CROWES Bulletin March 2008.qxp
11/2/08
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Articles
History of Petrol Stations Part 5 - Churchill’s Departmental Committee Report on Petroleum Spirit (Section One) By Brian Baker In the annals of petroleum history, there is a cornerstone to record - and that simply is known as the Departmental Committee‘s First Report on Petroleum Spirit which was set up to report to the then Home Secretary, the Right Honourable Winston Churchill, MP who in 1909 was the UK’s Home Secretary.
The need for a Departmental Committee came about as the number of fires and explosions involving petroleum spirit following its importation, distribution and storage became widespread across the UK with deaths and serious injuries being sustained. Its original use as a lighting fuel was still in use, so too was its use as a cleaning solvent as well as in hairdressing but more significantly, the rise and presence of the motor vehicle accelerated its use and there was a huge increase for its demand in the
early years of 20th century Britain. In fact the impact of the Committees findings was to eventually see a complete re-issue of petroleum regulations some years later that was to become known as the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act. 1928 (and later in 1929 for Northern Ireland) T h e Committee came into being on 1 9 t h December 1 9 0 8 (Command Paper No. 5175) under a Warrant of Appointment w h o s e members were Sir Henry Hardinge Cunnyghame as Chairman, Sir Boverton Redwood, a Cabinet Minister, Major Aston McNeill Cooper-Key, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Explosives and James Ollis, Chief Officer, Public Control Department of the then London County Council.
On 11th February 1909, Arthur Boyle, Engineer Surveyor in Chief of the Marine Department of the Board of Trade was also appointed to contribute specifically to incidents involving petroleum in the Docks and Harbours around the UK. The Committee’s task was “To inquire into the sufficiency of the existing regulations relating to the storage, use and conveyance of petroleum spirit and to report what further precautions, if any, are in their opinion desirable as 50
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tending to diminish the dangers attendant thereon” The Warrant being signed by Hubert J Gladstone, son of the of the famous William Gladstone, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain who held office some years earlier.
To conduct such a wide ranging inquiry, 39 people were questioned and recorded between 23 February 1909 and 3 February 1910, including John Troutbeck the Coroner for Westminster and South West London, The Right Honourable Earl Russell and the head of the London Fire Brigade, Captain Thompson. The first report was published as Command Paper No at the sum of 6d (2.5p) in 1910. They used the term Flash Point of Petroleum Spirit as 73 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the report and examined witnesses from the Local Authorities, Railways, Trade Interests, Manufacturers of Safety Devices, The London Fire Brigade, the London Salvage Corps and the British Fire Prevention Committee and finally “Motorists”. The insurance industry was also represented by a Mr Dilloway. This committee visited Purfleet where large storages belonging to the AngloAmerican and British Petroleum Companies as well a visit to Portishead, near Bristol (Avonmouth). A further visit was made to the works of the Safety Non-Explosive Reservoir Company where they witnessed demonstrations
