Issuu

The Bulletin Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

December 2003

The front cover is of a refuelling barge in Turkey

Editorial

Contents Regulars

Andy Berry

Chairman’s Report

Editor

Business Manager’s Report

London Fire Brigade

New APEA Members

Room 810 Hampton House

Letters to the Editor

20, Albert Embankment London

News

Press Releases

SE1 7SD

tel:

020 7587 6386

fax:

020 7587 6377

mob:

07879 607890

e-mail:

andy.berry@london-

Cameron Forecourt makes new appointments

Gilbarco Veeder-Root launches new business

OPW delivers its 300th cabinet

Petrofus ZP - Unique pipe work system

TQIPS Buys Tanksafe’s installation & contracting business

Esso and Surrey Councils sign partnership agreement

SIRA facilitates compliance with DSEAR regulations

Jamie Thompson

SIRA introduces hazardous area questionnaire

Publishing Chairman

Berry’s Announce ‘Refresh’ of corporate image

70 Wangford Road

Air quality issues associated with motor cars

Reydon

Minister launches new Energy Institute

Southwold

fire.gov.uk

Suffolk Articles

IP18 6NX

APEA 2004 annual Dinner, Conference and Exhibition

Small fire at petrol filling station

Tel/fax:

01502 722999

Petrol Filling Stations - Dispensing Control Measures

Mobile:

07770 625851

Hydrogen - Clean urban transport for Europe

email:

Tank to Bank Technology

jamiethompson@ukonline.co.uk

Inspection and testing of electrical installations at petrol filling stations

Spotlight on GB Forecourts

New standards

Jane Mardell

A unique way to dispense petrol

Business Manager

MTCF Surveying - Can it be trusted?

(including Bulletin Advertising and Production)

Branches

PO Box 106 Saffron Walden

Training

Essex CB11 3XT

2003/2004 course dates

Course sponsors

Tel/fax:

01799 502929

The Manchester Experience

Mobile:

07815 055514

Delegate photographs

email:

admin@apea.org.uk

Membership application form

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 necessarily the views of the Association.

Chairman’s Report Sadly the summer is now over and the chill of autumn is with us! It's been a wonderful summer in the UK, long hot days and pleasant evenings, reminiscent of childhood summers (or is that my memory playing tricks)? The holiday season is now over and Council, and it's various sub-committees are back in harness and working hard. I am pleased to report that the recent Council Meeting held in London was very purposeful and productive. One item, which received considerable debate, was the necessity to adopt a rigid but sensible code of practice to ensure that any possible conflict of interest between the professional or business interests of council members and the APEA can be readily identified and therefore avoided. I have been charged with the responsibility to submit a draft code to Council, which once accepted, will become the standard by which every council member will be gauged to establish their suitability to serve on any of the sub-committees of the Association. Without dwelling on this subject, council members are unanimous in their resolve that such a course of action is necessary in order to prevent a recurrence of the situation that arose at the previous council meeting and lead to the resignation of Jeannie O'Beirne. Lively discussion took place regarding updating the APEA Website, and I am sure that those of you who visit the site will readily agree that it is in need of a face lift! Bob Conlin, made a presentation to council explaining areas where he considered improvements would be beneficial, and identifying possible additional features. Council unanimously approved a budget for carrying out these improvements and Bob is to produce a specification, against which competitive quotations can be obtained. If any members have views about new features they would like to see on the new website please let us know now, so that they may be included at the design stage. Council also considered changes to the APEA Logo! It is understood that some members are in favour of retaining the old logo, but the general consensus of opinion is that we need to enhance the image of the Association, bringing it into line with that of a modern and progressive business. Jane Mardell submitted some examples of possible logos, and I am pleased to report that broad agreement was reached over the styling and colour. Jane is having these designs modified to reflect the requirements of Council, and it is hoped that we will have the new logo ready for publication in the next issue of the Bulletin! As you are aware, members subscription to the APEA is extremely good value and has remained unchanged for several years. In the recent past the Association has absorbed increases in it's outgoings, but Council now feels that the time is right to make a modest increase in the subscription rate. For 2004, subscription for individual members will be £30.00 and for corporate members this will rise to £100.00. Whilst it may appear a big increase for those who enjoy corporate

membership, we have included the supply of 5 copies of the Bulletin and 5 copies of the APEA yearbook for each corporate member. This is in response to requests from corporate members for additional Bulletin copies. Please note that individual membership remains the best value for money, with each member receiving their own personal copy of the Bulletin and Yearbook, plus free entry to the Seminar and Exhibition. If you are not already a member and wish to join, please complete the application form which is included in this issue of the Bulletin, or alternatively you can join online by visiting our website: www.apea.org.uk It is very apparent that some branches remain extremely active, whilst others appear to be having difficulties! It is understood that pressures of modern business sometimes makes attendance at branch meetings difficult, and it is not always easy to find interesting speakers. If any branches feel they need the support of council in hosting a meeting please let us know and we will do our very best to help. Whilst discussing branch matters, would all branch treasurers please ensure that they forward their annual accounts to the APEA Treasurer, Mike Silmon as soon as possible? The events committee has arranged the Annual General Meeting for April 26th 2004, and the Conference, Exhibition and Annual Dinner for 7th October 2004. The AGM is once again to be held in Northampton, which seems to be a popular venue and generally accessible to all. The Dinner, Exhibition & Conference is to be held at the Metropole Hotel, Birmingham. Further details of what promises to be an interesting and informative day are included elsewhere in this issue of the Bulletin. The work of the Training Committee is ongoing and the courses remain popular. Several bespoke courses have been run to meet the specific requirements of individual organisations and it is this sort of flexibility that makes the APEA the preferred training organisation for many companies. Brian Baker has announced that he intends to step down as chairman of the Training Committee next year and the search is on to find a replacement! Brian has worked extremely hard during his time at the helm, and it will not be easy to find somebody who is prepared to devote the time and energy that he has so willingly given! In conclusion, on behalf of the entire Council, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a prosperous and healthy start to 2004.

Tony Jenner

Business Manager’s Report I hope you all had a great summer, seems like a lifetime ago, oh well Christmas to look forward to now......! Membership To date there are 994 APEA members with approximately 20 members joining during July, August and September. You can find details of new members on page 9. As I mentioned in the last issue I would like to try and update the membership database with everyone’s email address to aid better communication. I have not had a very good response so far so please can you email me with your details to admin@apea.org.uk. In the long term this should help save money for the association which can be used for your benefit. Should you also have any other changes to your contact details please email me on admin@apea.org.uk. This will also ensure that your correspondence gets delivered to the correct address. Membership Renewals You will find your 2004 membership renewal notice enclosed with this issue of the Bulletin. Please can you send them back to me by December 31st together with your payment. You can pay be cheque or credit card, just complete the payment form at the bottom of the letter and send it to the APEA office or fax it with your credit card details on 01799 502929. You can also email me with your credit card details, just include your membership number that is shown on the payment form, together with your credit card number, expiry date and the type of membership you require. I had to send out hundreds of reminder letters this year, of which the majority renewed, and I was still receiving payments in May! Let’s be kind to the environment and save on paper and my time, which can be used more usefully than stuffing envelopes. As detailed in the Chairman’s report

there has been a new payment structure set up this year to make membership fairer between companies and individuals. You will find your current membership type detailed on your renewal notice. Please ensure that you select the membership that is correct for you for 2004. As detailed on the renewal notice corporate members will receive 5 copies of the Bulletin per quarter, plus 5 copies of the Yearbook as of the 2005 issue. Please also ensure that if you select corporate membership that you have only one representative per company. Website Please let me know if you have any interesting news items that you would like to include on the site. As I have mentioned in previous issues these can be submitted directly to the website from the ‘News’ page which then come through to me for authorisation. Bulletin Thank you to all of you that have contributed to this issue of The Bulletin. Please send through any news items or articles for the March 2004 issue to Andy and he will forward them onto me if they are suitable. His contact details are listed on page 3 of this issue. Bulletin Advertising As usual any advertising enquiries should be directed to me. If you would like to book advertising for 2004 please call me on 01799 502929. We offer a 25% discount for companies booking in all 4 issues. You can find our advertising rates detailed on our website at www.apea.org.uk/bulletin, just click on the link to the advertising rates. Renewal notices for current advertisers were sent out on 1st October and I would be grateful, if you have received a renewal notice, if you could complete the booking form and return it to me, together with any amended or new artwork by 1st January, to ensure that your advertisement is included in the March issue of the Bulletin next year.

Yearbook You should all now have received your Yearbooks that were sent out in October. Thank you to all of you that placed advertising for 2004, this support goes along way to helping us produce this useful guide each year. Training Since my last report I have been busy with training bookings and administration. It’s good to know that the communication network is working so that enquires come directly through to me now rather than to Brian. As with the last issue there is a booking form enclosed with this issue of The Bulletin to make it easier for those of you interested in booking APEA Training Courses. Course dates are listed on page 52. If you need to check the training course dates at any time, these are detailed on the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk/training 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

Bulletin Advertising The new look Bulletin has received wide spread praise from all quarters in both content and style and its readership has increased significantly over the last 12 months. The editorial team seek to both inform and promote discussion and with the global industry we are involved in, news (both good and bad) travels fast on incidents and events. The technical subject matter makes the Bulletin a unique journal which although widely read in UK and Europe is fast becoming a sought after magazine in the US and 6

other parts of the World. Advertisers are discovering its worth as readers seek more information about goods and services. They are confirming that many of the leads they receive come from Bulletin readers. The readership covers all the major oil company and hypermarket engineers, contractors service industry and government and local regulators who often form the link themselves when asked if they are aware of goods or services. If you are not yet advertising in the

Bulletin ask for a rate card from Jane Mardell our Business manager, she will be happy to send you one and you will be pleasantly surprised at the excellent value that advertising in this publication provides. Put your company in the forefront of the industry make your advertising budget work for you by reaching the people who matter in this Industry. Advertise in "The Bulletin" the market leader in its field.

New APEA Members Detailed below are new members that have recently joined the APEA. July Michael Britton Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service Headlands Kettering Northamptonshire NN15 6BN Neil Imrie Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service Bolton House Mereway Northamptonshire NN4 9BN Peter Norwood 26 Hillview Road Hucclecote Gloucester GL3 3LG James McKenzie David McLean Contractors Ltd Enterprise House Parkway Deeside Ind Estate Deeside CH5 2NS Thomas Tait 16 Stanton Avnue Alloa Clack's FK10 1NE Chris Greene c/o 4 Pound Lane Nailsea Bristol North Somerset BS48 2AT Mihailescu Dam Revicom Oil Fantanica Street 41 - Sector 2 Bucharest Alan Johnson B & P Electrical & Data Services Ltd The Theatre Building Carrington Business Park, Carrington Manchester Greater Manchester M31 4DD

John Cook Cook Electrical Services Ltd 20 Westgate Morecambe Lancs LA3 3LN Robert Neill Belfast Building Control Room 35 City Hall BT1 5GS Jost Berg SGB-Sicherungsgeraetebau GmbH Hofstrasse 10 Siegen 57072 Steve Fitzgerald Longcross Construction Ltd Unit A, Aviary Court 138 Miles Road Epsom Surrey KT19 9AB David Ball Quarry Cottage Wells Road Easton Nr Wells Somerset BA5 1EE Michael Wordsworth Core Electrical Services 1 Broadley Close Williamson Street Hull East Yorkshire HU9 1EL Dermot Brady Mayo County Fire Service Fire Brigade HQ Humbert Way Castlebar Co Mayo

Margo Overton Castrol Technology Centre Whitchurch Hill Pangbourne Reading Berkshire RG8 7QR Peter Boast Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service Fire Safety Department Longfields Hitchin Road Stevenage Herts SG1 4AE Martin Trainor Cavan County Council Fire Brigade HQ Drumnavanagh Cavan September Frank Frayling G&E Murgatroyd West View Ribbleton Preston Lancashire PR1 5DU David Cutts Kentford Commercials Ltd Bury Road Kentford Newmarket Suffolk CB8 7PZ Peter Adamson The Moray Council Trading Standards 232 High Street Elgin Moray IV30 1DJ

August

Ernest M Roggelin Pinnellas CHD-Engineering 2100 Nursery Road Apt C-10, Clearwaters Pinnellas 337642966 USA

Stephanie Jordan Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service Headlands Kettering Northants NN15 6BH

William Paul Highland Council Bramble Cottage Piperhill Nairn IV12 5SD

Michael Raftery Galway Fire Service Fire Station Fr. Griffin Road Galway

Letters to the Editor Sir, Having just received this months copy of the Bulletin (Sept issue) I just had to put pen to paper. The article (page 59) The N.I Adventure was quite interesting and it brought back many past memories for it was not actually the first venture away from the mainland for APEA trainers. I have attached a photo for you and perhaps some of your older members will be able to put names to those who we had over here in the late 1970’s. The course we ran then was organised by my self and Sam Warner the now deceased petroleum officer in Newtownabbey B Council. For your own information, Sam and myself where the only APEA members in N.I. in those past days, we had both done our early training at APEA courses run at Holme Pierpoint in Nottingham, the trainers then where those in the photo. I attended these training sessions on four occasions and have only recently miss placed my training certificates. I am now retired from employment but I continue to carryout consultancy work on Health and Safety and Petroleum, I did offer my services to your training head Brian Taylor but this never occurred as I think it was just after he took ill in 2000. I was interested in the article the reference to Tom Duke he is a good friend and an work colleague and if he gets around to forming a Northern Ireland branch of APEA I will give him my full support, we tried to get one started in the 70’s but without success. Carry on with your good work for the Association. Best Regards Hugh P Caruth FIOSH RSP MAPEA. Caruth Associates Safety Services (see ad in Year Book page 36) If some on looks at this and can tell me the names I would appreciate being told.

Sir, I read with interest Bruno Boroewitsch's letter in September's issue of The Bulletin, in which he comments on the decrease in size and international relevance of the biennial International Forecourt & Fuel Equipment exhibition. I felt compelled to respond to some of the misleading points he raised and place them all

in context. IFFE was owned by Blenheim Exhibitions where it was launched and grew before being sold to Miller Freeman where it went into decline, and was subsequently rescued by William Reed in 2000. Since then IFFE has grown in terms of its size in relationship to exhibitors and visitors and relevance to the whole forecourt market. The show is also completely transparent about who attends and as such is prepared to have its statistics audited by an external body, unlike most European shows. This year's event, which took place at the NEC, Birmingham in March, experienced a 2.76% growth in visitor attendance from the previous show. This is no mean feat when considering the overall consolidation within the industry. IFFE 2003 attracted over 10% more internationals than in 2001 including senior buyers and personnel from Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, North America, South/Central Africa, South East Asia, Australasia and the Pacific. Almost 80% of exhibitors expressed satisfaction or better, at the quality of visitors they saw. The fact that 40% of exhibition space for the 2005 event was sold before the March show closed, is testimony that IFFE has retained its importance and relevance as an influential industry event. For UK and overseas visitors, IFFE is the largest European trade show offering the latest in fuel and forecourt equipment and supplies, alongside innovations for the forecourt shop an increasingly important profit centre for forecourt owners. I agree with Bruno that this is certainly a tough time for the industry, which is why I am committed to providing an effective marketing tool to help manufacturers generate sales and to address some of the many challenges we face. I would be interested to know Herr Boroewitsch's relationship with automechnika. Andrew Reed IFFE Show Director William Reed

Sir, Before you attempt to obtain petroleum spirit please remember……….. · Petrol may only be dispensed into the fuel

tank of a vehicle or into an approved container, which must be taken from the site immediately. · Petrol may only be obtained by persons over 16 years of age. It is a legal requirement that the petrol retailer strictly enforces these rules, which form part of the Conditions of the Petroleum Licence issued by Castlereagh Borough Council and are imposed for the safety of employees and the general public. Issued by Castlereagh Borough Council, Environmental Health. Tel: (028) 9049 4640

Sir, We read with interest the letter from TCI Environment in the most recent Bulletin concerning the problems being apparently caused to environmental security by alleged failing US pipe systems that are being reported by The State of Florida environmental dept. and other states in the USA. Our pipe system ' UPP ' is named three times in the TCI letter and I would like to take the opportunity to comment on this. TCI are correct when they state that the original article from The Dept of the Environment in Talahassee indicates that there are no problems reported with our UPP system in Florida, or indeed in any of the many other states in the US where UPP is installed. Our original approval came in 1996 ( not four years ago as claimed ) and it was some seven years ago that we completed the first UPP site in Florida, at Tallahassee. UPP is no newcomer in the USA. This inaugural site's pipe system is functioning normally and has not been victim to any problems of product failure or contractor error. The TCI Environment letter claims that you can count the number of sites into which UPP has been installed on your hands : in fact, we have hundreds of sites in North America to date of which over 30 are in Florida and all of them are functioning well. We are working with fuel retailers in various global locations in the retraction of non-metallic failed pipe systems and replacement with UPP ; in many cases, without breaking ground if required, so providing a fully retractable system. Therefore to these operators , any incident of crumbling pipe and leaking fuel are not seen as a ' rehash of old information ' as TCI indicate, but a real and current environmental issue. This is presumably the reason why The Bulletin, with an international and not just European readership, informs the industry of this serious situation. A visit to some of these globallyspread sites would result in an understanding of the poor performance of failing pipe systems ; in order to comprehend that the problem is one of today and merits proper concern. Operators and regulators require sound systems and any apparent compromise with leaking pipes, however small, appears justifiably unacceptable to the State of Florida authorities. There is now sufficient photographic and witness evidence of these problems occurring in North America and many other parts of the world, such that the industry will recognise that they are not isolated to just a few contractor errors in one or two states of the US.

Front left bearded person was deputy chief Trading Standards officer Nottingham Next to him Sid Worsfield? - London fire brigade Back row - third left with tash - Chief Trading standards office Nottingham Back right - two in, myself 30 years ago black hair no beard - I am now white with a beard also white. Back third right - this person was a senior or chief Trading Standards officer from somewhere along the south coast. Front right - at the end Sam Warner next to him you have the Council chief finance officer a name sake Ewin Caruth and the Mayor.

Stephen de Wild PetroTechnik Ltd Olympus Close Whitehouse Ind. Est. Ipswich UK IP1 5LN sdewild@upp.co.uk

News

UK, August 21 2003. Petrol Station Forecourt shopping ‘To grow twice as fast as high street’ Supermarket groups are likely to launch a major charm offensive to woo petrol station owners after research predicted forecourt shopping would grow twice as fast as the high street over the next four years. Petrol station forecourts are set to top growth rates in the buoyant convenience store market, with sales expected to soar by 4.5 per cent a year to 2007, a report by the market analyst Datamonitor reveals today. This contrasts with forecast growth of just 2 per cent for the overall food and drinks market and beats an estimated annual 4.1 per cent for the convenience store market. Supermarkets have targeted petrol station forecourts as a way to tap into the lucrative convenience market, with Sainsbury's teaming up with Shell to open 100 mini-supermarkets on the oil major's forecourts. Tesco runs most of its 110 Tesco Express stores in conjunction with Esso. The report found that service stations already account for one-fifth or more of convenience sales in most European markets. Swedish forecourts lead the way, accounting for 83 per cent of the last-minute shopping market. While fuel retailers seek to supplement declining petrol margins, hit by rising oil prices and taxation levels of up to 80 per cent, by selling higher margin, non-fuel goods, their forecourts offer supermarkets an easy expansion route. Marks & Spencer needs to find space to locate 200 of its Simply Food convenience store formats and is considering petrol station forecourts along with airport terminals, London Underground stations and motorway service stations as possible venues. The push by supermarkets into the convenience store sector - Tesco bought the T&S chain last November, two months after Co-op swallowed the Alldays chain - has threatened the hold petrol stations previously had on the market. Datamonitor warned, "Fuel retailers must keep abreast of market developments and anticipate trends within the sector if they are to compete

effectively with the grocery multiples."

UK, Sandwell, June 16 2003. Man rescued as blaze hits home A man was rescued by firefighters after a blaze swept through his Bearwood home. It is believed the fire started accidentally when the owner, a motorcycle enthusiast, was decanting petrol in his kitchen and a gas hob left on ignited fumes. He tried to escape the blaze by going upstairs and had to be rescued by firefighters from a first floor window of the terraced house in Westbury Road. T he man was taken by ambulance to Birmingham's City Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation and minor cuts to his hands. Three people living in neighbouring properties were evacuated for about an hour while firefighters brought the blaze under control after it was reported at 2pm yesterday. Ladywood fire station officer John Jones said, "He had two motorbikes in the house and there were some petrol containers in the kitchen. He must have run upstairs and was in the front room when we arrived. He was a very lucky chap." Mr Jones warned people against keeping inflammable liquids like petrol in the house. He said the fire spread extremely quickly, reaching furniture stored in the roof space. Firefighters using a hydraulic platform had to remove roof tiles to strip the area and ensure there was nothing left burning. The Fire Victim Support Unit were contacted to help the man find somewhere to stay. Neighbour Robert Pickering said he returned from a visit to the shops to see thick black smoke pouring from the house. "The smoke was horrendous," he said.

UK, Stafford June 23 2003 Tanks ablaze after welding work Firefighters and environmental workers were called to a Staffordshire farm following a fierce blaze involving

three diesel tanks. The fire broke out in Upper Haughton House Farm, near Stafford, at 11.55am yesterday while the owner was carrying out welding work in a timber garage. Sparks flew and ignited straw, causing the flames to then spread to the rest of the garage and neighbouring wooden outbuildings at the Bradley Lane farm. Divisional officer Phil Causer said, "The farmer had three large diesel tanks stored on a trailer which became involved in a severe fire. One tank ruptured and a lot of diesel ran down the drive and down one of the drains, so it became an environmental issue. We contained the flames and brought in a damage limitation unit from Burton upon Trent. The diesel had run into a nearby stream so we dammed that and soaked up the diesel, then spent time making sure the tanks were safe." He added: "The fire was burning quite fiercely for about 30 minutes because of the diesel. Our initial approach was to protect the farmhouse and remainder of the buildings, then we focused on preventing an explosion." Fire crews were also concerned for the welfare of 20 calves in a building next to the garage. "We couldn't bring them out because of the fire so we kept them cool and they weren't hurt," said Mr Causer. Two fire engines from Stafford and one from Gnosall went to the scene, along with Environment Agency officials.

UK, Smoker burned as petrol ignites A motorist who filled his car with petrol while smoking a cigarette suffered serious burns when the fuel caught light. The man was engulfed in flames as he poured petrol from a can into his car at the side of the M5 near Wellington in Somerset. It is thought he had been driving north along the motorway in the early hours of Friday morning when he ran out of petrol. He bought a can of the fuel, but as he was filling up the car the vapour ignited, setting fire to his clothes. A spokesman for the Somerset Fire Brigade said: "Fire crews from Wellington were called to the northbound carriageway of the M5. When they arrived at the scene they found a male casualty with serious burns to 20% of his body. he was given first aid at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance." 13

Fire safety officer Chris Snook said: "Whenever you are dealing with petrol you should never smoke or have any naked flames around. This applies to garage forecourts or any other areas where petroleum spirit is used. fire is very unforgiving, so think about your own personal safety at all times".

UK, June 29 2003. Switzerland cheapest for petrol The price of filling up at the pumps is a favourite gripe among motorists, but the UK is well behind several other European countries for sky-high petrol prices, according to figures released today. At 76p a litre the UK is in equal seventh place out of 12 nations for the cheapest petrol, having moved up from 10th position in 2002. UK prices are now 12p a litre cheaper than those in the highest priced nation, France. Prices in France have rocketed 14p a litre in the last year and now stand at 88p a litre. Holland, Germany and Norway also all have higher fuel costs than the UK.

Britons looking for petrol price bargains this summer should avoid France and head for Switzerland, says the survey from American Express. Fuel in Switzerland costs around 59p a litre - the cheapest in Europe. Switzerland has taken over as the cheapest country for petrol from Ireland which has seen a rise in prices to 61p a litre. Austria (62p a litre) and Spain (66p) are the only other countries where petrol is under 70p a litre. American Express Travel senior vice president Brendan Walsh said, "There is growing speculation that greater numbers of British holidaymakers will plan last-minute travel overseas this summer. Those who have yet to decide can save money by picking a destination where petrol is cheaper." Here is the American Express fuel table: Country Cost Per Litre (p) 1. Switzerland 59 2. Ireland 61 3. Austria 62 4. Spain 66 5. Belgium 72 6. Sweden 74 7= UK 76 7= Italy 76

9. Norway 80 10. Germany * 80 11. Holland 83 12. France 88 * To the nearest pound, Germany's petrol is slightly more expensive than Norway's.

UK, July 1 2003. Consultation on petroleum hydrocarboncontaminated soils The Environment Agency is currently developing an approach for the evaluation of the risks to human health from petroleum hydrocarbons in soils and is consulting on this approach. Petroleum contamination in soils is currently evaluated using a wide variety of approaches, ranging from the assessment of "total petroleum hydrocarbons" to the evaluation of individual substances and petroleum fractions. Differences in analytical techniques, data interpretation and risk

News assessment methods mean that there is the potential for considerable variation in risk evaluations. This gives rise to inconsistencies and difficulties for the regulators in determining whether or not a particular risk assessment is sufficiently protective of human health. To address these issues and to take into account the riskbased approach of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the requirements of the Town and Country Planning Acts (in which land contamination is a material planning consideration), a significant change to current UK practice is needed. The Environment Agency has therefore prepared a consultation paper on the principles for assessing the health risks from petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soil. The consultation paper introduces the need for change, summarises the approaches used internationally and proposes a way forward, outlining the key issues requiring input from consultees. Views are sought on the proposed approach and on the practical application of different analytical and risk assessment methodologies. Responses are required by 3 October 2003. The consultation paper can be accessed at: www.environmentagency.gov.uk/com mondata/105385/petroleum_hydrocarb ons1.pdf.

UK, Rochdale, July 29 2003. Fuel scam sparks red alert A fuel-laundering plant believed to have produced hundreds of thousands of litres of untaxed diesel has been discovered dangerously close to one of Rochdale's main reservoirs. It was discovered by officers of the Environment Agency while they were trying to trace the source of leaking sulphuric acid, which was threatening to run into Greenbooth Reservoir. The Agency alerted Customs and Excise, who later confirmed that the yard at the old Rainshore Mill, Norden, had been used to extract the red dye from lowtaxed agricultural diesel, which could then be sold on at huge profit for road use. A trailer holding eight 1,000-litre drums had been abandoned in the yard and one of the drums was leaking badly. Had it not been found, the acid, used to

extract the dye from fuel, would have eventually found its way into the reservoir. The potential timebomb was uncovered last Thursday and Matthew King, of Customs and Excise, said, "Fortunately, the acid which was seeping out of one of the drums had not reached the reservoir and the Environment Agency were able to clean it up before it did any real damage. The gang carrying out the switch would have made enormous profits from the scam, which involves mixing red diesel with acid to remove the dye.” Mr King added, "After a while the resulting acid sludge has to be got rid of and is very often dumped without concern for the public or the environment." Customs officers believe the people behind the operation may have local knowledge of the area and their inquiries are continuing. "We do not know just how long the trailer had been there, but it was a significant find as far as we're concerned. The laundering operation had been producing several hundred thousand litres of fuel a week. Unfortunately, laundered fuel is becoming more and more common. In one case we found some acid dumped next to a children's playground. The trailer with the acid will have now been taken away from Norden by the Environment Agency to be disposed of safely." Mr King added, "We would ask local residents to help us. If anyone knows about any suspicious activities, particularly if you have been offered cheap diesel or have seen any unusual movement of tankers around Over Town Lane, we ask them to call our confidential 24-hour free phone 0800 59 5000.” Emergency services were put on full alert after last Thursday's acid spill. Fire crews were able to prevent the acid reaching the reservoir, 400 yards away, and United Utilites confirmed none of the acid had got into the water.

UK, Revolutionary petrol engine could replace conventional batteries Scientists have built the smallest petrol engine - tiny enough to power a watch. The mini-motor, which runs for two years on a single squirt of lighter fuel, is set to revolutionise world technology. It produces 700 times more energy than a conventional battery despite being less

than a centimetre long - not even half an inch. It could be used to operate laptops and mobile phones for months on end - doing away with the need for recharging. Experts believe it could be phasing out batteries in such items within just six years. The engine, minute enough to be balanced on a fingertip, has been produced by engineers at the University of Birmingham. Dr Kyle Jiang, lead investigator from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: "We are looking at an industrial revolution happening in peoples' pockets. The breakthrough is an enormous step forward. Devices which need recharging or new batteries are a problem but in six years will be a thing of the past." At present, charging an ordinary battery to deliver one unit of energy involves putting 2,000 units into it. The little engine, because energy is produced locally, is far more effective. One of the main problems faced by engineers who have tried to produce micro motors in the past has been the levels of heat produced. The engines got so hot they burned themselves out and could not be re-used. The Birmingham team overcame this by using heat-resistant materials such as ceramic and silicon carbide. Professor Graham Davies, head of the university's engineering school, said: "We've brought together all the engineering disciplines, both materials, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering."

UK, Herefordshire Council V Sainsbury's Supermarkets Limited On the 16th September 2003 Sainsbury's Supermarkets Limited pleaded guilty to three offences under Petroleum Legislation, and sentenced to pay a fine of £12,500 and ordered to pay £865.76 in costs. The case was brought to Hereford Magistrates Court by Herefordshire Council's Trading Standards Service acting as the Petroleum Licensing Authority for the County. Sainsbury's Supermarket Limited back in September last year wished to redevelop their Hereford City superstore along with a petrol filling station refurbishment. They commissioned a project development company to undertake the job who would then subcontract specialist work 17

News as and when necessary. Plans and drawings were sent to the Petroleum Officer, Mr Kerry Clarke forapproval as specified in the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928. Mr Clarke was unable to approve these drawing as vital information was not made available. As time past the commencement date for the works was drawing near and no revised plans had been received or approved. Mr Clarke spoke and advised the project company of the legal requirement to obtain the consent, and Sainsbury's liability to do so. The revised plans and drawings arrived on the morning of works commencement date, Mr Clarke passed the station to discover a full scale construction site. During the works, Mr Clarke found various problems which fortunately were able to be put right, he also received various new plans and drawing superseding the previous drawings. The first petrol delivery was due for the pumps to be primed and calibrated, usually the site operate under a DCD licence, but during the works the DCD equipment was removed. The only way to receive the delivery would be to revert back to the LCD procedure, which requires them to give the PLA at least 1 weeks notice. This was not done and the LCD delivery took place using an untrained incompetent member of staff. Following an in-depth investigation by Mr Clarke, Sainsbury's Supermarkets Limited were charged with three separate offences as followsOffence 1 - Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 : Failing to obtain written consent to alter the licensed premise: £4,500 Offence 2 - Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996 : Reverting back from DCD to LCD without at least 1 weeks notice to the PLA: £4,000 Offence 3 - Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Regulations 1996 : Using an incompetent person to take a LCD. £4,000 It appeared that the Company placed commercial considerations & time limits before the Health & Safety of both the public & its employess. Herefordshire Councils' Trading Standards Service considered that the matter was sufficently serious enough to warrant prosecution and hope that this will send out a clear message that breaches of 18

Health & Safety requirements will not be tolerated by this Authority.

Scotland, June 15 2003. Scientists sow seeds of cheap green petrol on surplus land IT IS cleaner and greener and coming to a garage forecourt near you. Farmers and scientists are planning to use redundant land in Scotland to produce a new generation of pollution-cutting biofuels that could even bring down pump prices and road tax. Bio-ethanol is an alcohol distilled from crops such as wheat and sugar beet. When blended with petrol and burned in conventional petrol engines, it produces less carbon-dioxide greenhouse gas and other pollutants. But although it is already used widely and successfully to fuel petrol-driven transport in other parts of the world, the industry in Britain is still in its infancy. Now the National Farmers' Union Scotland and distilling experts at Heriot Watt University have formed a partnership to kickstart production. Earlier this month they met Scottish Executive officials who indicated their support. In another vital boost to the project, the British Sugar company has made clear it wants to build a series of £10m bio-ethanol plants around the country, including Scotland, to produce the fuel. Dr Alan Rutherford, a visiting professor at the International Distilling and Brewing Centre at Heriot Watt, said bio-ethanol production was proven technology. "We also have land doing nothing, farmers willing to grow the crop and companies willing to invest in the distilleries. Other countries such as France and Spain are way ahead of us on this and all we need is for government to get behind us." Motoring organisations said that as well as benefiting the environment, pump prices could fall and vehicle excise duty could be reduced. "If we go down this route then motorists will have to be given an incentive to buy it," said a spokesman for the RAC. "This could mean a reduction in forecourt prices for this type of fuel." Setting up biofuel plants would fit in with government commitments to reduce the amount of damaging greenhouse gases produced by millions

of petrol-burning vehicles. The NFUS believes the biofuel industry could meet about 5% of the UK's current annual petrol consumption of 24 million tonnes a year. This target could be reached by using the 1.2 million acres of land in the UK currently under the EU's 'set-aside' scheme for growing wheat and sugar beet. John Kinnaird, president of the NFUS, said there would be benefits for farmers, consumers and the environment. "Energy from farmland could be a substitute on the land that isn't needed for food production," he said. "Energy from crops will also deliver important environmental benefits as every litre of fuel from our own resources means that we're taking the pressure off international supplies of fossil fuels." Once harvested, the wheat and sugar beet would be transported to speciallybuilt distilleries, costing around £10m, and capable of producing about 100 million litres of biofuel annually. Rutherford estimates around six will be needed, including two in Scotland, to meet demand. A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said ministers were committed to promoting the use of biofuels for transport to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Officials had attended the Edinburgh meeting to listen to the industry with a view to pursuing the issue at UK level.

Scotland, Glasgow, July 11 2003 BP expands its Scottish retail network BP is to expand its Scottish retail network by acquiring 25 service stations owned by Texaco Ltd in the central area of Scotland. The move is part of an asset 'swap' between the two companies that will see Texaco Ltd, a subsidiary of ChevronTexaco, taking over a number of BP sites in Wales and the south-west of England. BP will be making a multi-million pound investment in the newly acquired network. That includes plans to transform, immediately, at least four of the sites into its flagship BP Connect convenience offer, complete with the award-winning Wild Bean café. In total BP will exchange 21 service stations in Wales and the south west for 25 of Texaco's Scottish service stations,

News plus a further four undeveloped Texaco sites. The Scottish locations are all in the central belt of Scotland, between Dundee and Ayr, and mostly around Edinburgh and Glasgow. Rebranding is expected to be complete by year end.

Scotland, August 27 2003. Fuelling island’s big ambitions The days of using funnels and jugs to fill up a vehicle at the island of Colonsay's only petrol station are numbered, it emerged yesterday. The antiquated garage is getting a near £150,000 revamp to provide a better service for the 100-strong population and visitors on one of the most remote of the islands of Argyll, once an important Viking stronghold. Colonsay Community Development Company Ltd (CCDC) has been awarded £10,000 from Argyll and the Islands Enterprise (AIE) and £126,610 from the Scottish Executive-funded Rural Petrol Stations Scheme. CCDC has also contributed £8,645 of its own money and £1,016 has been secured from the European-funded LEADER+ programme. The money will go towards redeveloping the site at Scalasaig to meet current fuel and environmental legislation. The old petrol tank and pump will be removed and replaced by a new twin-compartment tank, with two fuel dispensers. CCDC recently purchased the fuel station site from Colonsay Estate, with assistance from the Scottish Land Fund and the community land unit at Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The island is one of the areas covered by the government-backed Iomairt aig an Oir (Initiative at the Edge) project which aims to help remote and fragile communities. It was launched at the Scottish Crofters' Union conference in 1997 to prioritise funding from public agencies to assist the most remote, rural areas. Other areas such as Uig and Bernera in Lewis, the Bays area of Harris, Lochboisdale in South Uist, Eriskay, Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney, Ardnamurchan and north Sutherland are benefiting from similar projects. Christa Byrne, the CCDC chairman, said, "Colonsay's petrol pump has been living on borrowed time for quite a

while. We have a particularly primitive system, involving funnels and jugs for dispensing diesel, so we all eagerly anticipate the completion of the new reliable upgraded pumps in the very near future." Ken Abernethy, AIE's chief executive, added, "Colonsay is a high priority island for AIE and we see this project as being vital to the sustainability of this community."

Turkey, Ankarq, July 7 2003. Injury toll from Turkey fuel blast reaches 189 Turkey's health minister said yesterday 189 people were injured when an explosion ripped through a petrol station in central Ankara, most of them wedding guests celebrating in a hall on the same site. Seven people were in critical condition, Health Minister Recep Akdag said. A massive fireball engulfed the hall after the blast which happened late on the weekend as a tanker delivered liquid petroleum gas (LPG) at the station in a working-class neighbourhood in the Turkish capital. The wedding hall, with a capacity of 300 people, was full at the time, the state-run Anatolian news agency said. Newspapers said yesterday at least 100 homes were seriously damaged and one was destroyed by the fire, which quickly spread to nearby buildings. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan pledged new rules to bar LPG stations from residential areas, and the government yesterday announced a special inspector to investigate the blast.

Press Releases

As part of their continuous development programme Cameron Forecourt Ltd have made two internal appointments to fill the positions of regional service managers to support their service engineers and clients on a national basis. Geoff Davies, who has worked with the original Cameron team since the

1970's is now responsible for the engineers in the North of the country, whilst John Smith, who has worked with F o r e c o u r t Engineering Ltd for the last 6 years is responsible for leading the engineers based in the south. The principle purpose of these appointments is to ensure that the company provides a high level of engineering and welfare support to its field service engineer's. The service managers are also responsible for liaising with customers to ensure that the company fully understands the demands of its clients, and can work with them to tailor a level of service to meet their individual needs. This development is just part of the ongoing programme being undertaken by Cameron Forecourt Ltd as the company continues to fully integrate the businesses of Cameron 200 Ltd and Forecourt Engineering Ltd Further information of the company's developing role within the industry can be obtained by contacting Barry Jenner on 01252 379800.

Gilbarco Veeder-Root launches new business

Gilbarco Veeder-Root, which has over 60% of the UK forecourt service contract business, has launched its latest new initiative. It has established a new business called Forecourt Despatch, which sells spare parts and forecourt consumables on 24 hour delivery and used equipment on flexible finance terms. Forecourt Despatch expands the service Gilbarco Veeder-Root offers to the forecourt retailer and supplier. It comprises three key elements: Spare parts for Gilbarco Veeder-Root equipment. A 24 hour delivery service is promised on over 650 specified items. Consumables such as till rolls, scuff guards and livery, which will also be supplied on a 24 hour basis. Used Gilbarco Veeder-Root 21

News equipment such as pumps, supplied complete with a 3 month warranty. Jim Savin, previously Contract Sales Manager has been charged with heading up the new business and explains: “As the original equipment supplier we are in the best possible position to be able to supply quality spare parts and consumables for our own equipment as per the original specification. We recognise customers need parts quickly to minimise the loss of sales and we have therefore put together a dedicated team to provide a fast, reliable and flexible service.” Forecourt Despatch is based at the Basildon site of Gilbarco Veeder-Root. Initially, there are over 450 items on the spare parts price list, which, it is anticipated will meet the vast majority of spare part requests for equipment such as the HL2, Euroline, TS1000, Passport POS System and Edacom E10 and E90/10. Enquiries for non listed items will also be welcomed and quoted for, subject to availability. Consumables include till rolls and ribbons, approved for use in Gilbarco Veeder-Root equipment plus a selection of livery items such as scuff guards, product identity badges and grade labels. Customers can buy on account or pay by credit card to ensure 24 hour delivery. The strategy behind selling used Gilbarco Veeder-Root equipment is logical given the current low margins earned by forecourt retailers in the UK. Many independents find it financially non viable to purchase new petrol pumps and have to cope with inefficient equipment, which breaks down regularly. “By making available used Gilbarco Veeder-Root equipment at an affordable price and on flexible payment terms, more retailers can upgrade to safe, reliable equipment and have the peace of mind of a service contract, if they wish”, explains Jim Savin. For all enquiries and orders Forecourt Despatch can be contacted on T: 01282 507507 or E:gilbas.sales@gilbarco.com. For further information about this press release and digital images please contact: Fay Handley Dixon Handley Marketing Tel: 01926 885511 Fax: 01926 885552 E: info@dixonhandleymarketing.co.uk www.dixonhandleymarketing.co.uk

OPW delivers its 300th cabinet OPW are proud to announce that it has delivered its 300th DCD cabinet this year to a major Supermarket Chain. The product range which provides Driver Controlled Delivery terminal and Customer Emergency Centre for Service Station Forecourts was introduced to the UK in January this year and has since been widely accepted by customers for the features it can offer. Using the DCD unit, information about the status of the fuel tanks may be obtained at any time. This is especially useful at unmanned sites and outside normal working hours. Details of the tank ullage i.e. amount of fuel that may be safely delivered to a tank, is shown on an illuminated display in the unit. An internal printer provides a hard copy of this information. On completion of a delivery, a ticket may be obtained with a record of the amount dropped in each tank. This enables safe deliveries to be made when the Station's 'competent person' is not available. The tanker drivers are therefore able to ensure the underground full tanks are not overfilled. The DCD units work with most well known Electronic Tank gauges and is able to give an overfill alarm to assist the driver in preventing spillage's on the Forecourt. Each DCD is equipped with Time delay area lighting circuit so that the Delivery Driver or Customer can have the protection of a lit area when leaving the Station. There is also an Emergency Phone with programmable numbers and Emergency Electrical Disconnect Switch providing a contact for the loop, which disables the power to the station, incorporated within the Cabinets. The Cabinets are available for both Wall and Floor mounting. For more details contact OPW UK Tel: 01858 433 365

Petrofuse ZP - Unique pipe work system offers zero permeation, dual containment and full conductivity! A unique and highly innovative pipework system, designed for both suction and pressure applications, has been developed to provide forecourt operators with unrivalled performance in terms of conductivity, impermeability and dual containment. Petrofuse ZP is the only non-steel system to have achieved full approval from the DIBt (Deutsche Industrie Bautechnik) in Germany - the world's most demanding specification for petrol forecourt pipe work systems. Manufactured in 6m lengths, Petrofuse ZP is light and easy to handle - a definite advantage for installers. Bends can be formed to suit on site and both threaded and flanged transition fittings are available. Petrofuse ZP is available in a standard range of sizes to suit petrol, LPG and industrial applications: 32mm, 50mm, 63mm, 90mm and 110m. Petrofuse ZP - the ZP stands for 'zero permeation' - is a twin wall pipe. The internal product pipe is manufactured from aluminium and the external secondary containment pipe is polyethylene. Pipe lengths are connected by the combination of an electrofusion joint and the patented 'bozzle' fitting that maintains conductivity, zero permeation and the interstitial gap through the joint. Petrofuse ZP Ltd's headquarters are based in Bromsgrove, England. Tim Foster, Managing Director, is understandably excited about prospects for the new system: 'The permeation problems encountered by many forecourt operators in the USA and Europe have been widely reported in the trade press. Petrofuse ZP eradicates these problems and at the same time provides a durable, flexible and fully-welded dual containment solution.' Christian Papenburg, European Sales Director, is equally enthusiastic: 'For those operators that wish to continuously monitor product lines we supply a proactive interstitial monitoring solution that is in operation 24/7. It is all part of our mission to provide turnkey below ground pipe system solutions in

News line with each customer's specific needs.' Len Cutugno heads Petrofuse ZP Ltd's operations in the USA and believes the system will be a huge success: 'Petrofuse ZP is the clear leader when it comes to conforming with the specifications in the proposed revision of UL971.' For further information on Petrofuse ZP please contact: Tim Foster Petrofuse ZP Ltd 4E Sherwood Road Aston Fields Industrial Estate Bromsgrove Worcestershire B60 3DR T: +44 1527 577866 F: +44 1527 577765 E: timfoster@petrofusezp.com Christian Papenburg T: +49 241 9367 3636 F: +49 241 9367 3637 M: +49 171 4141504 E: christianpapenburg@petrofusezp.com Len Cutugno T: +1 973 886 9556 F: +1 973 335 6841 E: lencutugno@petrofusezp.com

TQIPS Buys Tanksafe’s installation & contracting Business TQ IPS the Shoreham-by-Sea based National Forecourt Contractor has purchased the forecourt contracting business of TankSafe Limited. The purchase includes the TankSafe offices at Bromsgrove, the retention of the existing involved TankSafe staff and all plant equipment and vehicles. TankSafe Limited will continue to operate their foaming business.. TQ IPS will operate their Northern based contracting business from the Bromsgrove offices whilst the Southern region office will continue to be located at Shoreham-by-Sea. According to Richard Quarmby, Commercial Director of TQ IPS, "it's business as usual for TQ IPS based at Bromsgrove and all existing and future customers are assured of continuity of operations". This addition to the TQ IPS family continues to broaden the range of

products and services offered by TQ IPS to the Petroleum Industry ranging from new site construction, complete or partial re-builds, tank refurbishment specialized LPG installations and all the facilities and equipment to support the modern multi-fuel retailing operations of the UK's petroleum retailers, distributors and oil companies. Recent successes of TQ IPS have been the completion of the unique Tesco Ramsgate forecourt complete with over ground petrol storage and their appointment as the Autoequip UK distributor. The Italian car wash manufacturer has a full range of vehicle washing equipment including commercial vehicle washers which can be customized for specialist vehicles. All telephone numbers remain unchanged. For further information please contact, either Richard Quarmby of TQIPS on 07966 136903 or Charles Huddleston of TANKSAFE on 07966 292198.

Esso and Surrey County Council Sign Partnership Agreement The agreement is part of the Lead Authority Partnership Scheme (LAPS), a principle established by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Local Authority Enforcement Liaison Committee (HELA). LAPS is fully supported by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) and requires Petroleum Licensing Authorities to liase with the relevant Lead Authority prior to significant actions being taken. The agreement will allow Esso a single point of contact for key health and safety issues and allows Petroleum Licensing Authorities access to information along with the opportunity to

that will promote the consistency of advice on all safety and consumer issues taken at its 750 company owned petrol filling stations throughout the U.K. Martin Todd, Chief Executive of Esso, and County Trading Standards Officer Peter Denard met at Kingscroft Service Station, Leatherhead to sign the agreement on Thursday 28 August Peter Denard County Trading Standards Officer said: "I am delighted to be signing on behalf of the service. Surrey takes the responsibility of petroleum enforcement very seriously and this agreement will formalise our partnership approach with Esso and will help to ensure continuity of all matters affecting the regulations of Esso's company owned petrol filling stations. Martin Todd, Esso Retail Sales Manager UK and Ireland said: "The company has always placed the utmost importance on ensuring that our service stations are operated to consistent and high standards. This one-stop shop with Surrey Trading Standards is most welcome" Steve Rowe Senior Petroleum Officer for Surrey Trading Standards added:" Esso and Trading Standards have already held one meeting resulting in a better understanding of the company's future proposals and the building of relationships from both parties."

SIRA facilitates compliance with DSEAR regulations DSEAR is a set of regulations recently introduced to protect people from fires, explosions and similar events arising from dangerous substances used in the workplace. The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 are enforced by HSE and Local Authorities, Fire Brigades and Petroleum Licensing Authorities. DSEAR is applicable to many industries including chemical manufacture, processing, petrochemical industry offshore and

discuss issues raised through out the country. Representatives from Esso and Surrey County Council Trading Standards have signed an agreement 25

News onshore, handling manufacture and storage of bulk powders, petrol, flammable liquids, mining etc. These regulations implement the ATEX Worker Protection Directive 1999/92/EC, the Explosive Atmospheres Directive (ATEX 137) and the Chemical Agents Directive 98/24/EC. To help employers and the selfemployed assess their responsibilities, Sira Test & Certification Ltd has introduced a new brochure, which outlines the requirements of the DSEAR regulations. Risk assessments of workplaces are required under the management of Health & Safety Work Regulations 1999. Existing workplaces must meet the DSEAR requirements by July 2006! Sira's new introduction to DSEAR provides clear and detailed explanations of all elements of the DSEAR regulations, to clarify companies' responsibilities. Covered in detail are: -

Hazard Appreciation & Risk Assessment Area Classification Inspection of Installed Equipment Certification Training & certification of Personel Preparation of Risk Assessment record

A full and detailed paper about DSEAR is available from the Health and Safety Executive www.hse.gov.uk but Sira has produced this simple document to facilitate understanding of DSEAR regulations and how Sira can help. Sira will offer companies a complete solution to meeting the DSEAR regulations, with the Sira Explosive Atmospheres Management Service (SEAMS). A high level of professionalism and technical support from Sira can ensure clients meet the DSEAR regulations with a high degree of confidence and, if the organization does not require the full SEAMS scheme, a DSEAR Hazardous Area Healthcheck can be undertaken. Sira also offers project management for companies wishing to comply with DSEAR. For more information or to receive a free copy of the DSEAR brochure please call 01244 670900, email exhazard@siratc.co.uk or visit www.siraservices.com

SIRA introduces hazardous area questionnaire Sira Test and Certification Ltd has compiled a series of questionnaires which offer companies the chance to test staff on their hazardous area knowledge. Ideal for confined area workforces, process and offshore industries and pharmaceutical and manufacturing plants with potentially explosive atmospheres, Sira has designed the questionnaire to challenge UK businesses about their hazardous area knowledge. Sira will provide the questionnaire to companies who can then distribute it to relevant sections of their workforce to ensure that their working knowledge of hazardous area procedures is of the required standard. This is particularly important with regard to the imminent deadline for compliance with the ATEX Directive (1st July 2003). The questionnaire itself is divided into four sections, each intended to be completed by different levels of staff: Process Operators, Management, Instrument and Electrical Technicians, and Instrument and Electrical Designers and Supervisors. The questionnaire is designed to give an indication of the knowledge of both the individual groups and the workforce as a whole. The topics covered include: • Zones • Legislation • Product Markings • The ATEX Directive Once the questionnaire has been completed it can be returned to Sira who will grade it and collate the results. They can then relay the results to the company and inform them in which areas there is any deficiency of knowledge. Sira Test and Certification Ltd is accredited to certify to the ATEX Directive, and offer support, training and certification services to companies who are not currently compliant. For more information about the questionnaire or other services provided by Sira Test and Certification Ltd please call +44 (0) 1244 670900 or visit www.siraservices.com For press information please contact: Kath Darlington/ Debbie Turner/ Liz Ebbrell

The Scott Partnership Ltd The Old Barn Holly House Estate CRANAGE Middlewich, Cheshire CW10 9LT United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1606 837787 Fax: +44 (0) 1606 837757 e-mail: pr@scottmail.co.uk

Berry's Announce 'Refresh' of Corporate Image As part of Berry's on-going commitment to continuously update and improve their services to the Forecourt Industry, they have taken the decision to segregate their business into four integral units, Atlas, Pipework Systems, (in particular featuring Durapipe PetrolLine Xtra), Forecourt Equipment, and a new service, The Pump Spares Depot. This newly established department is

ably run by Jacque Williams. Jacque has a wealth of knowledge available to him, having worked previously as an Area Manager for a leading Pump Manufacturer in his native South Africa, and upon his return to the UK as a Pump Service Engineer. Jacques practical experience is backed by an updated technical database that allows parts to be easily identified and ordered even if the part numbers are unknown, and with a large range of parts available from hydraulics, hoses, and nozzles through to parts for complete rebuilds, as well as the intention to further expand into commercial pump sales, Berry's are confident that this new service will only be an asset. This new venture has led them to take a fresh look at their company profile, and they have taken the decision to 're-brand' their corporate image, to reflect the values they consider to be most important; Quality

News and Service, combined with the necessity of forward-thinking. The new image was launched earlier this year at the IFFE exhibition, and so far has received very positive feedback. The company's M.D., Martin Berry commented, " We wanted to create distinct categories within the company, each having their own brand name, to enable customers to identify products and services that are most relevant to them. All of the four brands combine, to provide the best service possible, with everything customers could possibly need available from one source. It also allows us to create distinctive marketing strategies aimed at a specific customer base." So, with all of these changes now in place, there is a last segment which has recently been put into place - that being a new member to the Berry Team. Alan Fitzpatrick joined the company at the

beginning of August 2003, as Product Sales Manager. Alan will primarily be working for Berry's Sales Director Tom Hocking, and his main role is to liase with contractors and architects, to promote new lines within their Forecourt Products range, as well as highlight the more established products offered by the company. Anyone who wishes to contact Alan may do so by calling his mobile number, which is: 07717 702817.

Air quality issues associated with motor cars “well on the way to being cracked” At the fringe event discussion "Pollution free motoring - fantasy or real possibility?" organised by the UK Petroleum Industry Association at the Labour Party Conference, Bournemouth on Tuesday 30th

September, UKPIA Chief Executive Malcolm Webb delivered a positive message about removing the main pollutants from motor car exhausts and tackling carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. "Through a combination of new cleaner fuels and new engine and exhaust clean-up technologies, the main exhaust pollutants from cars were halved in the 1990's and continue to be substantially reduced. We are also at the dawn of sulphur-free fuels, which will become widely available in late 2004. These fuels will facilitate further improvements in engine efficiency and after treatment technologies thus improving the situation still further. So, on Air Quality I think that we are essentially cracking the problem. Whilst acknowledging that CO2 reduction in vehicles remained a challenge, he emphasised the enormous progress being made with developing more efficient engines and highlighted the substantial gains to be made with currently available hybrid vehicles, which combine petrol or diesel power with electricity generated by the vehicle itself. He expressed confidence that road transport would make its proper contribution to the achievement of the UK's targets for reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions. "However" he pointed out "emissions from road transport, which have not increased over the last 5 years, account for just 21% of total UK CO2 emissions and so road transport on its own cannot be expected to come any where near to achieving the Government's overall targets for reduction of CO2 emissions" Mr Webb concluded by stressing the need to continue to make steady progress on improving existing fuel and engine technologies for early uptake in the mass market and the importance of not prematurely picking winners in the technology stakes. Enquiries to: Nick Vandervell, UKPIA Tel. 020 7240 0289 Mobile 07803 954 090

Minister launches new Energy Institute Stephen Timms MP, Minister of State for Energy, E-Commerce and Postal Services, joined over 130 invited guests to celebrate the formal launch of the newly created Energy Institute, formed by a merger of the Institute of Petroleum and the Institute of Energy, at a reception in the House of

Commons last week. The reception, co-hosted by the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies (PGES), brought together leading figures from all sectors of the energy industry, the academic world and government. Speeches were given by PGES Chairman, Paddy Tipping MP, the EI Co-Chairmen, Prof Martin Fry and Dr Pierre Jungels CBE. Paddy Tipping MP said, "I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the merger of the Institute of Petroleum and the Institute of Energy, two staunch supporters of the PGES. There is no doubt that today's energy system needs a transformation in order to provide for tomorrow's future, but a major concern is that there is not a large enough skilled workforce to deliver what is needed. On behalf of the PGES, we welcome and support the new Energy Institute's work towards ensuring that the development of energy professionals is provided for. Prof Martin Fry CEng FEI, Co-Chair of the Energy Institute said, "Both the Institute of Petroleum and Institute of Energy had a proud and distinguished heritage developed over many years supporting their particular energy sectors. Increasingly these sectors have converged, creating an integrated global energy market. We recognise the challenges presented in the White Paper and believe that the EI and its members can play an important role in delivering solutions to our future energy needs"" Dr Pierre Jungels CBE CEng FEI, CoChair of the Energy Institute Council said, "We face great energy challenges, nationally and globally - meeting them is fundamental for our future. And with the advent of an integrated global energy sector, the new Energy Institute is needed, not only to mirror developments in our own market, but also to lay the foundations for the foreseeable future. The Energy Institute is a community, a home for energy professionals and an intellectual reservoir for the industry." For further information please contact Katie Crabb at the Energy Institute on +44 (0) 20 7467 7173 or at kcrabb@energyinst.org.uk mailto:kcrabb@energyinst.org.uk

Articles

APEA 2004 Annual Dinner, Conference & Exhibition By Tony Jenner Plans are now well under way for the 2004 APEA Annual Dinner, Conference and Exhibition which is scheduled to be held at the ever-popular Metropole Hotel, Birmingham. The date for this event has been set for October 7th 2004 so please make sure you mark this important date in your diary For this event it has been decided to make the exhibition more modest than in previous years! Those of you who can remember the old days when we used to meet in Dunstable will be familiar with the format, small exhibition stands arranged around the perimeter of the conference hall where attendees can meet suppliers during quiet periods, prior to and between the conference sessions. The events committee elected for this format because we feel that there are insufficient exhibitors to fill a large exhibition hall. Based on previous experience, we also feel that there are insufficient visitors to warrant a multiday event, so by combining the Annual Dinner, Conference and Exhibition we hope to provide a single focused day for everybody's enjoyment.

Exhibition stand space will be limited to approximately 6 square metres per exhibitor, and invitations will be sent out in the very near future to those companies who have previously supported the APEA. As the number of exhibitors we can accommodate will be limited I recommend reserving space as soon as possible. Obviously, the cost of stand space will be very much reduced from what we have previously charged, therefore, making it a very attractive commercial proposition. Whilst the conference is in session exhibitors will be required to "shut down" their stands, giving them the opportunity to attend and enjoy the lively and topical conference. Currently members of the events committee are working on a themed approach for the conference, and are in the process of selecting and inviting interesting and informed guest speakers. More details of the conference programme will be contained in future issues of the Bulletin. The APEA Annual Dinner has become an industry landmark where friends, colleagues, suppliers and their

customers get together for a thoroughly enjoyable evening! Last year we attracted almost 400 diners, and judging by the comments I received it was an evening enjoyed by all (even if one table became confused and thought they were at a football match)! We anticipate that this forthcoming event will be equally well subscribed, and as spaces will be limited I recommend booking as soon as possible. Once again, invitations will be sent out to those who have previously supported the association. We have provisionally reserved 400 hotel rooms at the Metrolpole at a preferential rate. Obviously, to enjoy this discount it will be necessary to confirm bookings directly with the hotel at least 6 weeks prior to the event. When booking, confirm that you are with the APEA and the discount should be automatically applied. All on the events committee look forward to hosting what promises to be an informative day followed by a fun evening and we look forward to seeing you all in Birmingham next October.

Small fire at petrol filling station - possible cause Thermite reaction By Roger Marris (Senior Petroleum Inspector - West Yorkshire Fire Service) On 30 June 2003 the West Yorkshire Fire Service were belatedly notified by the licensee of a small fire involving spilt petrol that occurred on the forecourt of a petrol filling station at Halifax on the evening of 28 June 2003. According to the licensee, a customer moved his vehicle while the delivery hose nozzle was still in the fuel tank aperture. The safety-break coupling separated and there was a small release of petrol, which immediately ignited and burned briefly. The forecourt controller stopped all the pumps through the pump controller (but did not operate the emergency stop button) and then went onto the forecourt to see what had happened. After satisfying himself that the fire was out, he coned-off the affected area and apparently reopened the site without contacting the Fire Service or his manager. On receipt of the late notification, a Petroleum Inspector visited the site to 28

investigate the incident and examine the dispenser hose and fittings. The inner plastic components of the aluminium coupling showed clear signs of charring and there was a sooty deposit on the upper half of the metal coupling, with some melting and slight deformation of the rubber protective sleeve. During the course of his investigation he also noted that coated steel bands protected the edge of the pump island. The coating was damaged in several places, and the exposed steel was rusty. As there was no indication that the source of ignition was a naked light, electrical spark or the petrol driven motor vehicle, the Inspector came to the conclusion that the aluminium nozzle assembly (which fell from a height of approximately 1 metre from the moving vehicle) could have struck a rusty section of the exposed steel band thereby generating a thermite spark which ignited the vapour from the spilt petrol.

The Petroleum Inspector has since written to the licensee to inform him of his conclusions as to the most likely ignition source and also to request that remedial work be carried out remove or cover any rusty or exposed steel on the pump island. This is not the first occasion that the source of ignition for a fire at a petrol filling station has been attributed to thermite reaction. PETEL circulars1 65/39 65/39a and 65/39b detail a fire investigation and a subsequent research project into this phenomenon. However, up until this incident, it had been perceived that the risk of ignition by thermite reaction (at petrol filling stations) would be associated with the road tanker delivery process where there is a likelihood of aluminium hose couplings impacting with rusty steel. 1 Petrol Filling Stations - Road Tanker Deliveries - Ignition of Petrol by Thermite Reaction. (www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs )

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Petrol Filling Stations - Dispensing Control Measures This HELA/LACORS PETEL was issued in August 2003 and gives advice to Petroleum Licensing Authorities regarding petrol forecourt activities Introduction

site-specific risk assessment.

1. The guidance given in this circular supersedes and updates the guidance given in the HSE letter dated 22 May 19851, paragraphs 121 - 128 of HS(G) 412, the PETEL circulars 65/63 and 65/154 and clauses 9.6.1 and 9.6.2 of the Blue Book5 on the safety control measures to be implemented on petrol station forecourts when dispensing activities take place. It should be noted that the guidance given in this PETEL makes four significant changes to the recommendations given in the above documents insofar as:

4. The recent increase in the number of sites operating in part or as a whole in an unattended self-service mode has highlighted the anomalies that exist in current guidance between the control measures advocated for attended self-service and those for unattended self-service. Although this PETEL Circular attempts to address these anomalies, it should be borne in mind that some sites do operate without any direct supervision and this method of customer service still creates some differences when compared with the forecourt control measures for attended service operations. Such differences that do exist should not be used as reasons to lower accepted standards for attended operations.

The pre-authorisation of dispensers for attended selfservice operation is now acceptable in certain circumstances and with additional controls (see para 30); The 50 litre delivery limit for unattended self-service operation is increased to 75 litres (see para 33); There is no further need to fit an interlock isolation switch to the door of the emergency cabinet at unattended self-service sites (see para 34); The use of mobile telephones is permitted in the shop, customer's vehicles and in other non-hazardous areas of the petrol filling station (see para 11).

General Dispensing Activities 5. Petrol should be dispensed only by means of dispensing equipment of an appropriate standard into the fuel tanks of internal combustion engines (i.e. on vehicles, motorbikes, boats, planes, mowers etc.) or into appropriately marked or labelled portable containers suitable for keeping petrol. The definition of a suitable container includes demountable fuel tanks and fuel retrievers as well as those containers defined by the Petroleum-Spirit (Motor Vehicle) Regs 1929 and the Petroleum-Spirit (Plastic Container) Regs 1982.

Background 2. The dispensing arrangements can operate in a variety of ways; from attended service, where site staff refuel customers' vehicles through to sites that are unmanned and where customers refuel their own vehicles without any onsite supervision or assistance from the site operator. Some filling stations now function on an alternating system where the site is operated as attended selfservice at busy periods (i.e. day time and evening) and as unattended selfservice during quiet periods when throughput is low (i.e. late evening and through the night). 3. The decision as to the mode of forecourt operation is one for the site operator to take on a commercial basis but after taking safety concerns into account. The latter must be based on a

6. As far as is reasonably practicable, persons under the age of 16 years should be denied access to petrol. 7. Engines of vehicles should be switched-off before dispensing starts. Dispensing equipment should be operated in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions (e.g. equipment designed to be operated by an attendant should be operated only by an attendant). Delivery hoses should not be kinked or stretched. After dispensing, nozzles should be firmly stowed in their housings to switch off metering pumps and dispensers or, in the case of centralised pump systems, to isolate hoses from sources of pressure. If appropriate, hoses should be draped to avoid damage by moving vehicles.

8. Where portable containers are to be filled, only suitable metal or plastic containers should be used. They should be removed from inside vehicles and be placed on the forecourt and filled with the nozzle-operating lever held open manually. Containers should be securely closed as soon as dispensing finishes. Pedestrian customers should be discouraged from bringing full containers into the shop when paying for petrol. 9. If any equipment develops a fault or if spills, leaks or other emergencies occur during dispensing, those operations should be stopped and the nozzles returned to their housings. The electrical supply should be isolated from faulty equipment. Dispensing should not be restarted until any faults affecting safety have been corrected or any incidents have been dealt with. 10. Irrespective of the mode of operation, forecourt attendants should not be under the age of 16 years and no one under the age of 18 years should be left in sole charge of a filling station. Mobile Telephones 11. Generally mobile telephones are not designed and certified for use in explosive atmospheres. Their use can also create a serious distraction for people carrying out dispensing activities. Radio transmissions from individual mobile telephones are generally too low to induce dangerous electric currents in nearby equipment and the risk of incendive sparking from the battery is low, however, they should not be used in the hazardous areas that exist when actually dispensing petrol. Neither should they be used in the hazardous areas around the fill and vent pipes during petrol deliveries. 12. Rather than applying a total prohibition on the use of mobile telephones on petrol forecourts which has resulted in some anomalies and frequent abuse to staff, the following controls are recommended: -

Mobile telephones should not be used by customers or forecourt staff whilst actually dispensing petrol into fuel tanks or containers; During petrol deliveries mobile 33

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telephones should not be used on those parts of the site that have been designated as hazardous areas by the site operator or the driver; Mobile telephones should not be used during other petrol handling operations or during the maintenance of petrol equipment unless a specific assessment shows the risks are negligible; There is no need to restrict the use of mobile telephones, with respect to the safe keeping of petrol, at other times or in other areas of the forecourt. This includes in the shop, in motor vehicles parked on the forecourt or in other non-hazardous areas.

13. The use of radio equipment fitted on emergency vehicles and citizen band (CB) radios may create an ignition risk. These types of transmitting equipment do have a power out-put sufficient to induce dangerous electrical currents in nearby fixtures and they should not be allowed to be used at the dispensing points or in the vicinity of the road tanker when unloading. It should be noted that the radio equipment mounted on most emergency vehicles is under automatic interrogation from the base station. This means that radio messages are being received and transmitted without anyone speaking into a hand set. The Home Office has issued the emergency services with separate advice on the use of radios and CB equipment in the vicinity of filling stations. Management of the Forecourt 14. Whether the site adopts pre or post authorisation of the dispensers the site operator will need to ensure that proper supervision of the forecourt is achieved particularly during busy times or when the site is taking delivery of petrol or other provisions. In carrying out his assessment of the ability of staff to supervise the dispensing operations he will need to consider: -

Appropriate staffing levels Other duties expected of staff (ie. re-stocking shelves, sales, petrol deliveries) during times the forecourt is open for business. Management of forecourt staff Training of forecourt staff (see para. 16)

15. Where the forecourt layout gives rise to poor visibility of dispensers, additional methods of work will need to be introduced for the forecourt staff. It may be necessary to delay 34

authorisation (or to cancel the preauthorisation) of a specific pump until a temporary obstruction to vision has moved away or instructions may be given over the public address system for the customer to move to an alternative pump. When portable containers to be filled are out of the attendant's line of vision it may also be necessary to use the public address system to ask the customer to show the container, prior to filling, so that it can be identified as being suitable. Training of Forecourt Attendants 16. It is a requirement of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 and the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 to provide adequate training and relevant information for all employees involved in the storage and handling of any dangerous substances. It will, therefore, be necessary to identify the training and retraining needs of forecourt staff by an assessment of the risks relating to fire and explosion. Further general information can be found in Approved Codes of Practice6 to these Regulations. 17. Training in matters relating to the dispensing operation should include: -

Procedures for activating and controlling dispensers; Safe dispensing procedures; Use of customer information systems, e.g. public address systems; Safe filling of petrol containers; Dealing with customers' enquiries on safety matters; Spillage control and emergency procedures during dispensing including the practical use of the types of fire extinguishers provided; Recognising the circumstances when it is not safe to authorise a dispenser and when preauthorisation should be overridden; and Understanding customer behaviour and unacceptable customer practices.

18. It is the responsibility of site management to instruct forecourt attendants not to authorise (or to override the pre-authorisation of) a pump when a situation of poor visibility arises. Attended Service Operation 19. Whenever an attendant service filling station is open for business, a trained attendant should be available to

operate the dispensing equipment. The attendant should not allow customers to operate the equipment with or without supervision. 20. Trigger latching mechanisms are acceptable on petrol pump nozzles operated by an attendant. However, site operators should be aware that latched nozzles have been implicated in a number of forecourt fires. Static charge is able to build up on users if they let go of the earthed nozzle during dispensing and this can subsequently cause an incendive discharge when they make contact with the nozzle again to complete the transaction. Where trigger-latching mechanisms are installed the site operator should ensure that attendants are provided with, and wear, appropriate anti-static footwear whilst carrying out dispensing operations. Attended Self-service Operation (ASS) 21. At these sites control over the dispensing is exercised by one or more attendants located at a control point or points. The location and design of the control point should allow, as far as is reasonably practicable, the attendants a clear and unrestricted view of all the dispensers so that they can prevent unsafe practices and if necessary switch-off the dispenser, if for instance: -

inappropriate containers are being filled with petrol, or containers are not placed on the forecourt when being filled with petrol (static discharge hazard); sources of ignition are present (i.e. smoking, vehicle engine still running, radio transmitting equipment operating); inappropriate use of the dispenser (i.e. devices being used to hold open the trigger mechanism on the nozzle, the hose being overstretched/damaged due to the vehicle position; and children (under 16) operating the dispenser or attempting to obtain petrol

Note: Latching mechanisms on nozzles should be removed or disarmed. 22. In practice the attendant will not always be able to observe all details of self-service operations even at welldesigned sites. Observation of the nozzle actually being placed into the vehicle fuel tank or container will frequently be restricted because of the configurations of vehicles, dispensers

Articles and customers relative to the control point. The attendant often needs to make judgements of the customer's intentions based on what can be observed from the control point. What it is reasonable to observe from the control point will vary from site to site, from dispenser to dispenser, and from situation to situation and will not always include a complete view of various nozzle positions. 23. Knowledge that a customer is being observed directly from the control point is likely to ensure customer adherence to commonly accepted practices and instructions. Other Aids 24. Mirrors may provide some improvement in vision at specific dispensers. Generally, however, their use will be restricted because the small and distorted image will not provide sufficient detail if installed with a total viewing distance (i.e. from control point to dispenser via a mirror) greater than about 10 metres. The effectiveness of a mirror to improve supervision can only be determined by practical trials at specific locations. 25. Supervision of the dispensing operation is likely to be improved as a result of a direct attendant service or by the presence of staff on the forecourt. Use of Closed Circuit Television Equipment (CCTV) 26. CCTV has limited use as a supervisory aid at most filling stations and should not be seen as an ideal way of observing dispensing activities because of the large number of screens and cameras needed to provide full coverage under all circumstances. Also human factors will result in the lack of reference to the screen at most typical or busy sites. Generally the screens of CCTV systems do not provide sufficient definition to determine, without prolonged study, whether ignition sources are present, whether a container is suitable or whether a user is over 16 years of age. 27. CCTV may, however, have applications in the following circumstances when alternative solutions have been explored and found not to be practicable: -

When the dispenser cannot be viewed directly from the control point. For example, a building, car wash or a large stanchion obstructs the view; Large multi-hose dispensers are installed so that their long side is

at right angles to the line of vision from the control point; or Following change of use from attendant to self-service operation where the pumps are not easily seen from the control point.

28. CCTV should not normally be required at new sites that are designed in accordance with accepted good practice to maximise visibility of the dispensers. Accepted good practice as detailed in paragraphs 4.4.7 and 4.4.9 of the Blue Book5 includes: Locating the control point and the dispensers at an attended self-service filling station so that an attendant at the control point can see the forecourt and dispensers clearly when no vehicles are present. Arranging the dispensers so that they are in line with the attendant's line of vision rather than at right angles to it will allow a better observation of both sides of the pumps, and will minimise obstructions caused by the pumps themselves. A road tanker or any other delivery vehicle properly positioned for unloading should not obscure the view from the control point.

More detailed guidance on emergency isolation switches is given in clause 14.6.4 of the Blue Book5; Unattended Self-service Operation (USS) Risk Assessment 32. The decision to operate a site on an USS basis for the whole or part of the business hours must be preceded by a risk assessment. The risk assessment should be carried out on a site-specific basis and should be undertaken in two phases: -

29. At existing sites or those undergoing refurbishment or modernisation CCTV may be a reasonably practicable solution at specific pumps where the situations listed in paragraph 27 arise. CCTV should not be installed as a matter of course for all pumps.

31. Other additional control measures for pre-authorisation of dispensers include: -

Limiting devices on each pump

Phase 1 should be an assessment of the risks of damage to the dispensing and safety equipment and the intimidation of customers by the actions of vandals and other persons of an unruly nature. Sites where vandalism has occurred or is likely to occur (if it is open for business without any supervision) should only be considered suitable for USS where effective control measures can be employed to deter damage to equipment and intimidation to customers.

Pre-authorisation of dispensers 30. In certain circumstances dispensers may be pre-authorised (i.e. removing the need for the attendant to authorise the dispensers for each transaction). The decision to operate the site with the dispensers preauthorised, should only be taken after a risk assessment has been carried out and it can be demonstrated that the monitoring exercised by the forecourt staff will maintain the same level of vigilance as would be the case if the dispensers had to be authorised for each transaction. The attendants will still need to be vigilant to the customers' actions at the commencement of and during the dispensing activity. In order to restrict children from access to petrol and minimise misuse pre-authorised dispensers should only be activated by a credit/debit card payment facility.

set to prevent the continuous operation for more than 3 minutes and a continuous outflow of more than 75 litres Removal of any latching mechanisms fitted to nozzles; Readily accessible and conspicuous emergency pumps isolation switch. This may be of the 'push button' design or, if provided, interlocked with the door of an emergency cabinet.

Phase 2 should comprise a more detailed assessment that covers the following points:

a. The site's location to determine if any incidents arising during dispensing can be contained within the curtilage of the site. b. The number and the position of the dispensers. The number of dispensers should not normally exceed two allowing up to four vehicles to be refuelled simultaneously (but see para. 32c). c. Identifying any additional measures to those listed in paragraphs 33 to 40 for sites where more than two pumps are required or where the throughput of fuels is high during the period of time that the site is in USS operation. Such sites will need special 35

Articles consideration to ensure that the control measures are adequate and the larger numbers of customers that will visit the site do not compromise safety. d. The range and location of equipment/facilities to deal with foreseeable emergency incidents. e. Proposed 'management' and 'engineered' control measures including those built into the installed equipment. f. Road tanker deliveries, but only in respect of deliveries that may take place when the site is in USS operation. Engineered Control Measures 33. Typically engineered control measures for unattended sites include: -

Limiting devices on each pump set to prevent the continuous operation for more than 3 minutes and a continuous outflow of more than 75 litres (or the equivalent monetary amount); Restricting the sale of petrol to credit/debit card transactions only in order to limit access to children and minimise misuse; Removal of any latching mechanisms fitted to nozzles; Adequate illumination of the dispensing area and the position(s) of the emergency equipment.

Emergency equipment 34. Emergency equipment unattended self-service sites include the following items: -

for will

Petrol pumps isolation switch. This may be of the 'push button' design or interlocked with the door of the emergency cabinet. More detailed guidance on emergency isolation switches is given in clause 14.6.4 of the Blue Book5. See note below; A means for communicating quickly and directly with site personnel and the emergency services. An adjacent notice should display the site's name and address and emergency telephone number; Notice displaying the actions to be taken in case of emergency; An appropriate number of dry powder fire extinguishers and a container of dry sand or other absorbent material to deal with small spillages. See note below.

Notes: At sites which alternate between ASS and USS, there should be no need to install an additional petrol pump isolation switch if the existing external isolation switch is conspicuously marked in accordance with clause 14.6.4 of the Blue Book, is of the push button type and in a position that is clearly visible from the dispensing position(s) of the USS pumps. When a site is in AS or ASS operation there should always be staff available that are trained in the use of extinguishers, therefore, the number of extinguishers provided should be in accordance with clause 4.3 of the Blue Guide4. The same will not apply when a site is in USS operation and the likelihood that at the time of fire there is a customer or passer-by being on hand who is trained in how to use an extinguisher is remote. For this reason, there should normally be no need to make available more than 2 x 4.5kg dry powder extinguishers when a site is in USS operation. 35. The location of the above equipment should be conspicuous so that it can be seen from the dispensing areas. It should also be at a safe distance from the potentially wetted areas should any spillages or leakages occur when the dispensers are in use. 36. If the equipment is located in a cabinet, the enclosure should be clearly marked to indicate the equipment it contains. Alternatively, the door could be fully glazed so that the customers can see the equipment. The method of securing the door to cabinet should not impede immediate access in the case of an emergency. 37. Consideration should be given to providing an additional telephone (to the one installed for emergency use) for customers to seek non-emergency advice or to notify the site operator of any instances of equipment not working properly etc.

A procedure for carrying out inspections whenever the site is open for USS operation. At sites alternating between ASS and USS operation, this procedure should be carried out at the changeover time; Procedures for checking, testing and maintaining emergency equipment.

39. The extent of management controls will need careful consideration to ensure that any emergency incidents are effectively and quickly dealt with. The provision of remote CCTV monitoring with direct two-way communication with the forecourt will provide an immediate response to advise a person in difficulties and can make an initial assessment of the severity of the incident. However, such a system of remote supervision will not dispense with the need for a trained member of staff to attend the site, within a pre-determined time period, if an emergency occurs. 40. Incidences of sudden coupling and hose failures are a foreseeable event that can result in the customer becoming splashed/sprayed with petrol. The consequences of such an incident occurring when a site is in USS operation has to be addressed in the risk assessment so that effective control measures, to mitigate against serious personal injury, can be put in place.

References 1 Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 : Safety Standards at Petrol Filling Stations - HSDB3/146/1984 2 HS(G)41 Petrol Filling Stations : Construction and Operation.

Management Control Measures

3 PETEL 65/6 Supervision at Petrol Filling Stations.

38. Management Control Measures for unattended self-service sites would, typically, include: -

4 PETEL 65/15 Control Measures for Unattended Self Service Petrol Filling Stations.

5 Guidance for the Design, Construction, Modification and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations. IP/APEA ISBN 0-85293-217-0

The site operator or a trained member of staff being on-call whenever the site is open for USS operation; An emergency procedure for responding to incidents and assisting customers (See paragraphs 39 and 40);

6 Management of health and safety at work. HSE L21 ISBN 0-7176-2488-9

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Hydrogen - Clean Urban Transport for Europe By Brian Baker, Milton Keynes Council Regulators and the Petroleum Industry are leading a significant increase in the introduction of alternative fuels in the UK. The last five years has seen the introduction of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in more than 10% of Retail Petrol Filling Stations. In parallel, the Dangerous Substances & Explosives Atmospheres Regulations 2002 have recently been introduced in the UK. These regulations apply to fuels with a flash point up to 55 degree centigrade. Search the internet and you will find news of new alternative fuels and energy are constantly being announced. There will shortly be a new debutant hydrogen. Here is some information on what is happening across Europe at the moment. In the September 2003 issue of the Bulletin Journal, a short item in the news section reported on a local authority decision to defer approval for the first Hydrogen site in the UK. Unfortunately, the news item was taken directly from a small local newspaper and did not accurately reflect the extent of research and planning that has gone into this project. In my role as a Lead Authority with BP Oil UK Ltd, I have been privy to the significant amount of work undertaken for this project and believe it is worthwhile examining this project in more detail.

Comparisons It is stated that compared to a conventional diesel bus system, the project offers the potential of reducing in excess of 40% in carbon dioxide emission. In addition, the project aims to produce a significant amount of the hydrogen required using renewable energy. The first vehicle was handed over in Madrid in May 2003 with the remaining 26 Buses allocated to their various locations by the end of 2003. Producing Hydrogen A range of hydrogen production and supply technologies will be tested in the different CUTE cities, electrolysis installations will be set up in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg and Stockholm which, in some instances, will use electricity produced by means of solar, wind and/or water power or from waste incineration for the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. Two further locations, Stuttgart and Madrid, will use a Steam Reformer, which will extract the hydrogen from the water reformation of natural gas. These small format reformers represent leading edge technology.

Background Towards the end of 1999, the UK Government, along with several European Countries, signed up to the European Initiative Hydrogen Project (EIHP) for the purpose of examining how effective Hydrogen could be as a fuel for the future. Without being alarmist, petrol is a diminishing resource, and contributes to harmful emissions. On the other hand, people do not want to stop driving their cars. There is therefore a need to balance the protection of the environment against the need for transport. From the EIHP initiative a hydrogen demonstration project known as Clean Urban Transport for Europe (CUTE) was born. Under this programme twenty-seven hydrogen fuelled buses will be introduced into cities across Europe. In total, nine European cities will receive refuelling facilities and three fuel cell buses each. The 'CUTE' project is designed to demonstrate an emission free and low noise transport system. Cities Involved in the CUTE Project The cities selected for this hydrogen project are: City Amsterdam Barcelona Hamburg London Luxembourg Madrid Porto Stockholm Stuttgart

Country The Netherlands Spain Germany United Kingdom Principality Spain Portugal Sweden Germany

Oil Company Shell BP BP BP Shell Repsol BP Fortum BP

Description of the CUTE Project The cost of each of the fuel cell buses is estimated to be 1.5 million (Euros). These will be built and supplied by Daimler Chrysler. The project is designed to run for two years, during which time detailed analysis will be carried out on the performance of the buses and the refuelling infrastructure. In each city, public transport companies will operate the buses. In London's case, this will be Transport for London.

Vehicles - The 'Citaro' Bus The vehicles, which are being built especially for this fleet trial, have the benefit of the latest fuel cell and hydrogen storage technology. Each vehicle will have a total of approximately 250kW of fuel cell output (gross) installed and the gas cylinders used have an initial storage pressure of 350 bar. The fuel cell system, the associated supply components, the coolers as well as the gas cylinders are located on the roof of the Citaro Bus, which therefore retains the complete low floor and accessibility of the vehicle. Depending on the number of passengers (up to 70 passengers) as well as the topography, the bus can travel more than 200 km and it is well worth pointing out that the distances the bus can travel are hardly less, if at all, than those of a comparable diesel vehicle.

Articles Refuelling Apart from the investigation of the central and local hydrogen production via electrolysis installations as well as natural gas steam reformers, the CUTE Project will result in the collection of important data about hydrogen refuelling. Storage & Dispensing The storage and dispensing facilities used at each site will be different. At the London site, liquid hydrogen will be used. The hydrogen will be stored in a vaulted tank with sophisticated leak detection and gas sensors with storage around 10-12 bars. Perhaps the most notable aspect is that in order to liquefy hydrogen the storage temperature has to be around -250 degrees centigrade. That just a little over absolute freezing which is -273 degrees C. In the dispensing process, the pressure has to be raised to some 438 bars with actual dispensing taking place at about 350 bars. The London Project London is huge, multi cultural, cosmopolitan city with a population close to 8 million people. As the city extends 600 square miles, London is

the largest city in the Fuel Cell Bus trial. Consequently, the need to control, and reduce harmful emissions is paramount for any long term transport strategy and in this context, London Transport have been working with BP and First Group to develop the CUTE project in the UK. London Transport have fleet of some 6,500 buses and although these buses are operated by private operators under contract, London Buses remain responsible for achieving environment targets and standards for the bus fleet required by the Mayor's Air Quality Strategy. London Buses and BP have plans to provide a fuelling infrastructure on a stand-alone site away from the bus garage, in order that access can be made available to other potential users. Liquid Hydrogen will be transported directly to the site through a third party supplier. The hydrogen will be stored in liquid form and dispensed in a gaseous state that aims to demonstrate that the directto-the-site liquid hydrogen supply route is also a technical viable supply method.

Summary This article has been designed to introduce the subject and perhaps make us more aware than ever of our changing environment. It is said by the experts that petrol in 30 years time will be no more. The search is on, not for just alternatives but sustainable energy. Hydrogen itself is abundantly available. Unfortunately it is rarely found in its raw state, but hopefully projects such as CUTE can help us develop the technology and expertise required to make hydrogen a more accessible fuel. Given that a fuel cell vehicle powered by hydrogen emits only water maybe, just maybe, hydrogen is the most attractive Fuel for the Future. Acknowledgements Chris Lowe and Tony Maddison of BP Bovis for their assistance in the preparation of this article Bibliography; CUTE -Clean Urban Transport for Europe, European Communities 2002 Further Details can be obtained from http://www.fuel-cell-bus-club.com

Tank To Bank Technology By Nick Payne, Mercury Petroleum Systems MPS can gather data from any country, we currently monitor Statiol Ireland and UK companies and many dealer groups, as you know this all depends on the way the data comes to us and we have written file handlers to accept many formats. The level of data required is the accurate and on time type if you have any chance to spot any leaks fast, the better the data the faster the leak spotting, our standard requirement is GOOD DAILY ELECTRONIC TANK DIPS, TANK SALES (or preferably pump sales) DELIVERIES at the time they are delivered and TEST TRANSFERS, we also require accurate tank to pump maps. If thought and planning is put to this, the best way forward is BI-Hourly data for enhanced services i.e. Tank Logistics. We currently monitor one company called Fuelforce where we get data via the D' channel from ISDN every six hours and they can use the data with 38

our tanker scheduling system, at the touch of a button they could see what fuel is currently in their UST's. The key to this exercise is getting data as automatically as possible, as

the petroleum industry staff just do not see the urgency! but when monitoring companies are accepting and analysing trends, timely data is imperative, the knock on effect for scheduling and

invoice matching is one way a site operator can affect the thin bottom line that most petrol forecourts are running at. Other customers like Sainsbury use our touch tone phone system, which means we get the ticketed delivery invoice sometimes before we have polled the tank gauge every two hours, the dips are on one database, the temperature change and ticketed delivery invoice are on others, the invoice and delivery is matched ready for the monitoring trend system, if we do not receive the ticketed invoice in a pre defined time we then escalate an email to the store manager saying they are not complying. Temperature changes at deliveries are monitored for various issues for running a successful operation. We offer other services including tank calibration, meter proving, vapour tightness test's, training, risk assessment, site audits.

Articles

Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations at Petrol Filling Stations By John Dallimore, Chairman Blue Book Electrical Working Group Section 14.10 of the APEA/IP 'Blue Book', covering Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations at Petrol Filling Stations, appears to have caused considerable confusion and controversy in the retail petroleum industry. Criticisms have been made ranging from 'the Blue Book makes it impossible to issue a Certificate for the installation at an old site' to 'the Blue Book requires the entire installation at a site to be inspected annually for the Petroleum Certificate'. Both statements are incorrect and illustrate the confusion surrounding this section of the Blue Book. In considering the requirements for inspection and testing of electrical installations at Petrol Filling Stations, the Authors of the electrical section of the Blue Book have considered both the requirements of the Petroleum Licensing Conditions and the Electricity at Work Regulations. Clause 14.10.3 sets out the scope of inspection and testing required for existing sites. Table 14.1 shows how different verification programmes may be used so that any existing site may be inspected and tested and, if appropriate, a 'satisfactory' Certificate may be issued to the Licensing Authority. However, in Clause 14.10.1, the authors have set out their recommendations for inspection and testing to comply with the requirements of the Electricity at Work Regulations. These

requirements include two items NOT required for the Petroleum Certificate: 1 Annual inspection and testing of portable equipment and other equipment connected via a flexible cord and/or plug and socket outlet. 2 Circuits feeding car washes and other external equipment used by the public. In addition, this clause states that 'the remainder of the electrical installation and equipment on site should be inspected, tested and maintained at a frequency which enables the site operator to satisfy his statutory duties under Regulation 4(2) of the EWR. It should be noted that the frequency is not defined and no reference to annual testing is included. It would appear that sections of the industry are interpreting the additional inspection and testing requirements set out in Clause 14.10.1 as being part of the requirements for the Petroleum Certificate. The recommendations for an Inventory Checklist (Annex 14.6) also appear to have reinforced the belief that the Blue Book requires the entire installation to be inspected and tested for the Petroleum Certificate. That part of the Inventory dealing with hazardous area and associated equipment is undoubtedly required so that any changes may be recorded when the annual inspection is carried out. However, the remainder of

the inventory has been included by the Authors to form a basis for inspection and testing required to comply with Regulation 4(2) of the EWR. In conclusion, it should be pointed out that it is undoubtedly the case that for many years the only part of the electrical installation at the vast majority of filling stations that was ever inspected and tested was the hazardous area installation. The remainder of the installation had not been inspected and tested since the original construction or previous major refurbishment of the site. The Authors of the electrical section of the Blue Book feel strongly that guidance should be given to site operators to enable them to comply with their statutory duties under Regulation 4 (2) of the EWR. It is the site operator's choice as to whether or not to regularly inspect and test the installation at a Petrol Filling Station not connected with the hazardous area. However, it should be noted that failure to comply with the requirements of the EWR is a criminal offence. Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive clearly identifies the importance of establishing and maintaining records of results of inspection and testing. In the absence of documentation showing that an installation has been regularly inspected and tested, it may prove difficult for an operator to prove compliance with the EWR.

Spotlight on GB Forecourts By Brian Baker Milton Keynes Council It is recognised that the Retail Petrol Filling Station market in the UK has diminished over the last 10 years with more than a third of all Retail sites closing their doors for good. The trend of most major operators currently is to remediate, upgrade and re-image by extending the life span of the existing installation for as long as possible. as well as developing the Convenience Store and alternative, cleaner fuels. Green field sites today are rare. However, there is the eventuality that new storage tanks, pipe lines and dispensers will need replacing on existing sites. Place this against an aggressive market and the need to build and open the site within a matter of weeks, it makes this 'fast track' industry restricted to those who can build petrol filling stations safely and rapidly for which those companies are becoming less and less with much experience being lost.

There is one company that I have dealt with over many years now who have recently returned to my 'patch' and they are GB Forecourts and in particular one of their Directors, Barry Bowles. I have known Barry for sometime now and respect his experience and service he has given to the industry for more than 20 years now. In amongst the frantic building projects he had on, I caught up with him between jobs and had the chance to speak to him on his views of the industry. Here is what he has to say; Q Barry, how long have you been in the

industry now? A Over 23 years and I have always been in the construction industry Q When exactly did GB Forecourts come into being? A April 1983, I remember it well! Q When did you build your first Petrol Station here in the UK and what techniques did you use? A I ran my first ever job of my own in 1985. In those days all underground storage tanks were single skin steel with galvanised pipe lines - black for diesel, 30N sulphate resisting concrete for covering the lines and tanks, block paving and concrete surfacing to the forecourt itself. I was one of the first contractors to put GRP Tanks in the UK when they became widespread in the late 1980's Q

I appreciate it may be business

Articles sensitive but who are your main Clients (Oil Companies, Supermarkets, Dealers etc)? A BP, Texaco, Q8 and Safeway. We also have a civil engineering division specialising in car parks, retaining walls, drainage systems and concreting which draws on clients from outside the petroleum industry. Just to plug the company the web site is www.gbcivils.com

dewatering operations so that silt did not get into the river bed nearby and damage the river reeds and fish stocks. Oh yes, and we had Life Belts on site just in case!! Q I bet you have some funny stories to tell from over the years, is there one that springs to mind that you can tell me? A At a site near Elstree studios, somebody left the fence open after the concrete lorry had left site. A lady drove straight into a wet bay of concrete. She was so upset as we had to lift her from the car through wet concrete and onto dry land - her husband was not amused. Q As a main contractor, what type of pumping system do you prefer to install, suction or pressure A I will keep it brief - SUCTION!!!

Manhole chamber under construction

Q Have you ever gone back to rebuild a site you put together and if so, what have you found in terms of performance of materials, changes to the original specification etc? A When sites are designed and built well then they stand the test of time. The real changes now are layouts and shops to satisfy the changing markets and customer trends Q Barry, you and I know that quite often, you have several jobs on the go at the same time. How have you found that logistically in respect of skilled labour, materials and plant equipment as examples? A The company was set up to meet the needs of clients with widespread property portfolios and so we are all used to being able to solve problems wherever in the UK they occur and have the ability to cope with peaks and troughs. Q We often view nowadays that the petrol filling station industry is a 'fast-track' and a 'design & build' one. What is the average time for a complete raise and rebuild or green field site development comprising a six island, five tank site with a convenience store? A We have done a site on the lines you have mentioned in 8 weeks! Never again though, the blood pressure cannot take it! These days the average is 12 weeks and still most operators are pressing us to get it down to 10 weeks. All this of course depends on any surveys and historical records that have been checked through. Often we start a project and on excavating find a couple of underground tanks that no-one knew were there! That of course can throw the best laid plans out of the window. Q What is the most difficult project you have had over the years? A BP Swanbridge Service Station in Newbury - We had a very high and aggressive water table, with the UK's Environment Agency monitoring

Q In the last few years we have seen a big increase in construction site safety here in the UK. What are your views on this and has this made the job easier or difficult? A Site safety must come first - but common sense has been lost. There seems to be more reasons why you cannot do the job rather than the way you can.

Q What is the future for Barry Bowles and GB Forecourts? A GB Forecourts will continue to give the client a high quality finished product, good value and a back up service. As for Barry Bowles I can say that he is nearly a finished project or that is what my lads tell me. Q So when you hang up your trowel, what will you do with yourself? A Say goodbye to the M25, sit back and enjoy my koi fish and occasionally phone Jason Reynolds from the BP Bovis Alliance telling him that I am not missing it and how much I hate Arsenal! Barry it has been great talking to you. You have got to get back to work and not get behind any longer. As for me, I am off to another site as the lines are being tested. Come to think of it, it is another one of 'yours'!!! Acknowledgements go to the Directors of GB Forecourts for their time and interest in supplying this article.

New Standards Available from www.bsi-global.com BS EN 13160:Leak Detection systems BS EN 13160-1:2003 General Principles no current standard is superseded ISBN 0 580 42075 2 £44.00 members £88.00 non-members

Shop under construction

Q Barry, here is a good one! Have you built any sites that afterwards experienced a major leak or problem and if so, what caused it? A Categorically NO. (Thank God!) but you have to more aware with the lines now in shingle that metal pins are not used in this area. Q How many sites have you built in your career? A Brian, I have lost count. I must be getting old but it must be hundreds.

BS EN 13160-2:2003 Pressure and vacuum systems no current standard is superceded ISBN 0 580 42076 0 £37.00 members £74.00 non-members BS EN 13160-4:2003 Liquid and/or vapour sensor systems for use in leakage containments or interstital spaces no current standard is superceded ISBN 0 580 42077 9 £37.00 members £74.00 non members

Q Over the last 20 odd years, what would you say are the main differences you have come up against? A In the old days we were given more TIME to enjoy the job. Now it is all about cramming it into a short space of time

BS EN 13160-6:2003 Sensors in monitoring wells no current standard is superceded ISBN 0 580 42078 7 £20.00 members £40.00 non members

Q Where do you see the Petrol station construction industry going in the next 5 - 10 years? A It's changing so fast all the time with new ideas coming in. Supermarket Shops where they sell everything and the fuel systems are getting cleaner.

BS EN 13160-7:2003 General requirements and test methods for interstital spaces, leak protecting linings and leak protecting jackets no current standard is superceded ISBN 0 580 42079 5 £37.00 members £74.00 non-members

Articles

A Unique way to Dispense Petrol By Jamie Thompson When I first started work as a petroleum officer in London in the 1960's I went through the six-month training regime in place at that time. A training mentor George Scales one of the senior petroleum inspectors was to be the "finishing school". After such an intensive training regime I felt I knew enough to go out and start inspecting.

pipe and the feed pipe to the dispenser. At the other end of the tank a pipe went down to the bottom of the tank; this pipe was connected to both the main water supply and the wastewater drainage with a three-way control valve. In the bottom of the tank to where this pipe extended was a ball float valve (see drawing)

The company claimed in their brochure, "The principle of the system, as its name implies, is based on the use of water power. The method adopted is to displace the petrol in storage by water thus obtaining many advantages, including that of always having storage tanks full of either water of petrol or a combination of the two, which entirely a v o i d s evaporation. No pumps are used whatever, thus saving power and elimination all the purchasing and maintenance of this equipment. Labour costs are reduced to a minimum as water does all the work. A firm advantage lies in the fact that the petrol comes from the top of the storage tank, free from water and foreign matter. Their being no evaporation, no e x p l o s i v e mixtures, there was no possibility of fire and explosion"

The storage tank would be filled with petrol through the fill pipe. When a car was to be filled a fixed amount of water (one gallon) entered the storage tank from a cistern (rather like a flushing toilet) The gallon of water displaced a gallon of petrol (which had been metered) This procedure followed until the storage tanks is almost full of water with little petrol left. A new delivery of petrol arrives by tanker, the petrol is then dropped into the storage tank. At this time the threeway valve is operated; the water in the tank being displaced from the storage tank into the waste water drain. A ball valve at the bottom of the tank (which floats on water but drops in petrol) prevents petrol from entering the sewer, and the refuelling cycle continues.

There were a number of these systems installed in the London area between 1920 and the late 1930's however I am not aware of any that remain in use. I may have seen one of the last of these rather unique systems operating.

George however knew different and asked me to visit a small installation in Westminster and explain to him how it worked. A simple task! Or so I thought, the lesson I received taught me I still had a lot to learn and I now know after 40 years in this business that you never stop learning. I arrived at the installation that consisted of a small tank and pump in a yard that was being used to refuel chauffer driven cars. The installation was to be removed in a few months as the premises were being demolished to make way for offices. I examined the installation and found that the dispenser was connected in some way to a water supply. A complicated valve arrangement at the fill pipe was something I had not come across before (or since). One of the things I had learnt in my short six months was that water and petrol do not mix. I had to confess that the arrangement had me baffled, and George seeing my confidence had taken a knock told me it was one of the only installations left of its kind - an innovative 1920's invention using water to dispense petrol. No Pumps! The manufacturer and sole owner of the patent was Bywater and Co of London. Bywaters brochure claimed the systems was invented, manufactured and owned by the British company and that it had the advantages of dispensing clean, water free petrol without the cost of buying, operating and maintaining petrol pumps. This installation consisted of a 1000gallon storage tank with two pipes coming out of the tank. The pipe at one end of the tank served as both the fill

In this environmentally conscious age our friends in the Environment Agency may not be comfortable with having a petrol tank connected directly to the wastewater drains but our files showed no records of accidents. An advantage today would be, no need for stage 1 vapour recovery and no vapour space or hazards would perhaps have made the petrol retailers and the regulators happy.

Articles

MTCF Surveying - Can it be trusted? By Martin McTague, Managing Director Ecotech (UST) Ltd What is MTCF? Mean-Time to Corrosion Failure (MTCF®) uses data collected from an underground corrosion survey to give a statistical determination of an underground storage tank's (UST) structural integrity. MTCF® was first introduced to the UK in 1999 and since then BP UK has used data gathered from more than 450 site investigations to develop a tank upgrade and replacement program. During the last 30 years, this system has been used in over 25,000 retail sites to help owners reduce maintenance costs and to protect them from the damage caused by leaks, improve income from site disposals and reduce the risk of prosecution for environmental damage. Its main application is assisting in the identification of high-risk underground tanks and prioritising expenditure. Although not an absolute measure of leak risk, MTCF® is a proven predictive tool that determines likelihood of corrosion failure at a site. Why was it introduced in UK? There were three main reasons it was first introduced: 1. Tank Leaks are rare and very unpredictable but when they happen they are very costly to clear up. 2. Alternative approaches such as reacting to a leak when it occurs, or using tank age as a replacement trigger were analysed by our clients and found to be significantly more expensive than MTCF prioritising. 3. Tank leaks start from very small pinholes and can take many months before they are spotted by tank gauges or in wetstock records.

What criteria were set by our clients? 1. It should meet a published quality standard. 2. There should be no business interruption when the testing was carried out. 3. The tests must be safe and avoided confined space entry to the tank. 4. There should be no need for repeat testing. 5. The results will allow the tank owner to prioritise any upgrade programme i.e. the results must differentiate risk quantitively and not just qualitively (high/medium/low). What has changed since? Health & Safety The introduction of Dangerous Substances & Explosive Atmosphere Regulations (DSEAR) has put greater emphasis on risk assessment and increased the need to understand how vulnerable tanks are to corrosion. Environmental Protection Section A3.15 of the new DEFRA Code discusses methods of assessing corrosion and states "Assessment of corrosion probability will help to decide if urgent action is required, e.g. the fitting of cathodic protection, tank lining or the replacement of a tank." Wet Stock Management There is now a greater acceptance and use of sophisticated wet stock monitoring techniques which have reduced the risk of large leaks and brought down the average cost of remediation. Im p a c t o f W e ts to c k M a n a g e m e n t

P rogram m e Cost £m n

40 35 30 25

No W S M

20 WSM

15 10 5 0 Reac t

Replace

Target S P Z

MTCF & CP

Can we trust the MTCF Result? Since MTCF was introduced to the UK it has attracted some critics who have challenged the usefulness of this management tool. The supporters continue to look to MTCF as a costeffective planning tool and claim that their environmental sensitivity and will give them a competitive advantage in the long run. The demand for MTCF is driven by how much money is allocated to reducing environmental risk. 44

Environmentally responsible operators that employ MTCF will benefit greatly in reduced costs associated with leaks and public relations issues but the critics' questions are regularly repeated: Is it too conservative? MTCF assesses risk; it is up to the tank owner to decide how much risk they are prepared to take. Some early US projects had the aim of removing as many tanks from the population as possible and the selection criterion was set artificially low. In the UK most owners set the limit at 30%. By increasing the level you can reduce the workload upgrading or replacing tanks but increase the risk of corrosion failure. Is the MTCF model unrepresentative of UK Sites? There is nothing magic about the environment in which tanks are installed in the UK, USA or any other region of the world. The field measurements are designed to include any specifics of and anomalies in the environment surrounding the tank. The statistical model then performs its calculations based on site-specific variables. As a result, each MTCF essentially provides a unique result based on the special circumstances at that site. The MTCF model has improved continuously over time as more and more data and results have come to be known. Not only was the MTCF process validated by actual dig ups of UST's subsequent to a corrosion analysis survey, the procedure was validated by another methods such as the distribution of residuals which are normally distributed. As is characteristic of such a physical process, the residual distribution of the MTCF model has been empirically established to fit a normal distribution and as such has broad applicability regardless of the region where the physical processes occur. Some critics have argued that the model is unreliable because: 1. US tanks used did not have any corrosion control: This is false. For years, steel tanks in the US have included a shop coating. Although not intended to be a highly effective dielectric barrier between the tank and the environment, this coating was a form of corrosion control that was accounted for during the model's development and refinement. Further, there we a number of tanks in the US that were tested with MTCF that were fully or partially encapsulated in

Articles concrete. As such, the data used to develop the model and the results it produces are most relevant to tank installations in the UK. 2. US tanks did not have concrete backfill: Although rarely used some tanks in the US did use concrete backfill, but the beneficial influence of this factor should not be exaggerated. 3. US tanks were made of thinner steel: The MTCF model is based on ¼ " steel plate which was widely used in the UK. If the tank owner has evidence that their tank wall thickness is more/less than this standard the MTCF result can be adjusted to take this into account. 4. The average life of tanks in the US/Canada is 17 years compared with 30 years in UK: The average age of the tank is meaningless. It is no comfort to a site owner with a large bill for remediation that he was unfortunate because his tank failed had less than the UK average life. MTCF is run on each individual site based on its specific electrochemical properties. Whatever the backfill (e.g. clay, cinders, concrete, horse manure or moon rock), the field measurements take the environment into careful account. The MTCF model considers the factors that increase or retard the rate of corrosion at each site. Do Double Skin tanks make MTCF less important? The tank owner still has to pay for replacing or lining the tank if the outer skin fails. The emphasis in applying corrosion control to double skin tanks is on protecting your investment rather than possible environmental damage. Questions would still remain about the reliability of the interstitial monitoring. If the alarm fails or nobody responds in time then environmental damage can still occur. Can't ultrasonic tests be used to find evidence of metal loss? This form of testing has significant safety risks and is very unreliable. There is only a very small chance (about 1 in1000) that the tester will hit the precise spot where pitting corrosion has taken place. Can it miss leaks? MTCF is carried out in accordance with a published standard which allows for a 5% rate of missed calls. However, in practice after more than 100,000 tests this limit has been not been approached. MTCF's results are also regularly validated by an independent third party in accordance with US EPA standards.

How does stray current affect the results? The presence of stray current significantly increases the risk of pitting corrosion and will in most cases result in the tank being classified as high risk. Before deciding on tank removal or upgrade further tests to assess the level of stray current should be carried out. What about alternative tests? The new DEFRA code calls for corrosion risk testing. If the tank owner did not use MTCF, it must chose an alternative, whose costs and technical effectiveness may not be proven, to put in its place. MTCF has been used, specified, tested, validated and certified by thousands of UST owners and operators for more than two decades. Are there factors missing from the analysis? MTCF is a prioritisation tool based primarily on an evaluation of multiple electrochemical variables that affect the rate of external corrosion of steel. From the beginning of this program, our clients have been encouraged to use MTCF as an important but not all encompassing tool in making its UST management program decisions. Included in any clients final action decisions should be other business considerations including product volumes sold, environmental factors, property lease duration, divestiture plans, etc. Does MTCF take into account seasonal variations? Our lab testing and statistical model take into account seasonal variations in soil moisture content and fluctuations in groundwater. Other factors are relatively stable. If we can confirm that the tank is encapsulated in concrete can we still use the MTCF result? There is plenty of evidence of tanks that have been encapsulated in concrete that go on to fail. See pictures below of a tank recently excavated. Potential and resistance measurements taken at various levels in an undisturbed state at various layers of bore hole include the concrete back fill in the circuit. This means that the results include the influence of the

concrete electrolyte on the tank surface and its resultant impact on the tanks' rate of corrosion. In most cases the concrete barrier will have been breached by cracking or crumbling, and is generally porous. To assume anything else would significantly increase the risk that seriously corroded tanks will go undetected. Does the high pH at interface between concrete and tank reduce corrosion and invalidate the MTCF result? Concrete backfill will probably provide a measure of corrosion protection for the tanks for a period of time. Concrete's relatively high pH would have had the effect of passivating the surface of the tank, thus initially retarding the rate of tank corrosion. Corrpro is the world's leader in evaluating and mitigating corrosion of steel encased in concrete. Their experience in analysing steel encased in long-life, high quality concrete such as bridge decks and substructures, car parks, piers and wharves has shown that concrete does not provide a permanent means of corrosion protection. Keep in mind that concrete acts like a rigid sponge that allows the ionic species to which it comes in contact to migrate through it. One can see the effects of corrosion of steel in concrete when you drive throughout our motorway network. Many of the bridge repairs are due to the expansion in mass of the steel in the concrete. Certainly, the process for placement of concrete around a UST does not entail the same level of quality control as used when building bridges or car parks. As such, no assurance can be assumed that the concrete protects all the surface of the tank.

Branches Eastern Nothing to report at present Midlands Nothing to report at present North East Nothing to report at present North West Our first meeting and AGM in 2004 will be on Thursday 26th February. Bob Conlin Branch Secretary Scotland The Scottish Branch Committee has arranged for the next meeting to take place on the premises of Dresser Wayne at Butterfield Industrial Estate Bonnyrig near Edinburgh. The meeting is scheduled for 7 November 2003 and will be followed by a short presentation by Dresser Wayne staff and a tour of the factory. A number of speakers have been approached and Ian Morrison of the Scottish Executive's Water and Environment Department has agreed to give a presentation on the Groundwater Regulations and code of practice on underground petrol storage tanks. By the time of the meeting we hope to have secured other speakers on related subjects. All branch members are invited to come but the numbers are restricted. Please contact the Branch Secretary Ruth Sutherland to book your place on a first come first served basis. Ian Hillier Chairman and Branch Representative Southern The Southern Branch enjoyed their summer branch meeting at the Tank Museum at Bovington in 48

Dorset. The subject of the meeting was obviously tanks (of the petrol storage variety!) The museum also put on a good display of tanks in action and we were able to enjoy the spectacle of a Centurion tank thrashing around the arena at full pelt! The day was regarded as a huge success by all who attended. A big thanks to our speakers Grahame Platt (Envirotech) Martin McTague (Ecotech) and Steve Barke (Corrpro) for their interesting and useful presentations. Our autumn meeting was held on the 16th October at the Forecourt Roadshow at the Webbington Hotel in Axbridge. Members were able to enjoy presentations on reed beds, impermeable plastic pipework and the Oil Care Campaign and contamination clean up. There was also the added bonus of visiting the Forecourt Roadshow, meeting with the exhibitors and inspecting the products and services on show. The Southern Branch have a number on exciting events planned for 2004 including a meeting in January to look at bulk retail above ground petrol storage, our AGM on the 14th April at Cholderton on the Hampshire/Wiltshire border, and our summer meeting on the 30th June dealing with aviation fuel storage at a museum of aviation. If you an APEA member living within the Southern Branch area who doesn't attend Branch Meetings you are really missing out! Our meetings regularly attract 50 members and offer exceptional value for money considering the excellent presentations and training on offer, the good food and accommodation, interesting venues and a chance to network with other like minded folk. Our meetings attract a balanced mix of regulators and industry and you would be made most welcome. David Sommers Branch Secretary

Yorkshire & Humberside Nothing to report at present

Branch Representative Contact Details Ian Taylor - Eastern Hytek (GB) Ltd, Delta House, Green Street, Elsenham, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM22 6DS Tel: 01279 815600 Fax: 01279 812978 iantaylor@hytekgb.com Richard Quarmby - Midlands 28 Franklin Way Whestone Leicester LE8 6QY Tel: 01787 220730 Fax: 01878 220044 rjq@quarmby.com Mike Silmon - North East W O Silmon Ltd Industry Road, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear. NE6 5XB. Tel: 0191 224 0777 Fax: 0191 224 0707 associationtreasurer@apea.org.uk Geoff Oldham - North West Suresite Ltd, Slaters Barn, Whittingham Lane, Goosnargh, Preston. PR3 2JJ Tel: 01772 861400 Fax: 01772 861600 geoff.oldham@suresite.co.uk Ian Hillier - Scottish Inverclyde Council Inverclyde Council Trading Standards, 40 West Stewart Street, Greenock, Renfrewshire, PA15 1YA. Tel: 01475 714200 Fax: 01475 714221 ian.hiller@inverclyde.gov.uk Philip Monger - Southern Petrol Retailers Association Meadowside, West End, Sherbourne St John, Basingstoke, Hants. RG24 9LE. Tel: 01256 850164 Fax: 01256 851273 philmongerpra@ukonline.co.uk Clive Evers Yorkshire & Humberside City of York Council Trading Standards Service, Exhibition Square, York. YO1 7EH. Tel: 01904 613161 Fax: 01904 551511 clive.evers@york.gov.uk

Please note: Courses will be designed around the new TCB Document, Design and Construction of Service Stations.

Training

Course dates 2003/2004

Non-members can purchase copies through either the APEA Business Manager 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.

PFS; Construction & Environmental Awareness 18 Nov 2003 to 19 Nov 2003

Crawley

9 Dec 2003 to 10 Dec 2003

Dundee

13 Jan 2004 to 14 Jan 2004

Birmingham

18 Feb 2004 to 19 Feb 2004

Dundee

9 Mar 2004 to 10 Mar 2004

Southampton

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: Jane Mardell - Training Coordinator (contact details on page 3) or Brian Baker, Training Chairman 1 Brookside, Hodge Lea, Milton Keynes MK12 6JW Tel: 01908 252332/ Mobile: 07932 785 166 Fax: 01908 252319/e-mail: brian@bpbaker.fsnet.co.uk

PFS; Audit and Inspection 25 Nov 2003 to 26 Nov 2003

Bournemouth

9 Dec 2003 to 10 Dec 2003

Stoke on Trent

27 Jan 2004 to 28 Jan 2004

Dublin

APEA Training Team

25 Feb 2004 to 26 Feb 2004

Location to follow

Jamie Thompson Independent Consultant

30 Mar 2004 to 31 Mar 2004

Birmingham

Electrical Installations An Awareness 29 Jan 2004

Newcastle

12 Feb 2004

Birmingham

25 Mar 2004

Dundee

Paul Craven Petroleum Officer Suffolk County Council Brian Humm, Petroleum Officer LFEPA Brian Baker Fire Safety & Petroleum Officer Milton Keynes Council Gareth Bourhill Senior, Electrical Consulting Engineer F.J. Morris Group John Dallimore Independent Consulting Engineer, John Dallimore &Partners

LPG Installations (Autogas) 1 Dec 2003

Portadown (NI)

19 Jan 2004

Dundee

2 Feb 2004

Southampton

Phil Lambeth. Senior Engineer BP Global Alliance

15 Mar 2004

Birmingham

John Hills, Project Engineer BP Bovis Alliance

Richard Wigfull Consulting Engineer, J. Wigfull & Son

Bob Conlin,Director Fairbanks Environmental

Wet Stock Monitoring 20 Jan 2004

Birmingham

Tom Armstrong Senior Project Engineer

3 Feb 2004

Derby

Eddie Furniss Independent Trading Standards Consultant

16 Mar 2004

Newcastle

Training Course Sponsors The APEA would like to thank the following companies that have added to the ever growing list by choosing to send delegates to APEA training courses: To all our sponsors, thank you for your support without which it could not have been possible. A Aberdeenshire District Council Allday Stores Ltd Angus Council Antrim Council (N.I.) Ards Council (.I.) Armagh City & District Council Avon Fire & Rescue Service B Bapco (Bahrain) Banbridge Council (N.I.) Ballymena Council (N.I.) Ballymoney Council (N.I.) Bedfordshire County Council Belfast City Council (N.I.) Birmingham City Council Blackburn & Darwen Council Blackpool Borough Council Bournemouth Borough Council BP Bovis B & P Electrical & Data Services Buckinghamshire County Council C Cambridgeshire County Council Carmarthenshire County Council Cameron Forecourt Ltd Cardiff City Council Caerphilly Council Cardiganshire Council Castlereagh Council (N.I.) Cavan County Council City of Edinburgh Council Coleraqine Borough Council (N.I.) Conwy Council Cookson & Zinn Ltd Co-op Stores Ltd Cornwall County Fire Brigade Coteba Ltd D David Fear Electrical David McLean Ltd Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service Derbyshire City Council Derbyshire County Council Dresser Wayne Ltd Derry City Council Devon County Council Diamond Construction Dorset County Council Dublin City Fire Brigade Dundee City Council Dungannon & South Tyrone Council Durham & Darlington Fire Service E East Ayrshire Council East Dunbartonshire Council East Renfrewshire Council East Riding Council East Sussex Fire Brigade Electrical Services & Projects Ltd Essex County Council F Fife Council Forecourt Dimensions Ltd (Eire) Flintshire County Council Forecourt Engineering Ltd Fort Vale AD G Geodelft Environmental Ltd Glasgow City Council Gloucestershire County Council Greater Manchester Fire Service H Halliford Construction Ltd Halton Borough Council Hampshire County Council Herefordshire County Council Highlands Council HLM Design I Ideal Tanks & Pumps Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service J James Hall & Co Southport

K Kent County Council L Lancashire County Council Larne Council (N.I.) Leicester City Council Limavady Borough Council Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue Service Lisburn City Council Lotus Cars Ltd M M & H Associates Magherafelt Council (N.I.) Martindale Associates Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Michael O'Kane Associates Milton Keynes Council Middlesbrough Council Moyle District Council (N.I.) Moray Council N New Shell Kasese Newry & Mourne Council (N.I.) Newtownabbey Borough Council North Down Council (N.I.) North East Lincolnshire Council North Lincolnshire Council Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service North Yorkshire Fire Service Northumberland Fire Service Nottingham City Council Nottinghamshire County Council O Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service P PPS (Ayrshire) Ltd Paisley Council Pembrokeshire County Council Peterborough Borough Council Petrol Express Ltd Plymouth City Council Power Plan (Malta) Ltd Powys County Council Pump & Pipe Work Services Ltd R R.D Kurnow Electrical Reading Borough Council Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Renfrewshire Council Rhondda Cynon Council Roncol Ltd Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Royal Mail S Sainsbury's Plc Service Group International Shell UK Ltd Shropshire County Council Slough Borough Council South Ayrshire council South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service Staffordshire County Council States of Jersey Fire Service Statoil (Ireland) Ltd Strabane Council (N.I.) Swindon Borough Council Suffolk County Council Suresite Ltd T Taylor Woodrow Ltd Telford & Wrekin Council Tesco Stores Ltd Texaco (Ireland) Ltd Tokheim IPS Ltd Total GB Ltd Trident Engineering Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service U United Cooperatives Ltd V VecTec Ltd Veeder Root Ltd W Warwickshire County Council Welcome Break Ltd West Berkshire Council West Dunbartonshire Council West Midlands Fire Service West Lothian Council West Sussex County Council West Yorkshire Fire Service Wiltshire County Council Wokingham District Council Wyatt Engineering

Training

The Manchester Experience By Brian Baker, Training Chairman In the summer of 2003, the APEA were invited to deliver two courses for Greater Manchester County Fire Service at their training centre close to the city centre. The first course was the popular 2 day Audit & Inspection where delegates are taken through the theory and structure of Petrol Filing Station Inspection followed by a desk top exercise on risk assessment. Day 2 is spent visiting a Petrol Filling Station and carrying out a mock inspection after which discussions take place on Enforcement Procedures. There were 16 delegates on the course, half from the fire service and the remainder from trading standards, environmental health and the private sector.

liners that called for an unusual earthing system above the canopy. On this occasion I was working with Brian Humm, a very e x p e r i e n c e d inspector from the London Fire & Emergency Authority. Brian has carried out training for the APEA before and his sound thinking and knowledge was well received. The course actually received an input on the new Approved Code of Practice on

Unloading Petrol from Road Tankers, the first time we had done so since the regulations changed in the UK on the 5 May 2003. Our visit proved to be an interesting one that gave us plenty to talk about. The site chosen was BP Paddock at Prestwich, Manchester which is close to the M60 motorway. The site itself had been refurbished two years previously, had an LPG Installation as well as being an unassisted delivery site. Perhaps more striking was the fact that it sat underneath 275kv overhead power

Next up was our 2 day Construction and Environmental Awareness Course where we had 11 delegates attending, including 8 from the fire service. Paul Craven from Suffolk County Council joined Brian (and had never met each other but have 50 years knowledge between them!) and set about going through the various sections of the APEA/IP 'Blue Book' that included a revised presentation on the Electrical Installations as well as a discussion on the latest draft for Standard Licensing Conditions that was just 3 days after its issue!

Certainly we received a very good response from our delegates judging by the course review forms that followed and the APEA look forward being in Manchester again very soon. Acknowledgements; To Nigel Collison (BP Oil UK) and Paul McManus (BP Express Shopping) for allowing us to visit BP's Petrol Filling Station. Poor Paul had never been faced with so many Petroleum Officers in one go! To Greater Manchester Fire Service for the use of their training facilities, excellent catering and transport arrangements and in particular, to Mark Cox in co-ordinating matters on behalf of the fire service.

This demonstrates that our courses are right up to date as we constantly review subject matter. The weather of course is what you expect in Manchester, dull and wet but the hospitality we received was very warm and friendly.

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Training delegate photographs

Delegates from the Petrol Filling Stations - Construction and Awareness course held in Bournemouth in September

Delegates from the Explosives and Fireworks course held in Milton Keynes in September

Delegates from the Petrol Fillng Stations - Audit and Inspection course in Portadown, N Irleand in October, thanks to Mr Derek Currie the owner of the site we visited and to BP Oil UK Ltd 55

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