The Bulletin Magazine - June 2004 by apeauk

The Bulletin Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

June 2004

Editorial

Contents Regulars

Tony Jenner

Chairman’s Report

Editor

Business Manager’s Report

Cameron Forecourt Ltd

Letters to the Editor

New APEA Members

News

Platts Common Ind Estate Barnsley South Yorkshire S74 9SE

Press Releases OPW Fuel Management Systems

tel:

01226 742441

Chris Hunt appointed Director General at UKPIA

fax:

01226 747441

Cogent’s launch new era for skills development

mob:

07715 375140

Obituary - Thomas Kemp (founder member of Steel Tank Institute)

e-mail:

tonyjenner@cameron-

Over sixteen forecourt closures a week in 2003

forecourt.com

First Scottish training and assessment centre for electrics at petrol filling station

19 Jamie Thompson

Articles APEA AGM

Publishing Chairman

Microbes and fuel systems - The overlooked corrosion problem

70 Wangford Road

Health and Safety!

Reydon

Pizza and Fireworks

Southwold

Woman sets light to herself

Suffolk

Dangerous fireworks

DSEAR 2002 and the implications for service station operators

Garage owner finally sees the light after 3 years

Risbridger Ltd has moved!

Fireworks trader fined for overstocking

Petrol filling stations - Stage 1b Vapour Recovery - Safety concerns

email:

Petrol filling stations - Autogas Installations

jamiethompson@ukonline.co.uk

Demarcation guidelines for vehicle recycling sites

DSEAR - Petrol filling stations - Definitions - Fuel retrievers and airfield

Portable Petrol Containers

The successful way to seal petrol station forecourt ducts against petrol and

IP18 6NX

Tel/fax:

01502 722999

Mobile:

07770 625851

Jane Mardell Business Manager

water

Branches

(including Bulletin Advertising and Production) PO Box 106 Saffron Walden

Training

Essex CB11 3XT

2004 course dates

DSEAR - The new UK legislation for petrol filling stations

Training in Ireland

Tel/fax:

01799 502929

Course sponsors

Mobile:

07815 055514

email:

admin@apea.org.uk

Membership application form

Front Cover - Thanks to Tim Martindale from Martindales who supplied the photograph on the front cover for this issue - A motorbike pulled up beside the attendant , she took a recycled bottle full of fuel from her rack unscrewed the top and poured the fuel through the funnel into the tank! The driver also bought a packet of cigs , paid and roared off into the traffic! Perhaps an installation to be considered for the new code!! 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.

Chairman’s Report I am delighted to write these opening paragraphs as your new Chairman, a distinct pleasure and honour that would have been bizarre to me a few years ago with election to this office very remote. My career has been dominated with a Fire Service background for 33 years with petroleum running through it for most of that time and I recall my first ever

forecourt

inspection,

'Regulator' in April 1974. I say I recall it because in those days we had the old cast iron manhole lids that saw me manage to drop one down a chamber and then spend two hours digging it out! So much for a prominent start and I hope my time, as your Chairman is not

the Energy Institute (EI) we see that

UK Legislation that all sides of the

another 890 forecourts closed in 2003

industry are trying to come to terms

that brings the total number of retail

with. I guess many of us relate to the old

sites in the UK down to 10,535. That

prescriptive licensing conditions but the

amounts to a loss of nearly half in just

world is changing and we are seeing

10 years or put another way, 16 UK

the introduction of goal-based risk

forecourts close every week. What we

assessments under the banner of the

are witnessing is a gradual move away

Dangerous Substances & Explosive

from the local petrol station to the

Atmospheres

Convenience Store and that fuel seems

(DSEAR) that is giving many problems

to have become the poor relation!

to interpretation and application. The

Clearly customers in the UK go to a

APEA are planning a further training

Petrol Filling Station for a lot more items

course to cover this area - when the

than

goal posts stop moving!

just

fuel,

yet

the

average

2002

throughput per site stands at just 2.183 m/litres per year. With 609 sites retailing

On the subject of training (that is

LPG, 174 more than in 2002 and Bio-

close to my heart) 2003 saw the APEA

diesel (63 sites) now making its

have a record year with 376 delegates

presence felt - we do have a confusing

attending 35 courses that operated all

picture.

over the UK. This year has seen the

as dramatic.

APEA take its training outside of our

When you take such office you immediately look to your predecessor and I have to say I have a hard act to follow. Tony Jenner, whom I succeed, has done a tremendous job over the last 2 years. His enthusiasm and commitment has been instrumental in seeing the APEA commence that change process necessary to reflect modern day thinking, techniques and image. I even recall Tony undertaking one of our training courses not long after he came to office which seemed

On the subject of statistics, it is

shores to the Republic of Ireland. I hope

interesting to note that the AA published

this trend continues and more of our

a disturbing report last year that states

expertise can be used abroad as in

that there are over 40,000 mis-fuelling

many aspects, much of what happens

incidents occur each year (and the

in the UK is reflected around the globe.

number is rising) that is possibly due to the variety of brands, colours and terms

With Events we are holding our

now used on a modern forecourt. 20

Conference and Dinner on 7th October

years ago it was all quite simple - petrol

and details and a booking form

was petrol and it is an issue that is

accompany this issue of the Bulletin, I

increasing where the main operators

hope to see many of our members

are constantly changing their products

supporting this.

to become more efficient and ecoDo not forget your Branch activity.

friendly.

strange where he was surrounded by over a dozen Petroleum Officers! All I can say is thanks Tony, you have served the industry well in general and our Association in particular. Having said that of course, he has not gone out to graze but instead formally takes over as Editor of our Bulletin Journal and have no doubt he will set about this role with the same passion, integrity and industrious manner that has become his hallmark. I turn now to our own industry - the downstream

Regulations

Petrol

Filling

Station

The Branches are the backbone of our This year sees members of the

Association

who

provide

very

Association actively involved with the

interesting talks and visits so check the

revisions

web site (which is being updated I add)

the

joint

APEA/IP

publication known as the "Blue Book" It

and see what is going on.

has been 5 years since it first made its a

In conclusion, I thank our Business

significant amount of legislation and

Manager, Jane Mardell who has added

innovation

that

her experience to the Council's team

warrants its update. My particular input

and the extensive workload she has.

is in 4 of the sections and it is always a

Her organisational skill are second to

pleasure to work with people eminent in

none and we all appreciate her efforts in

our profession. It is hoped that the

making this wonderful organisation

revisions

operate so effectively.

appearance

and has

will

that

taken

time

place

complete

and

published in early 2005 - if all goes according to plan.

Have a great summer.

market and having read the recent Retail Marketing Strategy published by

On top of this we have the changes in

Brian Baker 5

Business Manager’s Report Well the last few months have been very busy. Thanks to all of you who sent in your membership payments and registration forms for the Yearbook. My postman didn’t know what had hit him! Annual Conference/Exhibition and Dinner 2004 Included with this issue is an invitiation letter to invite you to attend the APEA annual Conference, Exhibition and Dinner being held at the Hilton Metropole at the NEC on Thursday 7th October 2004. If you wish to book an exhibition stand and/or dinner table/place please complete the booking form attached to the invitiation letter and send it to me at the APEA office. I have already had a lot of interest in the Event before it was advertised in the Bulletin, so please send in your forms promptly if you wish to make a booking to avoid disappointment. Further information can also be found on our website. Yearbook At the time of going to press for this issue of the Bulletin the Yearbook is also underway at the production company in preparation for printing. Thanks to all of you that sent in your artwork and registration forms by 1st April, your help in adhering to the deadline is greatly appreciated and goes along way to ensuring I complete and meet the artwork deadline for the production company. For the 2006 diary we will have an online registration form on our website that will make it easier for you to submit your details. Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting was held on 26th April in Northampton and well attended. The minutes from the meeting can be found on page 20 in this issue of the Bulletin. Website For those of you that attended the AGM you will have seen the launch of the new APEA website and I think you will agree that it is much improved in means of design, information and ease of use. Please visit www.apea.org.uk should you wish to view the new website. We are keen for all our members to contribute to this site so please submit items you would like included. 6

Publications The APEA currently have the two guides that can be purchased from the office, these are: The guidance for the design, construction and maintenance of petrol filling stations APEA members £30.00 plus p+p Non APEA members £90.00 plus p+p Code of Practice for Ground floor, multi storey and underground car parks APEA Members £10.00 plus p+p Non APEA Members £20.00 plus p+p If you wish to purchase a copy please contact me at the APEA office. New APEA Logo The APEA now has a new logo as shown on the front of this issue of the Bulletin, if you are a ‘Corporate’ member you are entitled to use the logo on your business stationery etc. If you have not already received the logo by email from me please contact me by phone or at admin@apea.org.uk 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 September 2004 issue and I will pass them onto our Editor for approval. Bulletin Advertising All advertising enquiries should be directed to me. If you would like to book advertising for 2004 please call me on 01799 502929. We offer 25% discount on advertising in all four issues, however, we can also offer discounts on advertising should you book in more than one issue during the year. You can find our advertising rates detailed on our website at www.apea.org.uk/bulletin, just click on the link to the advertising rates. Training As usual the Training team and myself have been busy organising and teaching at our different courses. Thanks go out to all our trainers who often travel long distances to provide their valuable services. 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. 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. Course dates are listed on page 59 and further dates will be added as we progress through the year. You can now view the up to date list on the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk/training Membership To date there are 1014 APEA members with approximately 40 members joining during January, February and March. You can find details of new members on page 9. Should you also have any other changes to your contact details please email me on admin@apea.org.uk. This will also ensure that your correspondence gets delivered to the correct address. Membership Renewals Thanks to all of you that sent your renewal payments to me promptly. Unfortunately I still had to send out four lots of reminders to some but these are now coming in too. As I mentioned in the previous issues we should have a straightforward facility that will enable you to pay via our website which should simplify the procedure for 2005. I am also looking into the possibility of setting up a direct debit facility for members. I will let you know when these facilities become available. General Assistance Finally if any of you need any assistance with industry matters, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01799 502929 and I will endeavor to help. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jane

Letters to the Editor Dear Sir, The Bulletin September 2003 'Spot Checks show illegal petrol sales at 85% of forecourts' It was with absolute amazement that I read the September issue article regarding 'Spot checks show illegal petrol sales at 85% of forecourts' by Roger Hopkins, Suffolk County Council. How can a supposedly responsible authority justify repeatedly carrying out such a dangerous activity? As Peter Monk, a member of the county councils executive committee and portfolio holder for public protection, states in the article "these breaches of safety put the public in serious danger and are illegal". If it is illegal and dangerous for the public to carry out the activity, what makes it safe for a council officer to knowingly do so? Perhaps Mr Monk and the County Council should make themselves

New APEA Members Detailed below are new members that have recently joined the APEA during January, February and March 2004. January Frances Banks 74 Thorpedene Gardens Sheoburyness Essex SS3 9JD Jamie Cliffe SMTS Ltd 5 Roseberry Court Ellerbeck Way Stokesley Business Park Stokesley North Yorkshire TS9 5QT H J Griffiths Specialec Ltd Coombe Drive Cinderford Gloucestershire GL14 3EF Neil Edward Hunter Commercial Pump Repairs 3 Greenore Hanham Bristol South Glos BS15 8ER Robin Philip King States of Jersey Fire & Rescue Services Rouge Bouillon ST Helier JE2 3ZA Jersey

familiar with the relevant petroleum regulations together with the implications of basic health and safety legislation before permitting this type of 'check' to be carried out. Whilst I am the first to agree that filling inappropriate containers is both dangerous and illegal, I consider entrapment to be an irresponsible, underhanded and unsafe practice which does little to resolve the problem. Observing the premises (and taking photographs) would have sufficed and would have been safe. The offences could have been prevented, by speaking to the people who were about to fill illegal containers. Both they and the forecourt attendants could then be 'educated'. From personal experience I know that many members of the public are unaware of what is an acceptable container and accept information graciously, if somewhat embarrassedly. I believe that education before the act is committed is far more effective than prosecution after the event. Entrapment creates and deepens

suspicion of enforcement officers as people who are only out to prosecute, rather than promoting them as a source of advice for people who wish to abide by the relevant regulations.

Sami Makahleh 23 Oakwood Drive Gowerton Swansea West Glamorgan SA4 3DJ

February

Harold McMullan 7 Postboys Walk Ballymoney Antrim BT53 6DA Ireland Will McQuaid Herefordshire Trading Standards County Offices Bath Street Hereford HR1 2ZF Sohel Potia O & M Division DEVSF Sterling House Denny End Road Waterbeach Cambridge Cambs CB5 9QB Peter James Robinson PJR Pumps Chiltons Main Street Coddington Newark Notts NE24 2PP Anthony Wincott 20 Lancers Way Weedon Northants NN7 4PH

Surely, education has to be the more effective approach than entrapment? Aside from my main point, it is interesting to note that, on the photograph shown in the article, it also appears that a vehicle is obstructing the vision from what I presume to be the kiosk. (As there is bollarding, one assumes that it belonged to a contractor working on the site.) Both the contractor and the forecourt staff should know that such visual obstruction would not be acceptable. I assume the PO would have ensured that it was removed and the 'offenders' informed. Yours sincerely Rex Wheeler Health and Safety Consultant Tel / Fax: 01527 546569 Mobile: 07813 695755

William Black Falkirk College Grangemouth Road Falkirk FK2 9AD Ronnie Blake James Blake & Co (Engineers) Ltd 30-32 South Fort Street Leith Edinburgh EH6 5NU Joanna Bradley Environment Agency Richard Fairclough House Knutsford Road Warrington Cheshire WA4 1HG Arup Chatterjee Midco Ltd 39/44 Scheme 6 Road 2 Sion (East) MUMBAI 400022 India Mark Cheshire ADM Services Limited Cheshire House Murhall Street Burslem Stoke on Trent Staffordshire ST6 4BL Mario Cieply Westfield Pump and Tank Ltd Pennine View Industrial Estate Gelderd Road Batley West Yorkshire WF17 9NF

Pauline Fuller RS Fuller Ltd Ford Lane Yapton Bognor Regis West Sussex BN18 0DF Geoff Gwyther Travelrest Services Ltd 4 Wellbank Staylybridge Cheshire SK15 2RL Karen Hessett North Ayrshire Council Legal & Protective Services Bridgegate House Irvine KA12 8BD Peter Keith 7 Fulford Avenue Retford Notts PN22 7XR Patrick Lawther-Heard 6 Church Park Hall Lane Wittering Peterborough Cambs PE8 6DP

Kevin Thompson West Berkshire Council Public Protection Services Council Offices Faraday Road Newbury Berkshire RG14 2AF Kenneth Train Mercury Building Maintenance Cambridge House Calverley Lane Leeds LS13 3LR March Andy Allen Sira Safety Compliance Rake Lane Eccleston Chester Cheshire CH4 9JN Ramda Padinchare Chirayil Rumco PO Box 1028 Manama Kingdom of Bahrain

Steve Smith John Cooper Construction Ltd Cooper House 25 Belmont Circle Kenton Lane Harrow Middlesex HA3 8RF

Keelin Cronin Cork County Fire Brigade Bantry Fire Station Bantry County Cork Ireland

Mark Swindells MES Ltd 4 Redcote Lane

Stephen Dainty 20 Four Lands Close Barugh Green

News

UK, Tanker Crash closes M25 for a day, March 18 2004 A section of the M25 in Essex was closed for almost 24 hours after a fatal crash involving a tanker. A six-mile clockwise section between Junction 29, Upminster and Junction 30, Lakeside re-opened shortly after 0900 GMT on Thursday. The tanker driver, who has not been named, was confirmed dead shortly after the accident at 1000 GMT on Wednesday. The accident created 18-mile jams on Britain's busiest road, trapping about 30,000 drivers. Drivers heading south on the 120 -mile orbital motorway were diverted via the A127 before rejoining the M25 at junction 30 close to Thurrock. 10

Kirkstall Leeds West Yorkshire LS4 2AL

UK, Fyfield Filling Station Incident, 11 March 2004 Fyfield Filling Station is a typical country petrol filling station set in the picturesque Kennet Valley on the main A4 road. On 11th March 2004 a driver leaving the site misjudged his exit and caused an on-coming van to swerve onto the forecourt. Unable to stop, the van skidded over the pump island and knocked over a dispenser. Inevitably several litres of petrol leaked from the dispenser and this was ignited by sparks generated as the van scraped across the concrete island. The resulting fire spread to the van itself and within seconds had also spread to a 21 seater minibus (fortunately carrying no passengers) which had just filled up at an adjacent dispenser. The fire quickly spread to that dispenser, then on to a

Barnsley South Yorkshire S75 1QD Finian Joyce Leitrim County Council Priest's Lane Carrick-on-Shannon Leitrim Ireland Andrew Knipe Heddlu Gwent Police Croesyceiliog Cwmbran Newport Gwent NP44 2XJ Lee Lovett ADP (Wales) Ltd T/A ADP Electrical 2 - 8 Morfa Road Swansea SA1 2EN Richard Martin 30 Gosforth Road Southport Merseyside PR9 7HA David McNair-Taylor 29 Hoburne Gardens Christchurch Dorset BH23 4PP David Monk Reigate & Banstead Borough Council Town Hall Reigate RH2 0SH Neil Simms 42 Ennerdale Road Formby Liverpool L37 2EA

two week old Honda motorcycle worth £6000 and finally onto a Land Rover. Five Wiltshire fire crews attended together with a special foam tender and 30 fire fighters, some using breathing apparatus, were needed to bring the blaze under control. They were unable to save any of the vehicles or the former forecourt shop which was being used to store coal and wood fuel. By a miracle no-one was injured as all the customers, including a seven year old child were in the sales kiosk and were able to evacuate the site safely. Luckily the Fire Brigade were able to prevent the fire spreading to a nearby metal cage containing several dozen LPG bottles. The total cost of the damage to the premises and the vehicles which were destroyed was estimated at £150,000. Following the clear up operation it was found that the canopy had twisted in the heat and will need replacing. Pressure tests on the plastic suction lines showed

News only a small leak on an elbow joint below the dispenser where molten metal had dripped down as the dispenser burned. This can be easily rectified although it was surprising that the intense heat had not caused more damage to the suction lines. Check valves were fitted beneath each dispenser and these placed a barrier between the fire and any remaining petrol or vapour in the suction lines. Apart from minor heat damage to the valves on the vent pipes the only other damage was cosmetic. Part of the forecourt and island will need to be resurfaced where the heat had cracked the concrete, something that would only get worse with weathering, and large windows fitted with security glass in the kiosk had cracked. Despite the severity of the damage the site hoped to be up and running again by April 2004.

UK, Drivers warned of fuel error cost A campaign has been launched to remind drivers of the costs of putting the incorrect fuel in their cars. The AA says around 120,000 motorists a year have to spend up to £3,000 to have their engines cleaned up after putting diesel in a petrol car, or vice versa. Now fuel sellers and producers are joining forces to label nozzles at petrol stations more clearly. The AA thinks the confusion might be caused by two-car households and an increasing number of diesel cars. "Drivers need to think before they put the wrong nozzle in the filler," said John Stubbs, head of technical policy for the AA Motoring Trust. "While the estimated 120,000 mis-fuellings each year are only a tiny percentage of the total number of visits to the pumps estimated to be four million a day - the disruption to those who are unlucky enough to do it is considerable." The AA's warning has been backed by the UK Petroleum Industry Association, the Petrol Retailers' Association, and the Association of UK Oil Independents and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association. The motoring organizations said the major oil companies had agreed to standardise the colours of pumps for unleaded petrol and diesel. "In the future, once the petrol industry standardises, car manufacturers could do more - there's no reason why the filler caps and the area around the filler are marked with the same colours.”

UK, Drunk ignited blaze at London petrol station A man tried to set fire to a petrol station, in Feltham, when staff refused to give him free food. The man, who, according to the petrol station staff, was drunk, walked into Murco, in Staines Road, Feltham, on Saturday, February 14, at 10pm. He started asking the staff for free food at the counter, and requested a sausage roll. The staff, however, refused to give him any food. The man then walked towards a petrol pump, and poured out some of the petrol onto the floor. He produced a lighter from his pocket, and, after a few attempts, managed to light the fuel. This created a small fire, but the man then put it out. He then went to another pump, and started to pour petrol all over the pump. Again, he tried to light the petrol, but this time it failed to ignite. The manager called the Police as he was concerned with some 40,000 litres of petrol at this station, it might blow up. By the time the two fire engines and 25 police officers arrived, the man had already left the scene. The petrol station was able to give police good CCTV pictures of the person. He is described as a white male, around 24-years-old, 5ft 8ins tall, and was wearing white trainers, blue jeans, and a dark jumper and had short brown hair.

UK, Petrol Station Closures continue in the UK Oil companies increased the rate of petrol station closures last year as supermarkets raised their market share. Outlets closed at the rate of 74 a month, against 66 in 2002, according to Institute of Petroleum figures published in last months Petroleum Review. Closures totalled 890 against 778 the previous year, reducing the total of retail service stations to 10,535 against almost 17,000 10 years ago. Supermarkets expanded petrol outlets at the rate of one a week and, with a total of 1,111 sites, now account for 10pc of the total but, according to estimates of their sales with higher throughput than normal sites, they have increased their share of petrol sales from 25pc to almost 30pc over the past four years. BP remains market leader with more

than 1,262 outlets, followed by Esso, who closed 80 sites last year and now has 1,215 sites while Shell, with 1098, closed 61. Tesco remains the largest supermarket retailer of petrol with 346 sites, followed by Morrisons with 306 after the Safeway takeover then Sainsbury with 234 and Asda on 152. Further information or a copy of the report contact the Energy Institute www.energyinst.org.uk

UK, Review of “Safety Passport” schemes The UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has published on its website a review of current safety passport schemes that exist in Great Britain and in Europe. Over the past few years there has been an increasing requirement for contractors to undergo prescribed health and safety awareness and practical training, especially in hazardous industries. To ensure the contractors have completed this training, entry to sites is being restricted to those who can prove that they have undergone the necessary training. This is achieved by means of a "safety passport". The safety passport is similar to any other passport in that it allows the holder access to a passport-controlled environment. As well as containing personal details such as the holder's name and photograph, the safety passport provides details of the health and safety training that the holder has received and is used as evidence that the bearer is qualified to an acceptable, recognised level of health and safety awareness and skill level. The report highlights general safety.

Ireland, Family had to move out of home in Irish petrol leak A Carlow family was forced to evacuate their home when petrol vapour seeped into their house following a suspected petrol leak from a nearby filling station. It is understood that petrol may have leaked from an underground tank at the Texaco filling station at Green Lane, Carlow. The smell of fumes quickly became so severe in the house that just before New Year the young families were forced to move out of their home to allow Texaco to deal with the problem. 13

News Texaco's health, environment and safety department and specialist environmental contractors are currently investigating the source of the vapours. The environmental department at Carlow County Council has been informed and are being kept appraised of the situation. Initial checks on boreholes around the site perimeter and around the tanks, revealed no evidence of free product underground or migrating off-site, however investigations are ongoing. Texaco confirmed that after an initial investigation, the owner of the property was offered alternative accommodation until further checks could be carried out by Texaco's environmental consultants. Although the site is open for non-fuel sales, it will remain closed to fuel sales until Texaco and the relevant authorities are satisfied that the situation has been remedied.

Scotland, Edinburgh major safety problems for retailers as ninety percent of city’s petrol stations fail basic safety tests Ninety percent of petrol stations in Edinburgh are breaching basic safety regulations. Spot checks at the 46 petrol stations in Edinburgh by trading standards officers revealed all but four were failing to comply with the strict conditions of their petroleum licence. The report revealed that most employees running the sites did not know what to do in an emergency and that one in seven stations had inadequate firefighting equipment. The city council, which is responsible for regulating health and safety at petrol stations, has served statutory enforcement notices on 12 petrol stations. And all petrol station managers in the city have now been called to a safety seminar with the authorities. The number failing the checks has more than doubled in the last year, when a similar survey found 40 per cent did not comply with licence conditions. Among the many failures were broken or empty fire extinguishers, faulty forecourt lighting and untrained staff who did not know what to do in the event of a fire. Other major flaws included staff not having access to site records and broken tannoys. 14

One senior officer from Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade said: "These petrol stations which have failed to comply with the safety standards are presenting a big, big risk to the public, for staff not to know what to do in an emergency is just ridiculous. We're very surprised that so many petrol stations failed these basic checks and it's a matter of great concern." The council is pledging tough action if future checks do not show a significant improvement. The council conducted the survey at night in a bid to find out the operation of stations when it was dark and when they were closed. The research found that 87 per cent of premises surveyed breached at least one safety regulation and less than half of petrol station owners had secured their premises from vandalism compared with 100 per cent in the last survey. 25% of the employees did not know whom to contact in the event of an emergency and 14 per cent had inadequate fire fighting equipment. A quarter of petrol stations had inadequate forecourt lighting while twothirds did not have proper lighting to permit tankers to deliver safely in the dark. Four stations have been prohibited from taking night -time tanker deliveries because of the seriousness of the flaws. A council spokeswoman said: "We decided to organise a safety seminar because of the findings of the night-time survey and the fact that the industry seem incapable of dealing with these problems demonstrated by the doubling in the number of stations not complying with regulations. Following this, we would hope that future checks on petrol stations demonstrate a significant improvement. While we don't have the power to order managers to turn up to the seminar, it would make sense for them to do so bearing in mind the problems we have uncovered. If they don't take action to rectify the faults, they face being taken to court.”

Hungary, Tesco Global opens its first petrol station in Hungary TESCO Global Áruházak Rt, the Hungarian subsidiary of the British retailer Tesco Plc, has launched its first discount retail petrol station at the group's Soroksár unit, in Budapest's District XXIII. The retail chain KlubPetrol (owned and operated by Magyar Auto Klub and Hungaronafta Kft) opened the

first "test" petrol station at Tesco's about 80km south-west of Budapest a few years ago. Emese Danks, Director of Communications at Tesco said, "Originally Tesco had planned to cooperate with KlubPetrol. However we decided to carry out our own concept in Hungary, in the same way the concept has successfully been carried out in the UK." In Britain Tesco has more than 300 retail petrol outlets, she said. "Hungarian consumers are more selective and want more than KlubPetrol provides, they demand full services with shops at petrol stations," she added. Danks said that the Tesco's new outlet has eight pumps and is open daily from 6am to midnight. "Customers at the filling station can purchase their petrol for Ft5 less per litre than at other major filling stations. Those customers who spend at least Ft8,000 at Tesco can fill their cars for Ft10 less per litre," she added. Tesco plans to open as many as seven petrol stations this year at existing sites and one of the nine new Tesco hypermarkets planned. "The next Tesco petrol station will open at the unit in Veszprém," she said. Tesco is currently the largest British investor in Hungary, with 33 outlets, employing some 15,000 workers. The company is due to announce its 2003 year results in April.

Bahrain, Mobile users face filling station clamp as Bahrain leads the way Bahrain petrol stations may soon be equipped with technology that automatically disconnects mobile phones when they drive onto petrol stations to refuel their vehicles. The aim is to reduce the risk of fire while vehicles are being filled with fuel and will be the first stations that provide such technology said head of Bapco planning and market development Jassim Isa Al Shirawi. The Bapco board is currently studying the suggestion. Mr. Al Shirawi said that Bapco had contacted the Oil Ministry and Civil Defence and Fire Service Directorate to discuss launching a campaign to ban the use of mobile phones at all petrol stations while vehicles are being filled up.

News

Press Releases OPW Fuel Management Systems - Your One Source for Aboveground Storage Tank Monitoring OPW UK a division of OPW Fuel Management Systems has introduced an extension to the existing Galaxy and Site Sentinel range of Tank Gauges. OPW Fuel Management Systems' new Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) Inventory Management System uses proven Magnetostrictive technology that accurately measures liquid product level changes to a resolution of 0.25mm The flexible AST probe is suitable for all petroleum and other bulk storage industrial applications, and can be installed in rectangular and cylindrical tanks up to 14 m high. The flexibility of the AST probe allows for cost-effective installation in tanks with low overhead clearance, where monitoring was previously unavailable. OPW's EECO Galaxyä Tank Gauging System can continuously monitor up to 12 ASTs. For sites where there is a mix of small horizontal tanks and large vertical tanks there is now no longer a need to have two types of gauges as the Galaxy can work with both types with probes from 1.5m up to the new 14m size. The Galaxy offers advanced business management solutions, providing daily automatic reconciliation of data from deliveries, sales, and remaining inventory. As with all the OPW Fuel Management Systems remote monitoring can be achieved using the OPW SmartTalkä, which provides easy access to site information for centralised monitoring of Wet Stocks.

For more information, go to www.opwfms.com or Paul Reyner at OPW UK 01858 433365.

Chris Hunt appointed Director General at UKPIA UKPIA announces the appointment of Chris Hunt as its Director General with immediate effect. Ken Rivers, UKPIA's President commented "We had significant interest in this role during the recruitment process from first-class candidates. Chris Hunt had the combination of skills and experience that we were looking for to continue the work of making UKPIA a proactive, dynamic and participative organisation, as well as a leading advocate for our sector. We are delighted that he has accepted the role." Chris, who was UKPIA's Commercial Director, has been Acting Director General for several months whilst a permanent successor was selected for Malcolm Webb who took up the post of Chief Executive at the UK Offshore Operators Association, the trade association representing the leading oil and gas exploration and production companies in the UK.

Cogent’s Launch marks new era for skills development in key UK sectors An exciting new chapter for skills development in the chemicals, nuclear, oil and gas, petroleum and polymer industries was opened today with the launch of Cogent, the new Sector Skills Council (SSC) representing the five sectors. Through Cogent, employers can look forward to exercising greater influence on matters of education and skills, and to improving their business performance through workforce development. During the event, Cogent was presented with a fiveyear licence granted by the Secretary of State for Education

and Skills, Charles Clarke. Senior representatives from all five industries, education bodies, government agencies and other stakeholders joined in the celebrations at One, Great George Street, Westminster. John Mumford, Director of BP Oil UK and Chairman of Cogent received the licence from Ivan Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education and Vocational Skills, in the presence of Lewis Macdonald MSP, Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning. Handing over the licence, Minister for Skills and Vocational Training, Ivan Lewis said: "Sector Skills Councils are at the heart of our skills strategy to improve our productivity. By launching Cogent today with its key role in leading the chemicals, nuclear, oil and gas, petroleum and polymer industries, we are giving employers a powerful voice in closing skills gaps in their sector. Together we can focus on our vital skills agenda to improve performance across the board. "Cogent will work both with employers to raise the skills of the whole workforce, and with training providers, colleges and universities to ensure that their provision is relevant to employers' needs. Cogent is well positioned to develop the skills needed to build the world-class qualified work force which can compete in this key industrial sector." Lewis Macdonald added: "The energy sector is one of Scotland's most vital, with oil and gas alone contributing around £21 billion a year to the UK economy. It provides around 23,000 direct onshore jobs in Scotland alone as well as 20,000 direct offshore jobs across the UK. If this success is to continue in the future it is critical to ensure that we continue to develop the potential of our workforce to meet the evolving demands of the industry. "I am therefore delighted that Cogent is acting as a leader for the sector, addressing the skills and workforce development needs of the industry." John Mumford thanked Ivan Lewis and Lewis Macdonald on behalf of Cogent and commented: "Today is an important milestone for workplace learning in the chemicals, nuclear, oil and gas industries. The expansion of Cogent as a full Sector Skills Council gives us the ability to help employers provide better workplace learning and development opportunities for their staff. These industries are a key part of the UK economy and Cogent is looking forward to working with businesses, 17

News both large and small, to grow performance through enhanced skills." Concluding the ceremony, John Ramsay, Cogent's Chief Executive Officer, said: "This new organisation, built on the knowledge and experience of Cogent trailblazer SSC, the Polymer NTO and nuclear representatives, is well equipped to work with employers and other stakeholders to address future skills needs. It is stronger, better resourced and closer to employers than the previous organisations. I would encourage all those with an interest in the sector to work with us in developing a strategy for skills that will improve business performance." For further information and photography, please contact: Jocelyne Bia - tel: 020 8395 3551; e-mail: jocelyne.bia@cogent-ssc.com

Obituary - Thomas Kemp (Founder Member of the Steel Tank Institute) Thomas A. Kemp, of Upper Arlington and Naples, FL, died peacefully at home with his family on January 23, 2004 after a battle with cancer. He was born December 3, 1933 in Hamilton, Ohio. He is survived by his wife, Judith, son William and daughters, Beth, Kelley and Amy. He received a Bachelor's Degree from The Ohio State University in 1956 and also attended the Graduate School of Engineering at Ohio State. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and a member of the Varsity Men's Tennis Team. He was also a lifetime member of The Ohio State University President's Club. He served in the United States Army from 1956 to 1958 and was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany. He was President and CEO of Hamilton Tanks. He was also VicePresident of Newberry Tanks & Equipment Company and CEO of the Southern Company, both located in West Memphis, Arkansas. He was a lifetime member, past president, and inductee in the Hall of Fame of the Steel Tank Institute. He was also a founding member of the Steel Tank Insurance Company and recipient of their Outstanding Service Award. He was a member of the Ohio Petroleum Marketers' Association. For those who wish to make a donation, contributions may be made to the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, 18

300 W. 10th Avenue, Attn: B-13-459, Columbus, OH 43210.

• There are currently 7,829 self-service forecourts in the UK.

Over sixteen forecourt closures a week in 2003

• 41.3%of sites are company-owned and branded, a decline of 3.6%on 2002.

The latest UK Retail Marketing Survey shows that in 2003 UK forecourt closures totalled 890, or 66 sites per month. Closures were, however, effectively confined to the oil company and main retailer sectors. Petroleum Review's UK Retail Marketing Survey is published annually by the Energy Institute, formerly the Institute of Petroleum, and provides a comprehensive, statistical overview of the UK forecourt market. Data is broken down by company,region and forecourt facilities. The survey is based on statistics relating to end-2003 and does not reflect changes since that date. The key findings of the 2004 survey are: • There were 10,535 operational filling stations in the UK and Northern Ireland at end-December 2003. • The number of sites declined by 890 in 2003 - a closure rate of over 16 a week,,up from 15 a week in 2002. • Different sectors different responses: -

showed

very

oil company sites declined by 541 to 6,941 (down 612 to 7,482 in 2002) main retailer sites declined by 78 to 1,231 (down 415 to 1,646 in 2002) supermarket sites increased by 59 to 1,126 (up 49 to 1,084 in 2002); smaller retailer sites declined by 43 to 168 (up 15 to 130 in 2002) other unbranded sites declined by 12 to 1,069 (up 213 to 1,081 in 2002).

• There were 708 quick-serve restaurants attached to forecourts (Little Chef, McDonalds etc), an increase of 36 on the year. • Average site throughput, at 2.183mn litres/year was slightly below last year's record level.

• The number of small, unbranded forecourts fell by 12 to 1,069. • 609 sites now retail auto-LPG (174 more than in 2002), the largest operators are Shell with 197 and BP with 167. • 63 sites were retailing biodiesel at the end of 2003, a figure that will rise to 165 by 2005. • 2,499 sites retailed the high-octane super unleaded grade of gasoline at end-2003,833 more than in 2002. • The four largest oil company operations by number of branded forecourts were (year earlier levels in brackets): Esso BP Shell Texaco

1,215 (1,295)Down 80 1,262 (1,247)Up 15 1,098 (1,159)Down 61 1,163 (1,337)Down 174

• Taxation of retail motor fuels was running at 48.82 pence/litre on petrol and 53.27 pence/litre on diesel at end-2003,VAT remained unchanged at 17.5%. • UK gasoline sales continued to decline in 2003 and we are now 17.76%lower than in 1994. • UK derv sales declined slightly in 2003 and are now at a volume equivalent to 92% of the petrol sales. • Total UK motor fuels sales have declined to 36.05mn tonnes,down from 37.6mn tonnes in 2002. Further details are available to the press: Energy Institute 61 New Cavendish Street London W1G 7AR tel: +44 (0)20 746 7117/8; fax: +44 (0)20 7637 0086; email: petrev@petroleum.co.uk The 2004 UK Retail Marketing Survey is available, priced £45, from: Portland Press Ltd,Commerce Way,Whitehall Industrial Estate, Colchester CO2 8HP,UK

News tel: +44 (0)1206 796351; fax: +44 (0)1206 799331 email: sales@portlandpress.co.uk

First Scottish Training and Assessment Centre for Electrics at Petrol Filling Station

Falkirk College looks set to be the first training and assessment centre in Scotland and the second centre in the UK to offer the nationally recognised training for electrical practitioners working at petrol filling stations. The College is anticipating accreditation for CompEx modules EX07 and EX08 by summer 2004. This will complement EX units1-6 which have been successfully offered by the College for the last six years. However, despite this portfolio, the College identified a potential requirement for a nationally recognised qualification following an approach by a local company looking for training for electrical practitioners working on petrol filling station forecourts. Gareth Bourhill, Maintenance Manager with DH Morris, the UK's largest petrol retail electrical contractor, welcomes the College initiative. He said, 'With the introduction of the " Super Sites " with their large retail stores, allied to the state-of-the-art fuel dispensing systems, the technical demands over all engineering disciplines - and in particular the electrical sector - have increased the requirement for specialist knowledge and training of the systems and regulations associated with the modern day petrol outlet.' He continued, 'DH Morris welcomes the introduction by the NICEIC of the Hazardous Area Accreditation Qualification, which by virtue of the

standards that must be achieved to gain accreditation, highlights the technical and specialist skills companies such as DH Morris have within their management and engineering workforce.' Successful completion of Compex 7 & 8 by management and engineering staff is obviously vital to companies such as DH Morris seeking Hazardous Area accreditation. The fact that the only training facility accredited to Compex 7 & 8 in the UK was based in Southern England presented DH Morris with a major problem. Gareth Bourhill said, 'Through our past dealings with Falkirk College we recognised their commitment to provide a high standard of service and training in Compex 1-6 and were delighted when they agreed to introduce Compex 7 & 8 to their extensive list of training courses. DH Morris are proud of their special relationship with Falkirk College and look forward to working in partnership with them in the accreditation of electrical engineers involved with the petrol retail industry throughout the UK.' Falkirk College is delighted to

respond to a genuine need identified by the industry itself and, in response to this initiative, a number of local and national companies have shown their support for the development of such a course in Scotland. The only other centre in the United Kingdom, and the first to offer this type of training, is P&R Hurt, in Yeovil, Somerset. Falkirk College, based in Central Scotland, is blessed with excellent transport links to the rest of Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. Airports at Edinburgh and

Glasgow and first-rate road and rail links make Falkirk an ideal venue for companies to send candidates for this very specialised type of training, which will comply with new industry standards. The new facilities at Falkirk College of Further and Higher Education include purpose-built training and assessment rigs to simulate the correct environment for petrol filling station electrical installation. All candidates who complete the training course will obtain a National Certificate of Core Competence, issued by JTL, the national training agent of the electrical contracting industry. The course consists of working knowledge of the preparation, installation, inspection, testing and maintenance of electrical installations, as well as practical-based skills assessment. This course is another step forward in the Government's crackdown on substandard work which could put the public in a potentially dangerous situation. In recent years there has been increased pressure from the Government and the industry itself to take part in initiatives which will regulate training and ensure that there are fully-trained practitioners in the workplace who meet Health and Safety requirements and ensure the safety of the public. In addition, this new qualification can be included in the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS), which will allow employers to ascertain that individuals have achieved technical competence and training in this field. Falkirk College is delighted to be a part of the drive to ensure that the petroleum industry can achieve a nationally recognised qualification in this highly specialised area. For more details about this exciting new initiative contact the Administrative Team on (01324) 40 32 48 or email businessunit@falkirkcollege.ac.uk.

Articles

APEA AGM report, 26th April 2004 By Jane Mardell, Business Manager, APEA The AGM was well attended with around 70 delegates and I would like to thank all of you, that were present, for taking the time to contribute. Detailed below are the minutes from the AGM meeting held at the Marriott Northampton 26th April 2004. 1. Chairman's Welcome The Immediate Past Chairman Ian Hillier, welcomed members to the meeting. I Hillier presented the agenda including details of the speaker presentations. 2. Apologies Paul Craven noted that apologies had been received and that they would be minuted. Apologies were received from Tony Jenner Cameron Forecourt Ltd, Sandy B. Debrot Fibrelite Corporation, Dermot Brady County Mayo Council, Mark Banister Poole Consumer Protection Services, Alan Stevenson Alan Stevenson Associates Ltd, Managing Director D & B Installations, John Frid, Mr. F. Meersseman TCI Environment, Duncan Smith North Lanarkshire Council, Brian Fitzgibbon Forecourt Dimensions Ltd, Ron Irvine, Dave Burnham Reading Borough Council, A G Inglis, Richard Wigfull John Wigfull & Co Ltd, JA Simms, Terry Rogers, John Dallimore John Dallimore & Partners, Rob Green, Mike Silmon W O Silmon Ltd, Richard Quarmby TQIPS, Barry Thompson, Kevin Powell Ledbury Welding & Co Ltd, Nobby Clarke E & S Pumps Ltd, Prof Robert Bridges MassTech, David Sutch GeoDelft Environmental. 3. Minutes of previous meeting I Hillier reviewed the minutes from the previous AGM on 12th May 2003 and it was agreed that the minutes were correct.

6. Chairman's Report I Hillier presented the Chairman's report by T Jenner who was unable to attend the AGM and said that our best wishes and thoughts were with both Tony and Vanessa in the forthcoming weeks: 'Firstly, please accept my apologies for not attending this meeting as a result of my wife, Vanessa, having to undergo surgery. I would like to thank all of you who have sent us both your kind messages of support, we are very fortunate to enjoy the friendship of so many people at this difficult time. I am extremely proud to have served as Chairman of the APEA for the past two years, and would like to thank you all for the confidence you have placed in me. I wish the incoming Chairman, Brian Baker, every success in his term of office and am sure that he will make an indelible mark upon the Association. Throughout my period of Chairmanship, Brian has worked relentlessly with his colleagues on the Training Committee to develop and establish the APEA Training Programme, which I am sure you will agree has been accomplished admirably. It now only leaves me to thank my colleagues on the APEA Council for their loyal support and friendship over the past couple of years. I have enjoyed working with you all and look forward to the coming year whilst serving as immediate past chairman'.

on the nominations. There were no objections and the nominations were agreed by members. P Craven told the members that only two of the candidates were present at the meeting today, Brian Baker and Brian Taylor and that the other certificates would be sent to the other candidates. P Craven said that he was pleased to be able to present B Baker with his certificate and said he was aware of the considerable input that B Baker had contributed to the APEA and that B Baker was a stalwart to the business, especially with the work he had done towards Training. P Craven asked B Baker to step forward to be presented with his certificate. B Baker received the award and thanked the members. P Craven went on to present the next certificate to B Taylor. He noted that he had known B Taylor very well and helped him with training for Trading Standards officers. He said that although B Taylor had been through a period of ill health he was now fighting back. P Craven said it gave him great pleasure to present B Taylor with the award. B Taylor received the award and thanked the members for the certificate and the great honour it gave him. He also said that he hoped that the APEA would continue with the good work.

7. Secretary's Report P Craven reviewed his appointment of Honorary Secretary since last year's AGM and noted that he had experienced a big learning curve during this time. He said that on a more pleasurable note he would like to present to the members the nominations, for 2004, for new Fellows, Honorary Fellows and Honorary Members that the members that needed to be agreed. These included:

Paul Craven presenting Brian Taylor with his certificate

Fellows: 4. Matters Arising from Minutes 12th May 2003. There were no matters arising. 5. Correspondence No correspondence had been received.

Tony Jenner Brian Baker Hon Fellow: Barry Thompson Brian Taylor Hon Member: Robin Green P Craven said that all these candidates had shown dedication and commitment to the APEA. P Craven asked the members for a show of hands to agree

Brian and Eileen Taylor

Articles P Craven asked J Thompson to say a few words about R Green. J Thompson said that R Green had been advertising secretary for many years for the APEA and was now retired as a Petroleum Officer. J Thompson noted that R Green had carried out good work in securing advertisers for the APEA and thanked him for his contribution. J Thompson went on to talk about B Thompson. He said that B Thompson was now retired but had been the person to set up the first database of members for the APEA and organise the first exhibition. He had been a member and fellow for some years and would now receive the award of Honorary Fellow. J Thompson also highlighted the good work that T Jenner had done in raising the profile of the APEA and introducing new procedures during the last two years as Chairman of the APEA. P Craven thanked J Thompson and noted that this concluded the report for the Honorary Secretary. 8. Treasurer's Report In the absence of the Treasurer, I Hillier noted that all members had been sent a full set of accounts prior to the AGM and went on to present the Treasurer's report sent in by M Silmon.

J Thompson said that the 'Blue Book' was currently under review with T Jenner and R Hennessey heading up the committee and that the revised guide was planned to be available next year. J Thompson said that as a benefit of membership it was proposed that every member would receive a free copy of the 'Blue Book' next year. 10. Election of Officers I Hillier asked P Craven to present the election of officers. P Craven said that nomination forms had been received as follows and were nominated unopposed for office: Chairman Mr Brian Baker Vice Chairman Mr Bob Conlin Hon Secretary Mr Paul Craven Hon Treasurer Mr Mike Silmon Hon Editor Mr Tony Jenner Council Members Mr Brian Humm, Mr Rob Tunnicliff and Mr Jamie Thompson

To business. I feel the accounts speak for themselves we have traded well during the year and various chairmen of our organisation will report on their committee activities.

I Hillier went on to present B Baker with the Chain of Office. B Baker welcomed everyone and said that he was honoured to be elected as the Chairman of the APEA. He acknowledged the work that T Jenner had done for the APEA over the last two years and noted that the APEA had seen some changes during that time. B Baker said that he respected the views of T Jenner and that his thoughts were with Tony and Vanessa. B Baker went on to present a report regarding his aims and thoughts for the future for the APEA.

All branches that have submitted accounts have had their capitation paid.

'Ladies & Gentlemen - Members of the APEA,

We have a small trading loss, I would suggest that this is because of the level of services provided to the members. In my opinion we are in a sound trading position'.

I am very honoured to be elected as your Chairman, something I thought highly unlikely until recently. The accolade is indeed a privilege and hope that I follow the fine tradition of this Association that has been set by my predecessors.

'Good morning, I hope the day goes well for you all. First can I apologise for not being with you to present this report. Some alteration to my right foot makes it difficult to move about, for those who are concerned "it is fair to hellish".

I Hiller proposed that the accounts were correct and this was seconded by R Tunnicliff. I Hillier also proposed that members agree to appoint Ensors to continue as the accountants for the APEA. This was seconded by B Baker. 9. Editor's Report In the absence of the Editor, T Jenner, J Thompson presented the Editor's report 22

and wished Tony well in the forthcoming weeks. He noted that this had been a good year for both the Bulletin and Yearbook. J Thompson said that T Jenner had requested that thanks be recorded for J Mardell for the work she had done on the Bulletin and Yearbook.

I cannot however, let the opportunity go to not acknowledge Tony Jenner who has steered us through these last 2 years as our Chairman that has seen real change in several areas, not least in our image, activity and business administration. Tony is man of principle and whether you agree or disagree, his forthright views are respected. Well done Tony!

I also thank the membership and Council in entrusting me with this role as well for the well-founded advice I have been given during my time on Council. There is however one person here today that I shall be eternally grateful to and that is Brian Taylor whom I am so pleased could make this meeting. Welcome back old friend. As for me I can say that my background is mainly public sector with 22 years spent in the Fire Service, a short spell at Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate and then 5 years on British Rail as a Fire Safety Manager delivering fire safety services to rail companies and taking the 'business' through to privatisation back in 1997. After which, I returned to the public sector with my present employer, Milton Keynes Council who have supported me throughout my APEA interests and I thank them for that - as I would not be here if it was not for them! I guess if I had a theme it would be "Inform & Educate" because we all face changes in our industry, perhaps more so than in the recent past that present this Association with a number of challenges. The Challenges In the UK, we are embarking on legislative change that will see much of our prescriptive legislation revoked and replaced with goal-based self regulation that is at the heart of the new Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), something that all sides of industry must soon start to get up to speed with. The APEA will be at the forefront of this and will be launching a new one-day course on DSEAR at the end of September this year that we hope will attract major interest and support. This will also cover recently issued Approved Codes of Practice (ACoP's) that have now been published. Next, we need to consider that petrol will not always be with us and the research is on in the fields of sustainable and renewable energy sources. Already I have seen some of the work that has been carried out for the first Hydrogen site in the UK and we shall hear later about the subject "Fuels of the Future" Again we must stand ready to meet this challenge before it arrives! Training For 2 years now we have been delivering highly specialised courses on a variety of topics that has seen something approaching 1,000 delegates attending, an increasing number from beyond the UK. The

Articles momentum should continue as we in the UK have some of the finest standards in the world and others are keen to learn from us. Already we have run our very first course outside the UK and bookings have been received for at least 3 more. Let us expand and share our knowledge afar.

APEA should gauge views from the members.

Our membership has remained somewhat static in recent years and we should try and increase it. We offer excellent value for money and the Bulletin is always eagerly awaited every 3 months.

Graeme Warnell, BP/Global Alliance - e - based maintenance system in a modern retailing environment

You will hear later today of major changes to our website that will reflect needs rather than a simple visiting tool. Steve Jones will be talking us through this afternoon. Currently, major revisions and updates are being added to our own Joint Publication known as the "Blue Book" that will see many new developments incorporated over the last 5 years or so. I can assure you, the revisions are significant and we hope to be on track for publication early next year. All this against a diminishing number of Petrol Filling Stations in the UK that saw the number reduce by another 840 sites last year alone to around 10,500. That said, the way many sites operate today are vastly different than 10 years ago and we need to take account of new initiatives to keep retailers in business and profitable. So together, we need to "Inform & Educate" those within and around us and manage the changes as they occur. It is an exciting prospect and I look forward to meeting these and many more challenges. Thank you for your time'.

The Chairman concluded the Business session and introduced the following speakers:

Presented the d e v e l o p m e n t , functionality and benefits of an e - based maintenance system in a modern retailing environment.

Home page of the new APEA website

Mr. Armin G. Leibundgut - Sales & Marketing Director, Export eXess Safety with eXess Short presentation of the company eXess and their work in the field of explosion prevention .

Dr. Carlo Frölichsthal - Sales Director Export, Export eXess Presented the product eXess®: eXess® has been technically studied for years and recently completed for marketing purposes. The product's aim is to increase security wherever fuels are stored, transported or in anyway handled. eXess® was born as an explosion suppression system, but offers today further advantages in many other fields like the fire fighting techniques or the environment protection through the HC emissions reduction.

11. Any other Business B Baker asked if there was any other business. J Thompson mentioned that the APEA was considering changing the name of the APEA to include the word 'Environment' and asked the views from the delegates. B Taylor said that he would support a change of the word 'Explosives' to 'Environment'. E Furniss noted that this might lead to some confusion regarding responsibilities with the Environmental Health and the Environment Agency. C Richards from the Environment Agency said that he would support a change in name, as did R Tunnicliff. G Oldham commented that as the APEA logo had the strap line 'working for a safer environment' then was it necessary to change the name at all and keep it as APEA. J Thompson suggested that the

Malcolm Watson, Technical Director, UK Petroleum Industry Association Fuels for the Future Presentation covered current developments in road fuels (sulphur education, gaseous fuels and biofuels) and the main drivers for future change (improving air quality and reducing emissions of carbon dioxide). The main options for achieving these goals in the medium and long term will be highlighted based on a variety of studies from the oil and motor industries and the Government.

Steve Jones, Fairbanks - New APEA website Presented the new APEA Website The new APEA logo was a catalyst for the Publications Committee to consider the look, feel and functionality of the APEA website. Through a process of consultation a tender document was created and Fairbanks' tender submission was successful. Fairbanks' knowledge of the association allows them to work closely with the Publications Committee and the Business Manager to ensure that the features the association require will be readily available to association members and casual browsers as appropriate. The purpose of this presentation is to highlight some of the new features available on the website and to encourage the membership to make more use of its facilities including: Events Calendar Resource Centre Online Discussion Forum Contacts Database The Bulletin Online Other reports After the final presentation the Chairman closed the meeting at 3.30pm and wished everybody a safe journey home.

Please visit out website for the following pre-AGM reports sent out to all members in February: Publications Branch Events Technical Training The reports can be found at ‘Pre AGM committee reports 2004’ on the AGM page of the website. 25

Articles

Microbes and Fuel Systems -The Overlooked Corrosion Problem (this article was first published in LUSTLINE the publication for New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission and is reproduced here with the kind permission of the editor Ellen Frye)

By Fred Passman This article was initially produced for a US based magazine for Regulators. Microbes play an indispensable role in cycling both organic and mineral molecules essential to maintaining life on earth. We depend on the activities of microbes to breakdown wastes and convert them into nutrients to sustain the food chain. We use microbes to produce foods ranging from bread to sausage. Microbes within our intestinal tracts enable us to derive nutrition from the foods we eat. Suffice it to say we derive tremendous benefit from the various processes by which organisms break down both organic and inorganic materials. When discussing material breakdown in positive terms, we use the terms of either biodegradation or bioremediation. Biodegradation includes all processes by which organisms break down materials. Bioremediation specifically refers to processes with which microbes or other organisms are used to fix a problem. With respect to leaking underground storage tanks (LUSTs), bioremediation uses microbes to degrade fuel that has seeped into the ground. It's a short leap of understanding, then, to recognize that the same processes that serve our needs may also cause problems. The same biological processes that enable us to clean up spilled fuel using bioremediation can also degrade fuel stored in tanks. This undesired biodegradation is called biodeterioration. During the past decade, government and industry have directed considerable effort and resources toward reducing the risk of soil and groundwater contamination from LUSTs. Although leak prevention technologies don't overtly presume that tanks fail from either inside or outside, most of the preventive measures address mitigation of the risk of failure due to corrosion or other insults working from a tank's outside towards its interior. In particular, leaks caused by galvanic corrosion have received considerable attention. But there is another underappreciated corrosion process that I'd like to discuss. It takes place in all types of UST systems, and microbes play a key role. It's called microbially influenced corrosion (MIC). Fuel and Corrosion Microbiology The first report of gasoline biodeterioration was published in 1895 [1]. Subsequently, researchers demonstrated that microbes could degrade crude oil and all grades of liquid

fuel. (See Davis's excellent 1967 monograph [2] and the 1984 compilation of papers edited by Atlas [3].) Fuel biodeterioration can be grouped into four general groups of processes: • Microbes can attack the hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon fuel molecules directly, thereby changing the fuel's chemical and performance properties. • Microbes growing in bottoms-waters or within biofilms (more on that in a bit) produce biosurfactants-detergent molecules-which can transport watersoluble molecules into fuel and disperse fuel molecules into water. • Low molecular weight molecules excreted as microbial wastes may react with fuel molecules and accelerate particle formation. Some of these waste molecules are acidic and can make the fuel more corrosive. • Microbial metabolism of sulfur molecules can make fuels more sour (fuel souring is directly related to the effect of reactive sulfur on its corrosivity as measured by the Doctor Test [4]). Clearly, several of these processes change the chemistry of fuels to make the fuels potentially corrosive to materials used in UST construction. These are examples of indirect MIC. Much of the seminal research on MIC was conducted in the 1940s. In 1945, Professor John Starkey proposed a model for MIC [5]. Starkey's model assumed that during MIC, iron ions dissolved from the metal at anodic sites on its surface. Electrons flowing from the anodic site to the cathodic site would attract hydrogen ions (protons), which would accumulate at the cathode. Were this hydrogen layer left undisturbed, electron flow would be arrested and the galvanic cell passivated. According to Starkey, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) used the hydrogen ions that would otherwise have accumulated at the cathodic end of a galvanic cell. This process, known as depassivation, accelerated the galvanic corrosion rate. As with most models, Starkey's was an oversimplification of the process; however, it was a major contribution to our understanding of MIC. Research on the causes and dynamics of MIC remains a vital branch of microbial ecology. Today, we recognize a variety of processes that contribute to MIC. A number of microbes, in addition to SRB,

depassivate metal surfaces. All of these microbes share a common class of enzymes called hydrogenases. The very process of colonizing surfaces creates chemical and electropotential gradients that drive corrosion. Moreover, weak organic acids can react with dissolved chloride salts to create locally high concentrations of hydrochloric acid that can acid-etch metal surfaces [6, 7]. Microbes most commonly create patterns of corrosion pits, as illustrated in Figure 1. Microbial communities can attack polymers used in composites such as fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) used for UST construction. As the polymers are attacked, gaps form between resin and fiber. Fluid seeps into these gaps and subsequent weakening of fiber integrity follows as the fluid goes through repeated expansion and contraction (freeze-thaw) cycles [8]. In contrast to the pitting pattern seen in steel tanks, MIC in FRP tanks is more likely to cause structural failure along a line of activity (more on this below). How Do Microbes Get into Fuel Systems? Microbes can get into fuel systems in various ways: • Vent lines: All tanks are vented. As product is drawn from the tank, it creates a vacuum. Air drawn in through the tank's vent restores the air pressure within the tank to equilibrium with the air pressure (atmospheric pressure) outside the tank. Normal atmospheric air is full of water droplets and dust particles that carry microbes. Consequently, tank venting, essential to keep tanks from collapsing under atmospheric pressure, is a major entry route for contaminating microbes. • Fuel transport: Microbes can be transported from refinery tanks or barges through pipelines and terminal tanks throughout the fuel distribution system. • Water in the system: Relatively small volumes of water can support localized pockets or niches of microbial growth wherever a few milliliters of water can accumulate in the system. • UST fill-pipe sumps: These are an excellent source of water containing high numbers of microbes. When surface water fills the sump and is subsequently drained through the

Articles overflow return valve, the fuel within the UST receives a significant dose of both water and microbes.

to as a skinnogen layer. The slime enables the microbe to create a microenvironment that permits further growth and proliferation. The slime also Where Do Microbes Grow in Fuel traps other microbes that may be settling Systems? through the fuel. Over time, a consortium develops. A Once a microbe has arrived within a consortium is a group of unrelated fuel system, water is its key to survival. microbes that form a community that is Good fuel may carry as much as 0.1 able to carry out bioconversion percent water. Most of this water remains processes that none of its individual dispersed in the fuel as bound or members could carry out alone. For associated water. The amount of bound example, the SRB, mentioned earlier, water that dissociates from the fuel require an oxygen-free environment in depends on the fuel's additive package, order to grow. Microbes that require its residence time in the tank, and the oxygen do at least two things to create fuel's temperature. Some additives, such conditions favorable for SRB. First, they as ethanol, increase water's solubility or consume the available oxygen, creating dispersiblity in fuel. the requisite oxygen-free conditions deep As product stands, water will continue within the biofilm. Second, they to dissociate-the longer the residence metabolize large organic molecules that time in a tank, the greater the volume of SRB can't use as food and excrete the water that is likely to fall out. Water's smaller molecules on which SRB thrive. solubility in fuel increases with By consuming these small molecules, temperature. As fuel cools, it tends to SRB prevent them from accumulating reject water. It's the nature of fuel, then, within the biofilm and becoming toxic to to transport water into tanks at each the microbes that generated them as stage of distribution, from refinery to endwastes. user service tank. For microbes to thrive within fuel Most of the water that dissociates from systems, they need to aggregate within fuel during storage in a tank will fall to the biofilms that can form consortia, trap bottom. Some will condense on the water and nutrients, and protect the interior tank shell surface. If the surface is resident populations from the potentially free of biofilm, the condensed water will hostile outside environment. Biofilm run down the sides of the shell and communities are most likely to develop at accumulate as bottoms-water. Where the fuel-water interface, lower portions of the tank shell surface, and within bottom sludge and sediment. In diesel and heavier grade fuel tanks, biofilms can cover the entire tank surface. Rows of corrosion pits Gasoline is more volatile. In this case, as product is drawn from the tank, exposing surfaces, gasoline evaporates from those surfaces fast enough to also dehydrate them. Consequently, biofilms tend to form at and below the Figure 1. Corrosion pit pattern in UST. Notice concentration of pits in tank's normal low ullage rows at the approximate low inventory level. Flash evaporation typically prevents biofilm development above this level level. At most fuel retail sites, this is the bottom third of the biofilm is present, the condensed water is tank (assuming 3,000 gallon [11,340 more likely to become entrained within liters] minimum inventory in a 10,000 this film. gallon [37,854 liter] UST). Heaviest If we were to follow our newly arrived biofilm development is typically at the microbe, we would see that initially it level where the fuel-water interface settles slowly down through the fuel, intersects with the shell surface. Most along with the particle with which it rode often this is the zone between 10º and into the tank. If the particle's specific 20º arc, on either side of bottom dead gravity (weight relative to that of water) is center. greater than that of the fuel, but less than that of water, the particle may come to How Do Microbes Attack Fuel System rest at the fuel-water boundary Components? (interface). Alternatively, convection currents Steel USTs within the fuel may transport the particle With an understanding of how to the fuel-shell interface. If the microbe microbes enter fuel systems and where is a slime-former, it will attach itself to the they tend to accumulate, we can revisit surface and begin reproducing. Similarly, the biodegradation processes mentioned at the fuel-water interface, it will begin to earlier. Some microbes can use fuel form a biofilm layer, sometimes referred hydrocarbons as their sole source of

organic nutrition. Others can use fuel additives and other non-hydrocarbon fuel molecules as food. Some microbes that thrive in fuel systems may not be able to use any molecules in fuel as food. As I illustrated above, for the SRB, these microbes rely on the byproducts of other microbes for nutrition. In steel tanks, MIC is primarily an incidental consequence of microbial activity. Biofilms create chemical and electropotential gradients, thereby inducing galvanic corrosion. Conditions within biofilms are typically acidic and reducing, contributing further to metal dissolution. Within corrosion tubercles, strong inorganic acids, particularly hydrochloric, can form from the reaction between chloride salts and weak organic acids. The tubercle crust prevents the aggressively corrosive hydrochloric acid from diffusing into the system outside the tubercle. Consequently, severe acid etching proceeds within the tubercle. Additionally, if SRB are present, they generate hydrogen sulfide. The hydrogen sulfide then reacts with free iron ions to form ferrous sulfide. The net result is a characteristically spherical corrosion pit, resulting in a pinhole leak as the outer margin of the pit breaks through the tank's exterior. Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic USTs As mentioned earlier, the dynamics of FRP UST biodeterioration are quite different. At this point, it is not certain whether microbes use composite polymers as food or if enzymes intended to break down other molecules (actually used as food) attack the polymers. In the studies performed to date, other nutrients have always been available to the microbes degrading FRP. In the case of fuel USTs, the point is perhaps moot. Microbes colonizing FRP surfaces have the same cornucopia of nutrients available as those colonizing steel tank surfaces. Regardless of whether FRP polymers are used as food, the end result is shortened polymer chain lengths. This translates into weaker structure and increased brittleness. It's possible for the bottom few inches of an FRP UST to separate from the rest of the tank (recall my comment about maximal biofilm development at the level where the fuelwater interface meets the tank shell). Lined USTs Steel USTs that have been lined with a coating are subject to a third type of biodeterioration. If a coating has even a single holiday (break in the coating's uniformity), water and microbes can gain access to the coating-shell boundary. Colonization begins at the holiday and spreads out from there. Biofilm development between coating and shell is particularly insidious because it's so difficult to detect until the coating begins to blister away from the shell. Although

Articles the process has not been studied thoroughly, it is likely that the biodeterioration mechanisms described above for both steel and FRP USTs are active when microbes live between coating and tank shell materials. Both the coating and underlying steel are attacked. Detecting Microbial Contamination My earlier discussion of where microbes tend to grow within fuel systems also illustrates the difficulty of recognizing microbial contamination before system components are destroyed. It is nearly impossible to retrieve swab samples of slime from tank walls without gaining direct access to the tank. The methods described here cannot provide information as conclusive as that obtained by entering a tank, making observations, and collecting samples directly. However, the preentry process of making a tank safe for entry is costly and time consuming. Moreover, it destroys much of the evidence that would be useful to a microbiologist. The only practical alternative is to pull fluid samples and use them as surrogates to assess what may be happening on the tank shell surface. Samples traditionally collected for fuel quality testing yield little information about either the presence of microbes or whether significant biodeterioration in underway within the tank. Moreover, many of biodeterioration's symptoms mimic those of non-biological deterioration. Notwithstanding these challenges, it is possible to monitor fuel systems for both microbial contamination and biodeterioration. I refer readers to ASTM's Standard Guide to Microbial Contamination in Fuels and Fuel Systems (D6469 [9]) for a more detailed discussion of the topics covered in this section. Sampling Monitoring begins with collecting the best possible sample. A full chapter of the forthcoming ASTM Manual on Microbial Contamination of Fuels and Fuel Systems (due to be published in early 2002) is devoted to sampling strategies and techniques. Bottom samples from the low end of a UST are most likely to provide useful microbiological information. This is often the first challenge. Regardless of the intentions of UST installers, many USTs settle by the tank's turbine (submerged pump) end. A welldesigned system will have a sampling port or other access fitting near the turbine distribution manifold to permit both sampling and water removal from this end of the UST. I am always delighted on the rare occasions when I encounter such systems. More often, the turbine must be pulled in order to get a

bottom sample from this end of a UST. Unless the UST's trim has been measured (fuel ullage at fill and turbine ends) and determined to be trim (low) at the fill-end, bottom samples should be taken from both ends of the UST. Samples should be collected with a Bacon bomb or similar true bottom sampler. Each sample is dispensed through a clean funnel into an unused glass sample bottle. The advantage of using glass will become evident in the next section. If dispensers calibrated to deliver 10 gpm (38 liters/min) are delivering < 7 gpm (27 liters/min), pull the dispenser filter and save it for examination. Test the dispenser flow rate after installing a fresh filter. If the rate hasn't returned to normal (the actual rate may be < 10 gpm if customers are taking fuel while you are running the test), corrosion may have degraded valve operation. (Hint: if you discover corroded components between the UST and the dispenser, suspect UST biodeterioration).

Rag (invert emulsion) layer {

}

Figure 2. Fuel tank bottom sample showing haze 5 fuel over bottoms-water. Note the rag layer that has developed between the fuel and water phases. Similar to the tank shell biofilm, the rag layer is home to dense microbial populations.

magnetic end of a stirring bar retriever into the sample bottle and swirl it gently on the bottom of the bottle for a few seconds. (A stirring bar retriever is a long, plastic-coated wand with a magnet that is encapsulated into one end; lab technicians use stirring bar retrievers routinely to pull magnetic stirring bars from test flasks.) Remove the retriever from the bottle and look for magnetic particles on its tip. If magnetic debris covers more than half of the bottom of the stirring bar retriever, then rust accumulation is significant and should be investigated further. Bottoms-water samples from heavily infected tanks may also have distinctive odors. Strong sulfide or ammonia odors are characteristic of sulfate and nitrate reduction, respectively. Open plugged filters for inspection. If the filter is plugged with rust or if the housing is corroding, suspect MIC activity within your system. Other Tests A complete diagnostic evaluation of biodeterioration in a UST requires a battery of physical, chemical, and microbiological tests [9]. Of these, the traditional microbiological testsinoculating growth media to see what grows-are often the least useful. Many microbes that are perfectly content and thriving in the contaminated system may (a) not get captured in the sample; or (b) not grow in the medium into which we transfer them. Negative test results obtained with the various commercially available growth test kits may provide encouraging but misleading information. If MIC is suspected, a microbiologist trained in fuel and fuel system biodeterioration should be called in to perform a thorough assessment.

Gross Observations Controlling Microbial Contamination There are a number of simple observations that provide excellent indications as to whether significant biodeterioration is occurring within a particular system. Figure 2 illustrates a heavily contaminated bottom sample. Note the well-defined region between the bottoms-water and fuel. This invertemulsion (water in fuel) zone is called the rag layer. It's caused by the production of biosurfactants and skinnogens at the fuel-water interface. Rag layers may also be caused by chemical incompatibilities within the fuel. However, rag layers produced by microbes will (a) tend to adhere to the jar's side if you tilt the jar gently; (b) have stalactites of slime protruding into the water phase, stalagmites of slime projecting into the fuel phase, or both; and (c) will often be membranous or difficult to disperse. A well-defined raglayer biofilm is a strong indicator of biofilm development on tank walls. To determine if the sample's sediment contains lots of rust particles, dip the

Good housekeeping goes a long way toward preventing UST biodeterioration. Recognizing that water and sediment is going to be delivered with product, UST owners should institute regular monitoring and dewatering programs. As noted above, to be effective, samples and water draws need to be taken from the tank's low-end. Although dry tankage is theoretically possible, it's impractical. Even in the aviation industry where fuel is filtered and dewatered at each step of the distribution process, water still reaches aircraft fuel tanks where it is dealt with through the use of deicing additives. Even if USTs were designed to permit water draw from the their lowest point, tank wall biofilms will entrain significant water (a 1/8-inch thick biofilm, covering 30 percent of the surface of a 10,000 gallon UST, can hold several gallons of water-a veritable ocean from the perspective of microbes). This means that over time, most tanks will develop

Articles microbe biofilms. In fuel systems, biofilms may take three to six months to develop [10]. Since UST biodeterioration is unlikely to occur in the absence of a biofilm consortium, it makes sense to minimize the risk of biofilm formation. Periodic treatment with an antimicrobial pesticide can prevent biofilm maturation. I generally recommend treating tanks two or three times per year, depending on test data. All treatments should be data driven. If there's no evidence of biofilm development, the interval between treatments can be extended. If samples show that a rag layer forms within two months after treatment, I recommend treating more frequently. The U.S. EPA approves only a limited number of antimicrobial pesticides for use in fuel systems. Before treating a UST with an antimicrobial pesticide, contact either a manufacturer or manufacturer's representative who is knowledgeable about treatment protocols, dosing, handling (all antimicrobial pesticides are treated as hazardous materials), and product selection. Some products are primarily fuel soluble; others are only water soluble. The most effective products have at least some solubility in both fuel and water. Products also differ in their respective ranges of microbicidal activity. A few of the products approved for use in fuel systems have a secondary function as corrosion inhibitors. A reputable professional can help you determine what products and treatments are most likely to give you successful control. If a tank is already heavily contaminated, chemical treatment alone is unlikely to be satisfactory. First, all antimicrobial pesticides are used up as they kill microbes. If a tank is coated with a thick biofilm, the microbicide is probably going to be used up before the tank is disinfected. Some microbicide molecules will get trapped in the biofilm without ever coming into contact with their targets. Second, a successful microbicide treatment will disrupt the biofilm sufficiently to cause large pieces (flocs) of biofilm material to slough off of the tank's walls. A significant percentage of these flocs will be transported to the dispenser filters, which will consequently plug prematurely. Heavily contaminated tanks should be cleaned within 24 hours after an initial "shock" treatment. There are a number of commercial systems for cleaning tanks. Some require direct access; others use tubing or hoses that are inserted into the tank. The most effective systems recirculate and polish the fuel at high (> 200 gpm) flow rates and use directional nozzles to scour tank surfaces. Systems designed to operate at < 100 gpm are fine for pulling water, sludge, and sediment off of tank bottoms,

but are ineffective against tank shell biofilms. Aggressive tank cleaning, as a biodeterioration control measure, should only be needed once every five to ten years, if it's accompanied by periodic preventive treatment. Microbes … in a Tank Shell Left undetected and untreated, microorganisms can infect fuel systems, develop consortia communities, and cause fuel system component failures ranging from premature dispenser filter plugging to leaking USTs. Most UST installations do not make it easy to pull the bottom samples that are most useful for monitoring biodeterioration risk. Optimally, all USTs should be fitted with sample collection and dewatering access near each end of the tank. Currently, most USTs can only be sampled at the fill-pipe, unless service engineers pull the turbine, the electronic gauging device, or both. Consequently, significant volumes of water can accumulate in tanks undetected. Microbes find all of the water and nutrients they require in fuel tanks. The erroneous conventional wisdom that gasoline is less susceptible to microbial attack is based on several decades of experience with product containing tetraethyl lead. Once tetraethyl lead (itself an effective unregistered microbicide) was removed from automotive gasoline, microbes reinhabited gasoline systems. In my experience, gasoline tanks support considerably higher numbers of microbes than do diesel tanks. The mere presence of microbes does not necessarily mean that system biodeterioration is occurring. Symptoms of system change are better biodeterioration indicators. Look for rag layer development or accumulation of rust particles in bottom samples. Smell for sulfide or ammonia. Keep track of filter-plugging rates. In a clean system, filters can process (filter) 250,000 gal or more without affecting flow rate. In an infected system, filters may start plugging before having processed 50,000 gallons of fuel. Historically, MIC in USTs has received relatively little attention. Leakage caused by MIC probably accounted for 10 to 20 percent of all leaking USTs. Several watershed events over the past decade, however, may change these statistics. LUST regulations have reduced the risk of leaks caused by galvanic corrosion from the UST's exterior. The fuel industry has also changed. While consumer demand has grown steadily at 5 to 7 percent annually, shell capacity has shrunk at approximately the same rate. This means that product throughput rates have climbed 10 to 14 percent annually. In other words, there's less time for water and sediment to settle out of the fuel at each stage of the distribution system. More water and

sediment (along with passenger microbes) get transported through from refinery to end-user. In response to clean air regulations, fuel chemistry has also changed. Although there is no general agreement so far, it's likely that the net effect of these chemical changes (in both basic product and additive packages) has been to make fuels more susceptible to biodeterioration. In short, history is not necessarily a good predictor of the future likelihood of UST biodeterioration. Steel, composite, and lined tanks are all susceptible to biodeterioration. In the recent past, most UST owners invested heavily to ensure that their systems complied with LUST regulations. Relatively inexpensive good housekeeping, coupled with periodic preventive treatment, can minimize the risk of uncontrolled microbial contamination wiping out the return on the upgrade investment. n Fred Passman is an industrial microbial ecologist and owner of Biodeterioration Control Associates, Inc., a consulting firm dedicated to helping industry recognize and control microbial contamination in process fluid systems. He can be reached at bcafjp@ix.netcom.com References [1] [2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

Myoshi, M. J. J. Wiss. Bot. 1895. 28, 269-289. Davis, J.B. Petroleum Microbiology. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam. 1967. 604 pp. Atlas, R. M. Ed. Petroleum Microbiology. Macmillan, New York. 1984. 692 pp. ASTM. "D4952 Standard Test Method for Qualitative Analysis for Active Sulfur Species in Fuels and Solvents" (Doctor Test). ASTM Annual Book of Standards, Vol. 5.03. ASTM, Conshohocken. Starkey, R. L. and K. Wright. Bull. Amer. Gas Soc. Tech. Sec. 1945. p. 108. Dexter, S.C. Ed. Biologically Induced Corrosion. NACE, Houston. 1986. 363 pp. Videla, H. A. Manual of Biocorrosion. CRC Press, Boca Raton. 1996. 273 pp. Gu, J. D., C. Lu, R. Mitchell, K. Thorp and A. Crasto. Material. Perform. 1997. 36:37-41. ASTM. "D6469 Standard Guide for Microbial Contamination in Fuels and Fuel Systems." ASTM Annual Book of Standards, Vol. 5.04. ASTM, Conshohocken. Passman, F. J., B. L. McFarland and M. J. Hillyer. Int. Biodet. Biodeg. 2001. 47, 95-106.

Articles

Health & Safety! By Tony Jenner, Cameron Forecourt Ltd The accompanying recently taken photograph clearly shows the scant regard which, regrettably, some contractors in this industry are paying to Health & Safety!

good, safe practices are maintained! What the photograph does not show is the unprotected mains electrical cables snaking across approximately 10 metres of forecourt before entering

It must be assumed that the engineer in the picture has either had no Health & Safety training or that he has no regard for the safety of himself or that of others. It must be also assumed that the employer does not operate an active Health & Safety management system which would involve carrying out regular audits of his employees to ensure that

the pay kiosk door where it was plugged into a wall socket. Irrespective of the obvious danger of flexible mains electrical cables in the hazard area no attempt had been made to secure the cable so as not to present a trip hazard to the many members of the public using the facilities of the service station. Other than positioning their van beside

the pump no other attempt had been made by the operatives to cordon off and protect the work area. Whilst I can accept that some of the actions shown in the photograph are a result of ignorance and a general disregard for Health & Safety, one further consideration is that these corners were being cut purely on financial grounds! To carry out this work safely it would have been necessary to fence the work area off completely and to use compressed air cutting tools rather than the electrically powered equipment shown in the photograph. Also, the engineer should be wearing personal protective equipment such as a high visibility vest or jacket. As a rough estimate I would say the health & safety cost cutting on this job saved the contractor between £300-£400. In this instance, they got away with it and nobody was hurt, next time they might not be so lucky. It is essential that all of us within this industry strive to uphold the generally good standards of contracting that prevail and prevent the "cowboys" such as those shown in the photograph from behaving in such a cavalier fashion. If we fail to achieve this the next bulletin article may be reporting the tragic consequences of these foolish actions.

Pizza and Fireworks By Roger Marris, Senior Petroleum/Explosives Inspector, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service In late October 2003, a customer waiting for a pizza at a take-away shop witnessed what she thought to be some fireworks being sold to a child from the back door. She reported the incident to the Police and Trading Standards Service. The Police were the first to respond to the complaint and after interviewing the proprietor, seized a quantity of fireworks that were stored in the food preparation room. The seized fireworks were subsequently passed into the custody of the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service so that a full investigation could be carried out into the suspected unlawful storage of 30

fireworks and the sale of fireworks to children. Enquiries by an Explosives Inspector revealed that it was common knowledge in the high street where the take-away was located that fireworks were being sold at ½ price. There was no record of the premises being registered with Fire Service for the storage of fireworks. When Explosives Inspectors interviewed the proprietor, he admitted to selling fireworks to selected customers but at the same time denied selling any fireworks to children. Unfortunately the witness who made

the complaint refused to make a statement in fear of retaliation from certain elements of the local community, which meant that no further action could be taken against this allegation. At a hearing before the Dewsbury Magistrates on 31 March 2004, the proprietor pleaded guilty to an offence of keeping fireworks in an unauthorised place contrary to section 5 of the Explosives Act 1875. He was fined £200 with an order to contribute £200 to the prosecution costs.

Articles

Woman sets light to herself By Jeremy Kennett, Kent Trading Standards On 20th August 2003, a woman set light to herself after having a petrol pump authorised for use, on a petrol forecourt in Canterbury, Kent. She had arrived on the premise in a taxi, and was herself using a wheelchair. She first went to the forecourt shop, where the attendant sold her a lighter. She then went across the forecourt to the car showroom, where she spent a short time speaking to a friend who worked there. She then left the showroom, and went to a pump, in her wheelchair, where she stood up, and after lifting the nozzle the pump was authorised by the attendant. It was later established that the attendant had not had a clear view of the pump, as there was a large 4x4 vehicle at the pump in front of where the woman was. He had not established whether she had a suitable fuel can to fill, or was about to fill a vehicle. Unfortunately there were no working CCTV cameras covering the forecourt, only dummy ones, so no tape was available showing the incident. Once the pump was authorised, the woman proceeded to douse herself in petrol, but was spotted by another member of staff out on the forecourt assisting another customer. He shouted for the attendant to close off the pumps, and started to clear other customers

from the forecourt. The woman threatened to set light to herself, but did not do so immediately. The Fire Brigade and Police had been called, and arrived quickly from their stations about 300 yards away! By this time, the woman had moved away from the pumps, towards the back of the forecourt. At this point, some six metres from the nearest pump, she flicked the lighter, and was engulfed in flames. She was quickly jumped on by a waiting firefighter with a fire blanket, and the flames doused. She was taken to the local hospital, from where she was transferred to the East Grinstead Burns Unit. She was treated there for about four weeks, but was found to have suffered only 20% burns to her face, arms and body. She was extremely lucky not to have suffered worse burns. A Police investigation established that the woman was an outpatient at the local psychiatric unit, and had previously injured herself in an attempted suicide, hence her wheelchair. The attendant gave a statement to the Police, and we interviewed the Forecourt Manager about the training and experience of the attendant. The company (part of a national chain of car dealerships) was found to have

adequate systems in place, and the attendant was suitably experienced in petrol retailing. After some consideration, it was decided that we would not persue any legal action, as the incident was of a type that could not reasonably be foreseen, and the circumstances of the authorisation of the pump were a matter that is a daily occurrence on petrol forecourts, whether or not the practice is seen as wholly acceptable. Clearly the incident has shaken the staff and management of this site, and they have implemented refresher training and reviewed their operating procedures. This incident raises the profile of campaigns such as those carried out in Suffolk and Milton Keynes last year, where officers took apparently unapproved cans to petrol sites and had pumps authorised for use at a surprisingly high number of the sites. A similar campaign has recently been carried out in West Kent, where nine out of sixteen premises authorised the dispensing of petrol into a plastic bag! No fuel was dispensed by the officers, but this only serves to support the findings of officers in various parts of the country. This is an industry-wide problem, which probably comes down to staff awareness and other pressures on their time and concentration.

Dangerous Fireworks By John Brooks, Essex Trading Standards In January 2003, 485Kg of shop goods fireworks which were being incorrectly stored at the rear of a Brentwood High Street newsagents shop, were seized by officers of Essex Trading Standards. The occupier of the premises, Mr. N. Vallabhji was subsequently fined £1000 for exceeding the permitted quantity on a mode B store, fined £500 for not keeping 292 Kg of shop goods fireworks in closed metal containers. £1000 costs and the Court also ordered that the fireworks be forfeited for destruction. On 16th January 2004, the fireworks were destroyed under controlled conditions. The following photograph

shows the destruction of the fireworks and in within seconds of ignition. A stark warning to all who store fireworks. One can only imagine what it would have been like should these fireworks have ignited within a premises or vehicle. 31

Articles

Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 and the Implications for Service Station Operators (Reprint of a powerpoint presentation to the North West branch of the APEA) By John Hazeldean, HM Principal Specialist Inspector, Flammable Liquids Section, HSE, Bootle Aims of presentation

• Classify places where explosive atmospheres may occur into zones

1. To explain the background to the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) 2. To detail the requirements of DSEAR

• Provide information, instruction and training • Provide systems, emergencies

equipment

and

procedures

for

3. To discuss how DSEAR applies to Petrol Filling Stations and fits in with other relevant H&S legislation General Guidance on DSEAR Relevant European Directives covering F & E Risks Directive

Title

Required Implementation

Atex Equipment (94/9/EC)

Equipment & protective Systems intended for use in potentially explosive atmospheres

July 2003 (Voluntary March 1996)

Atex User 137 (99/92/EC)

Minimum Requirements for improving the Safety & Health of Workers Potentially at Risk from Explosive Atmospheres

July 2003

Chemical Agents Directive (98/24/EC)

Protection of the Health & Safety of Workers from the Risks related to Chemical agents at Work

May 2001(Actual Dec 2002)

HSE BOOKS L138

Scope of DSEAR (Reg. 2, 3 & 4)

Implementation of the Directives

CAD and ATEX (137) COSHH Amendments

DSEAR

CAD (Health)

CAD (Safety) and ATEX (137)

Asbestos Lead

Repeal old legislation

• Dangerous substances include: Materials classified under CHIP (flammable, highly flammable, explosive etc) Substances because of their properties and the way they are or used create a F&E risk Dusts that could form explosive atmospheres • Applies to all workplaces (some ATEX related exemptions) • Covers risks to employees, self-employed, contractors, visitors and the public

Requirements of DSEAR To ensure that the risks from Dangerous Substances are either eliminated or reduced SO FAR AS IS REASONABLY PRACTICABLE

Framework of DSEAR (Main Principles)

Summary of the Regulations • Reg. 5 Requirement for a suitable and sufficient assessment of the fire and explosion risks arising from dangerous substances. Extension of MHSWA risk assessment

• Assess the risks of work activities involving DSs • Eliminate or reduce risks sfairp

• Reg. 6 Apply safety measures to eliminate or reduce risks sfairp. Includes control and mitigation measures

Articles • Reg. 7 Specific requirements where explosive atmospheres may be present, e.g. Hazardous Area Classification Specification of equipment and protective systems for use in zoned areas Verification • Reg. 8 Systems and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents or emergencies • Reg. 9 Provide employees with information, instruction and training • Reg 10. Identify the contents of containers, tanks and pipes

Step 1 - Identify Fire and Explosion Hazards • Gather information about the site and its surroundings. Consult others on possible hazards. • Take a fresh look at your site, how it operates, its surroundings and the age, make and type of equipment installed. • Look for areas where petrol vapour may accumulate ie. Hazardous Area Classification • Adopt a systematic approach by considering the different activities carried out on the site. ie. Deliveries, storage, dispensers, maintenance

• Reg 11. Duty of co-ordination between employers of explosion protection measures Step 2 - Consider what could go wrong and who may be harmed Repeals /Revocation arising from DSEAR • For each activity decide how petrol could escape. • Factories Act Section 31 • HFL and LPG Regs 1972

• Consider the amount of petrol that could be spilt or leaked and where it might go.

• Some Petrol legislation

• Look for possible sources of ignition.

• Sector specific legislation Shipbuilding Harbours Magnesium Grinding Regs Testing of aircraft engines Celluloid film

• Consider what could go wrong. Ask 'What if ?' • Take account of human error and the fact that people do not always follow instructions. • List your findings and the measures that are already in place to deal with the hazard.

Enforcement of DSEAR • HSE and Local Authorities as per normal arrangements, but: • Petroleum Licensing Authorities for all workplace (retail and non-retail) petrol dispensing Plus other automotive fuels dispensed at PFS • Fire Authorities for general fire precaution aspects

5 Step model for Risk Assessment

Step 3 - Evaluate the findings and decide whether further precautions are necessary • Have you done all the law requires? • Consider the requirements of Reg 6. and ACoPs • Compare your facilities against the 'yardstick' of good practice ie. guidance and accepted industry standards • Assess whether you have done enough or whether more should be done: Have you got rid of the hazard altogether If not, how can you control the risks so harm is unlikely

Step 1

Identify fire and explosion hazards

Step 2

Consider who could be affected

Step 4 - Record the Findings

Step 3

Evaluate the risks

Step 4

Record findings and action taken

Step 5

Keep assessment under review

• Must record the significant findings if you have 5 or more employees. The record should detail: Hazards which pose a serious risk to workers or the public if something goes wrong. Existing control measures & the extent to which they control the risk. Any deviations from good practice and the details of any alternative control measures. Hazardous area zoning diagrams 37

Articles Step 5 - Review your Assessment • Good practice to review at regular intervals, but also • If you suspect the assessment is no longer valid. ie following an incident or near miss; or • When new equipment is installed; or

assembled, used and maintained to reduce risks. Appropriate systems of work, including written instructions and permit-to-work procedures.

So Far as is Reasonably Practicable • DSEAR requires risks to be controlled SFAIRP (but not in CAD)

• if changes to the site layout; or • if changes in the use of adjacent premises.

• Allows factors such as time, trouble and cost to be set against the risk. If the balance between these factors and the risk is grossly disproportionate then additional measures would not be reasonably practicable.

Further Advice on Risk Assessment • Whether an individual employer can or cannot afford the measures is irrelevant. • Burden of proving SFAIRP lies upon the employer.

ACoPs and Guidance supporting DSEAR

• Petrol Filling Stations Guidance on Managing the Risks of Fire & Explosion, by West Yorkshire Fire Service, www.westyorksfire.gov.uk

L134

L133

L135

Control Measures specified in Reg 6 • Preventative Measures (in priority order) Reduce quantity of DS to a minimum Avoid or minimise release of a DS Control any release at source Prevent formation of Explosive Atmospheres Containing any releases of DS Avoid ignition sources Avoid adverse conditions Segregate incompatible materials • Mitigation Measures Reduce number of employees exposed Avoid propagation of fires or explosions Provide explosion pressure relief Provide explosion suppression Provide pressure resistant plant Provide personal protective equipment

L136

L137

Status of ACoPs • Special legal status " If you follow the advice you will be doing enough to comply with the law. You may use alternative methods… but if you are prosecuted you will need to show that you have complied with the law in some other way or a court will find you at fault." Status of Guidance

Schedule 1 - General Safety Measures • Reg 6(8) requires where appropriate Workplaces to be designed, constructed and maintained to reduce risks. Work processes to be designed, constructed, 38

• "Following guidance is not compulsory & you are free to take other action. But if you follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law. Inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance as illustrating good practice."

Articles Relevance of ACoPs to PFS

• Operating instructions are suitable and sufficient.

• General ACoP - Provides background & interpretation but 90 pages long

Verification - Competent Person

• Tanker ACoP - Relevant to all sites

• The site operator has the duty to ensure that a competent person carries out the verification.

• Storage ACoP - Includes controls for leak prevention, separation, ignition sources & security

• The site operator may be the competent person but he may need to enlist the help of others such as the site designer, the installer of the equipment, test companies or an independent person or organisation.

• Design ACoP - Includes controls for containment, location, mitigation, redundant plant • Maintenance ACoP - Relevant to all contractors and those carrying out or overseeing maintenance or repair work

• The person or persons involved must have practical & theoretical knowledge of the fire & explosion hazards arising at petrol filling stations, which may have been obtained, from experience and/or professional training.

Concluding Comments Verification (Reg 7) • What parts of the site require verification? Those parts that need to be considered are where explosive atmospheres may occur (ie designated as hazardous areas). It will also be necessary to take into account any equipment or facilities that may give rise to hazardous areas or are needed to limit their extent. • When should verification be carried out? Verification should be carried out before a site is put into use, ie. during commissioning, but it will also be necessary to verify that any significant changes or any new equipment will not give rise to an unacceptable explosion risk. A like-for-like replacement or repair, however, should not require further verification.

• Goal setting but comprehensive legislation that provides effective controls for PFS. • Places duty for controlling risks firmly with the employer. • Risk assessment important as it requires site operator to identify and understand the hazards and take into account any site specific issues. • Can sit along side Petroleum Licensing but Licence Conditions could be challenged with a site specific risk assessment.

Further Information • DSEAR 2002 www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/20022776.htm

Verification Checks will include • Inspection of records to show tanks & pipe work are leak tight.

• ACOPs and guidance (HSG146, L133 to L138) Available from HSEBooks or HSEDirect • WYFS Web page - www.westyorksfire.gov.uk

• Hazardous area drawings have been prepared and equipment is the correct type & category for the zone.

• PETEL Circulars www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs/m_s.htm#65

• Confirmation that equipment in the hazardous areas has been installed correctly and has been tested.

• APEA/IP Guidance

• All warning and information notices are in place.

• UKPIA 9 Kingsway, London WC2 B6XF (price £15)

• All electrical and other ducts from hazardous areas are properly sealed.

• Petrol (Technical) john.hazeldean@hse.gov.gsi.uk • Petrol (Policy) stewart.mcewen@hse.gov.gsi.uk

• Vapour emission control systems have been tested and operate correctly.

• Guidance for the Design, Construction and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations - www.apea.org.uk

• Gauging and leak detection systems operate correctly. • Drainage systems are complete and tested. 39

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Garage owner finally sees the light after 3 years By Bob Pillar, Petroleum Officer/Enforcement Officer (Safety), Devon County Council A Devon filling station owner has finally made his redundant site permanently safe, after 3 years, 2 prosecutions and 1 meeting with the Environment Agency. The garage is in a rural location near to Exeter, and on the main trunk road from Newton Abbot to Exeter and is passed by thousands of vehicles every day of the year, and also by holiday traffic leaving South Devon. It

apparently had been closed recently and there was a licence still in force on the premises, which was issued by Devon Fire and Rescue Service, who were the licensing authority up to July 2000. The garage dates from the early 30's and has five tanks on site, four

13,500 litres tanks used for petrol and one 22,500 litre tank used for diesel for the whole of its life. It was set up for self-service use and also had an HGV facility on the premises. The whole saga started for me in February 2001 when, as the Petroleum Officer, I visited the site. From that first visit it was clear that the site had been abandoned although no work had been done to make it even temporarily safe. The tanks were unlocked, and still contained product, the dispensers were still in place and unlocked, and there was evidence of leakage on the site. One dispenser had a novel safety feature where one of the hoses had been removed; the hole had been capped with a Coca-Cola bottle top! Apparently not an approved modification! This then started the ball rolling and after numerous letters and thinly veiled threats to the licensee and then the owner of the site,

who was one and the same person. No correspondence was ever answered, even that which was delivered by hand to his home address. Finally the threat of issuing an Improvement Notice was carried out on the 20th December 2001, giving the owner until the end of March 2002 to make the site permanently safe, by filling the 4 petrol tanks and removing all other equipment associated with the petrol installation. Surprisingly no work was done at the

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site and the legal process started. This seemed to have some effect as letters were now answered, but only to request that the site be licensed again! Sadly, this request was turned down and a prosecution ensued, which went to Court in February of 2003. The owner of

pleading guilty. This time the Court felt a little bit more sorry for him as they fined him £3,000 with £1,262 costs. Again they gave him until the end of January 2004 to do the work. This second case seemed to have the desired effect, because the owner now became more co-operative, and came forward with plans to convert the site to diesel only storage in order to supply his other premises when they needed it. Unfortunately as the site is within a water abstraction area the Environment Agency declared an interest, and at a subsequent meeting between themselves, the owner and myself a plan of action was drawn up for the

the site pleaded guilty to the charge, despite apparently not realising what he had to do on the site. The Magistrates obviously didn't believe him, fining him £8,000 with £1,000 costs, and instructing him to comply with the Notice by the end of May 2003. At the beginning of June 2003 a return visit was again made to the site, to find that some work had been done, but none that was specified in the Notice. Therefore the whole legal process was started again, but this time the owner wanted to talk to me. However, he was unwilling to be interviewed and the case finally went to Court in December 2003, with him again

owner to comply with everybody's needs. This included tank tests before any product was stored in the tanks in question, and monitoring of the diesel stored on site. The owner then went away to think about what he had to do. At the end of January I received a call from the owner informing me that he had decided, finally, to have the tanks permanently filled with resin generated foam on the 16th February and would that be all right. After I had got over the initial shock I said it would be and put the phone down, thinking of numerous questions I would have liked to ask him only then and not before, the main one

being "Why now". Being of a somewhat disbelieving nature as far as this gentleman was concerned I vowed to visit the site on the 16th, and lo and behold there they were, RGF of South Wales, doing the deed and filling the tanks as I had been advised. The certificate of filling was in my hand later that date and finally I could put the file away.

So after 3 years, numerous letters and phone calls, visits to the site, two prosecutions, £13,262 in fines and costs, and boring colleagues about the whole sorry saga the site has been finally made safe. Why it could have been done at the beginning of the process I cannot say, perhaps he thought I would go away and forget him. Perhaps its an example of the old adage that persistence pays in the end. What his ultimate plans for the site are I don't know but as far as I am concerned, I've achieved what I set out to do. 41

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Risbridger Ltd has moved! By Annie Risbridger

After 82 years production in leafy Stychens Lane, Bletchingley, the factory has been relocated to the Holmethorpe Industrial Estate in Redhill, four miles away. All of the staff have relocated with the company and are delighted with the extra space and facilities in the new building. They will miss the rural location, but the parking and materials handling problems will be solved! They are pictured below at the old factory a few days before the move started. The Stychens Lane factory evolved over many years from a modest

and quite dangerous! The company made parts for munitions and for machine tools, as part of the S o u t h e r n Industries Group, and there were also several teams of Installation Engineers working on airfield fuel tank installations all around the country. After working on imported USA made petrol pumps William then set about making his own. At the time he was manufacturing pumps there were over one hundred and thirty petrol pump manufacturers in the UK!

workshop at the bottom of William Risbridger's garden. After winning a large contract William designed a larger workshop and the company built it themselves in four weeks. This has been the machine shop for many years. There were no concrete mixers or other labour saving devices and they used horse and cart to transport the building materials from local quarries! It still only took four weeks, and it is interesting to wonder whether it would be possible to build something that quickly nowadays?? During the war the machine shop was busy 24 hours a day, run by a female workforce using gas powered belt driven machinery which was very noisy

Although the factory is now too small for Risbridger this is not because the staffing levels have increased, in fact it has decreased over the years, as at one stage there were 35 machine operators. In recent years the company has invested in Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) machine tools. Over the last ten years the products designed and made by Risbridger have

tended to increased in value and physical size. The industries Risbridger serve require that there are larger stocks held to service their Just in Time requirements, so more space was a must. Although the family are in some ways sad that their business is leaving it's historic site in Stychens Lane, it is the end of an era and an exciting time. The new building has many facilities, including meeting rooms and a training & showroom for products. The building has been refurbished over the last four months, and it is now ready. There are spacious office areas including a conference room and IT room, a staff canteen and it is planned that there will be a trade counter for Forecourt Products. Recently Annie Risbridger Hind took over as Managing Director with Gerry retaining a role as Chairman. Risbridger are currently enjoying a full order book and are working on a number of promising projects for the future both in the Forecourt business and in Aircraft Ground Servicing equipment. We are looking forward to welcoming our customers and suppliers to our new offices and to continuing to do business with them.

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Fireworks Trader fined for over-stocking By Roger Marris, Senior Petroleum/Explosives Inspector, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service Acting on a complaint made by a member of the public, an Explosives Inspector and a Fire Officer of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service visited the Leeds premises of a seasonal fireworks trader on 20 October 2003. The member of the public had expressed concern at the large quantity of fireworks that were stacked in and around freight containers at the multi occupied premises. The trader was known to the Explosives Inspector as he had registered a Mode 'A' store at the site for a number of years and had also been previously warned for the overstocking of fireworks. When the Inspector arrived at the premises he found that in addition to the registered freight container, 2 other freight containers were being used for the storage of fireworks. The Inspector also found a quantity of fireworks stacked on pallets in the goods yard. It was estimated that the quantity of fireworks in the non-registered

containers and on pallets in the goods yard was in the region of 5 tonnes. The fireworks trader agreed with the estimation, but insisted that they were 'goods in transit'. Although the Inspector did not accept the trader's explanation of the status of the fireworks, he was precluded from taking any enforcement action as this would have involved him seizing the fireworks for exact quantification (to satisfy the burden of proof) and he could not immediately find a licensed storage facility with spare capacity to keep the fireworks or a haulage contractor to move the goods. The trader believing that he was at risk of being prosecuted for the unlawful storage of the 5 tonnes of fireworks in the unregistered containers was cooperative with the Inspector when it came to quantifying the fireworks in the Mode 'A' store, that were clearly in excess of the 1000kg permitted under the rulers of registration. After being cautioned by the Inspector, the trader admitted that he was 50% over-stocked

and this figure was proved correct by a stock check that revealed the total quantity in the Mode 'A' store to be 1,526kg. The supposedly 'goods in transit' fireworks were returned to the importer's licensed magazine before the end of the working day. Due to the trader having received two previous written warnings for exceeding the permitted quantities, a decision was taken to charge him with 'keeping fireworks in excess of the maximum weight permitted by the Keeping of Fireworks Order 1959 and in breach of the general rules for registered premises thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 22 Explosives Act 1875'. At a hearing before the Leeds Magistrates on 2 February 2004, the trader pleaded guilty to the charge. The Magistrates imposed a fine of £1,500 and awarded £500 costs to the Fire and Rescue Service.

Petrol Filling Stations - Stage 1b Vapour Recovery Safety Concerns when diesel tanks are manifolded with petrol tanks - issued by HSE Introduction This circular informs petroleum licensing officers of the safety implications arising when a diesel tank is connected to a stage 1b vapour recovery system. The information will also be of interest to environmental health officers who issue authorisations under the environmental protection act 1990 and the scottish equivalent and environmental health officers who enforce the hswa at petrol filling stations

It is evident in some cases these changes (to the approved arrangements) have taken place without the consent of the PLA and without any consideration being given to the safety implications where the change involves a tank connected to a manifolded Stage 1b vapour recovery (VR) system. The following text explains the safety problems that can arise where a diesel tank forms part of a Stage 1b manifolded VR system.

Background With the continued decline in the sales of leaded (4*)/lead replacement petrol, a number of filling station operators have converted 4* tanks to the storage of auto-diesel or have rearranged their storage capacities to meet their changing trading requirements by keeping diesel in a tank formerly used for petrol.

In addition to implementing the necessary control measures, the site operator will need to consider his duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act and will also need to notify the local Environmental Health Department or in Scotland, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) as the inclusion of the diesel tank in the VR system could invalidate the authorisation under the Environmental

Protection Act 1990. The Safety Concerns There are essentially three stages in the operation of a diesel tank manifolded to a vapour recovery system: the quiescent stage; the delivery stage; and the maintenance stage. The quiescent stage of the tank is the time of normal site operation between deliveries. In this stage diesel is drawn from the tank through the dispensers: petroleum vapours will be induced into the ullage space from the manifold, although the concentration of these vapours may decrease between deliveries. It is possible that the absorption of petroleum vapours could alter the specification (composition) of the diesel, but of greater concern is the possibility that a leak on the diesel tank at the tank lid or its fittings could release petrol vapours into an area which could 43

Articles be erroneously considered to be nonhazardous following the change to diesel storage. The delivery stage includes the preparation for receiving the delivery and the unloading process. In this respect the precautions to be taken when measuring the storage tank contents and the sequences for connecting the VR and delivery hoses must also be followed when diesel is unloaded into a tank manifolded to the VR system. Where there is a grade change and diesel is stored in a tank previously used for petrol, the VR system should function no differently to when all tanks on the manifolded system contained petrol provided that the design capacity is not exceeded. The design capacity of the VR system will be reflected in the existing 'authorisation' which will stipulate 'the maximum number of road tanker compartments (either including or excluding the diesel compartment(s) that can be unloaded simultaneously.' ¹ At sites where the condition excludes the diesel compartment(s) there is a likelihood of inadvertently overloading the system if the site operator or competent person fails to recognise that the diesel compartment must be included in the maximum number of compartments to be unloaded simultaneously. The effect of adding to the number of road tanker compartments to be unloaded simultaneously may cause a build up (or a large drop in) pressure as the forced flow rates exceed the design capacity of the system. This will depend on the site specific factors and the total ullage connected to the VR system. For the reasons identified above, the connection of one or more diesel tanks to the manifolded VR system has implications for the delivery process. The maintenance stage involves any work on the diesel or other manifolded tank, or on any part of the vapour recovery system. Unless the contractor working on the system is fully aware of the implications of the manifolding of the diesel tank there exists a risk of a serious incident. Most significantly, petrol vapour is likely to be present in the ullage space of the diesel tank, and the atmosphere could well be within the limits of flammability, i.e. potentially explosive. Low or below ground level manifolds 44

rely on overfill or overfill prevention devices to avert cross-contamination of products in an overspill situation during the delivery process. Should these devices fail to operate or malfunction, there exists a real possibility of a considerable quantity of petrol being forced into the diesel tank should an overfill situation occur when petrol is being unloaded. Actions to be considered The safety implications highlighted above may be addressed as follows: · Where it is reasonable and practicable to do so the PLA should advise that the diesel tank is provided with its own independent ventilation system, i.e. it is converted to traditional atmospheric venting.² · In cases where the site operator can demonstrate that it would be not reasonably practicable to disconnect the diesel tank from the VR system, it will be necessary to assess the risks to health and safety arising from the interconnection with the petrol tanks in order to apply the appropriate level of control measures. Typical measures that the site operator would be expected to identify to control the possible petrol vapour hazard, should include: Warning notices · in the tank lid chamber 'Tank Equipped with Vapour Recovery' ³ · in the tank lid chamber attached to or adjacent to the vent pipe 'Diesel and Petrol Tanks Manifolded. For Diesel Tank, Take Safety Precautions as for Petrol Tanks.³ · at the fill pipe connection 'Connect Vapour Recovery Hose Before Unloading.' Hazardous area classification · the hazardous area assessment should be redefined to include the diesel tank manlid chamber(s) and fill point. Maintenance · the diesel tank and fittings should be included in the same maintenance/test regimes as the associated petrol tanks. Delivery procedures · alter the tank's fill point "petrol" grade

to read "diesel; · where applicable, include the diesel compartment in the number of road tanker compartments that can be unloaded simultaneously and alter the warning notices accordingly. · for the purposes of equating with the levels of safety that are applied to petrol delivered into the VR system, to follow in full the Schedule 12 (Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996) procedures for licensee or driver controlled deliveries to the unloading of diesel into the manifolded tank(s). · In identifying this control measure it is recognised that there is no requirement under Schedule 12 to do so, albeit the procedure is generally followed at most sites through custom and practice. Training · the training of 'competent person(s)' should be revised to take account of all the safety implications of connecting the diesel tank to the VR system and the measures in place to control the risks of fire and explosion. Notes: Where drawings are received for new or redeveloped sites, architects should be encouraged to make provision for future product reallocation by designing the ventilation pipework layout to allow for simple connection/disconnection from the manifolded system so as to leave the diesel tank(s) independent of the Stage 1b process. Section 10.2.2.1(a) of the APEA/IP 'Guidance for the Design, Construction, Modification and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations' recommends a suitable method of interconnection. Reference documents ¹ Conditions 8 and 13 of the specimen authorization detailed in PG1/14 (96) 'The Secretary of State's Guidance Unloading of Petrol into Storage at Service Stations'. ² Section 10.2.3 of the APEA/IP Guidance ³ The PLA cannot insist on this requirement as the storage of diesel is controlled by general HSWA duties. This is enforced by the local environmental health enforcement authority who will need to consider the issue of 'reasonably practicable'.

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Petrol Filling Stations - Autogas Installations issued by HSE Introduction The purpose of this Information Note is to inform urgently all PLA and PEA inspectors of two recent and serious incidents involving the leakage of autogas from dispenser pipework. Both incidents have common features insofar as the leaks were sudden and the escaping liquid/vapours quickly affected the sales kiosk. Bristol Incident The first and most serious of the two incidents occurred in Bristol in October 2003. At this incident, liquid/vapours escaping from a leaking flexible pipe (beneath the autogas dispenser) rapidly travelled through buried ducting and entered one of the two sales kiosks. An explosion occurred when the vapours ignited and the subsequent fire

destroyed the kiosk. Fortunately, no one was injured at this incident. Gloucestershire Incident The second incident occurred at a site in Gloucestershire in November 2003. This incident also involved a leaking flexible pipe (beneath the autogas dispenser) and like the Bristol incident, the leaking vapours migrated to the sales building through buried ducting. Tests, using a flammable gas detector, showed that the vapour/air mixture in the sales building was within the flammable range. Fortunately in this case the leak was discovered before an explosion occurred. Commonality

faults with the flexible pipe beneath the autogas dispenser and also that cable ducting on the sites had not been adequately sealed, thereby providing a path for the autogas vapours to reach the sales buildings. Investigations Both incidents are the subject of ongoing investigations. As and when these investigations are completed, the findings will be used as a basis for a PETEL circular providing revised guidance on the design, installation and maintenance of ducting at petrol filling stations. It is anticipated that the PETEL will be published in Spring 2004.

Interim reports from the two incidents indicate that there were installation

Demarcation guidelines for vehicle recycling sites issued by HSE The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) laid down new lines for enforcement at sites where petroleum spirit is present. In summary, at sites where petrol is stored and dispensed into vehicles, enforcement lies with the Petroleum Licensing Authority (PLA). At all other sites, enforcement will be by the normal health and safety enforcement agency, usually either HSE or the local authority environmental health department. A number of questions have been raised about enforcement at vehicle recycling sites e.g. scrap yards. Operators at these sites remove petrol from vehicles, which is then either disposed of as a waste product or stored and then dispensed, using a pump or containers into vehicles owned by the site proprietors or their staff. Where petrol is not stored and dispensed into vehicles using a pump, the PLAs have no enforcement role. This will include sites, which use fuel retrievers (see PETEL 65/53) or

containers as a means of transferring petrol from vehicles. However, PLAs will have a role where the petrol is stored in tanks and then dispensed electrically or manually such sites would be 'non-retail petroleum filling stations.' Enforcement of general health and safety issues at these sites is the responsibility of HSE. A particular question relates to whether the actual removal of petrol from the scrap vehicle should be enforced by HSE or the PLA. Historically, this process was normally regarded as HSE's responsibility as it formed part of the activity of scrapping the vehicle rather than anything to do with keeping petrol. It has been agreed to retain this distinction, rather than passing it on to PLAs, as petrol extraction is now only one part of the total depollution requirements, which involve many other hazardous processes. The relevant section of DSEAR -

Schedule 6, Part 1, para 5(3)(c) - makes this distinction, as the PLA role relates to activities and equipment connected to storage and dispensing of petroleum spirit. Thus, HSE has responsibility for enforcing health and safety requirements relating to activities associated with extracting petrol from scrap vehicles, while PLAs are responsible for activities relating to the storage and dispensing of petrol using a pump or dispenser once it has been extracted. As a matter of general interest, The End of Life Vehicle Directive is likely to change the structure of the vehicle recycling industry, with the creation of a relatively small number of 'super yards' for depolluting vehicles. These yards are more likely to invest in petrol storage and dispensing facilities, as they will need to be registered as "authorised vehicle processors" under the proposed End of Life Vehicle Regulations. 47

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DSEAR - Petrol Filling Stations - Definitions - Fuel retrievers and airfield - issued by HSE Fuel retrievers A number of Petroleum Licensing Authorities have recently contacted HSE in connection with the possibility that fuel retrievers might be covered by the definition of "dispensing" in the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR). If this were, in fact, the case then any site using a fuel retriever would need to be licensed as a petroleum filling station. (The definition reads - "dispensing means manual or electrical pumping from a storage tank into the fuel tank for an internal combustion engine…."). Fuel retrievers are containers (typically 50 to 80 litres) with an integral mechanical pump (sometimes electrical). They are usually of a trolleylike configuration, with small carrying wheels, so that they can be moved around a workshop or yard easily. Typically, they are used in the motor vehicle repair sector to extract fuel from vehicle fuel tanks to enable the tank to be safely repaired or replaced. The contents of the fuel retriever are then pumped back into the vehicle fuel tank. Some other operators have a need to refuel vehicles that would otherwise be stranded on site (eg car auction operators). They are using fuel retrievers to dispense petrol into a vehicle instead of pouring it from a container, perceiving this as a safer method of working. They apparently

purchase petrol in containers from filling stations, pump it from the containers into the retriever, and then pump it from the retriever into the vehicle. In HSE's opinion fuel retrievers are not "storage tanks" within the meaning of DSEAR - their designed purpose is to retrieve fuel. Rather than storage tanks, their purpose is as a temporary container of limited capacity. Thus, the use of fuel retrievers does not constitute dispensing within the meaning of DSEAR and does not, therefore, require licensing under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928. Airfields - fuel bowsers (including hydrant dispensers) HSE has also received enquiries about the status of airfield fuel bowsers. These are tankers, usually selfpropelled but sometimes towed-trailers, used to transport fuel to aircraft parked on the airfield. They are equipped with an on-board pump enabling them to dispense fuel into the aircraft. The question raised is - do bowsers fall within the definition of "dispensing" and therefore need to be licensed? As mentioned above, the definition reads - "dispensing means manual or electrical pumping from a storage tank into the fuel tank for an internal combustion engine….".

In some locations, the bowser is used to transport fuel from a storage tank or hydrant to aircraft. This activity would not, by itself, require licensing as the bowser is not being used for storage. However, in some other locations the bowser also constitutes the storage facility for the site - there are no fixed storage tanks on the site. In these situations, a licence will be required. The storage and dispensing activities should be addressed in the site operator's risk assessment, as required under Regulation 5 of DSEAR. NOTE: Where aircraft are refuelled with petroleum-spirit direct from dispensers or hydrants connected to a storage tank, then a licence will also be required. Petroleum-spirit for aviation purposes is often called aviation gasoline or "avgas". It is primarily used in piston-engined aircraft - usually small, either fixed-wing or rotary-wing craft. Airfields - kerosene Aircraft with turbine or jet engines use kerosene as a fuel, which is not petroleum-spirit within the meaning of the Act (the flash-point is too high). PLAs therefore have no role in the storage or dispensing of this fuel. This is the case even when the operation is of a "retail" nature - the extension of the PLA role to "other" fuels in DSEAR applies only to motor vehicles and ships, not aircraft.

Portable Petrol Containers - issued by HSE This circular aims to explain the law on the type and capacity of portable petrol containers that can be used to store petrol, filled at petrol stations and carried on vehicles. There are three pieces of relevant legislation: - the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 (PCA); - the Petroleum-Spirit (Motor Vehicles etc.) Regulations 1929; and 48

the Petroleum-Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations 1982 (which is supported by an ACoP on testing and marking containers).

These control how petrol can be kept (and for plastic containers, their design and manufacture for use in work situations). They do not specify the capacity or

construction of containers that can legally be filled at petrol filling stations or that can be carried on a vehicle travelling on the road. The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 PCA requires a licence to keep petrol except for small quantities kept in "securely stopped glass, earthenware

Articles or metal containers of a maximum capacity of 570 mls". The total quantity kept in this way must not exceed 15 litres. Metal Containers The Petroleum-Spirit (Motor Vehicles etc.) Regulations 1929 exempt certain quantities of petrol kept in metal containers from licensing requirements. The petrol must only be kept for the purposes of refuelling internal combustion engines and must not be for sale. Up to 275 litres of petrol can be kept in any one storage place without a licence. The allowable quantity is reduced when the petrol is kept in or near buildings, or near public thoroughfares or other flammable substances (see below). In calculating the 275 litre limit, the petrol in the fuel tanks of vehicles in the storage area is included in the total. Metal containers must be constructed so as to be reasonably secure against breakage and to prevent leakage of liquid or vapour. They should be marked with the words "petroleum-spirit" and "highly flammable". The maximum container capacity for keeping petrol is 10 litres unless the following conditions are met: a) the storage place is more than 6m from a building, highway or public footpath, and;

hovercraft unless notice in writing is given to the licensing authority. Where petrol is kept in a building (or a place attached to a building) used as a dwelling or place where people assemble, there must be a substantial floor or partition separating the petrol storage from the rest of building. The floor or partition must not be readily inflammable. Where the partition (not a floor) has an opening it must be fitted with a self closing door made of fire resisting material. In these circumstances a maximum of two 10 litres containers can be kept. Petrol in the fuel tank of a vehicle is not included in this amount.

with any licence conditions. It is an offence to manufacture, import or supply containers for use at work which do not meet the requirement of sub-paragraphs 13 a) to d). Details on the testing and marking of plastic containers are available in HSE's Approved Code of Practice COP 6. It is not necessarily an offence to keep containers not meeting 13 a) - d) as long as a licence is in force. Carriage of Petrol PCA and it's associated regulations do not exercise any control over the carriage of petrol on vehicles for private or work use.

Plastic containers The Petroleum-Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations 1982 allow plastic containers to be used as well as metal. They exempt from the need for a licence certain amounts of petrol kept in plastic containers for the purposes of refuelling internal combustion engines and not for sale. For storage in plastic containers without a licence the containers must: a) be constructed of suitable materials; b) have maximum capacity of five litres; c) be designed properly;

and

constructed

The commercial carriage of petrol is covered by two sets of HSE enforced regulations: - the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996 (CDG); and - the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations 1996 (CDGCPL). These regulations include requirements for design and marking of the packaging or containers used. The packaging must be suitable for the purpose, having regard to the substances they contain and be appropriately marked. PLAs should direct queries to the local HSE office.

d) have appropriate markings or labels; b) there is spillage retention at the storage place (eg retaining wall, trench), and;

and the quantities that can be stored are:

c) the licensing authority is given written notice of the storage place before it is used.

i) two containers can be kept on any motor vehicle, motor boat, aircraft or hovercraft;

This does not include petrol in the fuel tank of a vehicle.

ii) plus two further containers can be in a safe place in any domestic premises;

Note that there is no restriction on the number of containers that can be kept as long as the 275 litre maximum limit is not passed. If the storage place is less than 6m from any building, stack of timber or other inflammable substance it can only be kept in the fuel tank of a vehicle and up to two 10 litre containers on a motor vehicle, motor boat, aircraft or

iii) plus two more containers can be kept in any other safe place at least 6m from the first. These quantities are in addition to any petrol kept in metal containers. Where a petrol licence is in force, the conditions in paragraph 13 do not apply, but storage has to be in accordance

These regulations are solely concerned with the commercial transport of hazardous substances and do not cover petrol carried on a vehicle for private use. Summary At filling stations, there is no specific legal restriction on the type or number of containers that can be filled (although Petroleum Licensing Authorities often use licensing conditions to limit the containers sizes). The legal limits are on how and where they are subsequently kept. Carriage of petrol is not covered by petroleum legislation. However, petroleum licensing officers should advise filling station operators to ensure that only containers suitable for the purpose are filled. 49

Articles

The successful way to seal petrol station forecourt ducts against petrol and water By Edward Wheeler, Eurotank Enviromental Water and vapour tight sealing of electrical conduits This is the most common method of duct sealing.

The major benefits of using Ductsealer 033 in comparison to building foams are as follows: - Petroleum resistant - Does not shrink or expand - Sealing can always be achieved (running water can be stopped) - Can withstand a very high back pressure - Testable, pressure or vacuum testing of the conduit guarantees tightness

Using building foam is the most common method of sealing electrical ducts in the UK at the present time. The main benefits of using this foam are that it is cost effective and easy to install. The reason for using this product is to prevent petroleum vapour from travelling into the site shop, especially important on sites with LPG, as recent events have highlighted.

Ductsealer 033 has been available as a service or in kit form for the past two years and has been used on a number of sites, mainly to stop water transferring between tank access chambers. Due to the density of the product it is possible to PLUG a conduit pipe running with water and has been installed on sites where its having to withstand up to 2 metres of water column pressure. E.g. A neighbouring chamber filled up to the top with ground water or a leaking conduit pipe which has the full back pressure of the groundwater table behind it.

- No need to disconnect cables (required with other cable boots)

- Stops water transferring between access chambers - Stops water draining back into a manhole after it has been emptied, prolonging the chamber dryness period The major problems of using Ductsealer 033 in comparison to building foams are as follows: - Takes longer to seal a conduit than putting in foam - The seal is as good as the installation (3rd party sealing) - Costs more than building foam

DUCTSEALER 033 KIT. Contains: 2.5kg of Part A, 2.5kg of Part B, gloves, talc (stops it sticking to gloves), small piece of wet and dry sand paper, primer, brush, mesh (for large ducts e.g. 12inch diameter) and instruction sheet.

Articles As with all products supplied to the petroleum industry the performance of the product relates directly to the installation. Whether it being the installation of an overfill valve or the building of an entire Petrol Filling Station (PFS), the installation is crucial to the success of the product. Ductsealer 033, when supplied to a third party, is not just sent out as a base product. It is ONLY supplied in kit form, with full installation instructions enclosed.

Completely fill the conduit. A seal is created when: Cables are separated and sealed individually and Ductsealer is compressed all the way round the conduit walls

Sanding of electrical wires to provide key for compression seal. ALL SURFACES MUST BE DRY

Typical installation

This is the basic principle for sealing all conduits. For conduits running with water it is required to plug the conduit first using Ductsealer and then prepare the end of the conduit as above. ALL SURFACES MUST BE CLEANED, SANDED, PRIMED AND DRY BEFORE INSTALLATION OF DUCTSEALER FOR BEST RESULTS.

Above ground LPG ducting sealing The Future

Priming of wires to provide key for compression seal (Also breaks down foam not properly removed from wires) 10 min approx drying time Foam filled conduit, potential LPG gas escape point where the cables go through the foam together in close proximity to each other.

For the industry to move away from building foams which are actually broken down by petroleum products it will require specification changes at all levels of the industry as well as an allocation of money towards the solution. Even on the largest PFS the cost of sealing the important conduits should only just reach four figures. This will eliminate the following: - Vapour entering the shop from the access chambers - Water and fuel transferring between access chambers

Priming of conduit to provide key for compression seal (Also breaks down foam not properly removed from walls) 10 min approx drying time

- Vapour from the entering the shop

interceptor

- LPG vapour entering the shop and confined spaces For a detailed Power point presentation of the Ductsealing process and case studies please e-mail me to receive a FREE CD.

Removal of the top of the foam and separation of the cables. CABLE SEPARATION IS THE ONLY WAY TO CREATE A SEAL

edward.wheeler@eurotank.eu.com EUROTANK ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITED Apply mixed (50/50) Ductsealer into the conduit, forcing it against the walls with your fingers. Form a seal around each of the cables with the Ductsealer and PACK the conduit to form a tight seal.

Sanding of conduit wall to provide key for compression seal. ALL SURFACES MUST BE DRY

'SPECIALIST CONTRACTOR / CONSULTANTS TO THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY' UNIT 10, SAXON WHARF, LOWER YORK STREET, SOUTHAMPTON S014 5QF ALSO DISTRIBUTED BY: PURFLEET FORECOURT SERVICES LTD DATASHEETS AND TEST RESULTS: WWW.RESINSTORE.COM 51

Branches Eastern Notes from APEA Eastern Branch meeting and AGM Wednesday 7th April 2004 At NWML offices Teddington, Middlesex Event The Eastern Branch held its AGM and branch meeting at the offices of NWML in Teddington, Middlesex on April 7th 2004. Our thanks go to Mike Koch Director NWML and his team and all the members who turned up for this interesting day. A note has been sent from the Eastern Branch to NWML thanking them for their hospitality and speaker presentation. Chris Rosenberg - NWML, Director for Metrology & Quality talked about the function of TSO's and how they interface with the inspection and verification of fuel dispenser and LPG dispensers. Chris has been busy recently working on DTI projects associated with LPG which are currently not prescribed equipment. Marek Bokota Senior Engineer talked about type approval of petrol pumps and demonstrated some wet testing and EMC testing of the dispenser There was a 15 minute video shown

voted on which were seconded. There were no objections. The following posts were filled: Chairman: Brain Baker Secretary & Treasurer: Anton Martiniussen Branch rep: Ian Taylor Events committee: Paul Craven, Jamie Thompson and Paris Johnston. Paris has volunteered for this and we welcome him. Joe Maerz has resigned because of other commitments and we wish him well and thank him for his contribution to the branch. Accounts The branch accounts were presented to the members by the treasurer having been audited and certified as true and correct by Mike Alston and we thank him for his work. Mike was reelected as our branch auditor. AOB Terry Rodgers Eastern Branch member made a formal point that articles in the Bulletin informing about work on standards should contain the document reference number for such papers. A letter has been sent by the secretary to the Branch rep for presenting to the editor.

so now · The dates for Automechanika in September. There will not be an Eastern branch group visit this year due to insufficient interest. · Details on the one day course on DSEAR starting Autumn 2004 · Eastern Branch Early Christmas lunch meeting on December 9th 2004 General Info The next Bulletin journal will be published in May full of interesting articles. Changes to the "Blue Book" are taking place and we will see a much extended version and more emphasis on risk assessment and DSEAR. Paul Craven is involved on dispensers, Jamie Thompson on tanks and pipes and Brian Baker on leak detection, planning and layouts, canopies, buildings and drainage. The new version is due out in January 2005. The APEA are now also providing training outside of the UK. The first course was held in March for Fire Services in the Republic of Ireland. The next course is due in June in Cork and the following week in Waterford. There is also talk on returning to do the PFS construction courses. For those interested more information can be gleaned from the web site. Call me now A date for the next meeting and location to be arranged. At members request there will be an Eastern Branch Early Christmas lunch meeting on December 9th 2004. In the past the response to this has been tremendous so put the date in your diary. Let me know as soon as you can if you will be attending. If we don't know you are coming it makes it difficult for us to make plans. To save cost we would like to send branch invitations by email. Please mail me your address to the address below to be added to our list

on the activities and services that NWML can offer and this became even more apparent when we were given a guided tour of the facilities. AGM The formalities of the Eastern Branch AGM were observed. Our thanks goes to all those that took an active part in the Eastern Branch activity during the past year and to all our members. Posts were

For your diary Members were following :

notified

the

· AGM Marriott Hotel Northampton on Monday 26th April 2004 (details on the web site) · APEA Conference and Dinner October 7th 2004 Metropole Hotel Birmingham (this is now the Hilton) If you haven't yet booked you must do

If you would like to become a member please contact the APEA. Please let me know of any issues you would like to have raised. Of if you are an organisation we would be interested in visiting your facilities. If you would like to attend one of our events you are welcome just contact me on the address below. I can be contacted at: ELAFLEX Ltd Riverside House Plumpton Road Hoddesdon Herts EN11 0PA

Branches Phone: 01992452950 Fax: 01992453 911 email: elaflex@aol.com mobile 07831595620 Anton Martiniussen Branch Secretary Midlands Nothing to report at present North East Nothing to report at present North West The format of the NW Branch meetings is a morning meeting concluded with lunch and an opportunity to network. The Branch AGM and Technical meeting, held on 19th February in Skelmersdale, Lancashire was well attended. In the absence of Branch Chairman, Mel Churm, the meeting was kindly opened by Tony Jenner. The Officers reports were presented to the Branch, and can be viewed on the website. Election of Officers followed with existing Officers being re-elected unopposed. Mel Churm, Cameron Forecourt Ltd continues as Chairman with Bob Conlin, Fairbanks Environmental Ltd as Secretary and Steve Jones, Fairbanks Environmental Ltd as Treasurer. Elected Committee Members Joanne Bradley, Environment Agency. The Branch representative is, once again, Geoff Oldham of Suresite Ltd and the other Committee Members David Scott of Lancashire C.C. Trading Standards and Steve Devine of Roncol Ltd. An interesting technical session followed the AGM. Topics presented this year were - DSEAR Implications and requirements for service station operators. Presented By John Hazeldean, HSE. - Oil spill cleanup and remediation products Presented by Harold Ross, Ross Environmental Ltd - The Petrofuse dual containment pipework system Presented by Tim Foster, Petrofuse Ltd - Accumulus and Softfill products Presented by Rodney Carter, Petroman These short reports which were volunteered by session delegates are also reproduced on the website along with the full minutes of the meeting.

DSEAR AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR SERVICE STATION OPERATORS This presentation appears in full elsewhere in this edition of the Bulletin. John Hazeldean- HM Principal Specialist Inspector - gave this keynote presentation. John detailed the background to the Regulations and their relationship with other European Directive based legislation and then went on to explain the core requirements of the Regulations. The thorny issue of risk assessment was covered in some detail and guidance given on the verification requirements of Regulation 7(4). John highlighted the comprehensive nature of the Regulations and illustrated this using the example of how diesel could fall within the scope of DSEAR due to its treatment e.g. the raising of it's temperature during a welding operation. The Regulations firmly place the duty for controlling the risks on the employer and risk assessment is the key, as it requires the site operator to identify and understand the hazards and take into account any site-specific issues. There followed a lively debate on a number of issues and guidance was provided on what should be contained in a DSEAR risk assessment and the requirement for it to be more comprehensive than a HSG(146) assessment. Report by David Scott, Trading Standards Manager, Lancashire County Council. OIL SPILL CLEAR UP & REMEDIATION PRODUCTS. Mr Ross gave a presentation of the Ross Eliminator Absorbent & Degreaser. This consisted of a video and a demonstration of the absorbent on oil. Mr Ross explained to the delegates the unique properties of these products and how they dealt with oil spills effectively and quickly. The absorbent comes in powder form and consists of cotton waste and millions of oil eating microbes. This product is entirely natural and eco-friendly. It can reduce slips and falls in busy areas like kitchen floors or on the roads. The Degreaser is a liquid that can be diluted to treat & clean a variety of problems including fat spills, grease & oil. This is also non-toxic and biodegradable. The microbes are freeze dried and survive in the cotton waste. Once mixed with the oil the microbes digest the hydrocarbons and produce natural biproducts of H20 and CO2. The material acts as an oil sponge and is non leaching. It can either by left in the ground where it will eventually act as a

fertilizer or simply brushed up and reused. It will absorb over 7 times its own weight of fuel oil which is more effective than traditional materials such as clay & sand. However, the microbes will not absorb any additives in fuels or oil which have to be remediated by other means. These products are being used by Safeway and several Fire Departments in addition to being widely used in the US. Ross Environmental have developed a variety of packages to meet the demands of different companies. Their range includes small tubs, wall mounted 'Spill Stations' and portable bins with shovel & brush for larger spills. Report by Gareth Jenkins, Fairbanks Environmental. THE PETROFUSE DUAL CONTAINMENT PIPEWORK SYSTEM Tim Foster gave an interesting presentation on the "PETROFUSE zp" double walled pipe which is manufactured in Germany and extensively used there. He pointed out that the "zp" stood for zero permeation which was achieved by lining the polyethylene pipe with an aluminium inner core. The pipe is totally recyclable and the aluminium core meant that the pipe was fully conductive. On German installations the secondary containment was actively monitored by a permanently connected nitrogen tester. He stated that the pipe was multi-fuel compatible and it was temperature compensated by its patented "BOZZLE" connector. An LPG version was being developed with a stainless steel inner core. The pipe has a 15 year warranty and is approved by the DIBt. Report by Steve Devine, Roncol Ltd ACCUMULUS AND SOFTFILL PRODUCTS Rodney Carter gave a lively presentation on vapour recovery system testing and covered his company's vapour management products, Accumulus and Softfill. He reminded us that the Petroman test included checks on overfill prevention devices and fill pipes drop tubes as well as the vent pipe system. These checks are not only beneficial for the environment but are also a reliable way of ensuring a safe environment for deliveries. During a fuel delivery the displacement of spirit fuels creates positive pressure and Petroman have devised two types of vapour recovery systems which aim to reduce the adverse effects of vapour loss.

Branches The Accumulus System is a venturi unit installed in the fill pipe which draws ullage space vapour back into the delivery flow thus reducing the build up of pressure during delivery. The benefits include safer deliveries with reduced risk of blowback. The Softfill System disperses the air, entrapped in the delivery line and fill pipe, along the bottom of the tank so reducing the amount of surface turbulence and vapour emitted into the ullage space. Rodney commented that it would be more effective on sites which receive a greater number of deliveries. Rodney concluded by stating that cost savings and improved safety can be achieved by all of the above. Once initial checks are carried out to current systems and site is confirmed to be vapour tight, further improvements can be made by the installation of the various products in the Petroman range. Report by Bob Conlin, Fairbanks Environmental Ltd.

Rodney Carter – Petroman: Stage 1B Without Pressure.

Scotland

David Sommers Branch Secretary

The Branch's last meeting of 2003 was held on the premises of Dresser Wayne Petrol Pump Manufacturers at Bonnyrigg near Edinburgh. Three excellent speakers were followed by lunch generously provided by David Kerr of Dresser Wayne. After lunch we were given a conducted tour of the factory. Iain Jamieson from the Scottish Executive introduced the new groundwater regulations code of practice which had been published the day before the meeting. This was followed by a representative of "Living Waters" who gave an illustrated talk on constructed wetlands which can be used to absorb and digest petroleum spillages and forecourt runoff. Jo Bradley of the Environment agency based at Preston gave a presentation on wetstock reconcillation. The Scottish Branch AGM was held on 22 April 2004 at the Forecourt Show in Erskine, near Glasgow. John Hazledean was the guest speaker. His subject was the effect of the Dangerous Substances and Explosives Atmospheres Regulations and associated codes of practice on petrol filling stations. Ian Hiller Branch Representative Southern The Southern Branch held a very successful AGM and meeting on the 12th February at our usual AGM venue in Cholderton on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border. Speakers for this meeting included:

Francois Meersseman – TCI: Update from TCI and Ramsgate installation.

Branch Representative Contact Details

Paul Brettell – Graphite UK Ltd: Innovative Tank Lining. The presentations produced by all speakers were interesting and informative, with the tank lining presentation especially provoking some lively debate amongst members. Future meetings are planned for the Fleet Air Arms Museum Yeovilton on the 30th June 2004, and the Churchillian near Portsmouth on the 13th October 2004. We would encourage all branch members to join us for a Branch meeting. The Yeovilton meeting promises to be an interesting event as we're hoping for a speaker on aircraft refuelling as well as enjoying all that the museum has to offer

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 Richard Quarmby - Midlands 28 Franklin Way Whestone Leicester LE8 6QY Tel: 01787 220730 Fax: 01878 220044 rjq@quarmby.com Mike Silmon - North East W O Silmon Ltd Industry Road, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear. NE6 5XB.

Yorkshire & Humberside The Yorkshire & Humberside Branch held thier AGM/ Branch meeting on the 4th March 2004 at the Ainsty Hotel York. The meeting was attended by 17 members. The following were re-elected to office: Clive Evers Chairman Dave Buffy Secratery Mike Dean Treasurer We had two speakers, and both were very informative. The speakers were, Joe Bradley from the Environment Agency who gave a very interesting talk on Wet Reconciliation relation to the Environment and Ground Pollution. The second speaker was Simon Proctor from Ja envirotanks on above ground storage tanks. Both talks were well delivered, interesting and stimulated a great deal of discussion by the members. (The lunch was excellent as well). The next meeting is being arranged for Thursday 9th October 2004 at the Ainsty. I am hopeful that there will be 2 possibly 3 speakers, who will be confirmed later. Many thanks to all those who attended, and may we look forward to seeing some new faces at the October meeting. Clive Evers Branch Chairman and Representative

Tel: 0191 224 0777 Fax: 0191 224 0707 associationtreasurer@apea.org.uk Geoff Oldham - North West Suresite Ltd, Slaters Barn, Whittingham Lane, Goosnargh, Preston. PR3 2JJ Tel: 01772 861400 Fax: 01772 861600 geoff.oldham@suresite.co.uk Ian Hillier - Scottish Inverclyde Council Inverclyde Council Trading Standards, 40 West Stewart Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire, PA15 1YA. Tel: 01475 714200 Fax: 01475 714221 ian.hiller@inverclyde.gov.uk Philip Monger - Southern Petrol Retailers Association Meadowside, West End, Sherbourne St John, Basingstoke, Hants. RG24 9LE. Tel: 01256 850164 Fax: 01256 851273 philmongerpra@ukonline.co.uk Clive Evers Yorkshire & Humberside City of York Council Trading Standards Service, Exhibition Square, York. YO1 7EH. Tel: 01904 613161 Fax: 01904 551511 clive.evers@york.gov.uk

Training

2004 Course Dates Petrol Filling Stations Construction & Environmental Awareness 8/9 June

Manchester

13/14 July

Canterbury

Petrol Filling Stations Audit and Inspection

Electrical Installations An Awareness

Wetstock Management 8 June

Durham/Washington

9 June

Milton Keynes

24 June

Redhill

15 Sept

Manchester

Explosives and Fireworks

13 Oct

Huntingdon

8 Sept

Crawley

11 Nov

Dundee

15 Sept

Ipswich

15 Dec

Newcastle

22 Sept

Sheffield

29 Sept

Swindon

6 Oct

Chester

1/2 June

County Cork, Ireland

8/9 June

Waterford, Ireland

15/16 June

Stoke on Trent

13/14 July

Newcastle

LPG Installations (Autogas)

12/13 Oct

Southampton

21 June

Chester

16/17 Nov

Chester

20 Sept

Swindon

DSEAR - see page 60

Courses will be designed around the new TCB Document, Guidance for Design, Construction, Modification and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations.

Non-members can purchase copies through either the APEA Business Manager or at course venues at £90.00 each or £30.00 each to APEA members, plus £6.00 p+p (UK) if posted. It is strongly recommended that attendees have access to this document during courses.

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

Mobile: 07818 097141

e-mail: brian.humm@line1.net

Jamie Thompson Independent Consultant

Gareth Bourhill Senior Incorporated Electrical Engineer The DH Morris Group

John Hills Project Engineer BP Bovis Alliance

Paul Craven Petroleum Officer Suffolk County Council

John Dallimore Independent Consulting Engineer John Dallimore &Partners

Bob Conlin Director Fairbanks Environmental

Brian Humm Petroleum Officer LFEPA

Richard Wigfull Consulting Engineer J. Wigfull & Son

Tom Armstrong Senior Project Engineer

Brian Baker Fire Safety & Petroleum Officer Milton Keynes Council

Phil Lambeth Senior Engineer BP Global Alliance

Eddie Furniss Independent Trading Standards Consultant

APEA Training Team

Training

DSEAR - The new UK legistlation for petrol filling stations By Brian Baker On 5th December, the UK saw the Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmospheres 2002 (S.I. 2776:2002) (DSEAR) came into effect that provide a parallel to the existing legislative controls on Petrol Filling Stations. More recently, LACORS have revised standard petroleum licensing conditions that have reduced many of the former conditions that provides more functional requirements than prescriptive ones. It is expected that these new licensing conditions will have a limited life span. Consequently the Association for Petroleum & Explosives Administration (APEA) have been looking to introduce a new one course specifically to cover these new regulations. I am pleased to announce that details are almost complete and a list of dates and locations are published in this issue of The Bulletin The course is aimed at Regulators, Enforcers, Auditors, Contractors, Oil Companies in fact anyone that is impacted by DSEAR. Of one day duration, the course takes you through

where DSEAR has come from and why, what each of the 17 Regulations and 7 Schedules mean, its application to a petrol filing station, the types and methods of risk assessment and a practical desk top study is then applied. This provides for 6 hours Continued Professional Development (CPD) and Course Certificates issued It is expected demand will be heavy for this course so why not book now. Contact Jane Mardell, APEA Business Manager on 01799 502929 or even book on line. Discounts available on bespoke courses.

21 October 2004 Bournemouth 28 October 2004 Manchester 4 November 2004 Sheffield 11 November 2004 Dundee 18 November 2004 Canterbury 25 November 2004 Cardiff

Petrol Filling Stations and DSEAR

30 September 2004 Milton Keynes 7 October 2004 Swindon

Course delegates from the recent LPG Installations course held in the Shetland Islands

14 October 2004 Derby

2 December 2004 Glasgow 9 December 2004 Durham 16 December 2004 Birmingham

Training

Training in Ireland By Jamie Thompson On March 23 the Association held its first training course in Castlebar county Mayo in Ireland, the course was a Petrol Station Audit and Inspection course. 16 people attended from 6 Fire Brigades, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Dublin, Sligo and Mayo.

The law is of course different from UK law and is covered by the Dangerous Substances (Retail & Private Petroleum Stores) Regulations 1979, which calls for the issuing of a petroleum licence similar to that used in the UK.

The Irish Fire Authorities have until recently been somewhat starved of resources and have not had the manpower to issue licences or inspect the petrol stations. With a retained fire service the full time officers are required to cover building control work and other fire safety inspection and it is recognised now with more resources being provided that first licences need to be issued and petrol stations inspected.

Castlebar in Co Mayo is situated in a beautiful but remote area to the west of Ireland and the course was held at the new training centre of Co Mayo that had excellent facilities. The thirst for knowledge with questions coming thick and fast was soon apparent as Paul Craven and J a m i e Thompson presented the subjects. The course was not without its incidents with one officer leaving to be with his wife who was having their baby (we hope all went well), and another officer while bending down to lift a manhole split his trousers apart, visitors to the petrol station being treated to one man trying to cover up with the remainder laughing and pointing to his misfortune! The site inspection was carried out at a Statoil petrol filling station in Castlebar, and thanks to Mike Nyland of Statoil for arranging this venue.The inspection went well and it was clear from the outset that the manageress was well trained. She also operated the site well and impressed the trainers. On completion of the inspection the group discussed the option had a licence been issued and also discussed how to issue the licence.

At the end of the course the Chairman Tony Jenner came to discuss the future of the Irish branch of the APEA, it is clear that the Irish branch now has a chance to regenerate itself with interest from the officers of the Irish fire brigades to go with the oil company people and the contractors. The course went well and thanks to Noel O'Reilly who made the arrangements and ferried the trainers around. The course certificates were unable to be presented at the time due to a postal strike in Ireland but delegates will be receiving these in due course. The course review forms were very good with the only complaint being there was too much food! Two more courses have been arranged for Cork and Wexford and tentative arrangements are being made to hold a meeting of the Irish branch later in the year. 63

Training Training Course Sponsors The APEA would like to thank the following companies that have added to the ever growing list by choosing to send delegates to APEA training courses. To all our sponsors, thank you for your support without which it could not have been possible. A Aberdeenshire District Council Allday Stores Ltd Angus Council Antrim Council (N.I.) Ards Council (.I.) Armagh City & District Council Avon Fire & Rescue Service B Bapco (Bahrain) Banbridge Council (N.I.) Ballymena Council (N.I.) Ballymoney Council (N.I.) Bedfordshire County Counci Belfast City Council (N.I.) Birmingham City Council Blackburn & Darwin Council Blackpool Borough Council Bournemouth Borough Council BP Bovis B & P Electrical & Data Services Buckinghamshire County Council C Cambridgeshire County Council Carmarthenshire County Council Cameron Forecourt Ltd Cardiff City Council Caerphilly Council Cardiganshire Council Carrickfergus Borough CounciL Castlereagh Council (N.I.) Cavan County Council City of Edinburgh Council Coleraine Borough Council (N.I.) Conwy County Council Cookson & Zinn Ltd Co-op Stores Ltd Cornwall County Fire Brigade Coteba Ltd D David Fear Electrical David McLean Ltd Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service Derbyshire City Council Derbyshire County CounciL Dresser Wayne Ltd Derry City Council Devon County Counci Diamond Construction Dorset County Council Dresser Wayne Dublin City Fire Brigade Dundee City Council Dungannon & South Tyrone Council Durham & Darlington Fire Service E East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Renfrewshire Council East Riding Council East Sussex Fire Brigade Ecotech Electrical Services & Projects Ltd Essex County Council F Fairbanks Environmental Ltd

Falkirk College Fife Council Forecourt Dimensions Ltd (Eire) Flintshire County CounciL Forecourt Engineering Ltd Fort Vale AD G Geodelft Environmental Ltd Glasgow City Council Global Alliance Gloucestershire County Council Greater Manchester Fire Service H H Forster & Son Halliford Construction Ltd Halton Borough Council Hampshire County Council Health & Safety Executive Herefordshire County Council Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service Highland Council HLM Design Hydro Contracting I Ideal Tanks & Pumps Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service J James Hall & Co Southport K Kent County Council L Lancashire County Council Larne Council (N.I.) Leicester City Council Leicestershire County Council Limavady Borough Council Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service Lisburn City Council Longcross Group Lotus Cars Ltd M M & H Associates Magherafelt Council (N.I.) Martindale Associates Mayo County Council Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Michael O'Kane Associates Milton Keynes Council Middlesbrough Council Moyle District Council (N.I.) Moray Council Mowlem Environmental Sciences Group N New Shell Kasese Newry & Mourne Council (N.I.) Newtownabbey Borough Council North Ayrshire Council North Down Council (N.I.) North East Lincolnshire Council North Lanarkshire Council North Lincolnshire Council Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service North Yorkshire Fire Service Northumberland Fire Service Nottingham City Council Nottinghamshire County Council O Orkney Islands Council Owen Williams

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service P PPS (Ayrshire) Ltd Paisley CounciL Pembrokeshire County Council Peterborough Borough Council Petrol Express Ltd Plymouth City Council Power Plan (Malta) Ltd Powys County Council Pump & Pipe Work Services Ltd R R.D Kurnow Electrical Reading Borough Council Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Renfrewshire Council Rhondda Cynon Council Roncol Ltd Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Mail S Sainsbury's Plc Salotex Oy Service Group International Scottish Borders Council Shell UK Ltd Shetland Isles Council Shropshire County Council Sidmount Ltd Slough Borough Council Somerset Fire Brigade South Ayrshire Council South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service Staffordshire County Council States of Jersey Fire Service Statoil (Ireland) Ltd Strabane Council (N.I.) Swindon Borough Council Suffolk County Council Suresite Ltd T TQ IPS Ltd Tay Side Police Taylor Woodrow Ltd Telford & Wrekin Council Tesco Stores Ltd Texaco (Ireland) Ltd Tokheim IPS Ltd Total GB Ltd Toureen Contractors Trident Engineering Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service U United Cooperatives Ltd University of Wolverhampton V Van Gaver Electrical Co Ltd VecTec Ltd Veeder Root Ltd W Warwickshire County Council Welcome Break Ltd West Berkshire Council West Dunbartonshire Council West Midlands Fire Service West Lothian Council West Sussex County Council West Yorkshire Fire Service William Skinner & Son Wiltshire County Council Wokingham District Council Wyatt Engineering

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 502929. 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: £100.00 includes five copies of the Bulletin per quarter and five copies of Yearbook (one representative per company) Full Name Company/Authority Position Membership type

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Expiry Date

The Bulletin Magazine - June 2004

Articles inside

APEAAGM

Garage owner finally sees the light after 3 years

Microbes and fuel systems - The overlooked corrosion problem

First Scottish training and assessment centre for electrics at petrol filling station

Risbridger Ltd has moved

News

New APEAMembers