Design, construction and operation of Workshops for

Petroleum road tanker maintenance

Robert Harris

The 2007 Code• How we made the decision to update it

• How it’s different from the 1998 Code

• What’s in it

• How it’s useful to you

Why bother to update the Code?• Current ‘IP’ edition dates from 1998• Need perceived to continue publishing

guidance:– Changes in UK petroleum industry to contracted distribution, sub contracted maintenance– Maintenance provider now removed from source of expertise and safety culture associated with oil industry

Opportunity to re-assess:• The practice of working on tankers inside

workshops, with the possibility of creating a flammable atmosphere within an unventilated space.

• The hazard from petrol vapour release having become several times greater than historically:

– Capacity of tankers (42000 litres)– Their leakproofness– Higher pressure setting of PV valves

Opportunity to increase awareness:• The hazards of maintaining tankers • Perception that hazard awareness

– not being ‘passed down the chain’ to subcontractors and their employees– not being passed down from previous ‘generation’ of technicians

• Proposal of a hierarchy of controls for working on tankers

Expertise rests within EI

• Risks from Petroleum products

• Sources of ignition

• Hazardous areas and certified electrical equipment

Hazardous area calculation for tanker in a workshop using dispersion modelling:

• 8 000 litre compartment • 60 mbar over pressure• Stable atmosphere:

Dip cap (if fitted) orifice release ~ 1 metre radius

Fill cover release ~ 10 metre radius

• EI’s Petroleum Tanker Workshop Code is apparently only guidance available worldwide:

no guidance listed by Australia (AIP) or US (American Petroleum Institute - API)

• EI is only guidance from any source for petroleum tanker workshops.

2007 edition relevanceChanges in legislation since 2001 – particularly concerning

– Explosive atmospheres, requiring drawings that define ‘Hazardous Areas’.– Working at height– Control of pollution

Product Flash point Auto ignition temp

Propane

Butane

Petrol

Kerosene

Gas oilAll temperatures degrees Celsius* For LPGs, boiling point

Product Flash point Auto ignition temp

Propane - 45 *

Butane - 6 *

Petrol - 40

Kerosene 38

Gas oil 55

Product Flash point Auto ignition temp

Propane - 45 * 468

Butane - 6 * 450

Petrol - 40 450

Kerosene 38

Gas oil 55

Product Flash point Auto ignition temp

Propane - 45 * 468

Butane - 6 * 450

Petrol - 40 450

Kerosene 38 250

Gas oil 55 260

Video clip here Andrew

From the report of the Ladbroke Grove train crash, 5th October 1999

4.36 It was agreed that the source of fuel for the fireball was finely dispersed diesel fuel.

Much of it came from the contents of the fuel tank of the front car of the Turbo which contained 688 litres at the time of the crash.

4.37 The horrific effects of the fire were most pronounced in coach H. Witnesses described seeing, just after the coach had come to a stop, a fireball travelling from near the rear of coach H to about halfway into the carriage; this probably then rolled back again towards the rear. Mrs Pam Warren was sitting at the rear of coach H. She described what happened just after the carriage had come to a halt:

http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/incident-ladbrokegrove-lgri1-optim.pdf

4.46

There were many potential sources of ignition.

The most likely were the overhead line equipment, the onboard electrical systems and thermite sparking.

Almost certainly all three were present and were particularly potent sources.

The 2007 Code• How we made the decision to update it • How it’s different from the 1998 Code

• What’s in it

• How it’s useful to you

1998: 23 pages 2007: 60 pages

The changes (additions):• Location and security• Hazardous area classification – DSEAR *• Storage / disposal of drained products• Facility maintenance management• Fleet maintenance management• Admission of tankers to workshops• Hot work and cold work• Permit to work

DSEAR *

Dangerous

Substances and

Explosive

Atmospheres

Regulations

2002

The 2007 Code• How we made the decision to update it • How it’s different from the 1998 Code • What’s in it

• How it’s useful to you

How the Code is laid out:

Two parts – A and B (as before):

Design and construction of the workshop

Procedures and practices

Part A

• Location, layout and security.

• Workshop design, construction and maintenance

• Installed equipment

Location, layout and security:

• Site location (and access)

• Site layout

• Security

• Example of a layout

Workshop design, construction and maintenance

• General statutory requirements• Hazardous Area classification• Overall design considerations• Electrical Installation• Access doors• Inspection pits• Heating and artificial ventilation

Workshop design, construction and maintenance cont’d

• Site drainage

• Facilities for residual liquid

• Facilities for personnel

• Facility maintenance management regime

Workshop equipment• Fire extinguishers and fire alarm system• Facilities for working at height• Compressed air• Fume extraction• Work benches• Tanker venting• Bulk storage tanks• Hand held / portable equipment

Part BMaintenance and repair operations

• Health, welfare and protection of personnel• Fleet maintenance management• Training and qualification of personnel• Admission of tankers into workshops• Workshop operations• Gas freeing

Health, welfare, protection of personnel

• References to specific legislation

• Emergency response, First Aid and accident reporting

• Legionella

• Contact with petroleum products

• Clothing and PPE

Fleet maintenance management

• In house workshops

• Contracted maintenance

• Breakdowns and exceptional repairs

Training and qualification of personnel

• Records• ADR requirements• Working on tankers• Safe use of equipment• Road testing• Emergency response

Admission of tankers into workshops

• Controls and procedures concerning flammable atmospheres and sources of ignition

• Emptying residual liquid• Venting system for tankers in workshops• Controls to minimise sources of ignition• Controls on hot and cold work

Workshop operations• General housekeeping and workshop inventory

• Permit to work system

• Parking and movement of tankers

• Working on tankers – general precautions

• Working under tankers

• Working on tanker product containment systems

Typical Permit-to-Work

Number of staff present:

Description of workWork tasks

Method statements Risk assessments

LocationToolsProducts containedPersonal protective equipmentAdditional safety equipmentSpecial conditions

• Work areas to be kept clean and tidy, free from accumulations of flammable materials

• All tools to be maintained in good condition• Any specialist contractors to be inducted

in accordance with procedures for visitors, andworkshop personnel are to accompany them at all times

• Any parts removed from tankers are to be storedin the designated area

• No hot work of any nature may be carried outwithout a separate Permit-to-Work

P-t-W ‘Special conditions’

Workshop operations cont’d

• Electrical repairs to tankers

• Battery charging

Gas freeing procedure• General• Preparation• Using an air eductor• Using wet, low pressure steam• Using water power wash• Gas testing and gas free certification

Annexes• Requirements in ADR for supervision of a

laden tanker.• Typical Permit to Work• Typical gas-free certificate• Glossary• Audit checklist• References

Audit checklist

• Useful tool for verification of design and equipment of new workshop

• . . . .and an existing one.

Summary• Need confirmed for updated Workshop CoP• No other source of guidance for petroleum

tanker workshops• Petrol and diesel are dangerous products to

handle, particularly in an enclosed space• Hazardous areas need to be identified and

recognised

• All Sources of ignition should be recognised and controlled

• Workshop operations and procedures need to recognise the risk of possible presence of flammable vapours OR mists

• Procedures should be in place for containment of product in planned and unplanned releases (including disposal)

• Know your drains

• Working at height is here to stay – so are the controls

• Occasionally stand back

The 2007 Code• How we made the decision to update it • How it’s different from the 1998 Code • What’s in it • How it’s useful to you

Particular thanks to:

Paul Whitehead FTA

Cliff Yarney Scania

Dave Rowlands Wincanton

John Hazeldean HSE

Mark Scanlon Energy Institute

Martin Hunnybun Energy Institute