The Bulletin Magazine - March 2003

The Bulletin Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

March 2003

"The photograph on the front cover was taken in Tanzania by Pedro Laguia from Spain - many thanks Pedro"

Editorial

Contents Regulars Editors Letter Chairmans Report Business Managers Report New APEA Members Letters to the Editor

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Rob Tunnicliff Editor 37 Victoria Park Road Tunstall Stoke on Trent ST6 6DX

News Incident in Versailles Press Release - FPS 2003 Car Gas Fire Prosecution in West Yorks by Roger Marris Fuel tanks big threat to Police HQ Fairbanks Press Release Oil giants race to quench China’s thrist for petrol Man charged with driving car into gas station pump Petrol station blaze Oil tank raid Major LPG incident in London Leaded petrol being phased out Ireland - Customs seize fuel tanker Fireworks seminar Storing fireworks Mobile phone warnings Groundwater Protection Code Unmanned sites for India Israel - Illegal competition Petrol Tank Explosion in USA Static Ignition Concerns by Brian Baker Code Reviews by Jamie Thompson Tank Remedial Modification by Raymond King Women more likely to be injured in gas pump fires North Carolina man escapes injury while refueling Fuel Innovations IFFE 2003 by Jo Ann Sweeney Supervault MH by Marcus Williams MyTankGauge New road tanker delivery legislation Two new products from Hytek ‘My Introduction to this Industry’ by Tony Jenner

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Tel: 01782 817741/232376 Mobile: 07815 069846 email: rob.tunnicliff@stoke.gov.uk

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Tel/fax: 01799 502929 Mobile: 07815 055514 email: admin@apea.org.uk

Branch News Branch reports Training 2003 course dates and sponsors Training course descriptions ‘It should not happen to a Trainer’ by Brian Baker Cameron Forecourt appointed training providers

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Jamie Thompson Publishing Chairman 70 Wangford Road Reydon Southwold Suffolk IP18 6NX Tel/fax: 01502 722999 Mobile: 07770 625851 email: jamiethompson@ukonline.co.uk

Jane Mardell Business Manager (including Bulletin Advertising and Production) PO Box 106 Saffron Walden Essex CB11 3XT

Editors letter Happy New Year although for most of you that will have been a long time ago! By now I am sure that all of the responsible people out there will have read and digested the new DSEAR Regulations and have no doubt begun if not completed your risk assessments and are now preparing to implement your strategy. If you have please let me see a copy! For the enforcers out there now is the time to give as much advice as you can My thanks to those of you who have written letters to the editor. May you all continue to do so, it is refreshing to get other peoples views and for us all to get a glimpse of the burning issues that are affecting you around the country, after all that's how things can get changed for the better!

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 neccessarily the views of the Association.

We have news galore from around the world which I hope you find useful, as this magazine goes world-wide, and from around this country. Articles about above ground tanks and new code reviews as well as static electricity are included to inform as well as entertain. Sorry no jokes but for me at least this is a serious subject where the public can come directly into contact with a potentially lethal chemical compound, i.e.

Petroleum, and as such we as enforcers must be aware of this!

Keep the articles coming as I am enjoying learning from them and if you have any boring photos send them as well, they may make the new front cover.

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Chairmans Report Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.

From an APEA perspective I am pleased to report that it looks as if we have an exciting year ahead of us.

Our new Business Manager, Jane Mardell, now has her feet well and truly under the table and the Association is benefiting hugely from her expertise. Council have increased Jane's area of responsibility, and she now has a greater input into the production of the Bulletin. Whilst Rob Tunnicliff remains as Honorary Editor, Jane is responsible for the layout of the magazine and is also assisting with gathering information and articles for publication. In this respect I ask you all to give your full support to the Bulletin editorial team and submit any articles or material you think may be of interest, we all want the magazine to be newsy and topical, so please play your part to ensure the Bulletin remains a success.

Jane now also has responsibility for the production of the popular and valuable APEA Yearbook. She took over this task from Eileen Taylor who very ably and professionally oversaw last years publication, on behalf of the Council, I would like to thank Eileen for all of her help.

Incredibly, almost a year has passed since Brian Taylor suffered his stroke. Brian continues to make encouraging progress, but is frustrated by being unable to drive. I am sure that I talk for everybody when I wish Brian and Eileen a happier year in 2003 and one where Brian sees a full recovery to good health.

Last year saw the APEA re-launch its training programme.

Our Training Committee Chairman, Brian Baker, has worked extremely hard and with great enthusiasm to prepare and deliver high quality, specialised training at various venues throughout the country. Brian has been ably supported by his fellow trainers who have each shown the same degree of diligence and enthusiasm which has allowed first class training to be delivered professionally and affably. My thanks go to Brian and his colleagues for their relentless work, much of which has been undertaken in their spare time without charge to the Association.

To ensure that the training we offer is professionally presented, Council recently made the decision to purchase computer and projection equipment for our trainers use. In future, all APEA training material will be presented using the PowerPoint format, which is visually more attractive than conventional overhead slides, and also allows quick and efficient editing of the training material.

Brian Baker and his colleagues on the Training Committee are aware of the continued need to develop training within this specialised industry and are considering widening the scope of the courses currently offered. If any readers feel there is a need for specialised training, or think that they may be able to help with providing training, please contact Brian Baker directly.

Please make a note in your diary's for the forthcoming joint APEA/IFFE exhibition and conference to be held at the NEC, Birmingham, on the 4th - 6th March 2003. This event promises to be Europe's premier exhibition for this industry in 2003, and as such you are encouraged to attend. At the time of writing, some 72 exhibitors have registered, representing all sectors of our industry, from equipment manufacturers to specialised service providers. Entrance to the exhibition is free to APEA

members and individual invitations will be sent out in the very near future. If, for whatever reason you do not receive an invitation, please contact Jane Mardell who will be pleased to send you one.

To compliment the APEA/IFFE Exhibition the ever popular APEA Annual Dinner is being held at the Metropole Hotel adjacent to the NEC on the evening of Wednesday 5th March. This is a unique opportunity to network with friends and colleagues in ambient surroundings, and as previous attendees will enthusiastically testify it generally turns out to be a night to remember! If you wish to attend, and have not yet bought your ticket please contact Jane, who has a limited number still available - but be quick these are going like the proverbial "Hot Cakes"!

This years Annual General Meeting is being held at the Marriott Hotel, in Northampton on Monday 12th May. Calling notices and accounts will be sent out prior to the meeting, together with nomination and voting papers for the selection of Council members. As always, we are looking for new blood, with new ideas to join us on the Council. If you have the time and enthusiasm to assist please let us know.

Participation of members at branch level still appears to be varied and very dependent upon the local management of the Branches. Some branches are extremely active, and attract a high number of attendees at their various meetings, whilst others struggle to justify their existence. Please take an interest in your branch, great benefits can be realised by attending regular meetings and exchanging views with friends and colleagues. If the Council can assist in any way in revitalising your branch, please let us know and we will give you every available support. Remember, this association is all about returning benefits to its membership and only by member participation can this be achieved.

Concerning membership, we have shown an encouraging increase in numbers in the past few months, and I understand that the majority or renewals are now complete for 2003.

However, we do want to increase our number, and I would ask you all to try and introduce at least one new member in the coming year. This really should not be that difficult, as the scope of our industry expands to cover areas such as the environment, this should make APEA membership attractive not only to those active within the Petroleum Industry but also to Environmental Health Officers and others who may be peripherally effected by our industry.

In conclusion, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to all of the Council members who continue to work hard and burn much "Midnight Oil" for the benefit of the Association, your efforts are truly appreciated. I also wish to repeat my best wishes to you all for the New Year and I hope to see you all at Birmingham in March and Northampton in May. Tony Jenner (Chairman)

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Business Managers Report Happy New Year to you all, hope you are all now feeling fully recovered from the festive eating and drinking binge? I know I have had to head down the gym again, needs must!

I have been quite busy since my last report, processing renewals (thanks to all of you that have sent yours back already) and taking on my new additional role as The Bulletin advertising and production manager, it’s good to be using my creative skills again.

I hope you like the new look to The Bulletin.

So let me update you on some of the items that I have been dealing with: Membership Since I sent out the renewals in December, I have received just over 800 payments. Reminders were sent out in January and February so any of you that have not yet replied please can you do so as soon as possible or your membership will lapse.

We are also now including details of new members to the APEA and you can find this information on page 8.

I am keen to keep the database up to date so please let me have any changes to your contact details. This will also ensure you receive any correspondence from me.

APEA Dinner 2003/IFFE The APEA is holding its Annual Dinner during the International Forecourt and Fuel Exhibition on Wednesday 5th March 2003 at the NEC. I have received a good response for bookings and the APEA are looking forward to seeing all those that booked places. It should be an enjoyable occasion, (just got to keep an eye on some of the Council Member’s wine intake!!).

The venue, which will be the principal social event during the Exhibition, is in the Palace Suite at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, based at the NEC. It will enable companies to entertain clients in an informal atmosphere and network with other people in the Industry.

I will also be on the APEA stand at the IFFE, so please come along and say hello, it's always nice to put faces to names.

AGM I am currently making arrangements for the APEA Annual General Meeting. The date is set for 12th May at the Marriott Hotel in Northampton at 10.30am. The itinerary is as follows:

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9.30 - 10.30 10.30 - 12.30 12.30 - 2.00 14.00 - 15.00

Arrival/Refreshments AGM Business meeting, speakers and presentations Lunch Speaker presentation

The venue address is: Northampton Marriott Eagle Drive Northampton NN4 7HW Tel: 01604 768 700 Fax: 01604 769 011 email: info@swallowhotels.com Website I am now keeping a close eye on the website so that it is continually updated. Please let me know if you have any interesting news items that you would like to include on the site. As I mentioned in the last issue these can be submitted directly to the website and I will check them for suitability.

Bulletin Thank you to all of you that have contributed to this issue of The Bulletin, please contact our Editor if you have any articles or letters for the next issue and he will forward them onto me. Please also note that any advertising issues should be directed to me in future.

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

New APEA Members Detailed below are new members that have recently joined the APEA. December 2002 Nigel Griffith BP Oil UK 37 Greystoke Park Road Penrith Cumbria CA11 9BT Mark Goldsworthy BP Retail 73 Coborn Road Bow London E3 2DB James Gloster BP/Bovis Alliance Flat 7, Leonard Court 68 Westbourne Terrace London W2 3UF Jason Reynolds Global Alliance 10 Wren Walk Edlesborough Nr Dunstable Beds LU6 2DF David Rose Global Alliance 29 Grace Avenue Oldbrook Milton Keynes Bucks MK6 2XJ S F Chen Great Wall Metal Compression Holding Co. Ltd Heyi Industrial Zone Oubei Town Yongjia Zhejiang 325105 China

Harold Ross Rossenvironmental Products Ltd Unit 207a, Foley Industrial Estate Lisle Avenue Kidderminster Worcestershire DY11 7DH M Dawes SEEBOARD Contracting Services Ltd Neville House Tunbridge Wells Kent TN4 8HZ Karen Gray Lawrence Graham 190 Strand London WC2R 1JN Michael D Ellenger Touchwood Cranley Road Guildford Surrey GU1 2JS James Stone 10 The Nazeing Basildon Essex SS14 1RY Mark Tasker NorthGate Cottage 1 Barrells Down Bishops Stortford Herts CM23 2ST Mark Banister Highbury Cottage 45 The Street Motcombe Shaftesbury Dorset SP7 9PF

January 2003 Harold Henry Birdie's Refuelling Station One Boat Ascension Island

Kerry Clarke Herefordshire Council Herefordshire Council PO Box 233, County Offices Bath Street Hereford Herefordshire HR1 2ZF

Peter Gray Durapipe Uk 18 Asquith Drive Heath Hayes Cannock Staffordshire WS11 2GG

Charles Kennett Highland Road Service Station Ltd 201 Highland Road Southsea Hants PO4 9EZ

Mike Jennings Gilbarco Veeder Root 46 West Park Crescent Billericay Essex CM12 9EG

John Smalley Lee Beesley Beesley House 8 Ironmonger Row Coventry West Midlands CV1 1ES

Rick Bardsley Gilbarco Veeder Root Hydrex House Garden Road Richmond Surrey TW9 4NR 020 8392 8123

Simon Bennett Lodgeside Electrical Services 19 Richmond Avenue Stoke Gifford Bristol CS34 8XB Michael W Kenyon Parkside Garage (Mere) Ltd Parkside Mereside Road Mere Knutsford Cheshire WA16 6QQ Dibyendu De Reliability Management Consultant Belghoria Calcutta West Bengal Calcutta 700056, India

Stacey Lindsay Graphite (UK) Ltd Unit 1 Dunsil Road Brookhill Industrial Estate Pinxton Notts NG16 6NT John Gray Halliford Construction Ltd Building 217, Northrop Road London Heathrow Airport Middlesex Hounslow TW6 2QN David Harvey Margram Holdings PLC Carina

Sunrise Parkway Linford Wood Milton Keynes MK14 6PN Thomas Jackson Nuttall Yarwood & Partners The Old Primary School Calverley Road Oulton Leeds West Yorkshire LS26 8JQ Kevin Wright Pumps and Fuel Installations Ltd Unit 18 Kennedy Way Ind Est Blackstaff Road Belfast Antrim BT11 9DT Glenn Black Wefco (Gainsborough) Ltd Unit 1 Corringham Road Industrial Estate Gainsborough Lincs DN21 1QN Kenneth Martin A1 Construction Elliotts House Elliots Place St Marys Road Faversham Kent ME13 8EX Derek Cronshey Acron Building Contractors Ltd Unit 10, Castle Business Village Station Road Hampston Middlesex TW16 6QZ Dee Baker Flexopill UK Ltd 46 Sheen Park Richmond Surrey TW9 1UW Paul Leeson 13 Cromwell Crescent Lambley Nottingham Notts NG4 4PJ John Rome John Rome Ltd 2b New Mill Road Kilmarnock KA1 3JF Ken Wilcox Ken Wilcox Associates, Inc. 1125 Valleyridge Drive Grain Valley Missouri 64029 Mahmut Kurdoglu Mekser Akaryakit Ltd Istoc 9, Ada no. 6Ikitelli Istanbul 34450 Steve Horsley 12 Rycroft Close Deeping St. James Peterborough PE6 8NX Gillian Holt Reginald Maude Ltd Globe House Miall Street Halifax West Yorkshire HX1 4AE Helen O'Neill South Lanarkshire Council Trading Standards North Stand Cadzow Avenue Hamilton South Lanarkshire ML3 0LU As at 23.1.03

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closed off and the tank more closely monitored when the 5000 discrepancy was first found?

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor I confess that when my copy of the Bulletin arrives I get a certain amount of excitement that that some might consider worrying. I have found it informative and interesting, however, I have some concerns over the accuracy of its articles. I recognise that the APEA is not part of Reuters and it also has an interest in selling advertising space, but I am sure that many of your readers like me have had the tendency to accept the articles as being accurate.

I now feel that I need to return to the age-old principle of reading between the lines and accepting that some articles contain halftruths or incomplete information.

As an enforcement officer I believe it is important that we get the facts as accurate as possible.

Incorrect Information A recent article on "Mobile Phones" pertaining to be a warning issued by Shell, was also confirmed in a HSE release to EHO's. At last I thought, we have substantiated information from an oil company and the HSE on this issue. This was to be short lived as the Trading Standards " TS Link" was to inform us that the story was just Chinese whispers!

Incomplete Information The "Contaminated supply Incident" article this month begs more answers to the following questions: 1) Licence conditions insist on daily monitoring, why did this not find the loss earlier ? With a hole the size of a ten pence piece this must have been leaking for some time?

2) Was too high a tolerance being used in their calculations?

3) At what stage were the losses reported to the Petroleum Officer? Were there on-going problems?

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Why

weren't

the

pumps

5) Was the site being operated by inefficient or untrained staff?

6) What of oil company area management checks?

7) Having worked on many tank gauge systems I can understand the 5,000 litres loss, but once corrected the 400 litres loss should still have been investigated. Was the 400 loss an acceptable loss or should further monitoring have taken place before putting the system back into use?

8) I believe BP use a third party to monitor some of their sites, if this was the case at this site it why was it not mentioned along with Marconi?

9) This might raise more questions about the reliability of third party monitoring. What is the time scale in finding a leak for these companies? And in the event of a major leak are they culpable?

10) A competent person monitoring wetstock should be able to recognise a pattern in gains and losses on their own site daily, how long before a third party company notifies the site of any irregularities and concerns?

11) Finally, a "Breakdown in communications" cannot be acceptable where there is a suspected petroleum leak. Petrol losses must be considered as of the highest priority. "Did we not learn anything from the "Bontddu Incident"?

Some sites have systems such as a submerged turbine pump in one tank linked to other tanks using inefficient siphon systems also linked by vapour recovery to all the other tanks on site, how accurate are their tank gauge systems with continual pressure variation? and how well are they understood by engineers let alone forecourt staff and enforcement officers?

In concluding I believe there is no Due Diligence defence for petrol contamination of the ground and water supplies and therefore prosecution is quite likely to have a satisfactory result against the polluter. But even though the Environment Agency had a satisfactory prosecution in this case, incidents like this should not be allowed to happen.

We are now in the 21st century and perhaps its time to insist on an age limit to tanks and pipe work or even insist that all tanks over twenty years old to be replaced with double skin tanks.

Perhaps the Government could subsidise new tanks to protect our water supplies rather than tanks to fight wars.

Colin Brewer Swindon Wiltshire

Recent comments from an attendee on a APEA LPG course: Dear Editor An excellent training course well presented and first class trainers. Now I know what DSEAR is - arriving in shortly.

Accommodation great and really convenient for air travellers.

The Association appears to be developing by leaps and bounds in a very professional way - well done and thank you for all your help and efficient administration.

I like it when the airport is near by.

Charlie Morrison City Inspector Derry City Council

News

Incident at Versailles After a days questioning at the Versailles Regional CID, Jose Morais Dias was charged on Tuesday with the involuntary destruction of goods belonging to third parties due to the effects of an explosion caused by failing to meet safety and care obligations.

The 35 year old builder, around whom a great spirit of solidarity was created following the LPG explosion which damaged forty chalets in and around the Rue d'Evereux in Mitry-Mory on 9th November last, is now suspected of accidentally causing the incident. He has been freed on bail, a development that caused great astonishment amongst the residents in the area of the Rue d'Evereux.

According to the first part of the enquiry after the

explosion took place, Jose was not running after his cat as he told Police and as reported in our columns. In fact he was working on the LPG tank on his 4x4. It was a toolkit, found near the vehicle, which made the investigators suspicious.

He found that the tank was too big.

The day after the drama, the mains gas theory having been quickly rejected, it was a leak on the LPG tank on Jose Morais Dias's 4x4 which was suspected by Police.

However the reason for such a leak remained very uncertain. Until the police learned that, on the day of the incident, the 4x4 left a garage. Wanting to get rid of the LPG tank and only run on petrol Jose Morais Dias had taken his vehicle to a repairer. The latter cut off the gas supply to the vehicle without removing the tank. Once home, finding that the LPG tank which he was no longer using took up too much space in the boot, the builder simply decided to remove it himself.

Unfortunately it still contained gas. A leak was inevitable. LPG ran into the garage, which blew up probably due to an electrical spark.

If this version which he hid from everyone is confirmed Jose Morais Dias could be in big trouble. Especially as regards his third party liability. The cost of the explosion has not yet been counted.

But it is very large. "To me this does not change the solidarity created around the Dias family, declared the Mayor of MitryMory, Jean-Pierre Bontoux. Neither for his children or wife, who were nothing to do with it. Today it is a shocked family in need of help. The victims support association which has been formed is needed more than ever”.

Press Release - FPS 2003 The biggest event on the UK and Irish oil distribution industry calender - the FPS 2003 Exhibition & Conference - will be massively expanded for 2003.

FPS 2003 will cover nearly 7,000 sq m of exhibition space at the RDS International Exhibition & Convention Centre, Dublin. That is more than double the space taken for the 2002 event in Harrogate. For the first time, it will also run for three days - on 10, 11 and 12 April 2003.

Exhibitor numbers will also be well up. To date, more than 80 exhibitors have booked stands, and there are only a limited number of spaces left.

Vanessa Cook, Event Manager for the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers, says; “If you want to exhibit, don’t leave it too long or you might be disappointed. We are

the most important event for the industry and we’re receiving enquiries daily.”

The event has grown over the last few years from a relatively small one with a handful of exhibitors to a highly professional show that nevertheless still offers good value for exhibitors and visitors alike.

Cook is confident that the delegate numbers will reflect the increased size of the event. “We have a huge amount of Irish interest and we have calls daily from FPS members in the UK and Ireland asking for information on flights and hotels. In fact some of the hotels are already full. With the event running through into the weekend and the appeal of Dublin, I think we might see a record number of delegates.”

For more information call Vanessa Cook on: +44 (0) 1565 631313 or visit www.fpsonline.co.uk 13

News

Car Gas Fire The Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of "static" (that is, static electricity) at petrol pumps. They have researched 150 cases of these fires.

The results were very surprising: 1) Out of 150 cases, almost all of them were women.

2) Almost all cases involved the person getting back in their vehicle while the nozzle was still pumping petrol, when finished and they went back to pull the nozzle out the fire started, as a result of static.

3) Most had on rubber-soled shoes.

4) Most men never get back in their vehicle until completely finished. This is why they are seldom involved in these types of fires.

5) Don't ever use mobile phones when pumping petrol.

6) It is the vapors that come out of the petrol that cause the fire, when connected with static charges.

7) There were 29 fires where the vehicle was reentered and the nozzle was touched during refueling from a variety of makes and models. Some resulting in extensive damage to the vehicle, station, and the customer.

8) Seventeen fires that occurred before, during or immediately after the petrol cap was removed and before fueling began.

Prosecution in West Yorks

By Roger Marris On 25 September 2002 an Explosives Inspector of the West Yorkshire Fire Service was asked by the Police to attend an incident at Middleton, Leeds where they had found a large quantity of fireworks during a search for stolen property. The fireworks amounting to over 800 kg were located in a domestic garage/out-building amongst many other items of storage. As the storage was suspected to be illegal and in the interests of public safety, the fireworks were seized and removed to a licensed explosives magazine store where they were held jointly by the Police and Fire Service as evidence.

At the time that the fireworks were seized, the occupier admitted to the Explosives Inspector that he

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NEVER get back into your vehicle while filling it with petrol. If you absolutely HAVE to get in your vehicle while the petrol is pumping, make sure you get out, close the door TOUCHING THE METAL, before you ever pull the nozzle out. This way the static from your body will be discharged before you ever remove the nozzle.

As mentioned earlier, The Petroleum Equipment Institute, along with several other companies now, are really trying to make the public aware of this danger. You can find out more information by going to www.pei.org, once here, click in the center of the screen where it says "Stop Static".

I ask you to please send this information to ALL your family and friends, especially those who have kids in the car with them while pumping petrol. If this were to happen to them, they may not be able to get the children out in time. Thanks for passing this along.

had bought the fireworks for £2,600 at a Sunday market for the purpose selling on to the public during the forthcoming fireworks season.

The occupier was subsequently charged by the West Yorkshire Fire Authority with committing an offence contrary to section 5 of the Explosives Act 1875. At a hearing at the Leeds Magistrates Court on 27 November 2002, the defendant pleaded guilty to a charge of the unlawful storage of fireworks and was fined £200 with £500 costs being awarded to the Fire Authority.

According to the importer of the brand of fireworks involved, the normal retail value for the quantity in question was in the region of £7,500. No doubt the potential profit margin influenced the Magistrates when they imposed the £700 financial penalty on the unemployed defendant.

News

Fuel tanks big threat to Police HQ Police today warned that plans to install fuel oil tanks on an industrial estate could lead to an emergency which could cripple operations at its Wymondham headquarters. South Norfolk Council has received a planning application from oil giant Q8 Petroleum to install fuel tanks and offices in Penfold Drive, Wymondham, a short distance from county police headquarters.

The proposal would see fuels, including gas oil, diesel and kerosene stored on the site. But police have warned that if the plans are given the green light, a fire on the site could potentially bring its countywide operations to its knees. A report which is set to go before the council's planning committee on January 6 includes the results of a consultation with the police, which said: "A fire at the facility could necessitate evacuation of the operation centre, rendering the police control room and command arrangements unavailable. It represents a security risk to police operations."

Simon Taylor, assistant chief constable,for Norfolk police added "we are talking about the constabulary's main command and control facilities for major or critical incidents in the county. I am sure the public would not want us to be in a position where effectively the county could be deprived of such facilities."

But today Michael Haslam, chief planning officer for South Norfolk Council, said it would be unlikely councillors could refuse the application on those grounds. He said "they have applied to use the site to store gas oil, DERV and kerosene, which are all similar products that have flash points very different from gasoline. From what I have been told these products have flash points of about 70 degrees centigrade, where as gasoline is minus 40 degrees. You have go to do one hell of a lot to it to start a fire. We have got to take a sensible view on this and the harsh reality is that they have moved into an employment area. It is going to be quite difficult to refuse it on those grounds.”

Nobody from Q8 Petroleum was available for comment today.

Press Release - Fairbanks Environmental Ltd

There were over 100 original entries in their particular category, these were reduced to six finalists before Fairbanks were announced as the overall winners.

"Fairbanks Environmental Limited, the Wetstock Management Specialists have been awarded the Outstanding Business Achievement Award 2002 for companies with less than 50 employees by the Central & West Lancashire Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Steve Jones, Director said "We are obviously delighted to have won the award it is an excellent external acknowledgement of our company and I am particularly delighted for our staff , however we will not be resting on our laurels and we are currently following an on-going programme of development and expansion".

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News

Oil giants race to quench China’s thirst for petrol Motor car sales in China topped one million last year for the first time. At the current rate of growth, the country will be the third-largest car market in the world by 2008. This looks like good news for Dr. Gary Dirks, BP's chief executive for China, and Shell's North East Asian chairman Tan Ek Kia, both veterans of the fight to open the doors into China's energy industry. A booming consumer economy has created explosive growth for cars in country which relied on bicycles and bullock carts less than a decade ago.

Foreign motor manufacturers, led by Volkswagen, and the Japanese giants are now racing to build factories in China to meet the demand from the new middle classes.

Just as cut-throat is going to be the fight to see who fills them up. BP and Shell are poised for battle with local operators as they compete for the growing thirst for petrol.

Since the retail sector started to open up after China joined the World Trade Organisation, the pair moved fast. Both have joined with government-controlled oil giants, PetroChina and Sinopec, to run up to 2,000 petrol stations in some of China's most bustling provinces. Exxon and other energy groups are also moving in on the sector. When they start cutting ribbons on new stations will depend on government consent, but observers expect the thumbs-up to be given soon. It looks like a good start but there are already 90,000 gas stations around China, most State-owned, over-manned and doing poor business. This, warns consultants McKinsey, means that selling petrol will be a tough game, with wafer-thin margins. The big opportunity for some, it suggests, is not in pumping petrol, but in boosting the retail business inside the stations.

While this is a strategy with which Western energy groups have long been familiar, the consultant reckons that for multinationals, the better route would be to become specialist petrol suppliers, leaving the hawking of sales items to the locals. While petrol stations might be the most visible evidence of Western oil giant's

growing presence in China, it is small beans compared to the massive energy projects which have finally been won by BP and Shell. Cracking these big developments has made both BP's and Shell's experts in negotiating the labyrinthine processes of Beijing's government. It took more than 15 years of talks and planning before Shell signed a $4.3 billion (Euro 4.6 billion) deal with China National Offshore Oil Corporation last November to build a petrochemical plant in bustling Guangdong province, north of Hong Kong. It will be the largest petrochemical complex in China, with estimated revenues of $1.7 billion a year when it comes on stream in 2005.

Getting this far has been hard going, admitted Tan, who inherited the project five years ago. "It started off as a much bigger concept, including a lot of retail projects, but it changed and changed and eventually the retail business was dropped," he said. Negotiations on Shell's other major project were more quickly concluded, but Tan admits, much more daunting. This is a Euro 4.9 billion gas pipeline which will stretch 3,900 kilometres from the rugged Western deserts to the booming industrial complex surrounding Shanghai.

PetroChina, the No 2 oil giant, is the lead Chinese partner with a 50 percent stake while Shell joins, ExxonMobil, OAO Gazprom Hong Kong & China Gas and Stroytransgaz with a 45 percent slice, and Sinopec has the remaining 5 percent. BP's Dirks has also had to cope with frustrations and disappointments in China.

Earlier this year a deal to supply natural gas from its Indonesian fields fell through at the last moment. That still left BP with plans to invest up to $4 billion in China's energy industry. It is now the biggest supplier of LNG storage facilities in the country. Unlike Shell, BP has its own oil-fields in Southern China, but Dirks rules out exploration as a big future money-spinner. "We see China as a growth market, but as a market for products rather than a resource bed," he said. How big? Neither Dirks nor Tan are into the prediction business. "We are not making big bold predictions about how it is going to fit into the global portfolio in long-term in material terms.

Going for absolute numbers gets you into deep water," said Dirks. "It will be important but we have to recognise that we still have to make a big investment."

Man charged with driving car into gas station pump - damages cost $19,000 to repair A Birmingham (USA) man is behind bars, accused of intentionally driving his car into a fuel tank at a west Birmingham gasoline station. Police charged 26-yearold Nathaniel Dorsey Jr. with third-degree assault.

Police say Tuesday around 8:30 p.m., Dorsey's speeding car careered into one of the BP station's gas pumps, causing a huge explosion, minor injuries and total destruction of a fuel tank. Officials say quick thinking by a Birmingham police officer probably made the difference between life and death. "He actually came back in and pushed the stop button for pumps to shut down stops gas from coming out," said BP manager Lynn Williams. Police say Dorsey said he was 18

depressed and drove into the tank in an effort to kill himself. Crews spent Thursday cleaning and repairing the gas pump at the Ensley BP gas station. All gas pumps remained shut down Thursday, costing the business a lot of money. "It hurt us real bad," said Williams. "I've made $100 and I've been here since 6 o'clock this morning. It's hurt us tremendously." The gas pumps were turned back on Thursday night. "We'll test and make sure there are no leaks, no seepage around the impact valve; everything sealed up," said David Hollis, of A&P Equipment. Hollis said it cost about $19,000 to get all the pumps going and install the new gas pump.

News

Scotland, Aberdeen, Jan 9 2003.

“You bloody Fuel - Sherriff hits out at ‘Idiot’ for petrol station blaze stunt” A joker who risked blowing up a petrol station was branded an idiot by a sheriff yesterday. John Callander joked he wanted to give his pal a heart attack before the incident. But yesterday, he was ordered to do 300 hours of community service.

Callander, 29, lit a match and threw it towards a car as his friend filled it with fuel at a Safeway petrol station in Aberdeen. But petrol pumping out the fuel nozzle caught fire and staff had to shut down the pumps.

Yesterday, Sheriff Douglas Cusine told the printer he was "nothing short of an idiot". Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard Callander smelled of alcohol but wasn't drunk at the time. Ian Hingston, prosecuting, said Callander and a friend both got out of the car at the filling station. Mr Hingston added: "The accused was seen to take a box of matches from his pocket and said to his friend, `Do you want to have a heart attack?' "Then he lit the match and threw it towards the petrol filling cap on the car." Mr Hingston said the friend removed the nozzle from the cap "but the match had ignited the fuel coming from the nozzle.” When the friend dropped the nozzle to the ground, it continued to burn.

A supervisor turned off the pumps and ran on to the forecourt with a fire extinguisher but found the fire had already gone out. Mr Hingston added: "When a manager asked the men what had happened, the accused said the pump had caught fire on its own."

Callander, of North Anderson Drive, Aberdeen, owned up when police arrived. And he admitted culpably and recklessly setting fire to petrol with utter disregard for the safety of persons using the petrol station and to the danger of staff and customers in court. Les Green, defending, said Callander had accidentally struck the match. He added: "He thought it would be funny to give his friend a scare, it went beyond his intentions. He has said it is the most stupid thing he has ever done. This man is not really a dangerous criminal, he was stupid in the extreme that day."

Damage in Oil Tank Raid Thieves who raided a diesel oil tank in Albrighton caused £10,000 worth of damage after thousands of gallons of the fuel leaked onto surrounding land. The theft happened at around 5am on Christmas Eve when an alarm went off at the Albrighton Business Park, Newport Road. A spokesman from Shrewsbury police said: "Nothing was found untoward at the time, but since then, fuel has been discovered leaking from a damaged valve on the tank." Around 1,000 gallons of diesel oil worth £450 leaked into the ground and nearby watercourse causing damage.

Major LPG Incident in London A Shell petrol station in North London recently had a major incident occur when a woman driver drove across three lanes of traffic across a petrol station and came to a halt when the car crashed into the above ground LPG tank used to supply automotive fuel.

The entire contents of the tank were dumped onto the forecourt and the emergency services attended. The station was closed while the woman was removed from the vehicle and taken to hospital where she later died.

Fireman attending the incident suffered some injuries and a full investigation into the incident is being undertaken by Shell, London Fire Brigade and the HSE. It is hoped that a full report into the incident and any recommendations will be published in a future edition of The Bulletin.

Leaded Petrol Being Phased Out Malta, Dec 12 2002 Vehicles switching from leaded to lead replacement petrol, which will be introduced in the new year, require no modification apart from an adjustment to the ignition timing, Enemalta chairman Robert Ghirlando said. Lead replacement petrol will be sold at the same price as leaded petrol - three cents more per litre than unleaded petrol - and is being supplied in the same way. Petrol stations would therefore not be undergoing any changes, Prof. Ghirlando said. The changeover from leaded to lead replacement petrol will take place between the last weeks of December and the first weeks of January. LRP consists of unleaded petrol plus an additive based on manganese. Although it fulfils the same function as leaded petrol, it is not as harmful to the environment.

Ireland, Co Leitrim, Jan 17 2003 Customs seize fuel tanker in smuggling investigation Customs officers in Co Leitrim today seized a tanker containing around 35,000 litres of heating fuel smuggled across the border from the North. The fuel, which is much cheaper in Northern Ireland, had been transported for sale in the Republic without being declared or any excise duty paid. Officers said the potential loss of revenue on the fuel was approximately €10,000. The seizure near Manorhamilton was a result of a routine surveillance operation by Customs & Excise officers into the movement of Northern Ireland fuels into the Republic. No arrests were made but investigations were being carried out into the find. The fuel was being tested to establish whether it had been mixed with agricultural diesel in order to create motor fuel.

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News

Fireworks Seminar Fireworks have been in the news again with people complaining about their noise; how they are used all the year round; the number of injuries they cause; and the problem that the hooligan element cause with them.

The government is looking at new legislation Living Places - Cleaner; Safer; Greener and to curb noisy activity that will include fireworks and other noisemaking devices such as whistles, rattles and drums.

The Midlands Branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Birmingham Area Fire Protection Association held a seminar in February to debate these issues.

Speakers from the HSE, British Standards, a Member of Parliament, the Firework Industry, and the Retailers attended to put forward their case.

We hope to report back on these discussions in future issues.

Into this arena the HSE are looking at new regulations concerning the manufacture and storage of explosives (fireworks) to replace the Explosives Act 1875. Europe is directing us to replace our current firework standards with new European ones.

Storing Fireworks New legislation is proposed where it is intended that Mode A registered premises holding between 200250kg net of shop good (HT4) fireworks will have to maintain a 5-metre separation distance from third party buildings and 2.5 metres from footpaths and roads.

Anticipating problems for existing premises in complying with this requirement, a sample of Mode A premises storing HT4 fireworks was selected from across 39 local authorities. A study sample was deliberately focused towards the type of premises expected to hold between 200-250 kg of fireworks and to distributors rather than shops or supermarkets.

Regulatory impact According to the study's data, some registered premises will have a problem with the proposed separation distances and the owners consider this will adversely affect their operations. The significance of this regulatory impact in the context of the proposed legislation therefore needs to be carefully evaluated.

Analysis of impact of proposed changes to separation distances for Mode A registered premises holding HT4 fireworks, Walker, G., Fairburn, J. and others, HSE and Staffordshire University, HSE Books, 2002. (Research report 041), ISBN 0717621588, price £5.00. is also available on the HSE website at: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/index.htm www.safetynews.co.uk/news.htm#Storing fireworks

Your phone could start fireball at the pumps - warning on using mobiles while filling up with petrol An Ulster petrol station owner has urged mobile phone users to take care to ensure they escape being turned into a human fireball when filling up their car. Finlay Robinson, a partner at Cullybackey Road Service Station in Ballymena, who is a committee member of the Petrol Retailers' Association, says the group has given out safety leaflets on the issue urging people to switch off phones at pumps.

Mr Robinson said if a mobile rings there is a slight possibility that it could ignite petrol vapour in the vicinity of petrol pumps - much the same way as warnings are issued regarding smoking on forecourts. He said the chances of a flash fireball engulfing the mobile phone user were "one in a million" and that people using petrol pumps should not be unduly alarmed but that petrol station owners had a duty to advise people on forecourts after a number of mobile phone fireball incidents in the 22

UK. "There was a case where a car and a petrol pump were destroyed, when a phone was left on the boot lid and rang during refuelling and another case when a person received burns to his face when he answered a call. "On another occasion a mobile phone in a person's pocket rang when they were near petrol pumps and injuries were caused to the thigh and groin areas."

Mr Robinson said that as well as leaflets, notices warning of the dangers of mobiles have been put up beside the pumps at his filling station. He said staff constantly advise people not to use their mobile phones when they see them talking on them at their Cullybackey Road facility. Mr Robinson said that people using mobiles inside their shop often step outside to the forecourt to answer the phones, a practice they advised against. He said some people seemed annoyed when they are told of the dangers but that the vast majority took the safety message onboard. Mr Robinson said there was little chance of a huge fireball being created by the full underground tank blowing up because of a mobile phone. "Petrol is actually very hard to ignite. It is the vapour that can be sparked causing a brief flash fire," he added.

News

Groundwater Protection Code The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has produced the Groundwater Protection Code: Petrol Stations and other fuel dispensing facilities involving underground storage tanks. The code provides a source of good advice on how to protect groundwater when storing hydrocarbons in underground storage tanks and associated equipment it is designed for petrol stations and is an approved code under Regulation 21 of the Groundwater Regulations 1998 and applies in England and Wales but not Scotland.

The code outlines operational and management practices relevant to tanks and pipes which are necessary for groundwater protection. The code is aimed at owners and operators of petrol stations, and is relevant to people involved in designing, constructing and decommissioning petrol stations, and of course equipment suppliers.

It offers guidance on: • Environmental risk assessment • Management systems and controls • Emergency plans and procedures • Engineering requirements but it recognises that as far as engineering is concerned guidance on this is available in the APEA/IP codes of practice on Petrol Stations.

50 unmanned filling stations are operational in the Netherlands and is planning to set up 20 such stations in Belgium during the current year. "We intend to offer the Tango formula to the Indian oil companies. The unmanned stations will help lower cost for the domestic oil companies especially for company-owned retail outlets," a senior company official who was in India on a recee said. Tango is based on the "tank and go" principle where the petrol pumps are not manned and fuel can be bought through credit cards or Tango cards.

Although the Indian government has deregulated the petroleum sector beginning April 1, 2002, the oil companies have not been given complete pricing freedom. "Once the Indian oil companies price their fuels in tandem with the international prices, we expect price competition," say industry analysts. A high degree of automation and low operating cost has resulted in substantial cost savings which are being passed on to the customers. Each unmanned petrol pump in the Netherlands has been set up at half the cost of the conventional petrol pump. In fact, when Tango launched its first unmanned petrol stations in the Netherlands in March 2000, it offered an inaugural discount of 11 euro cents on petrol and diesel where the buyer saved Euro 5.50 on a 50 litre tank, a substantial amount on bulk purchase. After the initial offer, the company continued to offer a discount of 7 euro cents per litre. Having control over a substantial market in the Netherlands, Tango is being rolled out in other countries such as Spain and Belgium.

The document which is around 50 pages is available free of charge from DEFRA Publications telephone 08459 556000 the product code of the publication is PB 6750A or can be ordered by visiting their web site www.defra.gov.uk.

Unmanned Sites for India Petroplus International NV, a European oil company, is eyeing the retail petroleum sector in India with its unmanned filling stations popularly known as 'Tango'.

Petroplus has initiated talks with the domestic oil majors to offer its Tango technology for the recently deregulated Indian petroleum sector. The euro 5.5 billion Dutch company has also sourced key people from the Indian oil market and has recently hired D D Sen, senior vice-president (supply and trading), Reliance Industries Ltd, to head its crude oil sourcing out of Dubai as well as to set up its Indian operations.

The company is a new entrant in this part of the world having started its operations in the Middle East (supply and trading office) in October 2002. Petroplus is the first company to have rolled out a network of unmanned filling stations through Tango CV in Netherlands in 2000 and in Belgium since October 2002 under its subsidiary Tango CV, in which it holds a 75 per cent stake. Already

Israel Jan 15 2003. Petrol Stations complain about illegal competition The High Court of Justice issued 12 injunctions yesterday ordering the attorney general, interior minister, national zoning board chair, public security minister, police chief, national infrastructure minister and 20 local authority heads, to explain within 45 days why they don't use their authority to fight pirate gas stations that sell diesel fuel without construction permits or business licenses.

A petition from the Gas Station Owners Association claimed that the phenomenon of entrepreneurs setting up shop with a tank of diesel on the road shoulder in populated areas has increased since its 2001 petition, with 70 new pirate gas stations established in 2002. The petition alleges that the pirate stations are detrimental to public safety from the security, safety, environmental and transit perspectives, in addition to constituting unfair competition with legal stations.

It should be noted that the upsurge in illegal gasoline vendors prompted legal stations to grant substantial discounts off the "recommended price" for diesel. In its ruling, the court criticized the authorities' handling of the matter to date.

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News

Two People Hurt in Petrol Tank Explosion at a service Station in Doylestown Pennsylvania USA

Two petrol tanks exploded at a former petrol station that was due to reopen injuring two workers. The explosion happened shortly after midday on January 7th as workers were preparing the site to reopen. In the year 2000 this station and another across the intersection had been closed after MTBE which had been added to fuel was found in nearby well water. The stations parent companies hired contractors to clean up both sites. The State Department of Environmental Protection would be checking for well water contamination and fire officials stated that both workers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Concerns spread over static ignition on USA Forecourts

by Brian Baker, Fire Safety & Petroleum Officer, Milton Keynes Council Recently, my attention was drawn to a series of articles on the prospect of Static ignitions on Forecourt in the USA. This is somewhat topical as last year, a series of unconfirmed reports that were never proven were made regarding mobile phones in atmospheres containing petrol vapour.

The University of Oklahoma carried out some extensive research in May 2001 for which there finding summarised that the spark from a mobile phone was

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negligent and in sufficient to ignite vapour that may be present on a Petrol Filling Station.

These issues together will likely cause further debate here in the UK for which I must admit, I have seen no evidence to support the ignition theory.

This is particularly the case as voltage from mobile have reduced substantially in the last 10-12 years and power sources as low as 0.6volts are commonplace.

In the USA, it is common to have latch devices that hold the nozzle open when dispensing, hence some of the content departs what we accept in the UK. So here we go again with a rising topic for which some of these articles are reproduced in this issue of the Bulletin.

News

Code Reviews

by Jamie Thompson I have been asked to review the books, leaflets and information that are available in this Industry and in this issue I will deal with some of the information that is available from the Institute of Petroleum which is a UK based but world wide respected organisation that deals with the many facets of the oil industry from exploration to the petrol pump.

The Institute is prepared to offer members of the APEA a special discount for any orders taken and many of the publications provide the n e c e s s a r y information and g u i d a n c e necessary for people to carry out their work in this industry. With the increased environmental legislation and the changes of emphasis in health and safety legislation much of the publications are essential reading for regulators, oil company engineers, contractors, equipment suppliers and service station operators.

In addition these regulations will make explicit for the first time a legal requirement for hazardous area classification at many sites, although the technique has been widely used in the oil and chemical industry for many years. The new code provides a much more sound and explicit basis for the recommendations made and methodology used than anything available elsewhere in English. It also provides important information on the impact of the ATEX equipment directive on the oil and chemical industries, who will need to adopt the new specifications for equipment used in hazardous areas.

It should be of great help to those involved in assessing and controlling the risk of fire and explosion hazards in these industries."

The new Code will be of particular interest to those responsible for managing installations handling flammable fluids, engineers with responsibility for hazardous area classification and consultants advising on safety at petroleum, petrochemical and similar installations including petrol filling stations. The IP's new Code: • • • •

applies the latest understanding in modelling twophase releases takes account of high-pressure releases and mist and spray formation has been broadened to encompass petrochemical as well as petroleum installations now specifically covers LPG.

New Publication Subjects covered by the new Code include: IP Model Code of Safe Practice Part 15: Area Classification Code for Installations Handling Flammable Fluids 2nd Edition, August 2002

• • •

Published by the Institue of Petroleum, UK (available from Portland Press Ltd)

•

This new publication is the eagerly awaited update to the well-established and internationally accepted IP Model Code of Safe Practice for the classification of hazardous areas in the petroleum industry. The new edition provides a demonstrable methodology to comply with the area classification requirements under the HSE's new Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR), which implement the safety aspects of the European Chemical Agents Directive and Explosive Atmospheres (Protection of Workers) Directive.

Alan Tyldesley, Principal Specialist Technology Division, HSE, says,

Inspector,

• • • • •

scope, applicability and definitions step-by-step guide to classifying hazardous areas the technique of hazardous area classification using direct example and point source approaches how to classify typical facilities such as storage tanks and road tanker loading the classification of drilling rigs, onshore and offshore basis and application of point source methodology the effect of ventilation the selection of electrical equipment ignition risks arising from non-electrical equipment.

ISBN 085293 223 5 August 2002 160 pages Full Price £95.00 APEA price £71.25

"The publication of an update to the IP Code on Area Classification is welcome and particularly timely, as new regulations about to be made by the Health and Safety Executive will provide, for the first time in UK law, definitions of hazardous areas and the different zones.

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News

New Publication

Subjects covered by the code:

Guidance on external cathodic protection of underground steel storage tanks and steel pipe work at petrol filling stations

• • • • • • • • • • • •

1st Edition, November 2002 There has been increased interest in the UK in recent years of alternative methods of protecting underground steel tanks and pipes and a number of companies have been installing cathodic protection to existing single wall tanks to enhance the life of the installation and provide protection from corrosion. This publication has been prepared principally to provide information for those involved in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of petrol filling stations (PFSs) on the safe and effective use of cathodic protection (CP) to prevent the external corrosion of underground steel storage tanks and associated steel pipe work.

It covers the hazards of installing impressed current systems and their effect on earthing of the service station and also the effects that an impressed current system may have on the intrinsic safety of any electronic gauge installed in the tank. It is also anticipated that this guidance will be of use to those involved in ensuring that PFS operators meet their statutory requirements under relevant legislation.

Subjects covered in the code: • • • • • • • •

Scope Basic principles of corrosion and cathodic protection Cathodic protection systems Application considerations System design Safety Considerations Commissioning systems Monitoring and maintenance

ISBN 0 85293 372 X Nov 2002.

40 pages Full Price £80.00 APEA Price £60.00

Code of Safe Practice for Contractors working on petrol Filling Stations 1st Edition September 1997 This code has been published and has widely been accepted as the "Bible" for those who work on petrol filling stations. It is widely supported by the Industry as a whole and supplements the "Passport" scheme for contractors working on service stations.

Scope Hazardous Nature of Petroleum Products Competency of Contractors General Requirements of Contractors Categories of Petrol Filling Station Work Model Work Control Procedures Appendices Hazardous Area Classification Model Work Control Procedures Safety Method Statements Model Clearance Certificates Model Procedure for Contractor Approval

ISBN 0 85293 1.94 8 47 pages Full Price £54.00 APEA Price £40.50 Code of Safe Practice for retailers managing contractors working on Petrol Filling Stations 1st Edition, February 1999 This document has been produced by the Institute of Petroleum on behalf of UKPIA and is designed for those who operate or manage service stations. The document covers the operational requirements of petrol filling stations and what precautions should be taken to ensure that these operations could continue safely while contractors are working on the site.

The code contains: • • • • • • • • •

Operational conditions on petrol filling stations General requirements for contractors Model work control procedures Assessing the task Appendices Model work control procedures Risk categorisation Safety method statement Clearance certificates

ISBN 0 85293 240 5 22 Pages Full Price £54.00 APEA Price £40.50 The codes mentioned above can be obtained from: PORTLAND CUSTOMER SERVICES COMMERCE WAY WHITEHALL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE COLCHESTER CO2 8HP UK Phone your credit card order on (+ 44) 01206 796 351 Quote reference ZIPTP194 to obtain discount) or email sales@portland-services.com

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News

Tank Remedial Modification Part One

By Raymond King King Tanktechnic Ltd

To Line or Not to Line The owners of retail and commercial underground petroleum storage tanks (U.S.T.s) have many problems to face. The main worry is the protection of the public, the environment and their capital infrastructure from leaking U.S.T.s.

The Environmental Agency has recorded over 150 incidents of leaking tanks in the UK over the past two years.

It is a criminal offence for a tank owner to cause the pollution of watercourses, and, although in most cases the pollution is accidental, the incident can attract fines in excess of £30,000.

In this age of ‘Risk Assessment’ which we all know is the ‘flavour of the year’ tankage owner has a duty to assess the risk and put in place risk removing measures into their operation.

There are many ways of U.S.T.s perforate and leak:-

a) External Corrosion

b) Internal Corrosion

External corrosion to underground storage tanks is caused by damage to the outside protection coating due to inexpert handling on installation. On tanks installed with a sand or pea gravel backfill this damage will be the cause of localised areas of corrosion which can result in tank wall perforations. This corrosion is reduced on tanks installed with a sulphur resistance concrete backfill because the fresh installation damage is covered immediately and not allowed to fester.

Any external corrosion cannot be detected by visual examination and therefore, during tank internal inspection, a full grid pattern Ultrasonic Thickness Test shall be undertaken. Any external wall thickess loss shall be recorded.

Additional tests will include hammered soundings to ascertain backfill of the tank. Dye penetrant testing of welds can be undertaken to locate any cracks, slag inclusions or porosity.

With the advent of the “Clean” fuels developed to maintain a cleaner running engine on vehicles using these fuels the detergent component of the these products have a cleaning effect to the internal walls of the storage tanks.

The effect of this cleaning action is to remove rust particles from the tanks walls, which fall to the bottom of the tank and form into sludges.

Internal corrosion occurs where the internal dished end fabrication configuration is not fully welded (typical is a double compartment tank baffle dished end that is only welded from one side) or the striker plate is only tack welded which allows serious crevice corrosion to take place. this internal corrosion of the tanks shell fabric is caused by condensation because, as the garage tanks is emptied, air is sucked into the tank. This air will contain moisture and exhaust gases, which, combined with the small amount of H2S in the petroleum gases and the sulphur

M1 Motorway seven year old tank perforated in sludge area from internal side.

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News

Worm holes on internal corrosion in sludge line up to 5mm deep. Tank wall records at 6.9mm thick

within the liquid product, form into globules of acidic condensation.

These globules are pulled into the cavities formed by the bad construction design by capillary action and are also held within any bottom sludges.

This acidic condensate is allowed to rest protected from the open tank liquid turbulence during loading and, therefore, starts corroding the steel in a worm hole type appearance.

Once this corrosion has started the corrosion product rust will prevent the acidic condensation from dispersal and will collect further condensation when available.

Please also take into account that during the late 1970’s a Dr Cox at Cardiff University was funded to undertake a thesis on tankage

internal corrosion. Part of his research was the acidic effect of a microscopic sulphur bug which spores in the water present in hydrocarbon fuels and creates worm hole corrosion in the tankage base metal. Tests to a British Aerospace flight-refuelling bowser, after cleaning, confirmed his findings.

In combination with the above acidic condensation it is also possible to have electrochemical corrosion caused by stray earth currents working in conjunction with the acidic condensation settling in the tank bottom. The chemical process is an ionisation, ie. vanishing, of the Fe molecules.

Ingress of ground water perforation in tank bottom after removing striker plate

On older tanks still using the dipstick method of stock control part of the petroleum licence condition is an instruction that “the dipsticks shall be kept in their respective tanks.”

Because of dissimilar metals (brass on steel) this gives rise to electrochemical erosion wear in addition to the spinning of the dipstick on the tank bottom causing perforation.

c) Dipstick Corrosion

d) Fabrications Defects Defects to the welds on older tanks were not always located during construction due to the lack of enforced inspection procedures.

The weld procedure is to weld from one side (internal) and back grind out on the opposite side (external) to good metal and then to fully seal 34

weld this groove. This is the normal work method on steel fabricated tanks.

During our company’s operation cleaning U.S.T.s we have located many fabrication weld defects which, had the the tank been completed to the B.S. tank standard requirement, would have had all fabrications defect repaired prior to the tank leaving the tank supplier.

Oil companies did not undertake ongoing fabrication inspections and relied on the tank fabricator’s inspection to issue completion certificates. Internal defects were allowed to stand subject to the tank passing its pressure test.

Tankage owners needing to limit financial and legal implications arising from leaking substandard

Fabrication defect to tank internal welds

tanks, have the option of renewing them or undertaking a remedial modification be a retro-fit tank lining system.

We will continue in the next issue of The Bulletin to explore the virtues of tank lining systems against replacement.

This information is provided by Raymond King, Director of King Tanktechnic Ltd., telephone 0161 371 5333. Mr King has over 40 years experience working as an engineer on tankage projects in the UK, Europe and the Far and Middle East on both downstream and upstream operations.

News

Edition reveals women are more likely to be injured in gas pump fires caused by static electricity taken from Inside Edition magazine Although most motorists fuel up at self-service gas stations and proceed without incident, some people have experienced an unusual but extremely dangerous occurrence. Inside Edition's Matt Meagher reveals that static electricity can lead to deadly fires at self-service gas pumps, because it can ignite highly flammable gas vapours.

Steve Fowler, a top expert on static electricity, explains to the syndicated news magazine, "Static can build up when people slide in and out of their vehicles, while they're filling up their tanks… we believe that it can occur 1000 times a year across the United States." Fowler says most of these fires happen to women because they are more likely to get in and out of their vehicle for security reasons after they've started the pump.

Inside Edition reports on Ann Gouker, a 33-year-old mother of four from Sands Spring, Okla., who was killed by a large fire at a self-service gas station. The cause of the fire was static electricity.

Experts believe that when Ann saw a flash fire around her tank, her instincts most likely told her to remove the nozzle from the car. This, however, caused the fire to spread, because the fuel kept pouring out of the nozzle.

Officer Jeff Dowd, who arrived on the scene, recalls, "The body was so engulfed in flames that I could not distinguish male or female. I just knew that it was a body on fire." Ann was rushed to the hospital but died the next day.

Ann's husband, Mike, sued the gas station and the Dover Corporation, the maker of the nozzle. Mike's lawsuit claimed that the nozzle was defective and should have shut off when it hit the ground. He also claimed that the nozzle did not have a safety option, which is relatively inexpensive, that would have shut off gas flow when the nozzle was raised out of a tank. "My wife died for less than 25 cents worth of material that goes in the nozzles," Mike Gouker tells Inside Edition. The case was ultimately settled.

The report also details a case in Las Vegas. 11 year-old Alexis Camfora was pumping gas while her mother was paying the clerk inside a station when, in a split second, a fire erupted around the gas tank. Alexis spent four months in the hospital and had 21 operations.

Most of her body below the neck was scarred. When asked why she pulled the nozzle out of the gas tank after the initial fire erupted, Alexis replied, "because I was afraid the car was going to blow up or something might happen that might make it worse." Fire officials say that if a fire ignites near the tank NEVER pull the nozzle out.

The manufacturers of gas pumps declined to be interviewed by Inside Edition, but their trade group has initiated an awareness campaign.

They've produced a safety video and made it available to TV stations. And some gas stations are now warning customers to keep the nozzle in the tank if a fire begins. One gas chain in South Carolina even has devices for motorists to touch before they gas up in order to discharge static.

Tips If a gas pump fire occurs • DO NOT pull the nozzle out.

• Get away and tell the attendant to turn off the pumps.

• Avoid getting back into your car while gas is pumping.

Experts say, if you must go back into your car once you've started refuelling, make sure you discharge any static by touching another metal object before going near the gas nozzle.

For more information: www.esdjournal.com Electrostatic Discharge Association www.pei.org - Petrol Equipment Institute

North Carolina Man escapes serious injury while refueling It was just one of those strange fires when all the conditions were just right."

Black Mountain Fire Chief Gary Bartlett Paraphrased by Steve Waldrop December 17, 2002

Michael Talbert had more to be thankful for than usual on Thanksgiving Day, after he narrowly escaped being seriously injured after static electricity ignited a fire while he was filling up his 1995 Ford van. Talbert and his family were traveling from Whispering Pines, NC on Thanksgiving Day (November 28) when he decided to stop and refuel his passenger van around 5:30 p.m.

Stopping at a Texaco gas station on Highway 9 in Black Mountain, NC, Talbert, who was wearing blue jeans, a cotton blend sweatshirt and tennis

shoes exited his van and felt a shock as he touched the fuel door. He then started the pump and after the fuel started to dispense, he returned to sit in the van due to the cold weather. The temperature was 24 degrees F, the sky was clear and the relative humidity was at 60%. Just the right conditions for the presence of static electricity.

While Talbert was sitting in the van he turned on the ignition switch and watched as the tank filled. As soon as the gauge reached the "full" indicator, he shut off the ignition and opened the driver side door and returned to the nozzle. As soon as he touched the nozzle he felt another shock and a fireball flashed around the filler neck.

Talbert stated that he may have pulled the hose from the filler neck and dropped it, however, he wasn't sure if he removed it (the filler hose was found on the concrete drive).

The fireball burned Talbert on his face and singed his hair. He then immediately ran around to the passenger side of the van to help his wife and two children escape. Both of his daughters and his wife were able to escape the burning vehicle without injury.

"The fire started from an electrical charge," according to Black Mountain Fire Chief Gary Barlett. "The main event that caused this was when the driver returned to the vehicle because it was so cold. When he touched the nozzle it ignited a fireball right around the vehicle.

He'd gotten back into the vehicle and left it unattended. You should never leave it unattended.”

"The gas tank was nearly full when the van erupted into flames,” the fire chief said. “The first firefighters to respond to the fire said they could see the flames from nearly a mile away as they responded from the Black Mountain Fire Station. The guys said they could see the flames from the gas station when they pulled out. That means the flames were higher than the canopy."

Barlett said. "It was just one of those strange fires when all the conditions were just right. It took the firefighters approximately 20 minutes to put out the fire that injured the driver and totaled the passenger van. In addition, the flames damaged part of the gas canopy and completely destroyed a gas tank,” Barlett said. "I'm just glad there was no one on the other side pumping gas," said the manager of the Texaco station, Charlotte McCurry. She said that she couldn't believe it when she looked up and saw the van and gas station canopy on fire. McCurry said that the fire department arrived in less than a minute, and she was very thankful that no one was seriously injured.

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News

Fuel Innovations IFFE 2003

by Jo Ann Sweeney on behalf of William Reed Exhibitions Come to the International Forecourt & Fuel Equipment Exhibition this spring for the latest on storage, distribution and dispensing of fuel, plus all aspects of forecourt and retail operations.

IFFE runs from 4 to 6 March at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre and entry is free to the industry. Be among the thousands of garage owners, oil executives, fuel distributors, manufacturers, enforcement officers, environmental agencies, lobbyists and bulk users who travel to the show from across Europe.

Andromeda is an easy to use forecourt management package based on Visual Basic and thin client technology.

It includes a Pocket PC, access from the web and ability to see and use data on site or remotely.

Mercury is also launching the latest version of 9600, its smart card pump controller and point of sale system. This update incorporates chip and pin technology allowing customers to key in their personal pin number when they authorise debit payments.

Alternative Fuels

This is a truly international event with visitors also flying in from as far afield as Africa and Asia, America and Australia. They come to meet the around 100 exhibitors, source new business solutions and debate the future of the industry.

LPG products and services will be exhibited at the show for the first time as alternative fuels move into the mainstream. BP LPG UK, Premier Autogas, Flogas, Pumptronics, OPW and Gilbarco-Veeder Root are all underlining their commitment to LPG on their stands.

Exhibitors represent all aspects of fuel retailing from dispensing to alternative fuels, back office systems to pumps and nozzles, drainage to leak detection and storage tanks to waste management.

"Market accessibility is getting better. Two years ago most gas dispensers went out on skid units. This year probably 80 per cent of dispensers sold will be housed on an island in the main forecourt," said Pumptronics commercial director Susan Osborne.

Most of the big manufacturers are exhibiting including Gilbarco-Veeder Root, Tokheim, Meggitt, OPW, Elaflex, Pumptronics and Triscan Fuelling Systems. The majority will be showing existing ranges as well as launching new products and services.

Gilbarco is bringing samples of its entire product range including pumps, tank gauges, dispensers and outdoor payment systems. The company will launch a new version of Passport, its point of sale system for the UK and Ireland as well as two high end multi-fuel dispensers, the Euroline and SK700.

On its stand Triscan Fuelling Solutions is focusing on a forecourt version of the 24/7 unattended terminal currently used in fleet management. The Triscan Elite is ideal for remote locations such as airfields and marinas, as well as forecourts that are unstaffed part of each day.

When the forecourt is staffed the Elite directs customers to go inside to pay so retailers don't lose in-store purchases. Then when the kiosk is closed the dispenser accepts card payments.

"It is very easy to tailor," said Triscan business development manager Peter Marsh. "You decide when to turn it on. As you leave at night all you have to do is flick a switch."

Meggitt Petroleum Systems will launch three new products at IFFE. It debuted a concept version of COPOS - customer-operated point of sale - at the last IFFE in 2001. Now the commercial version will be premiered this spring.

The system marries outdoor payment technology and a pump calculator into a single screen, which reduces the

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footprint of terminals and increases revenue generation.

Because it is a touch screen the unit can also be used as a marketing tool.

Pumptronics will exhibit a range of its stainless steel dispensers illustrating the 50 plus design options that forecourt operators can mix and match to suit their business. New products include a dual fuel pump serving unleaded and LPG from the same dispensing point.

"This has lots of advantages as drivers don't have to fill up at one dispenser then move their car to another and cashiers aren't confused about whether someone is driving off without paying," said Osborne.

Gilbarco-Veeder Root is also launching its first dual fuel dispenser at IFFE. The gauges, pumps and dispensers specialist will be showing its full range of LPG solutions.

"We will have a separate area for LPG on our stand because we feel it is a big growth area in the UK," said marketing manager Marc Braun. "There are not a lot of companies that can show such a complete LPG product line as ourselves."

On its stand Flogas UK will have refuelling demonstrations to show visitors how easy it is to fill a dual fuel vehicle. Technical experts will be on hand to answer questions about LPG installations including design, costs and safety.

News OPW will have a range of alternative fuel products including LPG and compressed natural gas nozzles and an LPG tank gauge that comes in two pieces so the tank does not have to be depressurised when the gauge is replaced.

"Following our take over last year we have a much bigger range of LPG products. With the BP rollout taking off and the public buying LPG we expect lots of interest at the show," said business development director Alan Chandler.

BP is rolling out LPG to new and renovated BP forecourts around Britain and also provides gas to independent garages and commercial fleets. It is using the show to raise awareness of the services it provides to non-BP sites.

Show features for 2003 include a seminar theatre hosting information-packed presentations that address the concerns, changes and future of the European fuel and forecourt industry.

APEA members will speak on wet stock measurement, environmental ground water protection, pressurising systems with line leak protection, vapour control and the oil care campaign.

Other topics include security and crime, training, environmental legislation, oil company agreements, getting the most from vehicle washes, hot fuels and fuels of the future.

Speakers will range from legal experts, lobbyists and senior industry executives, to representatives of other

"Over 1,000 forecourts now sell LPG across the country and we want to drive this up. Non-BP operators have a requirement for gas and we think they will be very interested in seeing what we can offer," said BP LPG UK spokesperson James Palmer. "We'll look at sites anywhere in the country including Scotland and Wales."

Managing Wet Stock Existing and potential buyers will be able to see full ranges of hardware and software from wet stock management suppliers including tank gauges, calibration equipment, pressure sensors, flow indicators, remote diagnostics and analysis programmes.

On their stands Mercury Petroleum Systems, OPW and Fairbanks Environmental will be stressing the financial and environmental consequences of improving leak detection. Fairbanks will run a wet stock clinic where visitors can discuss problems they have with company directors.

"For operators, the ability to cost effectively comply with increasing legislation is a big issue," said sales & marketing co-ordinator Brian Reed. "We can help detect leaks at an early stage and with our system companies can show due diligence and compliance with all legislation."

Mercury is using IFFE to launch two new products into the UK. 4Tech is a tank gauge without a float. Instead it weighs petrol so accuracy is unaffected by temperature changes.

The company will also preview a complete 'closing the loop' solution with a point of sale terminal, tank gauge, wet stock monitoring and remote diagnostics. It is even able to detect deliveries. Information is updated via phone line every two hours.

"Our motto is putting profit back into petrol. It is mainly only new service stations that have double skin tanks.

Lots of operators have old tanks and lines. For them there are environmental issues such as ground water problems and pressure from the environmental agency. The polluter has to pay. We'll be stressing monitoring," said sales director Nick Payne.

trade bodies the Petrol Retailers Association, Institute of Petroleum, Petroleum Equipment Installers & Maintenance Federation and Garage Watch.

For the latest show information and visitor registration visit www.forecourtshow.com or phone 0870 429 4530 for free registration forms.

Come and visit us While you are at the show come and visit us on stand M131. You will be able to pick up the latest copy of The Bulletin and other information about the APEA, as well as meeting Jane Mardell the APEA Business Manager and Events Organiser.

Each day regional representatives will also be on hand to talk through technical, regulatory and operational issues with you.

Be there where: Hall 19, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham when: 4-6 March 2003 getting there: the NEC is easily accessible by air, rail and motorway.

Visit www.necgroup.co.uk for directions, maps and accommodation.

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News

Supervault MH

by Marcus Williams Ledbury Welding & Engineering Ltd Technology that offers a radical new approach to petrol storage is now available in Europe with the launch of the Supervault MH in the UK. Traditionally petrol has been required to be stored underground, but this system has recently encountered a variety of scrutiny mainly relating to accessibility for fire control and the product's inability to guarantee the prevention of soil and groundwater contamination in the event of a tank leak. Many end-users, insurance companies, banks and licensing authorities have questioned the viability of conventional underground tanks, especially over a projected service life of 20 to 30 years.

Although modern electronic monitoring equipment can indicate the presence of a leak, the earliest warning of a problem usually signifies that ground contamination is already underway, leaving excavation and replacement of the leaking tank as the only option.

In an effort to eliminate these concerns and the associated liabilities, many end-users are now opting for the benefits of aboveground storage tanks.

Available in a variety of sizes and in rectangular and cylindrical configurations, aboveground installations provide a safe, reliable and economical means of storing and dispensing petroleum based products and chemicals. As with underground tanks, aboveground tanks can be electronically monitored for leak detection, but are unique in offering the more reliable ability to visually inspect the tank for the absence or presence of liquid product. Prudent end-users no longer have to risk their property, business mortgage, insurance cover, and environment on the ability of an electronic sensor (which is vulnerable to power loss) to detect a leak from an underground tank after it has occurred.

Aboveground storage tanks significantly reduce the substantial civils and installation costs associated with belowground tanks, and can be moved and re-sited as operational requirements change.

Experiences in the USA, including massive ground contamination and serious accidents arising from attempts to store petrol in conventional above ground tanks, led to the development of fire-protected aboveground tanks. These are designed to withstand prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures whilst maintaining the temperature of the primary tank and its contents below the level that might ignite the contained product.

There are two principal testing procedures in the USA relating to protected tanks: United Laboratories UL-2085 and the more severe South West Research Institute SwRI 95-03 and 95-01.

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There are h o w e v e r significant differences in terms of t e s t i n g procedures between the two, with the uninitiated unlikely to be aware of the extremity.

The SwRI 95-03 uses the UL listing as its base, but incorporates improvements specifically written to anticipate extreme field conditions, and comprises a series of exceptionally harsh tests.

The SwRI developed the 95-03 multi-hazard listing standard in response to customer requests for a tank that did not turn into many tons of potentially hazardous waste after exposure to a hazard. The multi-hazard rating normally allows the unit to be re-certified following an exposure to a fire, impact or projectile.

Unlike the UL-2085, the SwRI 95-03 testing dictates that the entire test series is performed on the same tank, calls for double the fire test exposure - 4 hours as opposed to 2 hours, and a second fire test. With the SwRI procedures, impact and ballistics testing are mandatory. The improved 4-hour fire rating means that in the event of a fire, the fire crew has double the time to concentrate on establishing and controlling the source w i t h o u t immediate concern for the tank.

Whilst early technology led to the development of steel tanks encased in heavy concrete structures with little more than a membrane purporting to give secondary containment, such designs leave much to be desired being extremely bulky and vulnerable to a wide range of hazards.

Moreover capacity is restricted by the problems of transportation and in the event of a fire, tanks with an exposed concrete exterior would likely suffer extensive damage as a result of the fire and hose-stream exposure.

Technology has evolved, and today the leading design available is the Supervault MH, which is fundamentally different. True secondary containment (ie. 110% of inner tank capacity) is achieved using steel inner and outer tanks, with the interstitial space filled with a lightweight concrete based insulation. Such is the reduction in weight that units up to 70,000 litres are readily transportable.

News The Supervault MH is the first tank to pass the stringent safety requirements of the SwRI 95-03 and 95-01, achieving both multi-hazard rating and a 4-hour fire rating.

This additional fire protection proved its worth in the case of three 6000-gallon Supervault tanks in Freemont, California, which were directly exposed to a fire when the delivery tanker pumping petrol into the tanks ignited. The fire burned for more than 2 hours, consuming 9000 gallons of fuel from the tanker. The fire crews were glad to learn that the fuel tanks adjacent to UK, with the granting of an exclusive manufacturing and marketing license for the Supervault MH to Ledbury Welding & Engineering Ltd, following extensive vetting of the company's working practices by the SwRI and the design owners, US based Brown Minneapolis Tank.

This makes Ledbury Welding & Engineering Ltd the only UK manufacturer of a protected aboveground storage tank.

the tanker were multi-hazard rated 4-hour Supervault tanks, providing the added safety that gave the firemen options on how the fire was tackled. Whilst the tanker was left a burnt out shell, the Supervaults suffered only cosmetic damage to the exterior.

The multi-hazard rating meant that whilst the manufacturing plant took the opportunity to upgrade to larger Supervault MH tanks, the tanks involved in the fire were subsequently re-certified and sold to another organisation, in the full knowledge that they had been in a fire. The licensing authority did not have a problem

Although this technology is relatively new to the UK, there are already many installations either operational or in planning at facilities including many of the major vehicle manufacturers, local authorities, car rental firms, golf clubs etc. Negotiations are also at a very advanced stage for the supply of four units to a major petrol retailer, which will be a significant development for aboveground petrol tanks in the UK as all previous sites have been commercial applications.

The granting of an exclusive manufacturing and marketing license for the Supervault MH to Ledbury Welding adds a further dimension to the high quality range of integrally bunded diesel storage tanks and installation services offered by the Herefordshire based company.

For further information on the Supervault, or other fuel storage, then please contact LWE on 01531 632222 or e-mail: sales@lweltd.co.uk

with allowing the reinstallation of the tanks. This incident actually increased their existing confidence regarding protected tanks, especially when it was revealed that the for the 3 to 4 hours that the fire lasted, the temperature and pressure inside the Supervaults was not high enough to activate the pressure relief system.

This technology has recently been extended to the 39

News

MyTankGauge

2.

A new service is being offered to service station owners and operators to enable them to meet the environmental and safety requirements of legislation in the UK.

MyTankGauge Poll Service- Fax/Modem in your tank gauge is periodically polled for information or can be polled on demand.

3.

MyTankGaugePC- Computer running MyTankGauge PC software is connected to your tank gauge to provide hourly updates.

MyTankGauge is an affordable solution for making petrol station inventory and compliance information available from the web. It turns your tank gauge into an Internet enabling device.

For more information on this new idea contact My Tank Gauge Technology http://www.mytankgauge.com or email: info@mytankgauge.com

It enables you to: • • • • •

Monitor in-tank inventory in near real time using any web browse or PDA Be notified automatically when an alarm occurs Start a leak test from the web Clear alarms from the web Eliminate keeping paper copies, electronic copies are kept than can be viewed and printed from the web

The system offers three different products for getting you tank gauge data on the web. Each of the three products achieve the same results- making your fuel and compliance information available from any web browser. My Tank Gauge will help you select the most cost effective product depending on your existing equipment and the individual needs of your stations.

1.

MyTankGauge iPort - small black box is connected to your gauge to supply hourly updates.

New Road Tanker Delivery Legislation The Health and Safety Executive are about to publish a new Approved Code of Practice called "Unloading Petrol From Road Tankers". The publication should be ready for printing at the end of March and will be in force in early May 2003.

The new ACOP will replace the existing requirements The Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996 and schedule 12 which covers Unloading of Petrol at Petroleum Filling Stations and certain other premises Licensed for the Keeping of Petrol. Which covers both Licensee Controlled Deliveries and Driver Controlled Deliveries.John Hazeldean of the HSE will make a presentation on the new ACOP and the changes permitted at the APEA AGM on May 12th.

Pictured below two new products from Hytek (GB) Ltd for use on stage 1b vapour recovery systems Vapour Adapter The user friendly Vapour Adapter.

A new improved hi-flow vapour recovery adapter capable of accepting the new vapour return hose fitting. Incorporating the driver protection cuff, which prevents vapour escape when either connecting or disconnecting the hose. This quality product is manufactured using a diecast aluminium alloy body, with internal components using 316 stainless steel, viton seals and aluminium for the valve housing. The valve stem travels through a brass hi-flow housing, incorporating a selflubricating phosphor bronze bush. An orange cap with captive padlock and stainless retaining chain is available as original equipment.

Valves are individually boxed.

Pressure Vacuum Vent A new pressure/vacuum valve is of a completely new innovative design, manufactured from materials, which will give reliability in service. To meet current guidelines an optional return to base 3 yr factory inspection is available at a modest cost. The main body will be anodised green and a year of production / installation central band of a different colour starting with black for year 2003, followed by orange for year 2004 etc. Each valve will be in-house tested to ensure it conforms to the correct settings, it will be boxed and individually coded to trace production and assembly operatives if required. Both valves are produced using "state of art" machinery, and sound engineering practices.

Available from Hytek (GB) Ltd - 01279 815600 40

News

My Introduction to this Industry

by Tony Jenner I, like many, joined this industry by accident. It was in the long hot summer of 1976 when I started a month long contract with a company to assist with the assembly of 20 Wayne 1860 Blender pumps. (I was still working there 4 years later - but that is a different story)!

Until that time I had no understanding of what made a petrol pump work (some say I still don't)!

Imagine my surprise, therefore, to be confronted by a heap of unidentified parts with no drawings, parts lists or assembly schematics to help. The only aid I had was a partially completed pump that was located on the ground floor of the building, the parts being heaped on the upper floor which was separated by several corridors and a concrete staircase from the pattern.

My first day's work left me weary from the many tiresome journeys up and down these stairs, each time carrying a vital part for identification purposes.

This futile activity was the equal of trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle, but having first emptied all the pieces onto the upstairs bedroom floor and then taking the box lid with it's picture and placing it in the kitchen!

Weary, but determined to succeed I thought of two possible solutions! Why not:a). Take my exotic jig saw pieces downstairs? b). Bring the completed pattern upstairs?

Not rocket science really, so I went off to find somebody in authority to break this exciting news to. I soon found a senior member of staff, who attentively listened to my plight for about 10 seconds! He then became apoplectic, and appeared to be having extreme difficulty in communicating, making spluttering noises that seemed to become more uncontrollable as his rage heightened. He bellowed that there was no room downstairs for the pumps to be assembled, and also demanded to know if I had any idea how much the completed pump weighed. Without waiting for a reply (another of his truly endearing traits) he stuttered that the thing weighed about 5 cwt, and therefore getting it upstairs would be impossible.

As he stomped off, I could hear mutterings to the effect that only those who are mentally deficient would have made such a ridiculous suggestion in

the first place!

I thanked him for his kind and a t t e n t i v e support, and resigned myself to more wearisome days trudging up and down stairs.

Whilst so engaged, I had ample time to reflect on the undoubted wisdom of this gentleman, obviously, if getting one pump up these torturous stairs was not possible he must have a trick or two up his sleeve to get twenty down!

Sadly, but much to my amusement such forward thinking had not been employed! The ultimate remedy was to engage a firm of builders to cut a hole in the wall just above floor level on the second floor, with a specialist lifting contractor hired to crane the completed pumps to ground level. An enthusiastic and excited crowd soon assembled to witness this spectacle; each one confident of entertainment as the news was out that the whole operation was to be overseen by my new and excitable friend!

The crane driver foolishly observed that it may be of benefit if the overhead 'phone lines were first disconnected, and secondly, it would make the whole operation easier if the car parked beneath the new opening was moved. At this juncture, I am delighted to recount, that our hero behaved exactly as expected and vociferously imposed his undoubted superior knowledge of crane operations upon the crane driver!

Of course, as you may already have guessed, the upshot was that British Telecom were summoned to repair the overhead telephone lines, (and to receive a severe dressing down for having positioned them so inconveniently in the first place), and the owner of the now dented car was brusquely admonished for ever parking there!

As soon as it became obvious that the show was over, we all returned to our labours, amazed and amused, but secure in the knowledge that the management of this company was safely in the hands of true professionals!

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Branches Scotland Following our successful September meeting and training day on "Fireworks and the Future" we intend to build on that success and have another training day following our AGM on 2nd April 2003. The venue will be Stirling Council Chambers and the AGM will be followed by an ambitious seminar on "Problems with Modern Filling Station Construction". Five speakers will cover all areas from initial planning through construction to final commissioning and will include daily operational concerns.

A small fee will be charged to cover the cost of catering and the seminar will be open to members and non-members alike.

Ian Hillier Branch Chairman

Yorkshire & Humberside The Branch had one meeting in 2002 held at the Novotel Hotel in York. Twenty members attended, which once again proves that it can be difficult for members to take time out of their busy work schedule. Three speakers were booked to attend but only two were able to attend.

The speakers were Martin Kite from Veeder Root and Helen Kazakerley from Oceans ESU. Martin gave a presentation on Leak Detection and Statistical Reconciliation. Helen gave a presentation on the current situation regarding the use of Reed Bed Technology on petrol filling stations.

The speaker for the afternoon could not attend, I gave a very brief resume of the new Petroleum Regulations under DSEAR. At our next meeting in April 2003 (date and venue to be confirmed ).

It is hoped that one of the speakers will deliver an update on this subject.

Eastern There have been two successful meetings of the Eastern Branch.

The first was held in Frankfurt in September at the Automechanika exhibition. This was a large show and a well facilitated venue providing a unique opportunity to see the latest developments. The day was good value for money and well attended by members (be it very tired members by the end of the day!).

The second meeting in December was attended by BMW who presented on the subject of hydrogen car development and the internal combustion engine. I Taylor said that realistic marketing would not take place before 15 - 20 years. Wally Brooks was also scheduled to speak on Pressure Systems but unfortunately was taken ill and unable to attend the meeting. In his absence Paul Rayner stepped in to present the subject.

Initial plans are in place for the next meeting with a visit planned to Elaflex in Hamburg. The Eastern Branch Secretary Anton Martiniussen will be organising the trip, but as yet there are no dates set or details available.

Ian Taylor Branch Chairman

North West On the 13th November 2002 the North West branch along with the IP organised a joint seminar held at Haydock Park, the theme being mainly the environment.

In addition to the seminar, a small but effective exhibition was held. This combined exhibition/seminar was fairly well attended

by APEA members and IP member’s (40).

The APEA current chairman (Tony Jenner), gave his usual few words of wisdom and encouragement to hold more joint ventures to bring members of both associations closer together. All the organising was carried out bye Steve Jones and Bob Conlin, treasurer and secretary respectively, of N.W. branch of the APEA. I must add that Bob and his committee have done sterling work over the last couple of years to bring back into N.W. membership to holding ever growing successful branch meetings.

Please keep it going and moving forward.

Mel Churm Branch Chairman

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There is I believe an increasing difficulty in trying to find speakers who are willing to give their time to one of our meetings.

Subject matter is another problem, and I would ergo members to contact me with any suggestions on what subjects they would like updating on.

In the meantime I hope everyone as a successful year and I look foreword to seeing as many members as possible in April.

Clive Evers Branch Chairman

Southern At the 2002 AGM the following members were elected to serve the branch. Geoffrey Wheeler (chairman), Robbie Robson (vice chairman), David Sommers (secretary), Jack Brinkhurst (treasurer), Phil Monger (branch representative on Council), Annie Risbridger, David Dunk, Ian Farmer, Barry Jenner (committee members).

Last year the Southern Branch held two successful meetings which were both well attended by members, some of whom travelled great distances to be there. The meetings were held at Cholderton, which is on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border and is centrally placed within the region. Subjects covered included 'A fresh look at DCD control', 'Early Leak Detection', 'Explosive Protection -- A European approach' and ‘Wireless technology'.

The Autumn meeting was devoted to the subject of training and was complimented by a presentation on new gauging technology by 4Tech.

An early meeting in 2003 was held at Westerham in Kent on 22nd January and was attended by 40+ members. We received an update on the review of petroleum legislation which included the new Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR). The meeting concluded with a presentation on pressure pumping systems.

As a regular feature at regional meetings, we now have an update on APEA national matters from our representative, which provides opportunity for members to give their feedback and suggestions as to how the APEA can best meet their needs.

Phil Monger Branch Chairman

Please note:

Training

Training Course dates Detailed below are the current course dates organised for 2003: PFS; Construction & Environmental Awareness 15 Apr 2003 to 16 Apr 2003

Courses will be designed around the new TCB Document, Design and Construction of Service Stations. All APEA Members will have received a copy, free of charge, as a benefit of membership. Non-members can purchase copies through either the Association Administrator or at course venues at £90.00 each or £30.00 each to APEA members. It is strongly recommended that attendees have access to this document during courses.

Glasgow

20 May 2003 to 21 May 2003 Portadown (N.I.) (Full) 22 May 2003 to 23 May 2003 Portadown (N.I.) 10 Jun 2003 to 11 Jun 2003

Derby

17 Jun 2003 to 18 Jun 2003

Dublin

8 Jul 2003 to 9 Jul 2003

Stoke on Trent

23 Sep 2003 to 24 Sep 2003

Bournemouth

4 Nov 2003 to 5 Nov 2003

Ipswich

18 Nov 2003 to 19 Nov 2003

Basingstoke

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: Brian Baker, APEA Training Course Co-ordinator 1 Brookside, Hodge Lea, Milton Keynes MK12 6JW Tel: Mobile: Fax:

01908 252332 07932 785 166 01908 252319

e-mail: brian@bpbaker.fsnet.co.uk Electrical Installations An Awareness 17 Apr 2003

Glasgow

24 May 2003

Portadown (NI)

26 Jun 2003

Ipswich

24 Jul 2003

Stoke on Trent

25 Sep 2003

Kegworth

23 Oct 2003

Cardiff

LPG Installations (Autogas) 3 Mar 2003

Sheffield

12 May 2003

Ipswich

2 Jun 2003

Stoke on Trent

8 Sep 2003

Kegworth

29 Sep 2003

Basingstoke

1 Dec 2003

Portadown (NI)

PFS; Audit and Inspection 14 Jun 2003 to 15 Jun 2003

Durham

21 Jun 2003 to 22 Jun 2003

Ipswich

1 Jul 2003 to 2 Jul 2003

Chester

17 Jul 2003 to 18 Jul 2003

Basingstoke

7 Oct 2003 to 8 Oct 2003

Portadown(NI)

9 Oct 2003 to 10 Oct 2003

Portadown (NI)

21 Oct 2003 to 22 Oct 2003

Glasgow

25 Nov 2003 to 26 Nov 2003

Bournemouth

9 Dec 2003 to 10 Dec 2003

Stoke on Trent

Training Course sponsors The APEA wish to thank the following companies that have added to the ever growing list by choosing to send delegates to APEA training courses: City of Edinburgh Council Diamond Construction Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service East Riding of Yorkshire Council Flintshire Fort Vale AD Halliford Construction HLM Design Middlesbrough Council Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service Pump & Pipe work Services Ltd Royal Mail Swindon Borough Council Tesco Stores Plc Veeder Root West Dunbartonshire Council This makes 122 Organisations that sponsor APEA Training Course, without your support it would not be possible.

Wet Stock Monitoring 11 Mar 2003

Bournemouth

15 Apr 2003

Manchester

13 May 2003

Dublin

10 Jun 2003

Stoke on Trent

17 Jun 2003

Durham

8 Jul 2003

Ipswich

1 Sep 2003

Durham

13 Oct 2003

Portsmouth

10 Nov 2003

Portsmouth

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Training

Training Course Descriptions

Course No2 - Petrol Filling Stations; Audit & Inspection (2 days)

Course No1 - Petrol Filling Stations; Design, Construction, Modification & Maintenance (2 days)

Description

Description This course is essential for anyone new to the Industry and undertakes enforcement or Project Management duties in respect of Petrol Filling Stations. The subject matter is based on the APEA/IP Joint Publication; "Petrol Filling StationsDesign, Construction, Modification & Maintenance" (November 1999). The course goes through the various stages of construction of a Filling Station until completion and then goes on to explain how equipment and the installations are maintained concluding with the decommissioning of a Site.

Who should attend Petroleum Officers Environmental Health Officers Environmental Agency Officers Trading Standards Officers Project Managers Contractor Equipment Suppliers & Manufacturers Auditors Health & Safety Managers/Advisors Subjects Covered: Legislation Governing Petrol Filling Stations Site Planning & Layout Environmental Considerations Properties & Hazards of Petrol Hazardous Area Classifications Construction Site Safety Storage Tanks; Functional Requirements Tank Types, Protection and Installation Above Ground Tanks & Measuring Pipe work Systems Planning & Types of Systems Design & Installation Dispensers; Systems & Selection Vapour Control Emission Systems Leak Detection; Choice & Classification of Systems Canopies & Buildings Drainage Systems; Assessment & methods Electrical Installations; An Introduction Maintenance & In Service Testing Repairs & Decommissioning This Course attracts 12 hours Continued Professional Development and is a very wide ranging introduction to the subject with numerous hand out material written by experienced people within the industry. The price includes 2 nights accommodation, Evening Meals, Breakfast, refreshments throughout each day, all Hand Out materials and a Presentation Certificate Fees APEA Members: £450.00 each plus VAT Non-Members: £550.00 each plus VAT Members Special Day Delegate Rate £295.00 each plus VAT, excludes 2 nights accommodation, Breakfast and Evening Meal (£395.00 each plus VAT for Nonmembers)

This course is ideal for those who enforce legislation and inspect Petrol Filling Stations and has a practical application throughout its 2 days duration. The course has been designed to take an Auditor or Inspector through the 'Back of Office' audit trail on key documents that are to be retained on site, including licensing/consent documents. There is an update on the latest legislation affecting these sites followed by an understanding of the Retail Market followed by a live a Inspection of a Petrol Filling Station and an explanation on what to look for. A full detailed explanation of HS(G0 146 Risk Assessment is covered together with a Desk Top Exercise Who Should Attend Petroleum Officers Environmental Health Officers Environmental Agency Officers Trading Standards Officers Fire Authorities Consultants Project Managers Health & Safety Managers/Advisors Company Auditors Subjects Covered The Petrol Station Market & types of Filling Stations Preparing for the Inspection and its Format A Look at Petrol Filling Stations (Slide Presentation) Administrative Records; What to Look for Enforcement Principles Storage Tanks, Tanker Stands, Vents & Vapour Recovery Pumps, Dispensers & Electrical Aspects Fire Precautions & Signage Drainage Systems; What to Look for Risk Assessment (HS (G) 146) & Desk Top Exercise Tanker Deliveries A Visit to a Modern Petrol Filling Station Discussion; Recommendations & Contraventions Enforcement Options Dealing with Plan Submissions and Alterations This course attracts 12 hours Continued Professional Development and applies a practical approach to enforcement supported by numerous Hand Out material. The price includes 2 nights accommodation, Evening meals, Breakfast, refreshments throughout each the day and a Presentation Certificate Fees APEA Members: £450.00 each plus VAT Non-members: £550.00 each plus VAT Members Special Day Delegate Rate £295.00 each plus VAT, excludes 2 nights accommodation, Breakfast and Evening Meal (£395.00 each plus VAT for Nonmembers)

Course No. 3 - Electrical Installations - An Awareness Description This new Course has been designed to cover the Electrical Section of the joint APEA/IP Guidance for the Design,

48

Training Construction, Modification & Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations.

Who should attend Petroleum Officers Environmental Health Officers Fire Authorities Electrical Engineers & Contractors Architects Project Managers Construction Companies Subjects covered What is Electricity & Who are Electrical Contractors?

Electricity, Legislation, Standards & Guidance Why Petrol Filling Stations are Special Installations The APEA/IP Guidance Section on Electrical Installations Site Planning Earthing Systems Hazardous & Non Hazardous Area Equipment Where Electrical Equipment is located on a Petrol Filling Station Isolation & Switching Over Current Protection & Discrimination Protection Against Shock Wiring Systems Periodic Inspection & Certification (The New Style) This course is essential for those requiring a greater understanding of electrical systems in hazardous area and for those that design, audit, install or inspect.

Fees APEA Members: £160.00 each plus VAT Non-members: £220.00 each plus VAT

Pipe work Systems Ventilation & Key Safeguards Risk Assessment Leak Detection Maintenance & Inspection This course is essential for those involved in design, installation and enforcement that will provide an understanding of this ever increasing auto-fuel.

Fees APEA Members: £160.00 each plus VAT Non-members: £200.00 each plus VAT

Course No. 5 - Wet Stock Monitoring Description This new course is designed to provide a working knowledge of Wet Stock Management for those who manage a Forecourt or are in need of understanding the various methods and data that is presented to them. This also needs to be placed into context when a leak is suspected and the potential disastrous consequences this can bring a Forecourt Operator.

Who should attend Petroleum Officers Environmental Health Officers Trading Standards Officers Consultants Fire Authorities Environmental Agency Staff Engineers & Project Managers Subjects covered

Course No. 4 - LPG Installations (Autogas) Description This new Course has been designed to meet the demand of the Industry and covers the Design, Installation and Risk Assessment for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG or Autogas) Installations now appearing on Forecourts all over the UK. References will be made to the LP Gas Association’s Codes of Practice and other key documents The course will also be relevant where the introduction of new Regulations concerning Petrol Filling Stations are will ‘control’ the sale and storage of LPG. Who should attend Petroleum Officers Environmental Health Officers Fire Authorities Trading Standards Officers Consultants Project Managers & Engineers Architects Construction Companies Equipment Suppliers & Manufacturers

Legislative Overview Theory & Calculation of Wet Stock Variance Formats & Systems of Wet Stock methods The Causes of Variances Reconciliation Components Checking Data Loss Investigation Case Studies This Course will prove invaluable for those that intend and provide confidence in interpreting data.

Fees APEA Members: £160.00 each plus VAT Non-members: £200.00 each plus VAT

Did you know?

We Trained 254 delegates in 2002, ran 19 Courses across the UK and provided training to 110 organisations We offer 5 and soon to be 8 different courses

Subjects covered Site Planning & Layout Storage Vessels (Above & Below Ground) LPG Dispensers & Nozzles

APEA Training Learn with the Professionals 51

Training

‘It should not happen to a Trainer’

by Brian Baker It has been a fantastic year for training as we eventually got off the ground in April 2002 following quite a long time since we offered this service to the industry. In all, 19 courses were held, 4 on Construction & Environmental Awareness, 5 on Audit & Inspection of Petrol Filling Stations, 3 on Electrical Installations, 4 on LPG Installations and 3 on Wet Stock Monitoring.

The interesting thing here is that I never knew Electrical Installations could be so emotive, especially when we discussed the new certification arrangements. Poor John was drained by the end of the day as for most of it he was on his feet and talking all the time.

It all started at Northampton on 22 April when I joined forces with Jamie Thompson to do the first Construction Course spread over 2 days. We had 12 delegates being a mixture of Operators/Regulators with overseas being represented by Bapco of Bahrain.

As the year drew to a close, the Wet Stock Monitoring Courses commenced with Bob Conlin being the principal author as the first went off at Leicester Forest. I was not sure what to expect on this one but by the end of the day we had 17 very happy delegates, mainly from Welcome Break Ltd as they exercised their own knowledge as well as adding to it.

They (curiously) most enjoyed the tests Bob had set up by finding that leak or over measure.

By nature I went into a 'clucking Hen' mode as it is important that the facilities are right, the delegates are looked after and Trainers are equipped. Also that handout material is plentiful as well as the visuals are effective. As it was a rush, we decided to have slide presentations and Jamie brought a large range from his personal collection that included some from the dark ages at the turn of the century!

I made sure all was in place, reference material neatly stacked in order and ready to hand out and off I went with the first 3 sessions. Then Jamie took over…. Gradually the teaching room changed into a ‘Car Boot Sale’ with papers and books everywhere. Pipe and Valve specimens where flung to any bit of floor space going. My neat beginnings became the local refuse tip! Good old Jamie, he is a great guy but a nightmare to follow.

The next course was Audits & Inspections where I spent two days with Paul Craven from Suffolk CC. I have known Paul for a few years now and he has a totally different style. The opening day went well but very tiring. Calm, cool and methodical, until he hits the bar in the evening and had a couple of sherbets! Then the anchorage points go and Paul goes all over the shop.

The first LPG Course was arranged in my own backyard of Milton Keynes and I had the pleasure of working with Phil Lambeth, BP's senior Project Engineer. Phil is well versed in presentations and the 18 delegates we had for the day appeared very attentive to the sessions we covered. In fact yours truly was able to take a back seat and worry about the tea and coffee arriving on time. Some great visuals though as Phil took everyone through a Forecourt LPG Installation.

Richard Wigfull prepared most of the Handouts. Thanks Richard.

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some months previous and produced a very handy short guide to the subject matter. Faced with 18 delegates ranging from Major Oil Companies, Electrical Engineers and Regulators John set about his task going through each subject explicitly explaining in lay terms the issues that we all wonder about but never really get to grips with.

And so this overview 'report' draws to a close and we have embarked on 2003 courses and at the time of writing this, 3 went off last week that saw 34 more delegates attending in all.

Simply by looking at the Training Pages of the APEA's Web Site you will see what is lined up and where. It has been for me hard graft but very pleasing to meet so many new colleagues and learn more myself about this industry.

It should not happen to a Trainer…..or should it?

Thanks to all.

Brian

Cameron Forecourt Ltd Appointed as Training Providers Cameron Forecourt has been accredited as approved trainers by the Safety Passport Alliance to provide quality training to meet the standards of the UKPIA Safety Passport scheme.

Based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, the company has a dedicated training centre where this industry specific training can be delivered by the approved lecturers, Graham Webb and Tony Jenner. Alternatively, by arrangement, training can be carried out at individual customer's premises or at other suitable venues throughout the country.

Another experience was at Derby in the summer where our Chairman, Tony Jenner decided he fancied doing an Audit & Inspection Course. Sitting at the front of the class surrounded by 12 Regulators, Tony thoroughly enjoyed himself as he learned some inside information about us Enforcers. In fact he took us all down the pub on the first evening to sample the local brew which the following morning no-one remembered as we carried on with our visit to a Petrol Filling Station.

Imagine, 14 PO's (with headaches) bearing down on an Esso branded site operated by a dealer!

(Phil Monger would have had kittens if he had been there).

It is the intention to hold regular UKPIA courses each month where individual places can be booked. These courses should be of particular interest to organisations who wish to have individuals trained, or to the smaller contracting companies who employ only a few staff.

This appointment is the first in an overall training development programme for the company. Ultimately, it is the intention to provide a wide spectrum of training embracing not only health & safety issues, but also technical training for the many different pumps and control systems found in the field.

As we reached the Autumn, my next involvement was with John Dallimore doing Electrical Installations. He and Gareth Bourhill of DRB Electrics had been preparing presentations for

For further information on the training facilities offered by Cameron Forecourt Ltd, please contact: Graham Webb on 01226 742441 or email: grahamwebb@cameron-forecourt.com

Some recent photographs of APEA Training course attendees

Training

LPG Installations Course, Cardiff October 7th 2002

Construction & Environmental Awareness Course, Sheffield 21/22 October 2002

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Training

Audit & Inspection Course, Derby 16/17 June 2002

Audit & Inspection Course, Swindon 11/12 June 2002 56