The Bulletin Magazine - March 2004

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 1

The Bulletin Journal of the Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration

March 2004

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 3

Front cover: Repsol unique canopy design

Editorial

Contents Regulars

Tony Jenner

Chairman’s Report

5

Business Manager’s Report

6

New APEA Members

9

Editor Cameron Forecourt Ltd Platts Common Ind Estate Barnsley South Yorkshire

News

10

Press Releases Dresser Wayne

22

Jeff Wilcox

22

Petroleum changes in the London Fire Brigade

25

New Debowsing Equipment from Pumptronics

25

Welcome to a new petrolworld.com

25

S74 9SE

tel:

01226 742441

fax:

01226 747 441

mob:

07715 375140

e-mail:

tonyjenner@cameronforecourt.com

Jamie Thompson Publishing Chairman Articles

70 Wangford Road

Tesco’s prosecution

26

Reydon

LPG Explosion on Asda forecourt in Bristol

27

Southwold

The Blue Book

33

Suffolk

Bacteria for the environment

33

Leak Locators - A division of PLATS Ltd

34

Vapour recovery 1b comes of age

36

Modernising petrol legislation

39

email:

Tank explosion kills Florida tank removal worker

41

jamiethompson@ukonline.co.uk

APEA AGM/Seminar 2004

44

Spotlight on BP Bovis Alliance - Maintenance Division

48

IP18 6NX

Tel/fax:

01502 722999

Mobile:

07770 625851

Jane Mardell Business Manager Branches

52

(including Bulletin Advertising and Production) PO Box 106

Training 2004 course dates

55

Course sponsors

56

Delegate photographs

57

Membership application form

58

Saffron Walden Essex CB11 3XT

Tel/fax:

01799 502929

Mobile:

07815 055514

email:

admin@apea.org.uk

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.

3

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Chairman’s Report Another year gone, where on earth does the time go? It hardly seems five minutes ago that I was sitting here compiling my report for the first of the 2003 Bulletins, and here I am doing it all over again for 2004!

Anyway, discounting that we seem to be on some wild race through time, I would like to join my colleagues on the APEA Council and take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

My time as Chairman is now drawing to a conclusion and I'm pleased to report that it has been most enjoyable. I have enjoyed working with all members of Council, and whilst from time to time we have not all seen eye to eye it has been a great pleasure to work with professional people dedicated to serving the APEA membership. My sincere thanks go to all Council members for their loyal and willing support throughout my period of Chairmanship. It has been an immense honour to serve as Chairman and an episode in my life which I will always remember with great pride.

Although most of you will have seen the new logo which was first featured on the APEA 2004 Calendar, this is the first issue of the Bulletin to display it. As you can imagine agreement to change the logo involved some lively debate, as did the final selection process! However, we listened carefully to all opinions and hopefully have come up with a clean image that clearly indicates what the association stands for. Of course, we all understand that there are some traditionalists amongst our membership who would rather have retained the old logo, but Council genuinely felt that for the Association to progress in the modern world it was necessary to adopt a new image.

Doubtless you will be pleased to know that there are no plans to replace the “Chain of Office” to incorporate the new logo. Council agreed unanimously that the original pendant is an essential part of the association's heritage and should remain as a testament to its origins.

I would like to remind our 'corporate' members that they are entitled to

Page 5

display the APEA logo on their stationery. Our Business Manager, Jane Mardell, has sent an electronic copy of the new logo to all of the members who have renewed their membership as 'corporate' and have supplied us with their email address. If for any reason you have not received a copy of the new logo please contact Jane who will be pleased to send one. Please note that it is only 'corporate' members who are entitled to display the logo on their official stationery.

As advised in my previous Chairman's report, the APEA Web Site is to be revitalised. A detailed specification of our requirements was prepared and submitted to three companies who were each invited to submit a competitive tender. The opinion of Council was that Fairbanks Environmental submitted the most detailed and cost effective solution and instructions have been placed for them to proceed with the upgrade. Without prematurely letting the cat out of the bag, the newly designed web site will include some exciting new features, including a Website Calendar with links to industry events, branch meetings and APEA Training Courses. A facility will also exist for online discussions where members can express their opinions or share their specialised knowledge on topical industry related subjects.

Members will also have access to back issues of the Bulletin in electronic format, a feature I'm sure will prove beneficial to many.

The anticipated timescale for the Web Site revitalisation is that it should be ready to go live on 31st March 2004. A presentation and introduction to the new Web Site is scheduled to take place at the AGM in April.

Plans for the AGM on April 26th have now been finalised and I hope to see as many of you as possible in Northampton for what promises to be a lively and informative day. We have noted the comments about last year's buffet lunch and hopefully will have put this right for this year's event, although it is always very difficult to satisfactorily provide for all tastes!

Whilst on the subject of events, please make sure you note the 7th October 2004 in your diary. This is the date scheduled for the APEA Conference, Exhibition and Annual

Dinner being held at the Metropole Hotel, Birmingham. The new concept of a one day event has been very well received and my advice to exhibitors is to book your stand space and dinner tables as a matter of urgency. Jane will be circulating you all soon to confirm your requirements - but please don't leave booking until the last minute as you may well end up disappointed!

As you will probably all know, the "Blue Book" is currently being reviewed jointly by the APEA and the Energy Institute (formerly the Institute of Petroleum). Invitations to submit amendments for the consideration of the review panel have been previously invited from all interested parties. It is anticipated that the review can be completed within a realistic timescale as many of the sections of the Guide will still apply without major amendment. However, at the time of writing the review panel has yet to meet so I am unable to give you a progress report. As and when there is any thing to report details will be included within these pages and on the APEA Web Site.

All that now remains for me to do is thank you for your support throughout my period of Chairmanship and to wish you all health, wealth and happiness in the future. I also wish to offer our Business Manager, Jane Mardell, my sincere thanks for all of her hard work.

Her organisational skills have made an indelible mark on the APEA which, in my opinion, now presents itself as a professional and respected industry organisation.

My very best wishes and thanks to you all.

Tony Jenner (Chairman)

5

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Business Manager’s Report Happy New Year to you all, I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Well, with festivities over back to business, there are two important issues that you may need to act on following receipt of this issue, so I have highlighted them below: 1.

2005 Yearbook Registration

2.

Annual General Meeting

Page 6

Annual General Meeting The APEA AGM is being held on 26th April 2004 at the Marriott Hotel in Northampton.

You can find the full agenda on page 44 of this issue of the Bulletin, including speaker details and timetable.

You will be sent a personal invitation to the AGM at the end of February together with a nomination form and year end accounts. I would be grateful if you can let me know if you wish to attend as soon as possible and whether you will be requiring lunch.

Bulletin, if you are a ‘Corporate’ member you are entitled to use the logo on your business stationary etc. If you have not already received the logo by email from me please contact me by phone or at admin@apea.org.uk

Website Bulletin

Yearbook I would firstly like to say thank you to all of you for the positive feedback regarding the 2004 Yearbook, I appreciate your comments. I am now preparing the data and artwork for the 2005 issue.

Included with this issue of the Bulletin are the 2005 Yearbook Advertising and Registration forms for members of the APEA. Even if you are not a ‘Corporate’ member you are entitled to include your company details in the Yearbook and receive one free Classified and Trade Directory listing.

As detailed on the form the deadline for their return is 1st April, which will enable the Yearbook to be sent out on 1st October 2004. However, I would be most grateful if can send them to me as soon as possible so that I do not receive one great sack of post and the updating procedures can be staggered. This is huge administrative task and your help would be greatly appreciated.

Please remember that even if your company is not advertising you still need to return the form to me if you wish to be included in the 2005 Yearbook.

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. You should all have now received your advertising renewal notices at the beginning of February and I would be grateful if you can return your forms with any new artwork by 1st April.

There are some copies of the 2004 Yearbook still available, please call me on 01799 502929 if you wish to purchase a copy.

6

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.

As a benefit of Corporate membership we will be including company details on the website from 2005 for these members. If you are not a Corporate member and would still like your company contact details included on the website please complete the box at the bottom of the Yearbook Registration form.

We are currently in the process of redesigning the website and hope to launch it at the end of March. We will be presenting the new website at the AGM in April.

Publications The APEA currently have the two guides that can be purchased from the office, these are: The guidance for the design, construction and maintenance of petrol filling stations APEA members £30.00 plus p+p Non APEA members £90.00 plus p+p Code of Practice for Ground floor, multi storey and underground car parks APEA Members £10.00 plus p+p Non APEA Members £20.00 plus p+p If you wish to purchase a copy please contact me at the APEA office.

New APEA Logo The APEA now has a new logo as shown on the front of this issue of the

Thank you to all of you that have contributed to this issue of The Bulletin.

Please send me any news items, press releases or articles for the June 2004 issue and I will pass them onto our Editor for approval.

Bulletin Advertising Thanks to all of you that renewed your advertising this year. I hope that you will continue to find the Bulletin a valuable means of communication.

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.

Training As usual the Training team and myself have been busy organising and teaching at our different courses. Some even got stuck in the fog in Dundee but I’m sure they found something to do!

Thanks go out to all our trainers who often travel long distances to provide their valuable services.

If you are interested in hosting a bespoke course for your company please do not hesitate to contact me.

We can offer discounted rates for these courses.

You can download a booking form from our website training page, just click on the course you are interested in and the course details and form are displayed or please contact me by email

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

or by phone and I can email you a copy.

Course dates are listed on page 55 but at time of going to press I was unable to include all the dates and locations for 2004, however, you can now view the up to date list on the APEA website at www.apea.org.uk/training Membership To date there are 1011 APEA members with approximately 30 members joining during October, November and December. You can find details of new members below.

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 should have all received your membership renewal notices in November with the December issue of

New APEA Members Detailed below are new members that have recently joined the APEA. October Peter Cooper Chevron Texaco 1 Westferry Circus Canary Wharf LondonE14 4HA Sandra B Debrot Fibrelite Corporation 80 Broadway Cresskill NJ07626 New Jersey USA Stephen James Hesketh 47 Asquith Road Wigmore Gillingham Kent ME8 0JD Andrew Kay Blackpool Borough Council 125 Albert Road Blackpool FY1 4PW Robert Leonard CL Associates

Page 9

the Bulletin.

Thanks to those of you that have been sending in your payments.

If you have not yet renewed your membership please can you make payment as soon as possible so that I do not have to send out the hundreds of reminder letters as I did to members in 2003 and of whom renewed, be it rather late.

At the time of going to press in February I had only received around 650 payments from over 1000 members.

Next year we should have a straightforward facility that will enable you to pay via our website which should simplyfy the procedure. I am also looking into the possibility of setting up a direct debit facility for members. I will let you know when these faciities become available.

Currently you can pay be cheque or credit card, just complete the payment form at the bottom of the renewal notice your received 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.

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 from the 2005 issue. Please also ensure that if you select Corporate membership that you have only one representative per company.

Glossop House Hogwood Lane Wokingham Berkshire RG40 4QW

Roger Denton Halton Borough Council Consumer Protection Division Grosvenor House Halton Lea Runcorn Cheshire WA7 2GW

Dean Lundin Owen Williams Consultants Caburn House Brooks Road Lewes East Sussex BN7 2BY Brian Piddock JS Pendlebury 16 Taylor Walk Western Downs Stafford Staffordshire ST17 9LP Monica Wilsch Slough Borough Council Environmental Services Wellington Street PO Box 580 Slough Middlesex SL1 1FB

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

John Earnshaw Qatar Fuel WOQOD Doha PO Box 7777 Doha Qatar William James Elder Coleraine Borough Council Cloonavin 66 Portstewart Road Coleraine BT52 1EY Northern Ireland

November

Ian Gauld Hydro Contracting Ltd Carolina Port Stannergate Road Dundee DD1 3NA

Jan Ageheim Petroteknik AB Dalenum 28 Lidingà 181 57 Sweden

Fred Hess Franklin Fueling Systems GmbH Rudolf-Diesel-Strasse 20 Wittlich 54516 Germany 9

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 10

Peter Jackson Combined Gas Systems 13 Brookfield Road Culcheth Warrington Cheshire WA3 4PB

Ken Wales A J Cunnigham Ltd t/a William Skinner Cunnigham House Highfield St Quivox Ayr KA6 5HQ

Wayne F Martin 42 Panton Road Hoole Chester CH2 3AH

Gregg Walker Statcourt Service 31 Portland Place Fauld House West Lothian EH47 9D

Martin Morrell Grain House The Maltings Station Road Alne North Yorkshire Y061 1TP Amanda Niven Falkirk Council Development Services Abbotsford House David's Loan Bainsford Falkirk FK2 7YZ Alan Stevenson Alan Stevenson Associates Ltd 63 Bevendean Crescent Brighton BN2 4RB

Edward Wheeler Eurotank Environmental Ltd Unit 10, Saxon Wharf Lower York Street Southampton SO14 5QF Michael Whiting Martindales 1 Avro Court Ermine Business Park Huntingdon Cambs PE29 6WE Vigh-Bellon Zsolt ACIS - Advanced Construction Ind Services Gyàr u.2.

Budaörs

Pest 2040 Hungary December Colin Maxwell Suffolk County Council Trading Standards Dept St Edmund House Rope Walk Ipwich Suffolk IP4 1LZ Matthew Sullivan 11 Highfield Road Bromsgrove Worcester B61 7BD Paul Grayling 18 Cordys Lane Trimley St Mary Felixstowe Suffolk IP11 0UD Iain Thompson Avon Fire Brigade Avon Fire Brigade H/Q Temple Back Bristol BS1 6EU

News

UK, Norfolk - Major road closed as tanker overturns November 10, 2003 Firefighters and environmental officers averted a major safety hazard after a fuel tanker overturned on the A140, leaking petrol and diesel into nearby waterways.

Just before midnight on Saturday a lorry containing more than 40,000 litres of fuel toppled on a roundabout at Dickleburgh, blocking the northbound carriageway.

The road remained blocked the following day as the containment and clean-up operation continued until 4pm, involving dozens of firefighters from all over Norfolk as well as officers from the Environment Agency and South Norfolk District Council. Traffic was diverted through the village of Dickleburgh.

Makeshift sand dams were built in roadside ditches to prevent the spilled fuel contaminating rivers and a bed of foam was sprayed around the lorry to 10

minimise the risk of fumes igniting.

Power was cut to nearby lampposts after the truck knocked one to the floor, leaving wiring exposed, and the remaining fuel was transferred to a second tanker to be removed from the crash site.

Leading firefighter Phil Leeder said: "The potential for something to go wrong was quite high. We has two primary concerns. One was the risk of fire from fuel leaking from the tanker and the other was the environmental impact. The Highways Agency brought sand and we put dams in the ditch both sides of the lorry to contain the spill.

The Environment Agency worked to clean up the itches and skimmed fuel from the surface of the water. We needed specialist equipment to decant the fuel from one tanker to the other and two lorries, one with a crane, to right the tanker and take it away."

Bridget Marr of the Environment Agency said: "We are very hopeful that this spill has been contained successfully and quickly enough to prevent any major impact. Only a very short stretch of water has been affected."

Chris Tubby said special absorbent

booms were used alongside the sand dams to contain the spill in the ditch.

"Compared to what could have happened we have a very small spill and the fire service have been excellent in preventing fire and helping us to contain the spillage."

UK, Hazard Bulletin Beware of Aerosol Cans Do you keep WD-40, hair spray, Off, Fix-A-Flat, etc. in your vehicle? If so, you might want to reconsider.

The picture on the next page is of a pressurized can that exploded in a person's vehicle and imbedded itself in the back seat of the car.

The temperature outside of the closed up vehicle was about 100 degrees F. What if you or a loved one had been sitting in that seat? Do any of your family members keep aerosol cans in their vehicles? If they do, please pass this warning along to them!

The incident pictured happened at a refinery in Beaumont. A deodorant

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 13

News

UK, How do we deter employers from breaching health and safety if not through proper action and tougher fines? spray can was left in the back of the vehicle that was parked in an open space in the middle of a hot, sunny day.

Without warning, the can exploded inside the car. Fortunately, no one was inside or near the car when it happened.

Lesson: • Do NOT leave pressurized containers (of any kind) in your vehicle where they can be exposed to sunlight!

• You should always read and follow the manufacturer's safety recommendations that come with the can.

• Reporting incidents such as this can help inform personnel of possible risks and dangers both inside and outside the workplace!

"More enforcement action in higher risk industries through the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) more targeted inspection regime, aims to reduce instances of ill-health, serious injuries and needless fatalities. Why then do general levels of fines - the foremost deterrent - remain too low to deter companies from committing more serious breaches?" asks Timothy Walker, Director General of the Health and Safety Executive.

Prompted by the disappointing levels of fines published today in HSE's fourth annual Offences and Penalties report, Mr Walker continued, "it is incomprehensible that fines for especially serious big company breaches in health and safety are only a small percentage of those fines handed down for breaches of financial services in similarly large firms. I understand that financial service breaches can affect people's wealth and well-being, but breaches in health and safety can, and do, result in loss of limbs, livelihoods and lives." Mr Walker went on to add: "We said last year that we hoped the increase in last year's fines was the start of an upward trend, but this has sadly not been the case. There has been no substantial change to reflect the seriousness of health and safety cases since the Court of Appeal said in 1998 that fines for health and safety were too low." The HSE's Offences and Penalties report provides details of enforcement action for 2002/03 and shows that 933 companies, organisations and individuals were convicted of health and safety offences.

HSE targets its efforts on those risks and industry sectors that give rise to most injuries, instances of ill-health and deaths. Enforcement has an important part to play and the most serious breaches face the toughest action.

HSE issued a much larger number of improvement and prohibition notices in agriculture and construction this year two of the Commission's priorities due to previously poor records in preventing accidents and controlling risks. This shows the determination of HSE inspectors to bring about improvements in the way serious risks are managed.

The average fine for health and safety cases across the UK fell by 21 per cent,

from £11,141 in 2001/02 to £8,828 in 2002/03 - partly because there were fewer of the larger fines. Speaking of the work of the HSE, Mr Walker commented, "the report shows the special attention HSE inspectors give to preventing serious risks in industries with poor records. Much of what HSE does is aimed at prevention, but enforcement has an essential part to play. In especially serious breaches, HSE will prosecute."

The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) Chair Bill Callaghan said, "the Government and HSC have set ambitious targets in the Revitalising Health and Safety strategy - designed to cut injuries, ill-health and deaths, by promoting partnerships with employers and others. The marked increase in improvement and prohibition notices shows HSE is pursuing the Commission's targets, which aim at preventing accidents and ill-health.

However, society is poorly served, by inadequate fines that fail to mark the seriousness of health and safety convictions. Above all it is unfair to the businesses that are managing risks and safeguarding the health and safety of their workforce."

A copy of the Offences and Penalties report can be downloaded from the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/enforce/off0203.pdf

UK, Guidance for HSE staff: Operational circulars and operational minutes Operational Circulars (OCs) and Operational Minutes (OMs) provide guidance on inspection and enforcement for HSE's inspectors.

Although they have been produced mainly for internal use within HSE, it is felt that such information may also be of interest to people outside HSE. However, we do not know whether the level of demand outside HSE warrants making the full text of these documents available upon HSE's website or whether it is more cost effective to make a list of titles available with the option to request electronic or paper copies as necessary. Therefore, for a trial period of 3 months (until end January 2004), HSE is making available a list of titles of all OCs and OMs that have been issued during 2002 and 2003 and that are still current. The results from this trial will determine whether we continue to provide a list of titles (and extend it to all current titles) or whether we proceed to make 13

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 14

News available the full text documents.

Whilst HSE's policy is to be as open as possible, not all information can be made available to the public. Some of the documents listed below contain exempted information. Where this is the case, we will supply you with a copy of the document with the exempted information removed. In such cases we will indicate where information has been withheld and the relevant exemption that has been applied. For more information on exempted information, please visit HSE’s Publication Scheme at www.hse.gov.uk/publish.

Please note that some of these documents may refer to earlier OCs and OMs as well as other documents that have not been included in this trial.

Should you find this to be the case when you receive your requested document(s), and you wish to see a copy of the other document(s), please contact Kate McNichol, details below, to arrange for copies to be supplied or to advise you on how to obtain them.

There is no charge for supplying electronic copies or single copies of paper documents but a charge may be made for supplying multiple paper copies. We welcome your comments or views on making this sort of information publicly available.

Contact: Kate McNichol Health and Safety Executive Room 001 Magdalen House Trinity Road Bootle Merseyside L20 3QZ. Email: kate.mcnichol@hse.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 0151 951 3407

UK, Lowestoft October 8 2003. Tank deaths report complete The Health and Safety Executive has completed a report of an incident where two engineers died while working on a disused marine fuel tank in Lowestoft in March.

Charlie Buckenham, a member of Lowestoft's lifeboat crew, and his stepfather Brian Dove were found dead in the tank on the shore of Lake Lothing by emergency services after a sevenhour rescue operation. It is suspected that Mr Buckenham and Mr Dove found themselves trapped in the five-metre wide, 15-metre long tank and were overcome by fumes while working as welders for local marine engineers Small and Co on March 5 2003.

The men had been working in one of four partly submerged tanks moored together off derelict industrial land owned by Associated British Ports and 14

across the water from dry docks owned

by Small and Co. More than 30 fire fighters from Lowestoft, Ipswich, Felixstowe, Bungay and Beccles as well as paramedics, police, coastguard and harbour workers were called to the scene at School Road, off Victoria Road, Oulton Broad, after one of the men rang for an ambulance from a mobile phone at 2pm. An arc welder was used to widen an opening in the tank and the process was hampered by heavy steel girders built in to strengthen the tank.

The bodies of Mr Buckenham and Mr Dove were recovered at 9.20pm. Mr Buckenham, 52, of Hardy Close, left behind a widow, Wendy, and five children, and had worked as a volunteer lifeboatman in Lowestoft for several years. Mr Dove, 55, was from Burgh Castle, near Great Yarmouth. The Health and Safety Executive have sent their report to their solicitors to consider the evidence before a decision is made whether or not to prosecute any party involved. A copy has also been sent to the Lowestoft coroner's office, which will organise an inquest in due course.

UK, Tanker Drive Off! On Friday 20th November 2003 at 1.50pm Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service received a call from Sainsbury's retail petrol site at Wellingborough. The site operator reported a fuel leak at their site following an incident in which the tanker driver was assaulted and the tanker driven off during a fuel delivery. Fire appliances from Wellingborough and Rushden attended with one Officer and the Services' two Petroleum Officers to act as advisors.

Stolen tanker on Wilby Way, facing away from the Sainsbury store. Skid marks clearly visible where the tankers did a U-turn

At the time of the incident tanker fuel lines were connected to one diesel and one petrol offset fill. Under the force of the drive off the lines parted and damage was caused to the offset fill connections. It is estimated that a 1000 litres of fuel was spilt onto the forecourt and highway during the incident.

The perpetrator drove off in the tanker and onto an adjacent dual carriageway

and was followed by a member of the public, in a four-wheel drive vehicle, who had witnessed the event. In a bid to escape his pursuer the driver of the tanker carried out two dangerous uturns on the dual carriageway before running out of road about half a mile from the retail site. He was immediately arrested by police officers.A joint Environment Agency/Fire Service action then addressed the clean up operation. The roads affected by the spill had already been closed and the Highways Department laid a bed of sand to cover the affected areas. The Environment Agency also laid booms in an adjacent stream as fuel had found its way into the watercourse.

Due to the professional and immediate response of all parties, including the Sainsbury's site staff, the Police and the Environment Agency, the incident was contained with the site reopening the following morning.

Having seen the skid marks caused by the tanker on the dual carriageway we were fortunate in not having to deal with a more serious incident and potential significant environmental hazard.

At the time of writing, a man in his 20's has been charged with aggravated vehicle taking and number of other driving offences.

UK, Oxfordshire October 22 2003 Oil Spill into lake killed 5000 fish A freight company has been fined £15,000 for polluting a Didcot lake, causing more than 5,000 fish to die.

About 11,000 litres of oil seeped into Lake Provender from an underground pipe at nearby English, Welsh and Scottish Railway Ltd's fuel depot during two weeks in August 2002. Wantage Magistrates' Court heard that Environment Agency officers investigated after receiving a call from a member of the public who had seen a dead fish floating on the water's surface. Janet Fedrick, prosecuting, said the 100m by 60m lake was suffering category-one pollution - the highest possible level. Environment officer Gordon Crutchfield said: "More than 50 per cent of the lake was covered in a thick layer of red oil and green sludge. I quickly realised this was one of the most serious cases of oil damage I had witnessed in my 30-year career."

Thousands of carp, roach and sprat were already dead. During a five-day clear-up, the Environment Agency and specialist contractors recovered 190kg

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 17

News of dead fish and two dead ducks. Tests

by EWS on its two large oil tankers, used to re-fuel its freight trains, revealed leaks in an underground plastic pipe. Mrs Fedrick said an inspection revealed the pipe was unsuitable for carrying oil and had deteriorated.

EWS has been prosecuted and fined three times for polluting controlled waters, including the same lake in 1999. EWS admitted allowing fuel oil to enter controlled waters, but Kirsty Gomersal, defending, said the company was unaware the pipe was insufficient. She said it was fitted when British Rail built the depot in 1990, and that it met safety standards at the time. Miss Gomersal said: "The company has spent in excess of £94,000 cleaning this up and the lake and its surrounding habitat has recovered. They have done everything they could possibly be expected to do to, and have put measures in place to prevent this happening again." EWS was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,988.

UK, December 5 2003 Updated guidance and software tool on environmental appraisal The Environment Agency, in collaboration with SEPA and the Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service (EHS), has published amended guidance on environmental appraisal under the IPPC regime, as well as a software tool to accompany the guidance.

• The IPPC regulatory system requires controls to be determined to protect the environment through the single permitting process. To gain a permit, operators have to show that: • they have developed proposals to apply the Best Available Techniques (BAT) (and certain other requirements), taking account of relevant local factors • that no significant pollution is caused.

• The purpose of the revised guidance is to provide supplementary information, relevant to all sectors, to assist applicants in responding to the requirements described in the IPPC sector and general guidance notes. In particular, the note provides: • methods

for

quantifying

environmental impacts to all media • a method for calculating costs of environmental protection techniques • guidelines on resolving cross media conflicts and making cost/benefit judgments.

• The methodology can be used either to conduct an options appraisal of candidate techniques to determine BAT to control selected releases from an installation, or alternatively, to carry out an environmental assessment of the overall impact of the emissions resulting from the installation as a whole. The software tool can be used to: • input most of the data requirements • perform calculations • present the environmental impact and cost information.

Horizontal Guidance Note (IPPC H1): Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC): Environmental Assessment and Appraisal of BAT and the software tool can be accessed www.environment-agency.gov.uk

UK, October 15 2003 ‘Safety training, what safety training?’

The majority of office workers in the UK have not received any form of safety training for the past six months, a finding that could leave employers being fined when legal changes hit next year, warn consultants.

With the European Week of Health and Safety underway, over two-thirds of office workers have told a new survey that they have not received any form of safety training for the past six months.

The Accenture survey of 500 office workers suggests that 67% of employees have not received safety training over the past half a year, while over a third would be willing to take legal action if they had an accident. Just under half (49%) said that they had taken part in fire drills over the past three months while 39% said they did not understand how to use existing fire safety equipment, a big danger given next year's change in the law concerning safety legislation, says Accenture's David Clinton: 'This culture of complacency could present a serious financial burden for British companies if it remains unchecked. Unfortunately, employers tend to look toward safety policies and procedures after an accident. However, safety needs to be

about prevention, not just a cure,' he said.

The Regulatory Reform Order, expected to come into force in mid2004, will revoke the Fire Certificate (Special Premises) Regulations 1976 making employers and not local fire authorities responsible for enforcing fire risk assessments - the HSE will continue to enforce responsibility at nuclear sites. Clinton warns that the impact on employers of this new legislation could be significant, as insurers are likely to demand proof that risk assessments have been carried out and offers to HR and safety experts the following tips for ensuring employee safety: • Monitor your organisation's safety performance, not just the number of accidents, and use the metrics to accurately evaluate and report your safety record • Keep abreast of forthcoming safety legislation and assess its impact on your organisation in advance • Be aware of the impact a poor safety record can have on your organisation's brand and credibility • Provide regular safety training for all employees. Ensure you are not importing safety risks into your organisation through, for example, purchasing and contracting. Ensure that you communicate the following to employees • Find out where your nearest emergency exit is and make sure you and your colleagues are prepared for an emergency situation. Ensure you know how to use equipment required for you to do your job Find out who is responsible for safety management in your workplace and co-operate with them. Be vigilant and report any potential safety hazards to the nominated safety contact, or your manager. Transfer this approach to your home and family, especially if you are a home worker.

UK, Harrow, November 6 2003 Man engulfed in flames as spark ignites petrol A man set himself on fire as he siphoned petrol from a car on Thursday last week. The 29-year-old man, who has not been named, was taking the 17

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 18

News petrol from a car belonging to a member of his family, which was parked on his drive in Alfriston Avenue, North Harrow.

Police said he was using a pump which created a spark which ignited fumes, setting him and the car alight.

Relatives and neighbours rushed to his aid and managed to put out the flames, although the car continued to burn, and called police, firefighters and an ambulance.

Firefighters from Harrow Fire Station extinguished the burning car and administered first aid while they waited for the ambulance. The man was taken to Northwick Park Hospital with serious burns all over his body and later transferred to a specialist burns unit in Essex.

Chief Superintendent Alex Fish of Harrow police said: "This was a very tragic accident, no-one else was involved. The man is in a very critical condition with 95 per cent burns, and our thoughts go out to him and his family."

UK, December 3 2003 Northamptonshire County Council Concerns over the sale of petrol to under 16s Investigations carried out by Northamptonshire County Council trading standards officers have found some petrol stations are willing to sell petrol to under-16s.

Officers carried out test purchases with a 13-year-old boy who visited six petrol stations in Corby.

The boy took with him an approved petrol container and on three occasions he was authorised to buy petrol. The legal age for buying petrol is 16-yearsold.

Trading standards officers carried out investigations in response to a problem with arson attacks in Corby and the possibility that in some cases petrol may have been used.

Cabinet member responsible for trading standards Councillor James Ashton said: "Petrol is very dangerous in the wrong hands and it's a great worry that a 13-year-old boy was allowed to buy it.

"All staff at petrol stations must know the law and ensure that they check the age of anyone wanting to buy the petrol if they have any doubts."

Written cautions have been issued to the three petrol stations and their head offices and exercises will be repeated in 18

the future.

Assistant divisional officer Chris Lowe, head of community fire safety, said: "If young people are able to purchase petrol this easily it can only increase the dangers not only to their community as a whole, but in particular to the young persons using it.

"Petrol stations are licensed to sell petrol and in the cases reported, are clearly breaking the strict conditions of these licenses. If petrol station staff have any doubts regarding the customer's age, and proof cannot be provided, then they should refuse to sell to them. I would ask them to be extra vigilant particularly in the case of self service where age should be verified before filling commences.

"Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service Petroleum inspectors will continue to work in partnership with the county council's trading standards officers to monitor the situation."

Ammanford, November 27 2003 Petrol mistake kills man and daughter A father who died with his young daughter in a house blaze after he used petrol to light a fire, an inquest has heard. Neath Cororner's Court heard how Glanville Philip Nolan, 36, made a "valiant" attempt to save his 11-year-old daughter Ella Louise when fire tore through their home Gwaun-CaeGurwen near Ammanford, in June 2003.

The bodies of father and daughter were found next to each other at the doorway of the upstairs bathroom. Ella's mother Jayne Nolan, 30, told the hearing on Thursday that she had been ironing in the back room of their home when her husband rushed from the living room with a "look of horror" on his face. She had earlier asked him to make the fire because Ella had complained of feeling chilly even though it was a bright, if breezy, summer's morning.

Mrs Nolan said the bottom of her husband's jeans were alight and they ran into the front garden but soon realised that Ella, Mr Nolan's adopted child, was still inside. He ran through the smoke and poison gases up the stairs while Mrs Nolan ran round to the back garden where she saw her daughter at the bathroom window.

"I screamed to her to open the window," she said, but that was the last she saw of her daughter. Members of her family broke down and wept as Mrs Nolan spoke at Thursday's inquest.

Fire investigation expert John Fitzjohn of Mid and West Fire Brigade said he found it "difficult to comprehend" that two people had died in a fire during the day in a house where people had been "awake and busy." He said the "unusually rapid fire had been helped by the use of petrol."

A petrol can - which was still wet around the cap - was later found in the garden shed. Mr Nolan had planned to use the petrol to destroy an ants nest in the garden. Mr Fitzjohn said that it was likely that Mr Nolan had put an unknown quantity of petrol onto the unlit fire before returning the fuel can to the shed. He had then tried to light the fire with his lighter which was later found in the ashes.

But Mr Nolan had probably not realised the danger of petrol vapour moving with the light breeze when doors were opened in the house. Mr Fitzjohn said, "after he went out of doors the petrol vapour spread throughout the living room. The breeze was moving the vapour around the home. When Mr Nolan activated the lighter he lit the vapour."

Recording verdicts of accidental death, Coroner Dr David Osbourne said it was a tragic accident which highlighted the danger of using petrol outdoors and indoors.

Scotland, 30 October 2003 Petrol Tanker Blaze Emergency services from across Central Scotland rushed to Kinrossshire this afternoon after a petrol tanker caught fire on a busy route.

The accident happened at 12.15 on the A977, a mile west of the village of Crook of Devon, sparking an operation involving over a dozen fire, ambulance and police vehicles.

It was unclear in the early stages the extent of any injuries, as fierce flames from burning vehicles hindered the operation.

The tanker was carrying 18,000 litres of diesel and 20,000 litres of petrol.

There were unconfirmed reports the tanker had been involved in a collision with a lorry.

The road was closed as firefighters from Kinross, Perth, Dundee and elsewhere battled the blaze.

Six units, including the foam tender from Dundee, were called into operation, while ambulance crews also attended, along with the special operations unit and scene managers.

The Fire Brigade set up a 200m exclusion zone around the scene of the accident, and nearby houses were

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 19

News doused to prevent them from igniting.

Around 40 people were evacuated as a precautionary measure, while others further from the fire were told to stay indoors.

Police set up diversions from the road — a busy thoroughfare between the Kincardine Bridge and M90, often used by heavy goods vehicles.

Scotland, October 31 2003 Village evacuated as petrol tanker explodes in massive fireball Villagers narrowly escaped disaster yesterday when a fuel tanker exploded in a massive fireball seen up to 10 miles away. Residents were evacuated after the main street turned into a 300-yard river of fire and power lines were burned down.

The incident happened shortly after midday on the A977 Kincardine-Kinross road when a tanker carrying 18,000 litres of diesel and 20,000 litres of petrol travelling through Drum, four miles from Kinross, was in collision with a 40-ton low-loader lorry, which was turning out of a junction and carrying a JCB. The tanker overturned and burst into flames.

David Stevenson, 57, a retired engineer, said, "there was a massive explosion and when I opened my door all I could see was thick, black smoke. It was so thick I could not even see the lorry or the flames. When the smoke thinned a little, I saw a tanker lying on its side, burning away. The fuel was spilling out down the street, which had been turned into a river of flames. It was about 400 yards long and the flames were at least three feet high."

Jean Jackson, 57, a retired chief Wren in the Royal Navy, said, "I heard this loud bang and initially I thought it was my washing machine. But then I realised the noise was coming from outside. There were a series of half a dozen louder bangs and then I saw the thick black smoke, and I called the fire brigade straight away."

More than 40 residents and the village primary school were evacuated and a nearby cottage was doused with water to stop the fire spreading. The driver of the tanker managed to crawl out of his vehicle before it exploded.

The lorry driver and a passenger also escaped from their vehicle. All three were treated for minor injuries in hospital.

Jack Hutcheon, deputy firemaster of Tayside fire brigade, said, "the tanker was nearly full with fuel and it took us

over three hours to extinguish the fire.

There was a fire running 300 metres down the road where the fuel had run.

The fuel had also run into the drains."

The Shell oil tanker had just left the Grangemouth refinery.

Scotland, November 7 2003 Code on protection of groundwater from underground storage tanks The Scottish Executive has published guidance on protection of groundwater from underground storage tanks (USTs), in terms of the Groundwater Regulations 1998.

The purpose of the Code of Practice is to minimise the potential for UST facilities to result in a detrimental impact on groundwater and other associated receptors, primarily through preventing and containing any loss of product. The publication is relevant to any facility which stores petroleum hydrocarbons in USTs, or distributes such in buried pipelines and it outlines good operational and management practices which should be adopted by UST facilities. Underground Storage Tanks for Liquid Hydrocarbons Code of Practice for the Owners and Operators of Underground Storage Tanks (and Pipelines) can be accessed from the website of the Scottish Executive, www.scotland.gov.uk

Northern Ireland, October 28 2003 Customs clamping down on illegal fuel Haulage companies are facing fines of hundreds of thousands of pounds for using illegal diesel. At least two companies from Northern Ireland are being investigated and could face penalties of more than £250,000, according to a senior Customs officer.

Colm McAllister, head of Customs Detection, said companies caught using red diesel faced heavy financial penalties. "Here are two facing fines as high as £250,000, but fines of £60,000 to £70,000 are quite common," he said.

He added that, when a commercial vehicle is detected with illegal fuel, officers carry out an audit of the company's entire fleet. "In all cases

where commercial companies are detected using illegal fuel, we then do a follow-up assessment with the companies for previous illegal fuel use."

Figures produced by HM Customs and Excise showed that considerable savings could be made by companies using illegal fuel. A haulage company with a fleet of 10 HGVs could hope to save £177,000 per year by using red diesel, while a taxi firm with 20 cabs could save an estimated £52,000.

The figures were disclosed as Customs officers, PSNI traffic branch and other agencies carried out spot checks on vehicles in the centre of Belfast. A checkpoint was set up in north Belfast to test cars for fuel fraud as part of the Organised Crime Task Force's bid to clamp down on laundering. The operation came as an advertising campaign to highlight the problem of fuel fraud was launched.

Visiting the checkpoint at Yorkgate, Security Minister Jane Kennedy said criminals dealing in illegal fuel put the public and the environment in danger by dumping chemicals and waste products. She said: "they endanger public safety as they transport this potential fireball in highly-dangerous, non-secure vehicles and, of course, they threaten the very livelihood of the legitimate retailer. And those who feel they are getting a bargain by purchasing this fuel, may ultimately pay a heavy price when their car engine is irreparably damaged."

The checkpoint, led by Customs but involving a number of other Government agencies, also cracked down on motorists without tax or insurance and with vehicles that are not roadworthy. Ms Kennedy, head of the Organised Crime Task Force, said the multi-agency approach meant that the chances of catching drivers involved in fuel fraud were increasing all the time.

"What we are seeing today is a multiagency operation to deal with those criminals who are seeking to defraud the public," she said. During yesterday's operation, 500 vehicles were stopped.

Thirty vehicles were checked for illegal fuel, with two positive results. One private owner found to have red diesel in his car faced a fine of £500. He was warned that if he was unable to pay today then his car would be impounded.

Police also issued 16 penalties, 10 for not wearing a seat belt and six for vehicle defects. Officers from Driver Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland (DVLNI) clamped three vehicles, while one dangerous vehicle was taken off the road.

19

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 20

News

Northern Ireland, Co Tyrone, January 9 2003 Boy dies as spark starts petrol fire A 14-year old boy was engulfed in flames as he worked on his motorbike in the garage of his home, an inquest heard.

Ross Bradley of Seein Road in Sion Mills, Co Tyrone, suffered severe burns over most of his body after a spark ignited his petrol-soaked clothes. Drew Bradley, the deceased's father, told Antrim Coroners Court that, when he arrived home on January 9, his son was lying in the driveway at the front of the house. He said that when he went to comfort him, Ross told him he was sorry but he had been using a grinder and ''there had been a puff''.

The victim was taken by ambulance to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.

He was later transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children, in Belfast, where he died the following day.

Mr Bradley said his son enjoyed spending a lot of time on his motorbike, often working late into the night. "When his report came back from school, it said if he wasn't going to be a motor mechanic, he was going to be a driver,'' he said. Mr Bradley said he had warned his son about safety when using machinery in the garage and they had never had any problems in the past. He said the chain had fallen off his son's bike the previous evening and Ross may have been grinding at one of the links in an attempt to put it back together again.

Derek Fletcher, a subofficer in the fire service crew who were called to the accident, said his men extinguished a small fire inside the garage within 10 minutes. "The fire was very minor in the garage itself,'' he said. "It appeared to us the deceased had ignited before anything went on fire in the garage.''

Mr Fletcher said his crew believed the fire had been caused by a spark from the angle grinder. Walter McCorkell, a senior scientific officer at the Forensic Science Laboratory, found that the deceased's actions in a confined space had caused the fire. He said a spark had set the fuel-rich atmosphere in the garage alight. "I believe he (the victim) must have spilled petrol on himself because of the amount of petrol on his clothes,'' he added. Mr McCorkell said the angle grinder had been switched off at the socket when he examined the scene. "It may have been that the 20

deceased was turning off the power supply to the angle grinder and that could have created the spark,'' he said.

Deputy Coroner for Greater Belfast, Deborah Malcolm, found that Ross Bradley died from severe burns. She said it was likely the fuel ignited due to the deceased's actions in a confined space. Expressing her condolences to the victim's family, she added: ''this highlights the danger of petrol being kept in a confined space.”

product EUGRIS will offer:

Ireland, Dublin, October 2 2003 Garda contain Dublin petrol spill

Partners from Denmark, France, UK, Hungary, Italy and Germany are all participating in the project, which is coordinated by the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA). The online platform is funded through the European Commission and is available on the Internet at: www.eugris.org.

The Dublin Fire Brigade say they have contained a petrol spill at an Esso station on Dublin's North Wall, however Alexandra Road is still closed to traffic.

Dublin Port say traffic diversions are in place. RTE reports that six units of the fire brigade attended the spill, which was caused by a leak in one of the station`s tanks.

EU, September 25 2003 EU-directive ‘fuels filling station decline’

EU, September 22 2003 New contaminated land and groundwater website The Environment Agency is urging soil and groundwater professionals to contribute to a new Internet portal for contaminated land and groundwater and help it to grow.

The Environment Agency is a partner in the development of the European Soil and Groundwater Remediation Information System (EUGRIS) which is designed as a new European information platform for contaminated land and groundwater management.

The aim of the platform is to provide "the highest standard of knowledge" on investigation, analysis, benchmarking, remediation and monitoring of contaminated land and groundwater in a co-ordinated and structured way. The site is aimed at the special user requirements of the research community, those with relevant problems and public authorities. The first phase of EUGRIS will provide relevant links; information on the current state of discussion of European and national environmental policy; and the latest results of the relevant research programmes. The final

• comments, summaries and references of selected sources of technical guidance • information on policy, research and tools • other aspects relating to the risk management of contaminated land and groundwater.

Owners of many of the South West's smaller independent filling stations say they are facing closure because of a new European directive aimed at reducing pollution from petrol fumes.

They say the cost of implementing the new regulations is making it impossible to continue. The Vapour Recovery System Directive is designed to stop petrol vapours from polluting the atmosphere and will apply to even the smallest of petrol stations. European Commission spokesman Henning Arp said leaking petrol fumes affect people with heart conditions and asthma as well as damaging crops. "Petrol vapours contribute to ozone formation which is a particularly difficult and hazardous form of air pollution," he said. "When we looked at different options for reducing emissions this was one of the least costly ways of reducing emissions."

One filling station owner estimated it would cost tens of thousands of pounds to install the new underground tanks and pipe work to satisfy the directive's demands. He said the directive is the latest blow for small petrol stations, which have spent the last few years struggling in a hostile market place. And he has now stopped selling petrol at his garage and will concentrate on car sales and repairs and MOTs in the future. "Such capital would never be justified," he said. "I would never see a return on it. I would be selling petrol until I was 100 and even then I'd be paying back loans."

St Ives Liberal Democrat Andrew

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 21

News George, MP, said independent petrol retailers in his constituency "had their backs against the wall. In the last five years especially they have been under particular pressure, especially as the supermarkets have moved into this area," he said.

Dwindling fuel profits Both the AA and the Petrol Retailers' Association advise small independents to diversify and build up aspects of their business. One independent petrol retailer has acted on that advice and built up a successful Spar shop, enabling him to supplement dwindling fuel profits at his South Hams petrol station.

"With the advent of hypermarkets and increased competition we have to look elsewhere for our profits," he said. "We hope we've got our sums right and our position right and I hope that we'll survive. "

EU, September 24 2003 Proposed EU directive on groundwater pollution The European Commission has adopted a proposal for a new Directive to protect groundwater from pollution.

The proposed Directive is aimed at improving the quality of Europe's groundwater. It introduces monitoring requirements and quality objectives, obliging Member States to monitor and assess groundwater quality and to identify and reverse trends in groundwater pollution.

The proposal fulfils an obligation under the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC), which aims to ensure good status of all waters in the EU. The Directive requires the Commission to propose specific measures to prevent and control groundwater pollution and achieve good groundwater chemical status.

These measures have to include criteria for assessing the chemical status of groundwater and for identifying trends in pollution of groundwater bodies.

In addition, the proposal introduces measures for protecting groundwater from indirect pollution, ie from discharges of pollutants into groundwater after percolation through the ground or subsoil.

Malta, October 20 2003 Cheap fuel from Malta for the Italian black market

licence to drive away without paying."

The financial police of the Italian port of Genoa have uncovered an organisation that smuggles cheap fuel from Malta and arrested Maltese drivers caught red-handed.

The Guardia di Finanza said the fuel was shipped from Malta to Genoa in cisterns with false markings and delivered to transport agencies and petrol stations outside the city-port.

Each shipment would carry between 800 and 1,000 of petrol and the fuel sold at the price of 0.22 euro instead of the current market price of 0.99 euros.

The police officers confiscated various vehicles used in the transportation of the fuel and some 6,000 litres of fuel.

The Maltese cistern drivers were taken in custody and will face charges in court.

In response to two reports of mobile phone explosions in the Netherlands and claims that non-original batteries were to blame, test results have indicated that original Nokia batteries are also dangerous.

The Dutch consumer watchdog Consumentenbond said tests carried out by its Belgian sister organisation, Test Aankoop, found that the original batteries could reach a temperature of 130 degrees Celsius due to inadequate protection against short circuits. And according to Test Aankoop, several original Nokia mobile phone batteries do not have any protection against short circuits. It identified the BML-3 and BMC-3 batteries as short circuit threats, an NOS news report said.

The Belgian consumer watchdog also said the lack of protection could cause the battery to burn or burst open releasing flammable materials. "We want to speak with Nokia about this shortly," a Consumentenbond spokesman said. "Nokia must take responsibility and test all batteries for free and replace them if they are not in order."

There have been two reported cases of exploding Nokia mobile phones in the Netherlands this year. There has also been a reported incident in Vietnam.

The Finnish telecoms firm has claimed the explosions were caused by fake batteries, but according to the Consumentenbond, one of the batteries were sold in a Nokia shop.

The two batteries at risk of short circuits are used in the Nokia 3210, 3310 and 3330 mobile phones.

Netherlands, Amsterdam 24 September 2003 Minister ‘Gives green light’ to petrol theft The next time you accidentally drive away from a Dutch filling station without paying, don't worry. Non-payment for petrol is not a big deal for the police they have bigger fish to fry.

This is the essence of what Dutch media outlets reported on Wednesday after Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner told Parliament that 'petrol theft' was a relatively minor offence and combating it was not being prioritised by the authorities.

In answer to a written question from an MP, Donner said the "criminal justice system should only be employed as an exceptional measure." His Christian Democrat party colleague Sybrand van Haersma Buma raised the issue following the freeing of a motorist who drove away from a filling station without paying. Donner said it was up to the industry itself to put measures in place to prevent 'tanking up for free' and discussions about possible solutions are ongoing.

The association representing filling station owners has reacted angrily to Donner's remarks, branding them "a

Netherlands, November 7 2003 Nokia batteries ‘pose explosion risk’

Vietnam, October 9 2003 Nokia blames fake batteries after third explosion A young Vietnamese woman has been hospitalised with burns after her mobile phone exploded, in the third case involving a Nokia handset in the past two months. Nokia on Thursday pointed the finger at counterfeit batteries after another of its phones 21

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 22

News exploded and burned its user, the third such case in two months, and said that original batteries sold with its phones were safe.

The world's largest mobile phone maker said earlier that a young Vietnamese woman was hospitalised with burns after her mobile phone apparently exploded. The incident follows two similar accidents in the Netherlands, one last week and the other in August. Following the latest Dutch incident, which left a 15-year-old boy in the town of Hengelo with leg burns, the country's consumer watchdog said it would probe the case.

"We don't yet have any information on what is the origin of the battery in the Vietnam case," Nokia spokesman Kari Tuutti told Reuters. "(But) there hasn't been a single case of an original battery exploding anywhere in the world." Nokia has cited faulty batteries from independent electronics manufacturers for similar incidents in the past. The company has said these manufacturers violated security requirements that should prevent the battery heating up after short-circuiting, for instance, after the phone is dropped.

Contraband and counterfeit mobile phone batteries are widely available in Vietnam in local markets at around $2 (£1.20) to $3 apiece, compared with $20 for a genuine product, a local Nokia spokesman said. "The biggest issue is with counterfeit, illegal batteries," Tuutti said. "Therefore we recommend that retailers and consumers try to verify the products sold have original batteries."

Mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam despite modest incomes. There are around 1.6 million mobile phone users among the population of 80 million.

Russia, Moscow, October 14 2003 Washing machine explodes after petrol used as detergent A man who used petrol to clean colour-stained trousers in his washing machine saw the whole lot blow up, wrecking two walls of his Moscow apartment, police said.

He poured a litre of petrol into the rinse chamber in an attempt to fix the colour-run trousers. When he turned on the machine, the whirring action ignited the petrol and led to a huge explosion.

Other residents of the apartment building escaped with a fright. The fire brigade said it would give the man a few lessons in how to deal with flammable 22

liquids, Itar Tass news agency said.

USA, Woman Refused Wine Rams Into Gas Pump A woman upset at being refused the sale of wine at a gas station rammed her car into a pump, setting it ablaze, police said.

Debra Ann Marren, 43, tried to buy some cheap fortified wine, but the Citgo clerk told her he couldn't sell it to her since it was illegal to sell alcohol between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to Davie Police.

“She became irate and started screaming at the clerk, but he held his ground," Lt. Bill Bamford said Tuesday.

Marren then jumped in her car, reversed into the pump, and fled with the pump on fire, Bamford said. Police received another call about a woman arguing with a man, and officers found Marren and a car matching the description of the one at the Citgo station. No information on what Marren was charged with, or whether she had an attorney was immediately available.

Kuwait, Privatising 120 petrol stations Kuwait's government announced it plans to privatize 120 petrol stations under buy, operate, and transfer (BOT) agreements, DPA reported.

Kuwait National Petroleum Co. (KNPC) currently owns the stations.

The government announced it had already accepted 12 interested bids.

Three companies would eventually be formed to operate 40 stations each. The companies would be able to own 30 percent of the 40 stations, while KNPC would retain 20 percent.

The remaining 50 percent would go for public offer. The privatization is expected to take about three months.

Press Releases Dresser Wayne Dresser Wayne has re-organised its European operation. The changes bring particular focus to our three product lines, namely Sales and Service, Pump Production and Systems. Each product line has a new European General Manager appointed who will help oversee our operations and concentrate

efforts for the benefit of all our customers and Dresser Wayne across Europe.

The effect in the UK is as follows.

John Farrell, our current Managing Director, has been appointed European General Manager for Sales and Service, and will no longer take responsibility for the day to day UK operation. I will now assume this role, under the new title, UK and Ireland Country Manager. In time a new Sales Manager will be appointed to take over my current duties.

I would like to take this opportunity to reassure all our customers that this is an internal change only and will help us focus and develop our business. There will be no discernible change in our dealings with our customers in the UK and Ireland. The Bonnyrigg operation will continue, as always, to concentrate on serving our customers to the highest standards.

David Kerr UK & Ireland Country Manager

Jeff Wilcox Jeff Wilcox an APEA member from California works for Ken Wilcox Associates the third party testing agency used by many companies for testing products against both EPA and European standards in the retail petroleum industry. Jeff and his father Ken are well respected in the industry and have attended many APEA shows.

Jeff recently married with a 2 month old son was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor on December 5th, he was operated on December 7th with most of the tumor being removed and was at home with his family on December 10th.

Jeff has already contact his many friends in the industry thanking them for their kind words and get well messages, his positive attitude will no doubt help him and his family through the further treatment he faces in the coming weeks. His message to us at the APEA was "I've researched my condition and there are countless success stories and I plan to become another one" Best wishes to you Jeff from all the APEA members.

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 25

News

Petroleum Changes in the London Fire Brigade

New Debowsing Equipment from Pumptronics

Over the years the reduction in the number of operational filling stations has affected all parts of the UK, and London in particular. London issued around 12,000 petroleum licences in the late 1960's of which over 4000 were petrol stations-- now 40 years on the number stands at around 840 and with other licensing removed the staff reductions from 32 petroleum inspectors at its height to the current level on January 1st of five inspectors in the field.

Jack Brinkhurst a senior petroleum inspector since 1999 had been responsible for petroleum policy, alongside Andy Berry, has taken early retirement. Jack had been an active member of the APEA Southern Branch after joining the London Fire Brigade as a petroleum inspector in 1974 and has

Pumptronics Europe Ltd, the established supplier of fuel pumping equipment, has now turned its hand to the metered removal of fuel from vehicles.

The new Debowsing machines, as they are known in the industry, are used to accurately measure and record the

fuel as it is removed from vehicles before being returned to on site storage facilities. Accurately measuring fuel being taken out of vehicles is vital to being able to reconcile wet stock and meet the licensing regulations for the site.

Uniquely Pumptronics are also offering a Twin hose unit with the since 1999 been Treasurer for the Southern branch. Jack is continuing in the industry and can be contacted on 01342 321426.

In addition to Jack the following have also retired: Paul Cusack Southern Branch Member Laurie Swepson Southern Branch Member Rob Green Eastern Branch Member and previously Advertising Secretary Terry Howes Andy Berry who heads up the petroleum section in London has responsibility for the Local Authority Partnership Schemes (LAPS) for London. The PLA has LAPS agreements with Texaco, Tesco, Shell, Sainsbury and Total.

combined facility to remove fuel from a vehicle with one hose, and deliver it into a vehicle with the other. This will enable companies to both empty and fill vehicles using a single machine.

The full range comprises a singlehose Debowser, a twin-hose Debowser with the facility for handling two grades, and the combined Delivery/Debowser unit.

In keeping with all Pumptronics equipment, units are supplied in a solid

stainless steel cabinets and can be connected to all standard fuel monitoring systems to allow transactions to be controlled and recorded.

Contact Details: Amanda Hudleston Pumptronics Europe Ltd Folgate Road, North Walsham, Norfolk, NR28 0AJ Tel: 01692 500640 e-mail: sales@pumptronics.co.uk

Welcome to a new petrolworld.com A new information service from Petrolworld has been developed. The new service went live on the 26th January 2004. This is a Global Network of market contacts and contributors.

This will ensure a focal point for networking with people as well as information from every part of the world.

Working with the market players, established organisations, trade media and events around the world, Petrolworld.com will be independent web site covering the globe. You can now register and review the new developments on www.petrolworld.com BackGround to PetrolWorld PetrolWorld was originally set up as the European Service Station Information Bureau in 1990 and based in London.

ESSIB was set up to develop market database and bring the right people and issues together to reflect a changing Europe.

Pan European was then replaced with Global.

To reflect this, ESSIB changed its name in 1995 to "iSSi" (International Service Station Information) and worked with both Blenheim's Forecourt International in Europe and Adams Publishing in North America. iSSi and Adams launched NPN International in Europe during June 1996.

From 1997, Oliver Needs and David Egan developed the Business Forum for Asia and Africa under the event names of ASPEC & AFPEC. In January 2000 , the PetrolWorld brand name was introduced to cover all activities. At the same time the petrolworld.com web site went "live" as a test site and promotion for PetrolWorld Business Forums.

Please contact David Egan for further information Tel +353 402 30793 Fax +353 402 30806 Email: david@petrolworld.com

25

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 26

Articles

Tesco’s Prosecution On the 1st October 2003, the East

The three charges related to:

receiving the delivery who was being

Sussex Fire & Rescue Service acting

hurried by the tanker driver who had

on behalf the East Sussex County

1. Failure to follow the procedure

Council successfully prosecuted Tesco

contained in Part II to Schedule 12 of

Stores

the Regulations.

Ltd

on

three

counts

of

discharges from the air separator 2. Lack of training records for two persons

at

the

valves on some of the dispensers.

Regulations 1996, relating to the

competent

site

The actions of the Officer in Charge

unloading of petrol from a bulk tanker at

(including the person in charge of the

who attended the incident from East

a filling station site. Tesco Stores Ltd

delivery at the time of the incident) -

Sussex

pleaded guilty to the three charges and

two charges.

potentially dangerous situation when he

four other charges were set aside. The

Fire

Brigade

created

a

decided to disconnect the full delivery

charges arose out of an incident which

Following consideration of mitigating

hose from the tanker. This resulted in a

occurred at the company's petrol filling

circumstances, Tesco Stores Ltd were

substantial quantity of petrol being

station in Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne

fined £4000 on the charge of failing to

discharged in and around the tanker.

in East Sussex, on 3rd January 2003. A

follow the correct procedure and £1500

Matters were made worse by the

tanker unloading petrol at the site,

each, on the two charges relating to the

drainage channel being unable to take

which

lack of training records.

the discharge.

was

subject

to

Licensee

controlled deliveries, attempted to

Tesco Stores were also ordered to

Tesco are surprised and concerned

unload 10297 litres more fuel than the

pay the full prosecution costs of

over this decision. The accepted

two tanks to be filled could hold. This

£5979.05 and given 14 days in which to

procedure in overfill situations is to

resulted in petrol escaping onto the

pay. Summing up the chairperson of

lower the level in the overfilled tank by

forecourt from petrol pumps in use by

the Magistrates described the events

drawing fuel through the dispensers

members of the public refuelling their

leading up to the incident as a

connected to the affected tank. Staff

cars. The overfill occurred because the

"catalogue of incompetence, which

routines

competent person in charge of the

could have lead to a catastrophic

improved to help safely manage the

delivery failed to correctly calculate that

situation".

uncommon occurrence of tank overfills

there was insufficient ullage space In

the

two

tanks

to

take

The decision to proceed with the case the

was

made

following

advice

from

programmed delivery. The Court was

Counsel, as these Regulations were

told that an earlier closure of the site

repealed

because of problems with the tills, led to

Dangerous Substances and Explosive

less petrol being sold than had been

Atmosphere regulations 2002 on 5th

anticipated.

May 2003.

and

replaced

by

the

Operational crews and a specialist

The London Fire Brigade has a Local

petroleum officer attended the scene to

Authority Partnership Scheme with

deal with the spillage and safely release

Tesco Stores Ltd.

the tanker, which was still connected to the offset fill points, with its delivery hoses full.

These procedures were complicated when it was identified that the site's forecourt

drainage

channels

Tesco Eastbourne Overfill

were

A Tesco spokes person commented

blocked by silt and soil from recent

that they regretted the offences and

nearby landscaping operations.

questioned whether they were not

Fire

crews had to lay a foam blanket over the site and clear the drainage channels in order to make the site safe.

Subsequent investigations into the incident led to the charges.

26

There was no imminent danger following the incident apart from minor

contravening the requirements of the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road

been kept waiting.

brought in the public interest.

All three offences were the result of human error. The training had been given but not recorded. The overfill was an error by the member of staff

and

training

within the company.

are

being

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 27

Articles

LPG Explosion on Asda Forecourt in Bristol In early November at the Asda Patchway site in Bristol, the shop cashier smelt LPG and went onto the forecourt to investigate. Whilst she was outside, an explosion occurred inside the shop causing major damage and the door landed some 30m away!

It was very fortunate that no one was injured at the incident, neither personnel or customers.

Initial investigations show that LPG leaked from a braided stainless steel connector beneath the dispenser and travelled through an unsealed cable duct and into the shop. The Gilbarco dispenser had not been previously damaged in any way and had been connected from its position on the forecourt via an underground pipe to an above ground LPG tank.

HSE investigations have also revealed that although this duct was not sealed many builders sealing foams are not impervious to gas or hydrocarbons.

They are to issue advice to the industry on this issue.

Smoking shop as fire engines arrive

Asda's immediate improvements have been to seal the ducts more adequately.

Scorched wires in electrical duct

Site closed by Fire Brigade

Burnt wires in Shop

Door blown 30 metres from shop

27

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 28

Articles

Explosion damange in shop

Explosion damange in shop

Explosion damange in shop Unsealed electrical duct

28

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 33

Articles

The Blue Book

By Jamie Thompson The APEA and the Energy Institute (formerly the Institute of Petroleum) have decided that after publication in 1999 the Blue Book is to be reviewed and updated.

Apart from a general update of standards referred to, there is a need to include some amendments on the electrical chapter and the canopy section in particular, and take the chance to update other sections as needed.

Both bodies are cooperating as before in ensuring that as wide an audience are consulted on the changes and the original Technical Coordinating

Body (TCB) is being contacted to inform them of this work.

The group co-ordinating the review is being jointly chaired by Tony Jenner representing the APEA and Rory Hennessy representing AUKOI. Secretarial support is being provided by Martin Hunnybun of the Energy Institute.

Small groups of experts dealing with each of the 18 chapters in the book will carry out the review and report back to the main committee to ensure that all proposed amendments receive consensus. In addition to the UK stakeholders both bodies are anxious to

ensure that as wide a consultation as possible is taken with overseas users of the Code. Many of the sales of the Blue book are going abroad and countries and oil companies have adopted this book as their engineering standard for constructing petrol stations.

If you have any comments on the Code or wish to contribute in any way please contact Jane Mardell the APEA business manager at admin@apea.org.uk The Blue Books correct title is Guidance for the Design, Construction, Modification and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations ISBN 0 85293 217 0

Bacteria For The Environment

By Harold Ross, Ross Environmental Advertisements recommending regular changes of bodily bacteria are now accepted as a natural process for good health.

Why then shouldn't more of us accept bacteria as a means to guard the Environment from the damage of Oil Spills and the hazards associated with them.

At Ross Environmental Products we supply bacteria contained in absorbents,degreasers and tank bio cubes that eat the hydrocarbons contained in petroleum based products.

Major Military Camps, Local Authorities, Blue Chip companies and sole traders have already experienced the efficiency and effectiveness of our BIOREMEDIATION products.

Oil Spill hazards should be as extinct as the "Dodo" using Ross Eliminator absorbent. Not only is the spill absorbed virtually on contact but because of the process of BIOREMEDIATION- the bacteria eating the hydrocarbons in the spill,giving off a water vapour,some carbon dioxide and fatty acid-the "problem"is not transferred somewhere else or to someone else!

Key Features: • Very Fast-seconds to remove spill hazards • Absorbs up to 8 times more than clay, therefore 8 times less to dispose of • Recyclable in conjunction with a spill station • Will not leach into the environment up to saturation point • Safe around agriculture and livestock • Contains Natural Micro-Organisms • Reduces volatility of flammable spills • Will absorb most chemicals Thousands of businesses around Europe continue to defy legislation using a variety of products - rags, sawdust clay etc - which actually Enhance the Hazard and in most cases Increase Cost.

Ross Eliminator Absorbent takes literally seconds to remove spills of petrol, kerosene, diesel, jet fuels, metal working fluid, crude oil, black fuel oil, gas oil, hydraulic oil - leaving a non slip

surface in most circumstances.

The absorbent contains millions of hydrocarbon eating microbes per bag which double every twenty minutes when active. Ross Eliminator Absorbent encapsulates and prevents leaching of contaminated liquids, up to saturation point. In simple terms the absorbent turns oil into water vapours,carbon dioxide and fatty acids. Bioremediation is the restoring of a surface or object to a condition that is not harmful to plant or animal life.

Futher proof of the increasing influence of Ross Environmental was the award of a "Green Apple Trophy"in the House of Commons on Nov 6th 2003.

However in all our considerations for the benefits to the Environment we cannot overlook cost.The absorbent is COST EFFECTIVE, is RECYCLABLE in conjunction with a Spill Station and IT REALLY DOES WORK. Ross Environmental Products Ltd Telephone: Sales UK +(44) 01562 752299 Telephone: UK +(44) 01562 752400 Email: sales@rossenvironmental.co.uk web: www.rossenvironmental.co.uk 33

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 34

Articles

Leak Locators - A Division of PLATS Ltd

By Amanda M Kessell LEAK LOCATORS is a division of

The

Leak

Noise

PLATS Ltd that has been established

Correlater method is

since 1976. PLATS Ltd is able to offer

able to listen for the

the client a complete one stop solution

leak

as we are able to locate pipes, cables

sensitive transmitters

and drains and then present this

with

information as a CAD Drawing. As our

that are attached to

surveys got more detailed we were

the pipework.

asked if we could find water leaks and

we enter the size, type

that is how LEAK LOCATORS was

and length of pipe into

born. This division has grown out of the

the Correlator.

need to find both Water and Fuel leaks that are underground.

using

very

accelerometers Then

The

unit is then able to

Correlator Unit

require us to locate the run of the pipe

detect the leak in the pipe where there is a positive internal pressure, such that a leak causes a loss of fluid to the outside. The movement of the water causes pressure changes and this in turn a noise, this noise source will be where the leak is located.

The

correlator is able to detect this, and will produce a correlatorion showing the position from the to transmitters, which allows us to pin point the leak position.

This method is used only for Water Leaks.

Generally LEAK LOCATORS are Gas in via pump

We are able to offer two methods of finding Water Leaks either with a Leak Noise Correlater or with the H2 Gas Method, the Gas method is also used

and we are able to apply various methods of locating pipes, as well as plastic water pipes. Once the pipe is located we then mark its location on the surface.

called onto the Forecourt once a line has been tested and failed, we recreate this test were possible with the fitter when we first attend site. We then work along side the fitter to establish the best position to insert the gas which can be

for finding Fuel Leaks. Both methods

either at the pump, tank top, Vent or Offset Fill via the BSP connection.

Gas in via tank Gas in via Vent

34

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 35

Articles gas

is

a

low

concentration hydrogen combination

of

gas of

-

a 5%

Hydrogen in Nitrogen.

The

gas

has

been

approved

by

the

Drinking

Water

Inspectorate for use on the public supply.

As the Hydrogen is one of the lightest and smallest molecules it is able

to

penetrate

materials as dense as concrete and clay. The

Hand Sensor

location of the leak then The gas method is used for both

carried out by using the gas detector to

Water and Fuel leaks in any number of

locate where the gas is leaking, this unit

situations. The method of finding the

only detects the Hydrogen as small as

leak

is

0.0001% in air. As the pipe is tested to

the

a known test pressure we are able to

same for Water

"sniff" for the leak.

and Fuel. First the

The gas detector has a number of

pipe is

located,

devices attached from a hand sensor,

and

set of wheels, a Ground Probe and

marked on the surface.

The

gas

is

then

inserted

into

Surface Probe.

different situations, from Golf Courses, Heating Systems, Swimming Pools, Fire Mains as well as on the Forecourt

standard BSP

to find fuel leaks.

connection and

Contact details:

manifold

Adam Foster or Amanda Kessell

system in the vehicle.

This method has

proved to be very successful in many

the pipe with a

a

Sniffing with wheels

Tel: 08700 11 5325

The

Site marked up ready to dig

email@sales@leaklocators.net

Sniffing with pogo Transmitter

35

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 36

Articles

Vapour Recovery 1B comes of age

By Rodney Carter - Petroman Environmental Service Ltd Stage IB Systems Stage 1B vapour recovery systems have been in operation for many years and in the light of our experience gained over the past 4 years of testing such systems, it is very surprising that there have not been more incidents resulting from poorly installed and maintained systems.

New Health and Safety guide-lines are at last recognising the real need for more stringent testing of stage 1B systems. These tests are to include the pressure testing of the internal fill pipes in addition to the checking of the pressure\vacuum and vapour connection valves.

PV Valve

VR Valve

Consideration has also been given to testing the delivery and venting systems with checks on the vapour and liquid flow rates. Petroman's experience and knowledge of these systems has come about due to our own Interactive Testing system. The system is able to test all of these components (above and below ground) and monitor the effects that all types of delivery tankers have (including less efficient tankers) on a vapour recovery system.

36

• to minimise the spirit vapour being drawn into the diesel fill pipes via the delivery hoses, at the end of the diesel drop.

Delivery Tanker

In the light of these new guidelines set down by HSE we feel that the Petroman Interactive Testing method is probably the most commercially effective, comprehensive and safest for carrying out this work.

With over 4000 tests having been carried out since its introduction, we are confident that we have experienced most situations with all types of vapour recovery systems. However we are quite sure that other anomalies will occur in the future.

This has lead us to believe that a significant number of UK sites do not at present meet the required operational standard to handle a worst case situation. This can be described as situation where a delivery tanker not working correctly i.e. not pulling a vacuum (and sucking off vapour) whilst off-loading product.

In other words the vapour is being pushed out from the storage tanks back to the delivery tanker rather than relying on the tanker to suck the vapour out as well. As we are already aware it is the efficiency of the delivery tanker that controls the performance of the sites' vapour recovery system.

The new guidance allows for a site to off-load diesel without the vapour recovery hose connected prior to the offloading of the spirit products. The reasons for this are: • to restrict the influence of diesel being off loaded and drawing off vapour via the recovery system.

Petroman Test Rig

This will cause a rise in pressure within the recovery system because off-loading of diesel with the recovery hose connected effectively reduces this. Therefore it is the sites responsibility to ensure that the recovery system is in condition to handle this situation without compromising safety.

A simple equation to remember is -: • Efficient delivery tanker + poor recovery system = Low risk situation • Inefficient tanker +good recovery system = Low risk situation • Inefficient tanker + poor recovery system = High risk situation

Sites will have to seriously consider checking or testing their vapour recovery system prior to seizing the commercial opportunity of being able to off-load diesel without the vapour recovery hose connected.

The average sites loses approximately 4 litres of fuel a day due to leakage and natural venting into the atmosphere.

Interactive Testing Our unique Interactive Testing allows

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 38

Articles the collation of data for an average four tank site which amounts to some 95 individual checks on a site and its performance. These include: -

The Accumulus valve is positioned above or below the overfill prevention device and easily retro-fitted to existing fill pipe.

• Leak rates for Overfill Prevention Devices and Fill Pipes.

• Flow rates for fill lines and vent pipes.

• PV and VR operation in actual operational conditions.

• General site conditions.

Softfill

The test is carried out during the delivery to the site without delaying the off-loading period.

The failure rate of sites already tested has been very high but this is mainly due to the fact that many overfill prevention valves were not designed, or even fitted to handle stage 1B vapour recovery systems.

In order to achieve the correct build, installation and sealing that is necessary, we have developed improved methods of installing, testing and sealing the fill pipe fitted into the storage tank. This has made it possible for Petroman to offer a 3 year warranty on this work that is carried out by our trained engineers.

To help control the delivery further a softfill device is fitted at the end of the fill pipe. This helps to distribute the product along the floor of the storage tank as well as blending the vapour/fuel mix.

Accumulus Valve

• Making for a safer and speedier delivery • Reducing the concentration of vapour returned to the delivery tanker.

• Keeping product in the storage tanks.

No external source of energy is required to drive the system as this is created by the flow of the delivered product. However, there is no reduction in delivery flow rates and the velocity through the valve is actually greater than that through an overfill prevention device, which is fitted below.

The operating principle is a by-pass venturi device that allows the delivery flow rate to be unimpeded whilst

T Piece Sealing

Interactive Testing has a history of being reliable, accurate and a very cost effective way of helping to achieve a safe working environment for deliveries.

It has also allowed site owners to undertake a risk assessment of their site and by making informed decisions about ongoing maintenance and repair, help them establish programs of planned and preventative maintenance.

By preventing vapour leaks from the site means it is also more beneficial to the environment.

Accumulus (Pressure Absorber) Accumulus is pressure reducing system which adsorbs the increasing vapour pressure within the storage tanks during a delivery.

The main benefits of the system are: 38

Venuturi profile

generating the necessary vacuum to absorb the venting pressure created in the storage tanks.

The system contains only one moving part and therefore servicing every 3 years will be all that is required. The system gives a number of benefits: • Reduced pressure in the tanks farm during delivery making the delivery safer.

• With less pressure acting on the product the delivery rate is increased.

• Less vapour being returned back to the delivery tanker.

The Soft-fill units are hard anodised or made of prefabricated stain-less steel to protect against corrosion or cathodic erosion.

In order to fit the Soft-Fill it may be necessary to move a gauge or suction line might to allow the unit to extend along the length of the tank.

Softfill and Hot Product There are a number of issues with regard to HOT PRODUCT, which causes problems due to the contraction of the product on site after the delivery, especially on diesel product.

We are conducting trials on a number of sites, which are experiencing this situation and our results are being monitored by a wet stock analysis specialist. The initial data looks very encouraging The system works by preventing the hot product from rising straight to the surface of the existing cold product already in the tank (which would then give off the majority of it's heat off to the ullage space).

The Softfill distributes the product along the floor of the storage tank allowing the heat to release at the bottom of the tank and not into the ullage space.

This method of distribution will allow contraction of the incoming product but will increase the existing product (using it as a form of heat sink), and retaining the overall temperature for longer. The result will be a net higher retained temperature of product in the tank and consequential reduced stock loss. The same could also be applied to the spirit tanks (but not to the same extent as diesel), owing to the nature of the product.

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 39

Articles With the introduction of the Accumulus system we have now redesigned the operating system of the Petroman System VR (Vapour Retention). This has been made possible by the introduction of the Accumulus valve, whereby the Accumulus valve allows the operational pressures to be adjusted to suit the nature of the site.

Low Level PV Valve Redesigning our Vapour Management system as allowed us to design and incorporate a low level PV valve into the system. The normal position for the PV valve is at the top of the vent stack some 4-5 metres above ground level, which in itself causes problems when maintenance is required.

The low level PV valve, which is

can be used with each other to further enhance their performance The Benefits To assess the actual savings that these systems bring to a site is impossible to ascertain exactly because no two sites are the same. However we feel confident that, depending on the volume of sales and number of deliveries, a return on investment will be seen after eighteen to twenty four months.

Having looked at the various systems above and at Stage 1B systems in general it must be stressed that these (or any other vapour management system) will not work correctly if the site is not vapour tight. Therefore, in order to achieve the safest and most cost effective operation, the first step for any site owner is to have the site. This test

owner to make an informed decision about carrying out any essential repairs to the site BEFORE assessing the merits of any further investment in any of the vapour management systems currently available In Conclusion Good savings and improved safety can realistically be achieved immediately by firstly having a comprehensive vapour recovery test, with repairs carried out to rectify any problems if they are found.

Once a site has been proven to be vapour tight then further improvements on losses can then attained by installation of some, or all of the systems detailed above.

All of the systems are designed to be retrofitted to existing sites and no external sources of energy are required therefore: • • • • •

No running costs No need for civil work No site disruption No power supply required Minimal maintenance

The initial costs will be more than compensated for by the realisation of the true potential of the site and the improved safety and environmental benefits.

Petroman Limited

Environmental

Services

Telephone: 01782 200750 Email: enquiries@petroman.ltd.uk Web: www.petroman.ltd.uk Low Level PV Valve

incorporated at manifold level, allows easy maintenance and inspection thus reducing costs.

All three systems, detailed above,

must include a test of ALL of the components of the Stage 1B system, not just the PV and VR valves.

The test results will then allow the

Interactive Testing procedures have been granted Patents in the UK as well as in Europe and with others pending world wide.

Modernising Petrol Legislation

By Rob Tunnicliffe EHO This article represents the thoughts and opinions of it’s author and are not those of the APEA. Since the introduction of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) just over a year ago the "Regulators" in the UK have been waiting with interest to find out the way forward in respect of Petrol Stations, and what the HSE are proposing to put forward to replace the existing licensing

regime.

3. A consent regime

In November of 2003 a paper from the HSE Policy Group was produced to put forward five options for consideration and these are:

4. A notification regime for new Filling Stations linked with planning requirements

1. Do nothing 2. Continue licensing but with minimum Licensing Conditions and DSEAR risk Assessment

5. Remove Licensing and replace it with nothing and rely totally on the existing legislative controls given under the Regulations and HSW Act After consideration at that meeting 39

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 40

Articles only options 2 and 4 would be developed and opinion of stakeholders in the industry would be obtained for their views.

Option 2 This option would require a new set of Licence Conditions to be created by LACORS. They have already carried out some preliminary work and a draft had been circulated to Petroleum Licensing Authorities and Industry for comments. The reduced licence conditions were based on only covering the matters that were not already covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act. This has of course not been the easiest solution as the feeling amongst many regulators is that the smaller businesses would prefer to stay with the existing systems they know rather than have to come up with adequate Risk Assessments. Guidance is available but in my opinion none is at the stage where the average man in the business could carry out a good job nor would they have the time! As has been said before by many people why change things if they work, after all we have not had any major incidents for quite a while.

Option 4 This option has been further developed and this is what I will look at now.

If this is the way forward then some legislative controls will be needed to replace licensing and would include 1. Advance notification of certain information to the petroleum enforcement authority 2. Special regulatory requirements relating to those persons who work on and use petrol filling stations 3. New regulations to bring this into effect, and of course a series of Approved Codes of Practice 4. As these would be made under HaSaW Act the full brunt of the legislation could be used as required Notification Procedures Existing Stations would be unaffected but for new ones notification procedures would be a. The PLA to be informed by the applicant when planning permission is sought for a new filling station b. Notification of intention to start storing petroleum-spirit, at least 14 days 40

before the event. The notification would include details of the quantity to be stored and manner of storage, eg number, capacities, types of tanks and if any other vehicle fuel is to be dispensed at the site c. Notification of opening date, at least 14 days before the event All notifications would also include details of the owner and operator with the responsibilities highlighted.

For changes to current arrangements, the following procedures would be adopted: 1. Notification of a change of ownership and/or operator, at least 28 days before the event

Regulatory Requirements These would be about prohibiting certain activities for all concerned (including the public) • No person under 16 years of age to dispense fuel • No person under 18 should be a site operator • No person should dispense fuel into an unsuitable container • No person should smoke or use unprotected mechanical or electrical equipment while dispensing fuel Similar prohibitions would apply to site operators:

2. Notification of alterations or redevelopment of the site where this could have an impact on the safety of the petroleum storage and dispensing facilities, at least 28 days in advance of commencement of work. This would include changes to storage arrangements, eg new tanks, dispensers, site layout, changes to tanks from petrol to diesel storage (and vice versa) and proposals to introduce new fuels onto the site, eg LPG

• Not to allow any person under 16 years of age to dispense fuel

3. Notification of any development offsite, which could adversely affect the safe storage and dispensing of fuel

The regulations would also contain provisions should storage be discontinued. These would include powers for the petroleum enforcement authority to require site operators to make the site safe and would include penalties for failure to do so.

4. Notification to cease operation of a petrol filling station, at least 28 days in advance of cessation 5. Notification of cessation of storage to include details of how the site is to be maintained in a safe condition - at least 14 days before the event 6. Notification of a proposal to demolish the site - at least 14 days before the event

All sites would also be covered by a duty to notify leaks, spillages, fires and explosions involving petroleum-spirit or other vehicle fuel. The notification would need to be as soon as reasonably practicable after the event.

Where the enforcement authority will reacts unfavourably to a proposal made in a notification, especially perhaps to those concerning modifications to a site consideration of what measures might be necessary to resolve this type of dispute would have to be made.

• Not to allow any person under 18 to be in sole charge of a filling station • Not to allow any person to dispense fuel into an unsuitable container • Not to allow any person to smoke or use unprotected mechanical or electrical equipment while dispensing fuel

Storage prior to notification would be an offence, as would false statements regarding notification.

So as you can see we have a choice between a reduced licensing regime or notification with differences between them.

By the time you read this it is possible we may know which way we will be going but don't hold your breath as there are some strong views about both as well as why the other choices were dropped and we should remember not to shoot ourselves in the foot here after all we are supposed to be making it safer for everyone.

If I look at another area of work I cover "Abrasive wheels", which can be dangerous, one option is to completely cover them in so that it is safe! Not a workable solution if we don't want the whole of the nation to grind to a halt!

Take care we are not driven that way with Petroleum.

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 41

Articles

Tank Explosion Kills Florida Tank Removal Worker

By Jill King Greenwood and Tom Brennan, The Tampa Tribune, published Nov 20, 2003 BRANDON - Richard West was sitting in his living room watching television Wednesday afternoon when a colossal explosion rocked his Hoover Street home.

His children feared the worst.

“We heard the explosion and saw a mushroom-shaped cloud,'' said West, whose two daughters, ages 10 and 14, also were home. “The walls shook. All the cabinets flew open. It sounded just like a bomb. My daughters were yelling, `It's a terrorist attack, it's a terrorist attack!.'''

It wasn't terrorism, but the explosion at a nearby gas station killed one man, critically injured another and left people who live and work in the neighborhood frightened and shaken.

West lives two blocks from what used to be the Victory Market at 11102 Bloomingdale Ave. A gas storage tank blew up there shortly after noon Wednesday, killing construction worker Pete Watson, 33, of Lutz, and seriously injuring co-worker Rick Parker of Winter Haven.

Officials said the blast was sparked

The market had a small convenience

by an electric saw that got too close to

store and gasoline pumps in a strip mall

fumes in one of the gas storage tanks

near Providence Road. The business

outside the Victory Market.

had been closed for a few days for renovations, property owner Carole LaMonte said.

LaMonte said she was having the underground

gas

storage

tanks

removed and planned to sell or develop the land for other uses.

“They were old and needed to come out,” LaMonte said.

She contracted with QRC Inc. of Lutz to pump the remaining gas from three tanks

buried

about

10

feet

underground, Hillsborough sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

The tanks are about 8 feet in diameter, about 30 feet long and made of steel wrapped in fiberglass, 41

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 42

Articles But as Watson was cutting into the third tank, an explosion erupted and sent

flames

shooting

into

the

convenience store, officials said.

“It appears right now that there was a breakdown of some sort in the process and that not all of the gasoline vapors were flushed out before the worker began cutting with the electric saw,” Branam said.

Buildings blocks away shook and plumes of smoke filled the air, causing minor damage at other businesses in the strip mall.

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Chief Chip Branam said. Each tank holds about 8,000 gallons, Branam said.

Once the gas was removed, the tanks were hoisted above ground, where they sat for several days. On Wednesday, nine workers, including Watson and Parker, were removing gas vapours that might have been left in the tanks by either flushing them or filling them with an inert, nonexplosive gas, Branam said.

Workers then used an electric saw to cut large holes in one end of each tank, allowing remaining vapors from the inert gas to escape, Branam said.

Watson

was

killed

instantly,

authorities said. Parker was taken to Tampa General Hospital. He requested that no information about his condition be released to the media, hospital spokeswoman Ellen Fiss said.

The convenience store was empty, and no one else was hurt, Carter said.

Branam

said

Hillsborough

Fire

Rescue and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responded, along with agents with the federal Bureau of Alcohol,

Tobacco,

Firearms

and

Explosives and the state Fire Marshal's Office.

42

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 43

Articles Dave Froehlich, whose wife co-owns Coo's Corner, a collectibles shop a few feet from the gas station in the strip mall, was filling in for his wife when the tank exploded.

“I heard it and felt it at the same time,” Froehlich said. “Liken it to a 1,000pound bomb. Pictures crashed from the wall, clocks fell from the wall. Ceiling tiles fell.”

As firefighters cleaned up the scene, visibly

shaken

construction

crew

members gathered in a circle and knelt.

“We are dealing with a tragedy,” said one, declining to give his name. “It was Investigators Occupational

with Safety

the

federal

and

Health

a family member.”

Administration also were at the blast site trying to determine the cause, Branam said.

A record search of QRC Inc. shows the company has no history of safety violations. Records show the company, at 2326 Sofia Drive in Lutz, is owned by Keith Watson, has 12 employees and has been operating since 1995.

Records also show Keith Watson and Pete Watson have shared addresses in recent years, but it was not clear late Wednesday whether they are related.

Phone messages left at QRC Inc. were not returned.

Photographer Kathy Moore-Lengell contributed to this story. Reporter Jill King Greenwood can be reached at (813) 657-4534. Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 657-4528.

Photo credits to Domenic LetoBarone and Leslie Pedigo in the Southwest District Office of the Florida DEP in Tampa

43

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 44

Articles

APEA AGM/Seminar 2004, April 26th 2004 Introduction The Annual general meeting of the APEA is to be held at the Marriott Hotel in Northampton on Monday 26 April, all members will receive an invitation to the event at the end of February, but this is an early notification to keep the date free in your diaries.

The business part of the meeting is held in the morning and the new Council (directors) for the coming year will be proposed and elected by the meeting date. Although to many that part of the day may seem a little formal, the process is a necessary part of the Associations rules and articles of association.

The Council members all provide input into the running of the Association and with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds the Council members and Officers work to improve the Association and provide benefit to members.

This year we also have a number of technical papers, which will interest members and we are sure that the following programme will provide those members attending the AGM not only with the chance to participate in the AGM but also provide valuable training and information during the technical sessions.

Agenda 9.30 - 10.30

Arrival/refreshments

10.30 - 11.30

Business session

11.30 - 12.00

Graeme Warnell, BP/Global Alliance e - based maintenance system in a modern retailing environment

12.00 - 12.30

Mr Armin G. Leibundgut/Dr. Carlo Frölichsthal, Export eXess Safety with eXess

12.30 - 2.00

Lunch (2 course buffet)

2.00 - 2.30

Jeremy Foyle, Tesco Above ground tank installation

2.30 - 3.00

Steve Jones, Fairbanks New APEA website

Hotel location: Marriott Hotel Eagle Drive Northampton NN4 7HW Tel: +44 (0) 870 400 7252 www.marriott.com

Speaker profiles and presentation descriptions Graeme Warnell, BP/Global Alliance Currently the UK Network Support Manager for the bp/Global Alliance, graduated from Brunel University in June 1991 and spent 9 months travelling throughout the USA. Greame has 11 years experience in retail petroleum and joined the retail engineering division of Mobil Oil UK in 1992 based in High Wycombe. He then relocated with Mobil to Milton Keynes in 1994 and worked throughout the bp/Mobil joint venture1995 - 96. He joined the bp Global Alliance with Bovis Lend Lease in 1996 to present day.

Specialised in providing maintenance support infra structures , environmental incident management , pressurised fuel systems upgrades and replacement , development of tank relining and stage 1b testing systems in the UK for bp in association with Petroman and King TankTechnic and finally development of e - maintenance solution for bp.

Presentation will be on the development , functionality and benefits of an e - based maintenance system in a modern retailing environment.

Mr. Armin G. Leibundgut - Sales & Marketing Director, Export eXess As a graduate in commercial trade and marketing at the renowned "Feusi" private school in Switzerland, Mr. Leibundgut laid the basis for his experience in international sales and marketing within various industries including several stays abroad. Mr. Leibundgut’s has been with eXess for more than one year and his main tasks include all strategic and administrative activities within the sales & marketing department including customer care. He also acts as a liaison to the Sales Directors and Agents to coordinate their various activities.

Short presentation of the company eXess.

Dr. Carlo Frölichsthal - Sales Director Export, Export eXess 5 Years Economy at the Bocconi University (majoring in International Economy). Various engagements in the field of international sales , among them 2 years in the USA, have furnished Dr. Frölichsthal with a solid track record in international sales and marketing. Dr. Frölichsthal now works for almost three years for eXess®. As a Sales Director Export his main responsibilities are the implementation of the sales network and the presentation of the product worldwide.

44

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 47

Articles Presenting the product eXess®: eXess® has been technically studied for years and recently completed for marketing purposes. The product’s aim is to increase security wherever fuels are stored, transported or in anyway handled. eXess® was born as an explosion suppression system, but offers today further advantages in many other fields like the fire fighting techniques or the environment protection through the HC emissions reduction.

Jeremy Foyle, Tesco Jeremy has now worked for Tesco for 4.5 years working within the Fire & Petroleum Risk Management Team as the Fire & Petroleum Risk Co-ordinator. The team sits within the Tesco Property Team responsible for UK Business Expansion through store development.

Tesco now operates approximately 370 petrol stations and are planning to build approximately 15 new petrol stations in 2004.

Before joining Tesco, Jeremy travelled for a few years to find his feet, of which he achieved as upon his return he undertook a full time degree in Fire Safety engineering at the University of Central Lancashire. Upon graduation Jeremy was immediately employed by Tesco into their management development role.

Jeremy’s current responsibilities are to support the Tesco development programme and implement Tesco Fire & Petroleum policies and initiatives.

Presenting information about the Tesco Ramsgate filing station which was the first uk station to utilise above ground tanks .

The presentation will include why it was built issues with the environment agency, why Tesco chose specific equipment and how it was constructed.

Steve Jones, Fairbanks Steve is an IT Systems Development Specialist who co-founded Fairbanks Environmental, and is directly involved in the development of the innovative software that is the basis of the wetstock management services provided by Fairbanks. He is a Computational and Statistical Science graduate with 20 years experience in the IT industry. In April 2003 Fairbanks’ innovative solutions were recognised with the Queens Award for Enterprise.

As a director of Fairbanks Steve’s role is extremely diverse and in addition to overseeing the development and maintenance of Fairbanks’ IT systems he takes responsibility for Fairbanks’ finances. Steve is also instrumental in negotiating contracts with major clients both within the UK and in Europe. As many of you will appreciate his role involves being an ambassador for the company and Steve has given presentations in such exotic locations and Penang, Portugal and Preston.

Steve is the APEA North West Branch Treasurer and a member of The Energy Institute, North West branch committee following the merger of the Institute of Energy and the Petroleum Institute.

Presenting The new APEA Website The new APEA logo was a catalyst for the Publications Committee to consider the look, feel and functionality of the APEA website. Through a process of consultation a tender document was created and Fairbanks’ tender submission was successful.

Fairbanks’ knowledge of the association allows them to work closely with the Publications Committee and the Business Manager to ensure that the features the association require will be readily available to association members and casual browsers as appropriate.

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight some of the new features available on the website and to encourage the membership to make more use of its facilities including: Events Calendar Resource Centre Online Discussion Forum Contacts Database The Bulletin Online

What to do if you wish to attend the AGM Invitations are being sent out to all APEA members at the end of February together with the nomination forms and accounts.

If you wish to attend please contact Jane Mardell on 01799 502929 or by email at admin@apea.org.uk to reserve your place(s) and return the nomination form to the Honorary Secretary, to the address on the form, if you wish to make a nomination.

Lunch This year we have arranged a two course sit down hot and cold buffet which will be held in the Mediterrano restaurant and costs £12.50 per person.

If you would like to book lunch please contact Jane Mardell on 01799 502929 or by email at admin@apea.org.uk to make your reservation(s).

47

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 48

Articles

Spotlight on BP Bovis Alliance - Maintenance Division

By Brian Baker, Milton Keynes Council British Petroleum (BP) are a leading international oil company and here in the UK, operate as one of the 'Big 5' in terms of Retail Petrol Filling Station ownership and operation. The company has an extensive company owned and operated network plus substantial brand representation through its dealers.

Bp in 1996 formed a partnership agreement with Bovis Lend Lease to manage its redevelopment and maintenance requirements.

The agreement now extends across Europe and America.

The overall intent of this Agreement is to create a relationship, which will challenges both parties to develop innovative business solutions seeking a major break through in overall performance. BP and the Alliance work together in a spirit of trust and cooperation striving to achieve the goal of continuous performance improvement.

As many readers will know, Milton Keynes Council have worked in partnership with BP Oil UK as Lead Authority for some years now. I have been closely involved with this relationship, and recently had the opportunity to catch up with Graeme Warnell who is the UK Network Support Manager. During our conversation I asked him if he would mind sharing some of his experiences in running a vital operation for his Client's.

(BB)

How many Company dealership sites are responsible for?

and you

(GW) Approx. 1100 sites in total, approximately 300 company owned with the remainder being a mixture of Dealer, Motorway Service Area or Safeway Partnership sites.

(BB)

Roughly, how many maintenance calls do you receive each day and what are the most common faults or defects that require attention?

(GW) Company owned sites tend to place approx. 3.5 calls per month I think the most common maintenance fault that passes through our maintenance systems has to be minor nozzles faults; I would not expect this to be much different for any major petroleum retailer.

After this it would have to be signware or image related calls, bp takes a great pride in its corporate image but unfortunately most signware on the forecourt seems to act as a magnet to customers vehicles!

(BB)

The maintenance centre is operated during normal working hours but what out of hour's arrangements in the case of emergencies?

(BB)

(GW) The e - maintenance system was launched at the beginning of 2003 and is directly linked to all the company owned sites throughout the UK. The system can be accessed either directly by the sites back office computer or via telephone either on or off site. It allows the site manager to log maintenance calls at a time that suits them best, rather than being restricted to placing calls within normal office working hours. The system is based around delivering total transparency throughout the progress of the job. It allows the site manager to operate his business as efficiently as possible and ensures we have real time performance monitoring of all out contractors.

The contractors can also access the system to close out, update jobs or upload quotations and safety method statements if required. The performance the contractor sees on their screens is what bp sees at board level, nothing is hidden.

By us having total visibility of any call placed by each site we have almost eradicated all nuisance and abortive calls placed by sites as well as increasing selfhelp for the sites in resolving basic maintenance issues. This proactive call management allows us to escalate any issues immediately and the ongoing result can be seen in reduced equipment downtime on sites.

Here is what he had to say, (BB)

Graeme, how long have you worked in the industry and BP Bovis in particular?

(GW) I started with Mobil Oils Retail Engineering Division back in Nov 1992 based in High Wycombe when Mobil was establishing its first dedicated maintenance team.

After relocating with Mobil to Milton Keynes we merged with bp early in 1996, later that year bp formed its alliance with Bovis. At that time my role was to ensure the smooth integration of the two individual maintenance regimes and adopt the best practice from each. This transfer into the Alliance has meant I have been part of the partnership since day one.

48

(GW) Outside of normal working hours we operate a duty engineer system whereby we always have an engineer on standby to react to environmental or health and safety emergencies where there is a potential danger to either the staff or the public. Additionally we have back to back 24-hour emergency cover contracts with all our relevant contractors.

(BB)

(GW)

How many are there in your Team and do you have any specialists?

I currently have a team of 11 working directly for me including specialists in the fields of customer service, fuels, valeting, signware and electrics, security and construction.

In recent times you have overseen personally the development of an electronic fault reporting system. Can you tell us what it is and how has it benefited the client, BP Oil UK?

(BB)

In your career, what has been the most difficult incident that you have dealt with?

(GW) Not so much an incident but the most difficult thing I come across is getting people to understand how a sound maintenance strategy can actually drive top line growth within anyone's business. It is not just a question of shoving a man in a van to sort

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:49

Page 51

Articles out a problem; maintenance plays a huge role in assessing and evaluating lifecycle costings and should be central to all procurement and investment strategies.

(BB)

I know that you have carried out a tank survey in recent years using a technique known as MTCF (Mean Time to Corrosion Failure). How successful has this been, what have your learned from the survey and what has there been a change of policy by BP Oil on installation methods and selection of tanks?

(GW) From studying historical tank failures it became apparent to me that the most common failure period seemed to be between 12 - 17 years. Yet all of our past replacement strategies and indeed legislation at the time always seem to drive towards the fact that the oldest tanks were always the highest risk.

CORRPRO and the Alliance worked together over the last 4 years to deliver the MTCF testing strategy to bp. This process has now been completed on all company owned sites and a significant number within the dealer network. The way in which these sites are risk ranked has now totally changed and as a result there has been significant investment in a proactive tankrelining program with King Tanktechnic and LCM.

(BB)

(GW) More than you or I will earn in a lifetime! Yes there is always a need to prioritise, marketing initiatives, budget constraints and even seasonality of the weather mean you have to balance the numbers very carefully throughout the year. It's not about spending less money it's all about ensuring you get best value for what you are paying.

(BB)

(BB)

BP is one of only a few operators to install pressure pumped dispensing systems. What are your preferences and why?

(GW) I grew accustomed to pressure systems very early in my career as Mobil installed a significant number within the UK. As with any system provided they are installed and maintained correctly I do not see why people still seem to be wary of them.

Any system that can safely pump fuel further and faster to the customer gets my approval.

BP Bovis Alliance uses a range of suppliers. Can you briefly describe the selection process and safety validation arrangements you have in operation?

(GW) The main priority for us is safety, we run a safety scheme called Incident and Injury Free - the program is not based around paper work, policies or procedures but is really around every employee in the company and our contractors changing their attitude and behaviour towards safety both at home and at work. We do not see this as a one off commitment, but a journey with our ultimate goal being the creation of an incident and injury free work place for everyone.

(BB) I believe the proactive preventative programs we have undertaken on behalf of bp are probably the biggest the UK has ever seen.

This may be a business sensitive question, but what sort of annual budget are you responsible for and is there a need to prioritise?

What are the principal differences between maintaining Company Sites and Dealership sites?

(GW) We offer company-operated sites a far wider range of services than we do for dealers.

However our commitment to service levels for both company owned sites and dealer operated sites are exactly the same. For company owned sites our maintenance commitments are all encompassing with only the most minor of handy man type jobs being left to each site manager's discretion. Dealers tend to manage the majority of their maintenance issues directly and will have a far better working knowledge of how their forecourts operate and the equipment installed on them. I

feel that many of the major oil companies could learn a great deal from their dealer operators, the Roadside Group being the first that springs to mind.

(BB)

LPG (Autogas) has seen an increase on UK Forecourts in the last 5 years. What have you found to be the most problematic issues you have had to deal with from a maintenance point of view?

(GW) We had some initial teething problems with LPG, as this was a new product for us to install and maintain. Many of the faults we experience are where the equipment is being used incorrectly, this can be complicated by the numbers of adaptors there are on the market accompanied by the number of different nozzles used by each oil major.

(BB)

Graeme, where do you see BP Bovis Alliance going in the future?

(GW) As a result of our excellent longstanding partnering relationship with bp I would like to see the Alliance going forwards shoulder-to-shoulder with bp into new retail markets, globally.

(BB)

Do you have any interests outside of work?

(GW) After my family, (I have a 2 year old daughter), my interests are firmly tied to anything that involves sport, beer or both if possible.

(BB)

And what of Graeme Warnell, where do you see yourself in the future?

(GW) I still have a lot to do here in the UK but I would always jump at the chance to work abroad with either the Alliance or with Bovis Lend Lease.

(BB)

Many thanks for sparing your time Graeme. It is always a pleasure to talk to you and your willingness to share information that helps not just BP Oil but also the UK industry in general.

51

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:50

Page 52

Branches Eastern Eastern Branch members met at The Limes Hotel in the sleepy village of Needham Market, Suffolk on December 3rd for its now traditional early Christmas lunch and Branch meeting. Around 30 members attended. It was nice to see familiar faces and new ones engaged in topics of the day. We heard that the festive food was even better than last year so we will be hard pressed to meet future events! If you didn't manage to attend this time then make a note in your diary now for this popular event, which usually takes place during the first week of December.

The committee works hard throughout the year to get speakers to come and give presentations and hopefully this time was no exception. A warm thank you to our speakers on the day Mike Piggott, Mike Koch and Brian Baker who gave of their time to make this an interesting event for our members.

Mike is the General Sales Manager for Tokheim UK Ltd and gave an update on his company. He talked about the state of the dispenser market and new and upcoming opportunities and technologies. He also covered Stage II vapour recovery and the service and training Tokheim provides to the industry.

Mike Koch, Operations Director NWML talked about the responsibility of National Weights & Measures. They are an agency of the DTI with responsibility for UK legal meteorology regulatory and commercial services. They are keen to hear the views of the APEA and issues NWML should be looking at.

Brian Baker our current Branch Chairman talked about legislation updates and self regulatory

posted on the APEA web site so please look from time to time.

At the AGM there we are required to hold elections of branch posts. If you would like your name to go forward could you please let me know and the post you are interested in so we can conduct election according to the democratic process.

Anton Martiniussen Branch Secretary

Branch Representative Contact Details

Midlands Nothing to report at present

Tel: 01279 815600 Fax: 01279 812978 iantaylor@hytekgb.com

North East Nothing to report at present North West These are the details of our next meeting: NW Branch AGM 19th February, The NFU, Skelmersdale, Lancs.

Nomination forms for branch officers and committee members will be sent out in January.

The meeting follows our usual format; commencing at 9.45 with branch business and the AGM and followed by technical presentations finishing with lunch at 1pm.

Technical presentations: • DSEAR – implications and requirements for service station operators – by John Hazeldean HSE • The Petrofuse dual containment pipework system – by Tim Foster, Petrofuse Ltd • Oil Spill cleanup and remediation products – by Harold Ross, Ross Environmental Ltd • Accumulus and Softfill products – by Rodney Carter,Petroman Bob Conlin Branch Secretary Scotland Nothing to report at present

from left to right, Stephanie Jackson, Brian Baker, Dusty Miller, Anton Martiniussen, Paul Craven

assessments and possible reduced licensing conditions Brian is also interested to hearing from others who have a view on this subject.

For Eastern Branch members please make a note in your diary that the next Eastern Branch meeting and AGM will be held on April Wednesday 7th at NWML offices in Teddington, Middlesex.

Details will be in the post to members nearer the time. For more information you can contact me at ELAFLEX Ltd; on 01992 452950, Fax 01992 452 911, mobile 07831 595620 or email me direct at elaflex@aol.com. Updates are also

52

Southern The next meeting is to be the AGM which has been brought forward from April to February the 12th. It is to be held at Cholderton, which is central to the region and will be accompanied by a range of speakers yet to be decided.

Phil Monger Branch Representative Yorkshire & Humberside The next meeting ( AGM ) for the Yorkshire and Humberside Branch will be held on the 4th March 2004, at Ainsty in York. There will be two speakers: 1. A representative from the Environment Agency, to speak on Wet Stock Management with regard to Ground Contamination.

2. A representative from Envirotank to speak on Above Ground Bunded Storage Tanks.

Clive Evers Branch Representative

Ian Taylor - Eastern Hytek (GB) Ltd, Delta House, Green Street, Elsenham, Bishops Stortford, Herts CM22 6DS

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

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:50

Page 55

Training

2004 Course Dates Petrol Filling Stations Construction & Environmental

Electrical Installations An Awareness

20th April

Reading

21st April

Cardiff/Newport

10th May

Aberdeen

11th May

Glasgow

Redhill

25th May

Chester

15 Sept

Manchester

8th June

Durham/Washington

13 Oct

Huntingdon

Awareness 11/12 Feb

Dundee

9/10 March

Southampton

Petrol Filling Stations -

Wetstock Management

25 Mar

Dundee

12 May

Swindon

20 May

Leicester

9 Jun

Milton Keynes

24 June

Audit and Inspection 23/24 March

County Mayo

30/31 March

Birmingham

13/14 April

Cardiff

11 Nov

Dundee

11/12 May

Cambridge

15 Dec

Newcastle

15/16 June

Stoke on Trent LPG Installations (Autogas)

13/14 July

Newcastle

12/13 Oct 16/17 Nov

Explosives and Fireworks 8 Sept

Crawley

15 Sept

Ipswich

15 March

Dundee

22 Sept

Sheffield

Southampton

21 June

Chester

29 Sept

Swindon

Chester

20 Sept

Swindon

6 Oct

Chester

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

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.

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 52 Milton Grove, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK3 5BH Tel: 01908 252332 e-mail: brian@bpbaker.fsnet.co.uk

Mobile: 07932 785 166

Fax: 01908 252319

Jamie Thompson Independent Consultant

Gareth Bourhill Senior Incorporated Electrical Engineer The DH Morris Group

John Hills Project Engineer BP Bovis Alliance

Paul Craven Petroleum Officer Suffolk County Council

John Dallimore Independent Consulting Engineer John Dallimore &Partners

Bob Conlin Director Fairbanks Environmental

Brian Humm Petroleum Officer LFEPA

Richard Wigfull Consulting Engineer J. Wigfull & Son

Tom Armstrong Senior Project Engineer

Brian Baker Fire Safety & Petroleum Officer Milton Keynes Council

Phil Lambeth Senior Engineer BP Global Alliance

Eddie Furniss Independent Trading Standards Consultant

APEA Training Team

55

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:50

Page 56

Training 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 Counci Belfast City Council (N.I.) Birmingham City Council Blackburn & Darwin 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 Carrickfergus Borough CounciL Castlereagh Council (N.I.) Cavan County Council City of Edinburgh Council Coleraine 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 Counci Diamond Construction Dorset County Council Dresser Wayne 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 Ecotech Electrical Services & Projects Ltd Essex County Council

56

F Fairbanks Environmental Ltd Fife Council Forecourt Dimensions Ltd (Eire) Flintshire County CounciL Forecourt Engineering Ltd Fort Vale AD G Geodelft Environmental Ltd Glasgow City Council Global Alliance Gloucestershire County Council Greater Manchester Fire Service H Halliford Construction Ltd Halton Borough Council Hampshire County Council Herefordshire County Council Highland Council HLM Design Hydro Contracting 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 Mowlem Environmental Sciences Group N New Shell Kasese Newry & Mourne Council (N.I.) Newtownabbey Borough Council North Ayrshire 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 Orkney Islands Council 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 Scottish Borders Council Shell UK Ltd Shropshire County Council Sidmount Ltd 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 TQ IPS Ltd Tay Side Police Taylor Woodrow Ltd Telford & Wrekin Council Tesco Stores Ltd Texaco (Ireland) Ltd Tokheim IPS Ltd Total GB Ltd Toureen Contractors Trident Engineering Tyne & Wear Fire & Rescue Service U United Cooperatives Ltd University of Wolverhampton V Van Gaver Electrical Co Ltd 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 William Skinner & Son Wiltshire County Council Wokingham District Council Wyatt Engineering

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:50

Page 57

Training

Delegates from the recent Petrol Filling Stations Construction and Environmental Awareness course in Dundee

Delegates from the recent Petrol Filling Stations - Audit and Inspection course in Birmingham

57

Bulletin March 2004.qxd

05/03/2004

11:50

Page 58

Membership To join the APEA simply complete the form below and forward to the APEA office with a cheque or your credit card details completed below or fax on +44 (0) 1799 502929.

APEA, PO Box 106, Saffron Walden, Essex. CB11 3XT. United Kingdom Membership Types Individual membership: £30.00 includes one copy of the Bulletin per quarter and one copy of Yearbook Corporate membership: £100.00 includes five copies of the Bulletin per quarter and five copies of Yearbook (one representative per company) Full Name Company/Authority Position Membership type

Individual £30.00 pa

Corporate £100.00 pa

Send correspondance to

Company address

Personal Address

Branch Membership

Eastern

Overseas

Midlands

Scottish

North East

Southern

North West

Yorkshire and Humberside

Ireland Do you wish to offer your expertise in any particular area

Comments

Company or Authority

Personal

Address

Address

Town/City

Town/City

Postcode

Postcode

Country

Country

Telephone

Telephone

Fax

Fax

email

email

Web site

Web site

I wish to apply for membership of the APEA by cheque (attached)/credit card (delete as applicable) Type of card *issue no - switch only Name on card Card no.

Expiry Date 58

*Switch / Access / Visa / Barclaycard / Delta / Connect (NOT AMEX / DINERS)