CROWES Bulletin March 2008.qxp
11/2/08
11:52
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News safety and security adviser said, "The safety and security of our staff and customers is always our top priority. We have taken on board feedback from our customers and hope this will address their needs. We would prefer motorcyclists to remove their helmets before they enter the forecourt shop, but we appreciate this is an inconvenience and difficult to enforce and we do not wish to create any potential conflict for our staff and customers." Signs asking customers to remove any headgear will remain in place as "These are seen as a request rather than instruction."
UK, High levels of Illegal red diesel used according to UK Revenue & Customs Thousands of motorists nationwide are filling up with illegal fuel, according to Revenue and Customs. Customs officers have carried out spot checks at petrol stations, supermarkets and car parks to catch motorists using reducedduty fuels. In some areas one in five tanks in vehicles stopped were found to contain red diesel, an agricultural fuel only intended for off-road farming vehicles. Red diesel only costs about 35p a litre - about 65p less than ordinary fuels. So far this year, more than 1,700 private cars have been found running on the illegal fuel. Red diesel works in the same way as normal diesel but, because it is taxed at a lower rate, it is only to be used in agricultural vehicles. With normal diesel prices soaring, Revenue and Customs fear that drivers using the fuel illegally are costing UK taxpayers £350m each year.
UK, Grimsby. Taxi women in petrol death Dec 2007 - A taxi office explosion that killed two women may have been caused by a can of petrol carried by the cab firm boss. Tony Barker is believed to have had the fuel which suddenly ignited when he walked into the small office on a garage forecourt. His wife Sue and Ann Mawer were killed and he suffered burns after the building was engulfed in flames. Fire Service spokesman Glenn Ramsden said: “We have no reason to suspect foul play and we think it is just a terrible accident which may have involved petrol.” 16
A spokeswoman at the Diana Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby said Tony was “comfortable”. She added: “He is out of intensive care and back on a ward, but he won’t be going anywhere for the time being.” Tony lived with his wife, also in her 40s, near the office in Immingham, Lincs. Friend Hayley Dobbs, 39, said: “He is an absolutely brilliant person to speak to, so was his wife. If you wanted anything doing they’d go to the ends of the earth to do it. I think it’s absolutely dreadful.” Sue had three daughters and a number of grandchildren. Her youngest grandson was born in the summer. Hayley added: “She just lived for her grandchildren, they were everything to her. She’ll be so greatly missed.” Ann Mawer was described as “a lovely lady”. Postwoman Katie Styles added: “It’s such a shock. Everyone pretty much knows everyone around here and it’s such a terrible thing to happen.”
UK, Cambridge. Chemical leak closes petrol station Dec 2007 - A chemical leak from a tanker led to the closure of a petrol station. Police closed an area of the Cambridge Services on the A14, near Boxworth, when 20,000 litres of methanol began leaking. Three fire crews, a fire rescue team and a hazardous substance recovery unit were scrambled. The section was cordoned off amid fears of toxic fumes escaping as the fuel was transferred to another tanker. Methanol, a form of biodisel, can cause serious harm if inhaled, with side effects including dizziness, sickness and respiratory failure.
UK, Explosion in Corringham TORY MP Bob Spink has called for a new law to protect communities from hazardous industrial sites, following the explosion at the Coryton oil refinery. Castle Point MP Bob Spink watched in horror as a 100ft plume of smoke drifted towards Canvey minutes after the explosion rocked the refinery in Corringham. Now the MP is calling for legislation that would introduce a "safe siting policy" which would lay down stringent rules on how close hazardous sites could be built to residential areas. Any such law could only apply to future planning applications. However, if it was passed in time, it
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could have an influence on Calor Gas's plan to expand its terminal on Canvey. The company is expected to resubmit its plans in coming months. Control of major accident hazards sites, such as the Coryton refinery and the Calor plant, are only covered by Health and Safety Executive advice given to authorities. When considering new applications such as the proposed Calor terminal expansion, planners could choose to ignore such advice. Dr Spink, who worked closely with Canvey campaign group People Against Methane in fighting the Calor expansion before it was withdrawn ahead of a public inquiry last month, said: "We saw all too graphically this week how great a risk these sites pose, especially when there is little separation from home and schools, and the handling and storage of volatile explosive materials. "This incident shows how important it is to resist Calor's proposals. I will be raising these matters in Parliament and I will address the safety issues surrounding such hazardous sites. "I have assurances from the refinery and the Environment Agency there were no toxic fumes released by the fire. But I have asked for an environmental impact assessment, including run-off issues and toxic fume analysis." The MP said he would introduce a Private Members' Bill and make a speech in Parliament on January 15, which would focus on a policy to ensure there is statutory national guidelines to protect communities. He said he would also fight any further attempts by Calor to build a liquid natural gas terminal near a densely-populated area of Canvey. Investigation under way AN investigation is under way to determine the cause of the explosion and blaze at the Coryton oil refinery. Officials are trying to understand how a gas leak resulted in a fierce blaze erupting at the Petroplus plant, near Corringham. The full inquiry into the incident is taking place between staff from Petroplus, which bought the plant from BP earlier this year for almost £75million, and the Health and Safety Executive. Experts are to examine any similarities between the fire and the huge explosion at an oil storage depot at Buncefield in Hertfordshire, in December 2005. Refinery manager Jon Barden has stressed the majority of the plant is operating normally and customer
