long side is at right angles to the line of vision from the control point; or Following change of use from attendant to self-service operation where the dispensers are not easily seen from the control point; or For dispensers installed at the extremities of very large sites that cannot be easily seen because of their distance or angle of vision from the control point. 30 New or redeveloped sites that have been designed without adequate visibility of the dispensers will require CCTV as an aid to supervision. These sites include those where the control point is located at the rear of a convenience store and the presence of customers, goods on display or the distance of the attendant from the viewing panel restricts vision of the forecourt. The CCTV system will require high-resolution equipment providing sufficient definition so that the activities occurring at the dispensers can be clearly identified. In addition the monitors should be interlinked with the control panel so that each dispenser is automatically displayed on the screen before it can be authorised by the attendant. It is recommended that a touchscreen system be adopted so that the attendant has to look at the actual screen before authorising the pump. Pre-authorisation of dispensers 31 In certain circumstances dispensers may be pre-authorised (i.e. removing the need for the attendant to authorise the dispensers for each transaction). The decision to operate the site with the dispensers pre-authorised, should only be taken after a risk assessment has been carried out and it can be demonstrated that the monitoring exercised by the forecourt staff will maintain the same level of vigilance as would be the case if the dispensers had to be authorised for each transaction. The attendants will still need to be vigilant to the

customers' actions at the commencement of and during the dispensing activity. In order to restrict children from access to petrol and minimise misuse preauthorised dispensers should only be activated by a credit/debit card payment facility. 32 Other additional control measures for pre-authorisation of dispensers include: Limiting devices on each pump set to prevent the continuous operation for more than 3 minutes and a continuous outflow of more than 75 litres; Removal of any latching mechanisms fitted to nozzles; Readily accessible and conspicuous emergency pumps isolation switch. This may be of the 'push button' design or, if provided, interlocked with the door of an emergency cabinet. More detailed guidance on emergency isolation switches is given in clause 14.6.4 of the Blue Book3; Unattended Self-Service Operation (USS) Risk Assessment 33 The decision to operate a site on an USS basis for the whole or part of the business hours must be preceded by a risk assessment. The risk assessment should be carried out on a site-specific basis and should be undertaken in two phases: Phase 1 should be an assessment of the risks of damage being sustained to the dispensing and safety equipment by the actions of vandals and other persons of an unruly nature. Sites where vandalism has occurred or is likely to occur (if it is open for business without any supervision) should only be considered suitable for USS where effective control measures can be employed to deter damage to equipment. Phase 2 should comprise a more detailed assessment that covers the following points: a. The site's location to determine if any incidents arising during dispensing can be contained within the curtilage of the site.

b. The number and the position of the dispensers. The number of dispensers should not normally exceed two allowing up to four vehicles to be refuelled simultaneously (but see para c. below). c. Identifying any additional measures to those listed in paragraphs 34 to 38 for sites where more than two pumps are required or where the throughput of fuels is high during the period of time that the site is in USS operation. Such sites will need special consideration to ensure that the control measures are adequate and the larger numbers of customers that will visit the site do not compromise safety. This may necessitate a trained person being immediately available to deal with any incidents that may arise. d. The range and location of equipment/facilities and a response procedure to deal with foreseeable emergency incidents. e. Proposed 'management' and 'engineered' control measures including those built into the installed equipment. f.

Road tanker deliveries, but only in respect of deliveries that may take place when the site is in USS operation.

Engineered Control Measure 34 Typically engineered control measures for unattended sites include: Limiting devices on each pump set to prevent the continuous operation for more than 3 minutes and a continuous outflow of more than 75 litres (or the equivalent monetary amount); Removal of any latching mechanisms fitted to nozzles; Adequate illumination of the dispensing area and the position(s) of the emergency equipment. Restricting the sale of petrol to credit/debit card transactions only in order to limit access to children and minimise misuse; Displaying a notice detailing the restrictions on the types of 43

Articles containers that can be filled with petrol. Emergency equipment 35 Emergency equipment made available for customers to use when the site is USS operation will include the following items: Petrol pumps isolation switch. This may be of the 'push button' design or interlocked with the door of the emergency cabinet. More detailed guidance on emergency isolation switches is given in clause 14.6.4 of the Blue Book3.See note below; A means for communicating quickly and directly with site personnel and the emergency services. An adjacent notice should display the site's name and address and emergency telephone number. Where a blanking plate is fitted to the telephone to permit the use of selected buttons with pre-set memories only, the '9' button should not be covered by the plate so that in the event of a memory loss to the pre-set buttons, it will still be possible for the emergency services to be contacted in the conventional way; Notice displaying the actions to be taken in case of emergency; An appropriate number of dry powder fire extinguishers and a container of dry sand or other absorbent material to deal with small spillages. See note below. Notes: At sites which alternate between ASS and USS, there should be no need to install an additional petrol pump isolation switch if the existing external isolation switch is conspicuously marked 'PETROL PUMPS SWITCH OFF HERE', is of the push button type and in a position that is clearly visible from the dispensing position(s) of the USS pumps. When a site is in AS or ASS operation there should always be staff available that are trained in the use of extinguishers, therefore, the number of extinguishers provided should be in accordance with Table 4.3 of the Blue Guide3. The same will not apply when a site is in USS operation and the likelihood that at the time of fire there is a customer or 44

passer-by being on hand who is trained in how to use an extinguisher is remote. For this reason, there should normally be no need to make available more than 2 x 4.5kg dry powder extinguishers when a site is in USS operation. The preference being given to dry powder extinguishers because of their effectiveness when used by untrained persons. 36 The location of the above equipment should be conspicuous so that it can be seen from the dispensing areas. It should also be at a safe distance from the potentially wetted areas should any spillages or leakages occur when the dispensers are in use. 37 If the equipment is located in a cabinet, the enclosure should be clearly marked to indicate the equipment it contains. Alternatively, the door could be fully glazed so that the customers can see the equipment. The method of securing the door to cabinet should not impede immediate access in the case of an emergency. 38 Consideration should be given to providing an additional telephone (to the one installed for emergency use) for customers to seek nonemergency advice or to notify the site operator of any instances of equipment not working properly etc. Management Control Measures 39 Management Control Measures for unattended self-service sites would, typically, include: The site operator or a trained member of staff being on-call whenever the site is open for USS operation; An emergency procedure for responding to incidents and assisting customers (See paragraphs 40 to 42); A procedure for carrying out inspections whenever the site is open for USS operation. At sites alternating between ASS and USS operation, this procedure should be carried out at the changeover time; Procedures for checking, testing and maintaining emergency equipment.

40 The extent of management controls will need careful consideration to ensure that any emergencies or incidents are effectively and quickly dealt with. When determining the level of management control measures to put in place, two important points must be borne in mind. The first is that any incident may involve a customer being in a state of distress and in need of personal assistance. The second point is that the emergency services, especially the fire and rescue service, should not be relied upon to deal with minor incidents; this is the responsibility of the site operator. 41 A procedure must be in place for a trained person to attend the site (within a realistic time period) to deal with any reported incidents. Consideration can be given to installing a remote CCTV monitoring system with direct two-way communication with the forecourt as this will provide an immediate response to advise a person in difficulties and an initial assessment of the severity of the incident can be made and relayed to the person available to attend the incident. However, remote supervision of the site should not in all instances be considered as a pre-requisite to USS operation as the primary control measure is the response to the site by a trained person. 42 Incidents of sudden coupling and hose failures are a foreseeable event that can result in the customer becoming splashed/sprayed with petrol. The consequences of such an incident occurring when a site is in USS operation has to be addressed in the risk assessment so that effective control measures, to mitigate against serious personal injury, can be put in place. See paragraph 20.

References 1 PETEL 65/51 Petrol Filling Stations Dispensing Control Measures (withdrawn). 2 Management of health and safety at work. HSE L21 ISBN 0-7176-24889. 3 Guidance for the Design, Construction, Modification and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations. IP/APEA ISBN 0-85293217-0.

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Underground danger set to hit bottom line By Steve Barke, Corrpro Companies Europe Ltd and Martin McTague,eGasStation Europe Ltd Up to 2,500 filling stations in the UK could be at risk – yet most are choosing to ignore the problem. We take a look at the misconceptions that are causing the petroleum industry to take untenable risks, and the solutions that avoid feared high costs. A costly problem is about to hit filling stations across the country. Virtually all steel underground storage tanks are suffering from corrosion, with around 5% - some 2,500 in high areas of vulnerability aged 15 years or older, at near-failure point. With some 50,000 of these tanks in the UK owned by some 4,000 operators (typically with around five tanks per retail site) that’s a massively costly potential problem. In effect filling station owners not currently addressing this problem are haemorrhaging money, with a severe potential impact on profitability. The value of their retail site is deteriorating all the time because corrosion is damaging their underground tanks and lines, while the cost of rectifying the situation is mounting with every day that it is not addressed, not to mention the very real financial risk being taken (for which a contingent liability must be included in the accounts) of substantial remediation and fines costs incurred by an underground leak as a result of a corroded tank. And that’s before even considering the impact on brand and corporate image, with potential implications for share value. All this when times are already not easy for many filling stations, with fierce competition and minimised margins, among other factors, leading to declining numbers, with filling stations reducing in number by some 700 a year. Ironically, it could be the ‘last straw’ scenario that is causing many to avoid taking action, feeling that they already have more than enough to deal with. “The issue is a potential time bomb,” one specialist in the field admitted. “But unfortunately it’s underground in every sense – out of sight, out of mind. It’s far easier to ignore it and hope it’ll go away than face up to the uncomfortable

reality. Meanwhile, a crisis is brewing for many filling stations right across the UK.” Misconceptions fuelling risk The fact is, however, that this predicament can in fact be resolved far more simply and inexpensively than operators think – indeed, at a fraction of the cost of the alternative; corrosion failure. But two misconceptions are getting in the way. The first of these is the mistaken belief that wet stock management will enable any leakage issues to be quickly identified and acted upon as and when necessary, lending a false sense of security. The truth, on the contrary, is that it is extremely difficult to exclude all the factors that prevent accurate monitoring of wet stock, with the result that many a leak could go unnoticed for some time. At one service station owned by a major operator, for example, nearly 40,000 litres of unleaded fuel was reported to

have escaped into groundwater from the time a leak was suspected to the time the emergency teams were called in 12 days later, requiring years to clean up. Another common misconception was highlighted by one petroleum officer, “Many owners and operators believe that the only options available are either to drain the tank, clean it out, inspect it internally and line it if necessary, or to excavate and replace the tank and lines,” he pointed out. “Either option is extremely costly and disruptive – so not surprisingly it’s put off.” In fact, there is a far simpler and more cost-effective solution, involving corrosion protection while minimising disruption. While corrosion protection itself is clearly a vital and invaluable service, what provides real value is the opportunity that exists where a company offers a service that includes a survey (known as a ‘Mean-Time to Corrosion Failure’ or MTCF survey) though which it is able to give a s t a t i s t i c a l Vulnerability determination of an The map shows the distribution of underground over 2000 petrol storage tank’s stations that are structural integrity located on major and devise a tank Aquifiers upgrade or replacement p r o g r a m m e w i t h o u t , i m p o r ta n t l y, needing internal inspection. Moreover, where an on-going m o n i t o r i n g programme is available, the condition and integrity of the tank can be regularly and accurately examined, and any necessary action planned and managed, putting the operator firmly in control. 47

Articles Costly evasion By contrast, the consequences of not taking action are potentially devastating. If these protective measures are not put in place, the operator will be faced with the replacement of the tank, or tanks – at high cost, with severe disruption and loss of retail and consumables revenues up to 16 weeks (and even longer in some instances if soil remediation work has to take place). “It’s not a ‘maybe’, it’s a fact,” an Environmental Agency spokesperson emphasizes. “And that’s the best-case scenario. If in the meantime the corrosion is more advanced than has been realised and a leak does occur, the situation deteriorates significantly. With a contamination threat to groundwater, including drinking water supplies, it’s not an issue that will go away quickly or easily.” Some companies have first hand experience of exactly this. In the incident cited above where major operator saw some 37,000 litres of fuel leak from a service station tank in Luton, it put the town’s drinking water at risk, incurring the high cost of clean-up and remedial activity (including shouldering the cost of having to import drinking water for the town), a fine, loss of the petrol itself, and considerable negative headlines and coverage in local and national media. In another incident one of the major supermarket names saw fuel leak into the groundwater from three fuel storage tanks. As the Environment Agency chief executive Barbara Young is quoted as saying: “It seems extraordinary that multi-million pound businesses are still prepared to risk their reputations with careless, avoidable, neglect of environmental responsibility.” For the cost of the necessary clean-up and remedial work, fine, and crisis PR to address the negative impact on the filling station/company, the issue could have been avoided. Minimised disruption and cost Importantly, the Corrpro corrosion protection system offers not only a solution to the problem with cathodic protection, but, uniquely, the MeanTime to Corrosion Failure or MTCF 48

underground corrosion surveying plus on-going monitoring if required, which is key to making this option “irresistibly viable”.

means of predicting probable failure timescale.

The MTCF survey is non-disruptive and non-invasive, so can be carried out while the station is open and operating, in itself a huge advantage over other ‘inspection’ options, to identify the condition of the tank with a view to predicting the likely timescale to corrosion failure, so that informed decisions can be made and mitigating actions taken.

Armed with this information, appropriate actions can be planned and taken with confidence. Given that corrosion failure is not already imminent, recommendations for upgrading the tank to preclude failure can be provided, and appropriate cathodic protection designed to safeguard against further corrosion. The need for costly and disruptive tank replacement is thereby removed, thanks to the retrofitted cathodic protection at, on average, just a tenth of the cost of replacement. Moreover, having undertaken cathodic protection, an on-going monitoring service can ensure that full assurance of the condition and integrity of the tank is maintained.

Interestingly, and contrary to popular expectation, external corrosion is not essentially related to the age of the tank, but rather to the combined characteristics of the backfill in which the tank system is installed, including resistivity, pH value, moisture content, electrical potential, chloride and sulphide concentrations. Indeed, the corrosive characteristics of backfill can vary greatly, even within a small geographic area, so determining the mean-time to corrosion failure is necessarily site-specific. Corrpro therefore takes and analyses soil samples from specifically calculated locations and incorporates these, coupled with details such as tank age, dimensions and construction materials, products stored, site history and so on, into its proprietary multi-variate statistical model to offer a reliable The Corrosion Process 1. Refined steel underground storage tanks have an elevated level of energy 2. Imperfections in coating application through damage or age are a prime location for corrosion in addition to faults in concrete and backfill 3. Corrosion takes place at the imperfections when energy flows from the tank’s surface (acting as an anode)

Taking control

The benefits are considerable, as Corrpro’s Ivor Roberts underlines. “A retail site’s sale value increases as the buyer’s perceived risk is reduced, the business is protected from the repercussions of a major fuel leak, and the disruption and loss of revenue incurred by having to replace or inspect a tank is avoided,” he points out. “Moreover, maintenance costs are reduced by up to 70%, and the operator is assisted in coping with the increasing pressure from government regulators,

Articles while being seen to be taking responsible social and environmental action – with positive impact on corporate image.” Corrpro’s Steve Barkes adds: “The use of cathodic protection will supplement any corrosion protection afforded by the coating system, and improves the structure design life, preventing deterioration of the structure. In practice coatings can’t entirely eliminate corrosion because they can never guarantee to separate the metal surface completely from the ground water. A correctly designed cathodic protection system such as that from Corrpro, on the other hand, using either sacrificial anodes or impressed current, can guarantee freedom from electro-chemical corrosion as it effectively reverses the corrosion process.” The value is high, its application is simple, the cost is low. That more filling stations are not taking this route currently is therefore disappointing, and indeed concerning. “It’s largely down to the mistaken belief that this is going to be as disruptive as replacing the tank, and the fact that because it’s not a problem that’s going to hit right now, it’s easy to take the attitude that ‘we’ll deal with it when we have to’,” Martin McTague admits. Furthermore, while there has been a recent focus on internal corrosion caused by MIC, this phenomenon, although serious in some cases, is overshadowed by the external corrosion risk. In the US a study in 1970’s of 3,000 corroded USTs showed

only 3% suffered from internal corrosion. ‘Internal corrosion can be identified when tanks are emptied and inspected but external corrosion is only detected when a tank leaks’. Legislation imminent In the US and in continental Europe, legislation drives this. It’s highly likely to be introduced in the UK too. DEFRA already has a Groundwater Protection Code aimed at owners and operators of UST facilities which states that “Anyone allowing [petroleum hydrocarbons] to pollute groundwater or surface water risks penalties under the Groundwater Regulations 1998 and the Water Resources Act 1991 along with significant remediation costs” and calls for an environmental risk assessment to be carried out, along with provision of appropriate engineering requirements. Considerable ongoing lobbying and debate within governmental agencies is taking place to introduce new regulatory enforcement, while new EU proposals will lead to new measures. “When introduced, this will mean having to take costly action within a finite specified period, or face potentially crippling penalties,” Roberts comments. “It is clearly far better to be prepared and in control, with the ability to plan any expenditure needed, than to be forced to react rapidly to conform with legislation without the opportunity to manage it according to the business needs.” It makes sense, on many fronts, to address this issue now. Not only is the

cost (direct and indirect) of not doing so likely to be substantial, and potentially severely damaging, but the benefits of doing so are equally forcefully positive – and the solution is simple; putting operators back in control. Since when was ignoring a potential time bomb an effective way to run a business – especially when the solution is inexpensive, avoids potential future escalating financial impact, and puts management of the issue firmly into the business’ hands. It’s time to take action. For further information on this subject matter please refer to: DEFRA Code of Practice: www.defra.gov.uk DSEAR Regulations www.hdr.gov.uk/spd/content/dsear.htm. Energy Institute: www.energyinst.org.uk SEPA: www.sepa.org.uk Environment Agency: www.environment-agency.gov.uk Institute of Energy CP Guidance: www.portlandpress.com Copies of the Blue Book: www.apea.org.uk Corrpro Corrosion Protection Systems: www.corrpro.co.uk/fillingstations Tel:01642 614 106

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SuperVault in Pole Position By Jim Suff, Ledbury Welding & Engineering Ltd During the early spring of this year the call went out from Silverstone home of British Motorsport and a name instantly recognisable world-wide due to its position on the Formula 1 calendar, for an intrinsically safe above ground storage tank for petrol. A 24hour Sports Car endurance race was being planned for 10th/11th September by the European Endurance Racing Club of Great Britain. The requirement was for a 37,500 litre fuel facility, to be installed, up and running in minimal time, but most importantly satisfying the stringent regulations laid down by Silverstone’s health and safety manager and petroleum officer. Ledbury Welding & Engineering were able to oblige with their Supervault which met this criteria with ease due to its unique performance specification, and proven track record. A purpose refuelling pit lane had been identified and adapted on the Priory/Luffield bend complex where eight specially adapted petrol pumps were installed each eight metres apart. The SuperVault was located in an adjacent car park and connected to these pumps via above ground steel pipelines, which were protected in the appropriate areas to allow emergency vehicle access. The fact that the Supervault was allowed to be positioned where it was emphasised the confidence the authorities had in its capability to ‘do the job’. With some 60 vehicles on the starting grid the anticipated fuel usage was 100,000 litres plus, meaning of course that the Supervault would have to be filled at least twice during the race. Posing no problem for the SuperVault as zoning areas having previously been identified the installation easily satisfying the requisite criteria. Qualifying took place on the Saturday (10th) with the race starting at 5pm. Unfortunately Mother Nature was not informed and decided to unleash her biggest storm for over a decade on the Friday evening of the 9th

One of the race Marshalls was actually struck by lightening but thankfully made a full recovery. (But probably will manage without batteries for a while). The rain continued throughout the Saturday adding excitement and spray to the start and early stages, but thankfully relented on the Sunday. All in all the event was a huge success and the fuelling facility performed faultlessly. As the recognised market leader in diesel tank manufacture, with some thirty years experience. Clearly it was a natural progression for Ledbury Welding & Engineering to recognise and address the growing concerns underlined by the environmental issues in regard to the traditional below ground storage of petrol. The storage of petrol above ground of course has it’s own set of parameters due to the nature of the product, and the much more stringent regulations that are in evidence. A transfer pump is supplied as part of the package for the filling process, because the industry hitherto has been geared almost invariably to the movement of petroleum products by gravity feed tankers capable of only discharging to below ground tanks. A simple concrete base is all that is required. Pumps can be housed in a purpose built security cabinet, or in the case of dispensing island located as with a retail forecourt. Multi compartment format is also available to accommodate different products. Since Ledbury Welding & Engineering launched the Supervault some five years ago it has enjoyed increasing success into such diverse markets as retail forecourts, car rental outlets, engine test plants and specialist volatile chemicals for industry. The advantages offered by the Supervault above ground installations are plain to see with everything on view and easily accessible regular inspections and any n e c e s s a r y maintenance can be carried out. Unlike of course the below ground tank which can only warn of a potential hazard and the looming costly

civils works to rectify the problem. The advantages of the Supervault do not end there. The environmental risk is non-existent, with true secondary containment and monitored interstitial space (between the primary fuel tank and the outer steel secondary tank) which is filled with a thermal insulating concrete giving the unique four-hour fire rating, impact and ballistic resistance thus attaining multi-hazard accreditation. The Supervault remains unequalled with its performance specification and capacity range up to 75,000 litres. At the risk of using more superlatives, the Supervault also obviously qualifies as a moveable asset allowing any change in operational requirements, and giving trouble free service for many years. This feature has opened yet another avenue. By mounting the Supervault on a skid frame together with transfer and dispensing pump(s) including all pipe-work, valves etc; and even a generator thus making a completely self contained unit capable of being transported almost anywhere at short notice. These units can now be manufactured and are available as part of Ledbury Welding’s hire fleet as well as purchase. With such outstanding versatility the advantages offered by the Supervault are widely being accepted and are gaining recognition presenting opportunities not least the high profile world of Motor Sport.

Contact: Jim Suff Ledbury Welding & Engineering Ltd New Mills Industrial Estate Leadon Way Ledbury Herefordshire HR8 2SR Tel: 01532 632222 Fax: 01531 634718 Sales@lweltd.co.uk www.lweltd.co.u

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APEA Annual Exhibition, Conference and Dinner 2005 By Tony Jenner The 2005 APEA Conference, Exhibition and Annual dinner was once again held on Thursday 13th October at the Hilton Metropole Hotel at the NEC in Birmingham. This year was the second year running that we have adopted the simple format of holding a one day conference with a small number of exhibitors occupying space only stands around the conference hall. Exhibitors were asked to close down their stands during the conference session to allow our guest speakers to receive the full attention of all attendees. It is pleasing to report that the entire day proved successful and popular with exhibitors and delegates alike. Because of space restrictions each exhibitor was restricted to a single 3 metre x 2 metre lot onto which most erected simple stands where they displayed brochures and graphic panels illustrating their products and services. It seems that most exhibitors found this simple approach quite refreshing as it allowed them to quickly assemble and disassemble their stands without the fuss and frustrations that can often spoil larger exhibitions. The conference session was opened by our Chairman, Brian Baker at 10:30 am with a friendly and light hearted welcome message. Brian explained that the theme of this year's conference was “What’s Coming Next” with a look at different aspects of the industry and how things are set to change in the coming years. Five speakers had been invited to address the conference, but unfortunately Ray Noble, the UK Commercial Manager for BP Solar was unable to attend so it was necessary to quickly reshuffle the speaker’s time slots! First to take the rostrum were Dr Emma Guthrie of Air Products plc and Zoe Jennings representing the London Hydrogen Partnership. Through a joint presentation these ladies gave an eloquent, interesting and informed insight into the future development of hydrogen as an alternative motor fuel. They explained that at the moment things were very much in their infancy but once all interested parties, including motor manufacturers became committed, hydrogen as an alternative fuel had a real future. There still remains many areas where development is needed in this field, not the least of which is the relatively short range which can be travelled by a

vehicle operating solely on hydrogen, but Emma Guthrie explained that the most probable way forward would be for vehicles to operate on dual fuels, still using petrol on long journeys, but relying on hydrogen whilst travelling locally in built up areas. There were several questions from the floor which were expertly answered by the speakers, who both received enthusiastic applause for their professional presentation.

Paul Vierhout

Next to speak was Professor Kerry Gardiner on the subject of the potential for the utilisation of Nano Technology within our industry. Kerry explained, in an interesting and humorous fashion how he saw the development of this technology which has its routes in medical science. By using Nano Sensors, (microscopic devices) he explained that it would be possible to constantly monitor the interior of a storage tank by measuring the electrical resistance of known substances. He also explained that it would be possible to monitor the product within the tank to ensure quality and quickly detect the presence of contaminants. Professor Gardiner explained that he was making this presentation as an academic and not to promote the technology from a commercial point of view. Once again, the presentation prompted many questions from the floor, which were answered with eloquence and humour. Kerry received applause from the delegates in thanks for a very professional presentation’ Lunch was taken between noon and 14:00 when visitors had the opportunity to meet with friends, colleagues and exhibitors. This once again showed the benefit of the simple format of the event with everybody being able to meet and conduct their business in the informal and friendly atmosphere that had developed throughout the day. At 14:00 it was back to business with Brian Baker welcoming every body back and introducing Paul Vierhout of Exxon Mobil. Paul had been invited to make a presentation on the adoption of Stage 2 Vapour Recovery and to give an insight into how this had been accomplished in other European countries. Paul opened by

recommending that it was his opinion that it would be prudent to wait until legislation has actually been passed in the UK. The reason for this caution, he explained, was that until all criteria is known; there may be a risk of installing equipment that fails to meet the final specification. Paul went on to explain some of the European experiences with particular emphasis on the difficulties which had arisen with systems becoming over pressurised. From questions asked from the floor it became obvious that there may be some conflictions here, as the UK have mainly adopted to use pressure/vent caps where vapour recovery has been installed, where Paul was recommending that these devices should not be used. Once again, our speaker was given applause for a professional and informative presentation. Our final speaker was Mike Jennings of Gilbarco Veeder Root, who gave his presentation on Stage 2 Vapour recovery systems from a manufacturer’s point of view. Mike explained that whilst it was technically possible to retro-fit most pumps there

Mike Jennings

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Tony Jenner

could be a practical difficulty in doing so as many older makes and models have very little free space inside the casings to accommodate the additional parts necessary to provide stage 2 vapour recovery. There also could be a difficulty with obtaining the necessary approvals to modify some equipment. Mike went on to explain that Forecourt Equipment Federation had formed a working committee to look at the whole subject of Stage 2 vapour recovery and invited any interested parties to address their comments, recommendations and opinions to that body. As with our other speakers, this presentation encouraged relevant questions from the audience, which were once again answered with confidence and knowledge. Again applause was given in thanks for an excellent presentation. Brian Baker again took the rostrum to thank the guest speakers for the time they had freely given to share their opinions and knowledge. Brian went on to encourage delegates to take time to visit the various exhibition stands before the close of the exhibition hall at 17:00 hrs. He also reminded delegates of the timetable for the APEA annual dinner to be held in the Kings Suite at the Metropole.

Pre dinner drinks were served in the bar from 19:15 with almost 300 diners taking their places for the 20:00 meal where Brian Baker once a g a i n welcomed friends and guests. From a personal point Paul Craven, Andy Berry and Rob Tunnicliff of view my meal Next to take the floor was our guest was enjoyable with the food being speaker, Brian Newbold, who served fresh and hot, all enhanced with entertained us all with a medley of jokes a glass or two of red wine! and anecdotes from his life's experiences. This humourous interlude was well received by all and inspired enthusiastic applause. This concluded the formal part of the

Brian Newbold

Following dinner, Alfred Friday introduced the charity BEN. Alfred explained how this organisation, which exists to support members of the automotive industry in times of hardship and crisis, operates and relies totally on voluntary contributions. A table collection raised the amazing sum of £1,580.00 on the evening and Albert has asked me to convey his most sincere thanks to all for their generous support of this most worthwhile cause.

Brian Baker with the bucket of donations for the BEN charity

evening, however, informal proceedings were still to come, with many guests retiring to the bar until the “wee small hours” Alcohol induced amnesia prevents me from reporting further on the days activities!

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The Hydrogen Partnership By Dr Emma Guthrie, Air Products For the past 150 years, the industrial world has relied on fossil fuels to power vehicles and generate electricity from power plants. But hydrogen is increasingly being considered as an alternative clean fuel, which, at its point of use, produces zero CO2 emissions. Countries across the world are striving towards a ‘hydrogen economy’ – that is the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier or fuel. Using hydrogen in this way would be a new step – however its production and use for the industrial sector is not. Hydrogen is already produced and distributed across the UK and used in a variety of industrial applications, from metals and glass processing to petroleum refining and even margarine production. The hope is that hydrogen could play a broader role in the future – from powering portable devices, like laptops and mobile phones, to providing heat and power for buildings and fuel for vehicles. All of this can be achieved using a device known as a fuel cell. Fuel cells generate electricity from an electrochemical reaction in which oxygen (from the air) and a fuel (hydrogen, or sometimes a hydrogen rich alternative, such as natural gas or methanol) combine to form water. In addition, hydrogen can be used to power a vehicle in a modified internal combustion engine. All of the major automotive companies are putting in research effort to develop hydrogenpowered vehicles, with some using the fuel cell and others preferring to employ

Fuel Cell Concept

specially designed combustion engines. An important element in the development of the hydrogen economy is the development of the fuelling infrastructure to meet the needs of these new hydrogen powered vehicles. From the point of view of the industrial gas companies – who already supply the project into the industrial market, the key is to take the existing experience in the production, distribution and supply of hydrogen and use it to help develop new solutions for the supply of hydrogen into energy applications. We are already seeing hydrogen powered vehicles on our roads, albeit in small numbers. The projects taking place now involve everything from fuelling one car to a fleet of buses. Demonstrations are taking place in different regions across the world, as the automotive manufacturers start to test their vehicles under different environmental conditions. Because of this, the infrastructure solutions that are being developed vary from mobile fuelling solutions that are not much bigger than a large fridge, to the incorporation of hydrogen storage and dispensing into existing retail petroleum stations – thus demonstrating the use of hydrogen in ‘real life’ conditions. We can see examples of the introduction of hydrogen fuelling capabilities into retail petroleum stations across the world. These projects are important in raising the public profile of hydrogen and developing a level of comfort with the idea of dispensing the fuel into our cars. However, while the number of hydrogen vehicles remains

small, we also need to develop smaller, more flexible fuelling solutions to meet the needs of the first fleets of cars as they are demonstrated and tested on our roads. The picture above shows an example of this type of fueller - (know as the ‘Series 100’) which comprises integrated hydrogen compression, storage and dispensing capabilities. It can be moved from location to location with minimal installation and onsite utilities. It is therefore very suitable for

Air Products Series 100 hydrogen fueller – fuelling Daimler Chrysler’s ‘f-cell’ car in Berlin together with BP

short term exhibitions or testing programmes. As the technology progresses forward and more hydrogen-powered vehicles are brought onstream, we will see the boundaries of the existing industrial hydrogen infrastructure extended. A key issue for the automotive manufacturers is vehicle range – hydrogen has a very low density and so the manner in which it is stored onboard the vehicle is key to ensuring the car can travel a reasonable distance before having to refuel. Among the solutions being suggested is liquid onboard storage or high pressure gaseous of up to 700 bar. Both of these solutions will have implications for the hydrogen supply chain and the design of future fuelling systems. Safety is of course of foremost importance and currently there are a number of groups developing new codes and standards for the safe introduction of hydrogen into the retail

Articles environment, both at a national and international level. There is a perception that most of the activity in hydrogen fuelling is happening outside of Europe and it is true to say that many of the current projects are concentrated in areas such as California. However the European Union is very supportive of developing its own hydrogen and there are strong pledges of financial support that should be realised in the next few years. Even today, there are hydrogen buses being used in cities across Europe, including London and groups such as The London Hydrogen Partnership are leading the support for these developments. The London Hydrogen Partnership was launched in April 2002, to work towards a hydrogen economy for London and the UK. The Partnership is co-ordinated by a Steering Group chaired by Nicky Gavron the Deputy Mayor of London, and includes Air Products, Association of London, Government, Baxi Technologies, BP, BMW, BOC, Carbon Trust, DTI, Energy

Saving Trust, Fuel Cell Europe, Greater London Authority, Health and Safety Executive, Imperial College, Intelligent Energy, Johnson Matthey, London Development Agency, London First, Rolls-Royce, Thames Water and Transport for London. It aims to: • Produce and implement the London Hydrogen Action Plan as a route map for clean energy • Establish and maintain dialogue among all sectors/actors relevant to the hydrogen economy • Disseminate relevant materials

It may not be too long, therefore before we have a hydrogen option at our local fuelling station alongside the petrol and diesel we’re used to today. Contributed by Dr Emma Guthrie, Air Products Contact: guthriej@airproducts.com For further information see: www.airproducts.com/h2energy Air Products hydrogen energy site https://www.hfpeurope.org/ The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform – an EU initiative on hydrogen

• Provide a platform for funding bids and initiation of projects

www.lhp.org.uk – Website for The London Hydrogen Partnership

The Partnership contains a number of Task Groups, co-ordinated by the Steering Group. Task Groups work to identify and enable projects that meet the Partnership's objectives.

Contact at the London Hydrogen Partnership – Zoe Jennings, Manager Zoe.Jennings@london.gov.uk

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Consults on Revisions to Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations By Brian Baker, Milton Keynes Council The long awaited consultation paper on the revisions to Approved Document B – Fire Safety-of the Building Regulations was issued in July 2005 for comment by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (OPDM). The wide-ranging changes to Part B and the supporting guidance will affect future building work in England and Wales and how fire safety is designed in. Under the proposals, the building developer will have to pass on relevant fire safety information to the Owner/User of the building before a Completion Certificate is issued by the Local Authority Building Control. This will make Occupiers more aware of the building’s fire protection measures and will help them prepare fire risk assessments. In addition, Approved Document B will be split into two volumes, covering “Dwellings” and “Buildings other than Dwellings” respectively.

Many of the proposed changes apply to fire protection systems that include:

• Removing the separate guidance on loft conversions in dwelling houses

• Amending the provisions for smoke ventilation of common access areas in apartment buildings

• Removing provision for self-closing devices within apartments and dwelling houses (except doors into garages and those opening onto common escape routes) • Discounting stairs in tall buildings with phased evacuation procedures

• Providing for an additional smoke alarm in apartment buildings and dwelling houses and for a suitable system of smoke alarms where domestic extensions are proposed • Introducing a national maximum unsprinklered compartment size for warehouses • Providing for sprinkler protection in high-rise apartments and residential care homes • Providing for fire protection of corridors in typically, ‘self storage’ warehouses

Other planned revisions seek to improve safety for fire-fighters. For example. There are proposals for firefighting shafts and to provide additional dry rising mains in certain tall buildings The consultation ended on 15th November 2005 Further details can be obtained on the OPDM web site opdm@twoten.press.net or telephone 0870 1226 236 for copies of the Consultation Document.

Branches Eastern News from Eastern Branch Autumn meeting held on Thursday 22nd September. The Eastern Branch met at the historical site of the Shuttleworth collection in the heart of Bedfordshire. The mist lifted over the grounds of Old Warden, to reveal a bright sunny morning ideal for flying. The location is rich in history. A guided tour arranged was made all the more interesting by “Ken”, one of the souls of the place, who had participated in the restoration of many of the aircrafts. He was able to give an in-depth commentary on the aircraft engines and fuelling systems. He could offer information on the history of these vintage aircrafts and cars which made this an even more memorable event. The APEA is an ideal forum to express views and opinions both at branch and National level as well as being an information work shop to exchange knowledge. Companies’ organisations and individuals can benefit by attending the regional events. Brian Baker of Milton Keynes Council gave a very informative overview and briefing on the Regulatory reform Fire Safety order and on Part B, the Building regulations review, which comes into effect April next year. There are 5 parts 52 articles and 5 schedules to this. These rules will see the biggest changes in the UK for 35 years. Brian also gave a snapshot view on the Maltese filling station market where he and Jamie Thompson representing the

Their systems specifically designed for forecourts looks at total cost benefit package. Bill Simpson, General Manager, Stansted Fuelling Co, Stansted Airport

talked on the refuelling infrastructure from depot to plane at Stansted. Bill gave a fascinating insight into the complexities of refuelling aircraft as well

for a while why not make note in your diary and come to the next event, which will be held at The Limes hotel Needham market and is our early Christmas lunch. Bring a colleague along too. For the diary. The Christmas Lunch will be on Thursday December 8th at our regular venue The Limes hotel, Needham market. As we have to book early for this let me know by phone to reserve your seat for this event. Speakers and topics to be advised, please look at the APEA web site for periodic updates. Spring meeting Wednesday April 5th 2006 venue to be advised. Autumn meet Thursday 21st September 2006 venue to be advised

as the safety aspects involved and awareness training to personnel. This was supported with the inclusion in the presentation of and excellent video. We would like to thank the speakers,

Speakers are required for all these meetings. Talks need last no more that 30 -45 minutes. Contact me if you would like to or have any suggestions for an interesting place to hold the venue. If you are an organisation who would like to invite us to see your facilities that would be much welcomed. Anton Martiniussen / Eastern Branch Secretary APEA Eastern Brach, c/o ELAFLEX Ltd, Hoddesdon Herts, EN11 0PA email: elaflex@aol.com mob 07831595620 office 01992 452 950

Southern

APEA had been invited by the Maltese government to make comment on upgrading filling stations to comply with future EU requirements. Ewan Geals of Ultraspin UK Ltd, gave an interesting talk about his company's equipment of oily water treatment systems on forecourts and depots. Ultraspin’s separators are based on their innovative hydro cyclone designs which use strong centrifugal forces to separate oil and other contaminants from water. The equipment has its background in the offshore industry. 60

Brian, Ewan and Bill, and to the members who attend and support the activities of the Eastern Branch. If you haven’t been before or have not been

The Southern Branch has recently held some very successful meetings. On the 13th July 2005 at the GWR Steam Museum in Swindon we enjoyed a good turnout to hear some interesting presentations and tour the exhibits at this excellent museum. The accommodation and catering were superb, and the air-conditioned meeting room was much appreciated on one of the hottest days of the year. Members heard presentations from: Tony Miceli - Magi-Cap : The Magi-Cap mis-fuelling solution. Tom Hocking – Berry & Co.: Atlas Vent System.

Branches at this venue last year. This venue is easily accessible from all parts of the region and very close to the motorway network. We are currently considering some exciting venues around the region for future meetings. David Sommers. Southern Branch Secretary North West The NW branch will be holding its second meeting of the year on the 22nd November; a report will appear in the next issue of the Bulletin. Martyn Gent - VBI: Outdoor Payment and Unattended 24hr Sites. On the 19th October we met at a hotel in Guildford. This meeting was very well attended and members enjoyed a good day with an excellent lunch. Speakers for this meeting included: Mike Fortune - NWML : NWML study into the accuracy of wetstock records at filling stations. Roger Wyatt - Wyatt Engineering Fuel Services and Gerald King - Taylor Fuel Control : The Floating Filling Station

Brian Doggett – PetroTechnik Ltd : Introduction of New PTL GRP Chamber/Vac Test Unit The presentations produced by all speakers were interesting and informative, and provoked some lively debate amongst members. Future meetings are planned for 18th January 2006 meeting at the BEN home in Ascot. This venue allows us to hold our meeting in very pleasant surroundings at the heart of our region whilst supporting BEN by paying them the commercial rate for room hire and catering. It is likely we will return to the Compass Inn Tormarton in April 2006 for our branch AGM. Steps will be taken to avoid the poor catering we received

Scotland The Scottish Branch of APEA held it’s autumn meeting on 27th September in Stirling. A healthy turnout of members heard three good presentations on petroleum and explosives matters. Ian Mackay, the HSE’s Principal Specialist Inspector for explosives, and his colleague, David Oliver gave an overview of the new Manufacture and Storage of Explosives Regulations. Most local authorities were into their first year of operating within the new regime and the presentation was much appreciated by the members. This was for many the first opportunity to ask about the detail contained within the recently published ACOP that accompanies the Regulations. Our second presentation was given by John Skinner, a Senior Planning officer with Stirling Council. There is a great deal of mutual interest especially for petroleum officers considering new petroleum installations and decommissioning and there were many questions from the floor on planning matters. After an excellent lunch the members heard from Fiona Murray of SMTS who gave a presentation on forecourt health and safety. Whether contractor or enforcement officer, a robust health and safety regime is essential to ensure operations are carried out safely. Fiona provided many spectacular examples of failure to address safety matters fully and the members appreciated this excellent presentation. Continuous Professional Development attendance certificates were introduced for this meeting in an attempt to make the meeting attractive and more meaningful for employers by addressing CPD matters. The next committee meeting is on 14th November 2005.

Midlands Nothing to report at present North East Nothing to report at present

Branch Representative Contact Details Ian Taylor - Eastern Hytek (GB) Ltd, Delta House, Green Street, Elsenham, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM22 6DS Tel: 01279 815600 Fax: 01279 812978 iantaylor@hytekgb.com Tom Hocking - Midlands D Berry & Co (PFS) Ltd Unit 130 Middlemore Ind Estate Kentish Road Birmingham B21 0AY Tel: 0121 558 4411 Fax: 0121 555 5546 enquiries@dberryandco.co.uk Mike Silmon - North East W O Silmon Ltd Industry Road, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear. NE6 5XB. Tel: 0191 224 0777 Fax: 0191 224 0707 associationtreasurer@apea.org.uk Geoff Oldham - North West Suresite Ltd 3 Eastway Business Village Olivers Place, Fulwood Preston Lancashire PR2 9WT Tel: 01772 790901 Fax: 01772 790902 geoff.oldham@suresite.co.uk Ian Hillier - Scottish Inverclyde Council Municipal Buildings, Clyde Square, Greenock PA15 1LY Tel: 01475 717171 Fax: 01475 712747 ian.hiller@inverclyde.gov.uk Philip Monger - Southern Petrol Retailers Association Meadowside, West End, Sherbourne St John, Basingstoke, Hants. RG24 9LE.

Yorkshire & Humberside

Tel: 01256 850164 Fax: 01256 851273 philmongerpra@ukonline.co.uk

Nothing to report at present

TBC - Yorkshire & Humberside 63

Training

2006 Course Dates Petrol Filling Stations Construction and Environmental Awareness 30/31 Jan

Sheffield

Joint course Construction and Environmental Awareness and Audit and Inspection 12 - 15 June

17/18 May

Wetstock Management 22 June Manchester 16 Nov

Dublin

Canterbury

Manchester Fireworks and Explosives

18/19 Oct

Luton

Petrol Filling Stations Audit and Inspection

1/2 Feb

19/20 April

28/28 Sept

Electrical Installations An Awareness

20 Sept

Luton

25 May

Birmingham

27 Sept

Birmingham

2 November

Leeds DSEAR

Sheffield LPG Installations

20 April

Glasgow

4 May

Manchester

8 June

Northampton

5 Oct

Luton

9 Nov

Canterbury

Manchester

Luton

Courses will be designed around the new TCB Document, Guidance for Design, Construction, Modification, Maintenance and Decommissioning of Filling Stations. Please contact the APEA Business Manager on 01799 541816 or at admin@apea.org.uk if you wish to find out about purchasing a copy. APEA Members can purchase the guide at the discounted rate of £40 (non member rate £120). It is strongly recommended that attendees have access to this document during courses. All courses can be booked online at www.apea.org.uk on the ‘Training’ page. Bespoke courses can be made available provided the minimum number of Delegates is 8. This offers a discount. For details of this and any other training enquiry, please contact: Jane Mardell - Training Coordinator, (contact details on page 3) or Brian Humm, Training Chairman 84 Dunblane Road, Eltham, London SE9 6RT APEA Training Team

Mobile: 07818 097141

Gareth Bourhill

Phil Lambeth

Senior Incorporated Electrical

Senior Engineer

Jamie Thompson Independent Consultant

Engineer The DH Morris Group

Paul Craven

BP Global Alliance

Bob Conlin Director

Petroleum Officer Suffolk County Council

e-mail: brian.humm@london-fire.gov.uk

John Dallimore

Fairbanks Environmental

Independent Consulting Engineer Brian Humm Petroleum Officer

John Dallimore &Partners

Tom Armstrong Senior Project Engineer

LFEPA Richard Wigfull Brian Baker Fire Safety & Petroleum Officer Milton Keynes Council 64

Eddie Furniss

Consulting Engineer

Independent Trading Standards

J. Wigfull & Son

Consultant

Training

Bespoke Course for W.S. Atkins June 2005 Construction and Environmental Awareness

Bespoke Course for BP Bovis June 2005 DSEAR

The Lizard, Cornwall - UK's most Southerly Petrol Filling Station - June 2005

Arson Attack on a BP Site in Bletchley Milton Keynes - April 2005

Bespoke Course for West Midlands Fire Service - June 2005

The Audit and Inspection Course in Dublin inspecting a Maxol site 65

Membership To join the APEA simply complete the form below and forward to the APEA office with a cheque or your credit card details completed below or fax on +44 (0) 1799 541816 or complete the online application form at www.apea.org.uk APEA, PO Box 106, Saffron Walden, Essex. CB11 3XT. United Kingdom Membership Types Individual membership: £30.00 includes one copy of the Bulletin per quarter and one copy of Yearbook Corporate membership: £130.00 includes five copies of the Bulletin per quarter and five copies of Yearbook (one representative per company) Full Name Company/Authority Position Membership type

Individual £30.00 pa

Corporate £130.00 pa

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