New APEAMembers

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 - Ataxi 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.”

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 - Achemical 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

TORYMPBob Spink has called for a new law to protect communities from hazardous industrial sites, following the explosion at the Coryton oil refinery.

Castle Point MPBob Spink watched in horror as a 100ft plume of smoke drifted towards Canvey minutes after the explosion rocked the refinery in Corringham.

Now the MPis 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 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 MPsaid 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

deliveries are being maintained.

He added: "Coryton refinery has been an important part of the community in this part of Essex for many years and a large part of our workforce live in the surrounding area. "The safety of everyone both inside and outside the plant is our top priority."

He stressed how although some units at the refinery had to be shut down following the incident the rest of the refinery was operating normally and that customer deliveries were being maintained

Around 80 firefighters spent several hours tackling the flames and worked to cool the tower down to prevent it from completely exploding and fortunately no one was injured.

After leaving a couple of crews to keep watch overnight Essex Fire & Rescue Service left the site and handed control back to Petroplus, whose own fire crews were instrumental in tackling the blaze with the fire brigade.

Jon Barden, paid tribute to everyone involved and said: "I will be personally thanking both internal and external fire service teams for their magnificent effort."

UK, Peterborough. Oil tanker crash closes road

Dec 2007 - The driver of a fuel tanker escaped unhurt after the vehicle overturned and landed in a ditch.

The Straight Drove Road, at Farcet Fen, Peterborough was closed for a number hours following the incident at 10.30am on Christmas Eve. It is believed the lorry, which was carrying petrol, toppled into the ditch causing some of its load to spill onto the road. No-one was hurt, and emergency services are carrying a clean-up operation to make the road safe.

UK, Petrol Retailers Association buys BigOil.Net

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) announced on 23 November 2007 that it had bought BigOil.net, a fuel price web service that provides access for forecourt retailers to cost price information used by their oil suppliers.

PRAdirector Ray Holloway said: “The PRA has secured the future of this established service. It provides vital price information to petrol retailers, so ensuring its continued transparency and ease of understanding was a priority for us.”

BigOil.net was established in 2004 by the Milford Haven-based company Big Media Group Ltd (BMG), which will continue to work with the PRAon the service.

European Shell contract obtained by Coteba

Shell Oil has appointed Coteba as Programme and Project Management service provider for its capital investment programme in its Retail Service Station Network in Europe. The contract is for a duration of 5 years and covers Shell’s network of 19 countries.

Coteba’s organisation includes a European Programme Management Office based in Paris as well as Project Management Teams in the respective countries, operated by COTEBA’s local affiliates. All projects will be delivered in compliance with Shell’s global standards and stringent health, safety, and environmental protection requirements.

This contract confirms COTEBAas one of the leading Project Management companies in the petrol retail industry and allows for the further expansion of the company’s European network. Coteba is a worldwide operation.

UK, Boy set mate on fire with petrol

Nov 2007 - A13-year-old boy nearly died from horrific burns when he was accidentally set alight by a friend, a court heard. The victim, from Tewkesbury, was left with burns to his hands, feet and shoulders, internal burns and was in a critical condition in hospital after the 16-year-old boy threw a lit bottle of petrol at him.

He required a skin graft and suffered hair loss due to the stress of the incident.

The 16-year-old, also from Tewkesbury, was burning petrol he had poured on the grass on a piece of waste ground "because he was bored".

But when the bottle caught fire, he threw it in the 13-year-old's direction with dire consequences, Gloucester Youth Court heard.

Prosecutor Peter Ashby said the defendant, the victim, a 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy - none of whom can be named for legal reasons - had gone to some waste ground in Tewkesbury known as No Man's Land. "The group were there to ride a minimotorbike owned collectively by three of them," Mr Ashby said, "They had filled an empty squash bottle with two-stroke petrol. They took turns riding the bike. The defendant was seen pouring petrol on the floor in circles and to set fire to it with a lighter. The 17-year-old girl told him to stop or someone would get hurt. But he ignored that advice. The flames set fire to the bottle. The youth panicked and threw the bottle away from him. The bottle hit the younger boy's upper body. He realised he was on fire and took his top off. Two of them rolled him around on the floor and an ambulance was called. Apolice officer describes him screaming in pain with burning hands, feet and shoulders. He was taken to Frenchay Hospital where it became clear that his injuries were more serious than first thought. He had internal burns that were life-threatening. He was moved to Birmingham Royal Infirmary where he was sedated and critical for some days. His injuries required skin grafts and he developed alopecia due to stress."

The youth pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm on the basis that he threw the petrol recklessly and in a panic.

Nicola Berryman, defending, said: "This was a one-off piece of abject foolishness. "Nothing else in his life causes any concern. He is working and earning £80 a week."

The boy said in his defence: "I didn't think of the consequences. I didn't think it was going to catch inside the bottle. "I don't know why I was doing it [starting the fire]. I was bored. I was just playing. I'm now doing an engineering apprenticeship."

Chair of the magistrates Dr Hazel Padfield sentenced the boy to a 10month referral order and ordered him to pay £750 compensation to his victim. "We accept there was no malicious intent but the consequences were very, very serious," she said. "As you have no previous convictions and you have made changes in your life, we feel this can be dealt with by way of a referral order."

Dr Padfield rejected an application to lift reporting restrictions and allow the boy to be named.

UK, Firework in house causes damage

Alit firework smashed the window of a house in Preston while a mother and her child were inside.

The mum was showered with broken glass when the firework came through the window of her home in Miller Road, Ribbleton, on Saturday October 27.

The five inch rocket burnt the carpet and some bedclothes.

Agroup of local youths admitted to the incident and stated it was an accident.

The occupier of the property has decided not to make a formal complaint and although police from Preston have spoken to the youths, no further action will be taken.

It comes as the police, fire service and Preston City Council launched the Bright Sparx campaign to clamp down on youngsters causing trouble with fireworks in the run up to Bonfire Night.

UK, AA“Fuel Assist SM”

Misfuelling……Don’t feel fuellish if it happens to you

Despite the fact that every forecourt pump is clearly marked with either the words Diesel, Unleaded, Super Unleaded etc…about 150,000 motorists manage to lift the wrong nozzle and fill their vehicle with the wrong fuel wasting some 7.5m litres of fuel every year….enough to fill over 3 Olympic sized swimming pools.

Perhaps the embarrassment of the event leads people to blame the colour of the hoses, or the fact that the nozzles should be different shapes and a whole myriad of other excuses but the fact is that having put the wrong fuel in your car can be a very expensive mistake with repair bills being charged by some garages rising to as high as £10k.

Although the AAhas worked closely with UKPIAover several years to raise people’s awareness of the problem the number of incidents have continued to rise….almost doubling in the last 7 years. There are 3 significant factors which have resulted in the substantial rise in misfuelling incidents:

1.Increased volume in diesel engine vehicles….UK market was traditionally biased to petrol vehicles.

2.Vastly improved technology on diesel vehicles making it difficult for the driver to distinguish if they are driving a petrol or diesel engine

3.Households with multiple vehicles probably driven by different members of the family.

Mix all of these ingredients together and you come up with the perfect recipe for going to the petrol station and selecting the wrong pump nozzle.

The problem is of course that no one thinks they are going to do it until after they’ve done it!!

Since early 2000 the AAhad worked with UKPIAto raise public awareness of the potential issues of misfuelling, despite our best efforts the volume of misfuels nearly doubled between then and 2007, we therefore decided to take a more pragmatic approach for both our members and the wider public by developing a state of the art fuel retrieval service called AA Fuel AssistSM which comes to the rescue after the event and not only retrieves the contaminated fuel from the vehicle but ensures that it is recycled through licensed waste management companies with the end product being blended with heavier oils to create a secondary fuel which is used to heat cement kilns and furnaces.

Although as a business the AAare well versed in working safely at the roadside the provision of a bespoke fuel retrieval service required us to consider a number of unique factors….obviously how to effectively remove the fuel safely (each car requires a bespoke fuel retrieval solution)

Our Safe System of Work (SSOW) incorporate everything from risk assessment, clearance certificate, Health & Safety procedures, Emergency Plan, which ensures that we fully conform to all ADR and environmental requirements.

All of the technicians undergo a 6 week intensive training course which includes undertaking both ADR and SPAPassport accreditation….and even having got these under their belt every technician has to undergo a fully staged missfuel assessment prior to being signed off as fully competent and being allowed to undertake fuel retrieval work on their own…..when you compare this to a normal AAPatrol induction course which lasts only 3 weeks you can see that everything has been done to ensure that the technicians are provided with all of the skills and knowledge to undertake this operation safely…..we also kit them out with a special uniform which is anti-static and flameproof.

The AAhas invested around £100k in the research and development of the fuel retrieval equipment fitted to their dedicated Fuel AssistSM vehicles. The vehicle being built in conjunction with Whale Tankers to ensure that they fully comply with all relevant ADR legislation and operate at the highest possible standard to ensure that the fuel retrieval operation is carried out with due regard to all Health & Safety and Environmental legislation.

Our latest generation of fuel retrieval vehicle is based on a LDV Maxus and incorporates two working areas separated by a sealed bulkhead partition. The “wet” area at the rear contains all of the explosion proof pumping equipment and is connected to a 330 litre UN approved IBC. This “wet” area also incorporates secondary bunding which has the capacity to contain at least 110% of the total volume of the IBC….even if the vehicle was on a slope. By using a combination of valves the technician can either draw fuel from the casualty vehicle or decant the fuel from the IBC when they are at a licensed waste disposal site. The “dry” area is kitted out with all of the other general tools and equipment required to undertake a fuel drain safely.

The IBC breathes through a carbon canister so that no fuel vapour is emitted at any stage of the retrieval process as an added safety factor a spark arrestor/flame trap is incorporated at the outlet of the breather which is mounted on the roof of the vehicle.

As they are only kitted out to undertake fuel retrieval work we deliberately chose to have the vehicles in a distinctive silver colour rather than our traditional yellow vehicles to reduce the chance of our members expecting them to be able to undertake flat batteries and wheel changes for them.

In the unlikely event of a leak or spillage taking place each vehicle is equipped with a spill containment device capable of absorbing the entire volume of the IBC and as a matter of course drain mat covers are deployed where appropriate on every fuel retrieval activity.

Since the service was launched as a trial in late 2006 we have undertaken over 6,000 fuel drains and have a 99.6% success rate in getting the vehicle running again. In that period over 300,000 litres of contaminated fuel have been recycled.

The service is available both to AA members and the wider public and we have worked closely with BPto provide a forecourt solution for their customers who have inadvertently filled up with the wrong fuel. We are keen to work with as many forecourt operators as possible to provide them with a safe and effective on-site solution.

It is likely that over the next 5 years or so many vehicle manufacturers will start to incorporate fuel filler neck devices which will reduce the possibility of misfuelling so hopefully the scale of the problem will start to decline saving not only the embarrassment of the motorist but also the wasted fuel as well.

For further details on the AAFuel Assist service please contact: Donald MacSporran AARoad Technical Performance Manager Tel: 07917 595209

Ireland, Fundamental carbon emmission change for motor vehicles to be introduced

The Irish Minister for the Environment (Green Party) has announced a new system of calculating car tax that he said will give motorists the incentive to buy more environmentally friendly cars from July 1st 2008.

John Gormley has delivered a "carbon budget" in the Dáil that identifies how the State can reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions to counteract climate change, to protect the economy and to meet its international obligations.

The Minister announced that with effect from July 1st 2008, there will be a "fundamental change" in the manner in which motor tax is charged for all new cars and imported cars.

Tax will in future be charged solely on the emissions and the system will be rebalanced in favour of cars with lower emissions, he said. This system only applies to cars bought from next July.

Other cars will be taxed based on the current system of engine size, to which changes were also announced in the Budget. Seven CO2 "bands" from A-G will determine the rate of tax payable on a vehicle.

Mr Gormley said there will be a "commonality of approach" between the motor tax and VRTsystems. There will be a mandatory labelling system for cars based on their emissions levels.

This will be accompanied by a public information campaign which will promote the purchase of fuel efficient cars, the Minister said.

The Government proposes to produce a carbon budget each year to outline how it will achieve its aim of reducing greenhouse gases by 3 per cent for the following 12 months.

Ireland, Maxol to introduce Biofuels across network

The Maxol Group has announced that it will replace its regular unleaded petrol with its new E5 fuel - a blend of 95% petrol and 5% locally produced bioethanol - at all 150 Maxol service stations across Ireland in September 2007. The fuel will retail at the same price as standard unleaded petrol.

Maxol said that its E5 fuel has been successfully piloted at over 24 service stations throughout northeast Ireland since September 2006. Following the complete rollout, for the first time throughout Ireland, drivers of standard petrol-powered vehicles will be able to use a biofuel without risk to the car manufacturer's warranty.

The bioethanol fuel in E5 is 100% organic and is currently made from whey, a milk derivative and a bi-product of the Carbery Milk Products Cheese plant in Ballineen, County Cork.

Tom Noonan, chief executive of Maxol, said: "This move towards ethanol use helps Ireland to meet EU targets. It is a win for consumers who benefit from lower emission fuel at no extra cost, a win for agriculture which can now develop interests in ethanol production and a win for the economy in that it could potentially reduce our imports." "Although 5% may seem at first to be a small percentage, when applied to every liter of petrol that Maxol sells through its 150 service stations in the Republic of Ireland, this adds up to a very significant amount of locally produced, renewable and carbon neutral fuel...I can envisage a time in the not-too-distant future when the only fuels from Maxol service stations will be biofuels," Mr Noonan concluded.

The rollout of the E5 green fuel is another first for Maxol in the Irish fuels market, following the launch of its E85 fuel (85% bioethanol) in September 2005. The initiative is part of Maxol's commitment to renewable fuels and to helping the Irish government meet biofuel consumption targets set out in EU directives, which require biofuels to account for 5.75% by 2010 and 20% by 2020.

European fuel retailers: going unmanned

With the number of fully-automated fuelling sites rapidly increasing in certain Eastern European markets over the last three years, Benzina has become the latest company to add to the trend. Given the cost benefits to be gained from unmanned networks, the move will provide Benzina with a strong position as competition increases and margins are squeezed

Benzina, the fuel retailing arm of Czech firm Unipetrol, is the latest example of a European fuel retailer expanding its unmanned network. The company has launched a new selfservice refuelling system for truckers which will be operated by Kuwait

APEAtel/fax 0845 603 5507

Petroleum´s International Diesel Services (IDS). With its seven unmanned self-service sites, Benzina claims to be the first company in the Czech Republic to introduce the IDS refuelling system and plans to further expand the relationship with IDS at other sites across the country.

The launch of Benzina´s unmanned sites comes as growing numbers of fuel retailers expand their unmanned networks, especially in Eastern Europe. Although the penetration of unmanned service stations into the public refuelling network is limited in the Czech Republic, growth has been high in neighbouring markets.

Estonia has seen particularly strong growth with the number of unmanned sites increasing from 62 in 2004 to 125 in 2007, accounting for 24% of all public filling stations. This is the highest proportion of any Eastern European market. There has also been strong growth of unmanned sites in Poland, where the number of sites increased from 45 in 2004 to 82 in 2007.

The main reason why unmanned service stations are popular with fuel retailers is that they do not require any cashiers, and as such as they are cheaper to run. This means that fuel can be sold at a lower price. Furthermore, as unmanned service stations require less investment, it is viable for fuel retailers to provide a refuelling network over a wide geographic coverage and serve customers in thinly populated remote areas.

The move to expand automated sites in Eastern Europe, in particular, is likely to be a shrewd move. As these markets mature over the next decade, margins will be squeezed, competition will become more fierce and as a result the sector will consolidate. In such an environment, fuel retailers with a large proportion of low-cost unmanned sites will be in a strong position to fend off the competition and actually gain from the consolidation process. Benzina could therefore be one company that benefits as the market matures over the next few years.

Norway, First hydrogen fuelled cars

Two Staoil hydrogen-fuelled cars have been fitted with ‘HY’(hydrogen) number plates by Liv Signe Navarsete, the Norwegian Transport Minister, allowing the cars to be legally driven on European roads.

Reportedly the first approved cars of their kind in Norway, the vehicles form