Business Manager’s Report

News UK Ilford. Petrol spill sparks evacuation

Feb 2009 - Drivers fled a garage forecourt as petrol started pouring from the pumps. The spill happened around 1.30pm at the Tesco garage, High Road, Chadwell Heath, shortly after a tanker arrived to deliver fuel. The forecourt was evacuated by staff, and many drivers had to push their cars to safety. Motorist Barry Slemmings was filling up at the time. He said: "The tanker driver was brilliant. He instructed everyone to turn their car engines off, which we all did. "Everyone stayed out of the way, although there were two idiots trying to drive in. "Everywhere stank of petrol."

It is believed the tanker had been carrying up to 11,000 gallons of fuel when it arrived at the garage, but store manager Matt Arch stressed the delivery had nothing to do with the incident. He said: "We're waiting for a company to come and identify the problem and how to fix it. We're hoping to be open again as soon as possible." A crew from Ilford fire station was on standby at the scene in case of any further spillage, and staff were awaiting the arrival of the petrol company's clean-up team.

UK, Report on incident in Orpington Kent

On the 27th August 2008, the London Fire Brigade’s Petroleum Group received a call from the police in South East London. They explained that they had taken a man into custody after he had been heard to threaten to use petrol he had stored at his home to set fire to the house of a close relative. Whilst the man was still in police custody they would like to have the petrol removed from his home and were requesting our assistance.

Subsequently it was arranged for the petroleum inspector covering that area to meet with police officers at the home address of the man with a view to identifying the fuel as petrol and seizing it, if appropriate.

That lunchtime the PI met two community support officers at the address, where the wife of the man was happy to grant entry to the premises. The premises were a detached property in a residential area with a small lean-to constructed off a gable wall and abutting the boundary fence. A timber shed of the neighbouring property also abutted this fence. The lean-to had been roofed with PVC sheeting and had a metal glazed door giving good insulation and a fair degree of airtightness. Inside the lean-to, along with the normal gardening and decorating paraphernalia found in sheds, were a selection of large plastic drums stacked three high in places all containing liquid. These were unapproved 25 litre plastic containers. There were also 2 x 10 litre metal and 2 x 5 litre plastic approved petrol containers.

Having emptied the contents of the lean-to into the garden the lady of the house informed us that she knew her husband had labelled all the containers so he would know which were petrol and which diesel. On separating the containers by these markings it was unclear to see the colour differential and therefore it was decided to break the seal on “one of each” and ascertain, using an explosimeter, which was petrol. The totals came to 8 diesel and 16 petrol plus all the other smaller containers giving a total of about 160 litres of diesel and 350 litres of petrol. After a discussion with the lady on the dangers of keeping such amounts of fuel in close proximity to her house she was pleased to agree for the petrol to be seized under Section 25 (1) of the Health and safety at Work Etc. Act 1974 (seizure of substances posing a danger to health and safety).

A series of phone calls ensued as arrangements were made with the authority’s approved specialist contractor to come to the address and collect all the containers identified as containing petrol and arrange for them and their contents to be destroyed (with the exception of the 2 x 5 litre plastic containers that were left with the lady for use in her lawn-mower).

The contractors arrived, labelled and removed all that had been “seized” with politeness, speed and efficiency.

A letter was then sent to the gentleman outlining the offence he had committed and that consideration was being given to prosecuting him. He responded to this letter admitting the offence, and stating that he had been unaware of either the law or the dangers. He subsequently accepted a formal caution and paid the costs to the Authority totalling in excess of £800.

During the afternoon it was ascertained that the gentleman had been collecting the fuel for future use, or as a possible profitable enterprise to sell on in times of fuel crisis. When he was questioned further he admitted buying the unapproved containers and filling them with both petrol and diesel at a petrol filling station outside the London area. The Petroleum Licensing Authority for that area have been given the details and are investigating.

UK, New Publications from the Energy Institute

Here is a list of all of the EI technical publications produced during the past 12 months for the Downstream side of the Industry. Further information or visit the EI publications website: www.energyinstpubs.org.uk

As a reminder, EI Members receive a 25% discount on all EI technical publications.

Model codes of safe practice

• Model Code of Safe Practice Part 16:

Tank cleaning safety code

Electrical safety

• Guidelines for the managing inspection of Ex electrical equipment ignition risk in support of IEC 6007917

Biofuels guidance (see also IP Test Methods)

• Guidance for the storage and dispensing of E5 petrol and B5 diesel at filling stations

• Guidance for the storage and handling of fuel grade ethanol at petroleum distribution installations

• EI literature review: Implications of biofuels on microbial spoilage and corrosion within the fuel distribution chain and end use

• EI literature review. Biofuels –potential risks to UK water resources

Microbiology

• Guidelines for the investigation of the microbial content of petroleum fuels and for the implementation of avoidance and remedial strategies

Marketing and distribution

• Code of practice for a product identification system for petroleum products

• Code of practice for entry into underground storage tanks at filling stations