HSE launches consultation on the storage of petroleum

Safety & Health Practitioner

An eight-week consultation has been launched on plans to simplify and modernise legislation on the storage of petroleum.

 

The HSE is inviting comments on proposals to consolidate and refine eight pieces of legislation that apply to the storage of petrol at workplaces that dispense petrol — mainly petrol stations and non-workplace premises such as private homes.

 

Kären Clayton, Director of HSE’s Long Latency Health Risks Division, said:  “The proposal is to revoke all existing legislation and consolidate the provisions to be maintained into one single set of new regulations. This will modernise and simplify the current legislative arrangements whilst maintaining existing standards of safety.”

 

The development of the new regulations will draw on a wide range of views from industry, regulators, other government departments and hobbyists, eg boating, vintage cars etc.

 

The key change for petrol filling stations is the proposal to move away from licensing and to introduce a petroleum storage certificate, which will remain valid unless there is a significant change or the site is closed. This proposal has support from both industry and regulators.

 

The regulations will also provide clarification on the amounts that can be stored at home and the types of containers that can be used.

 

The consultation is open until 7 February 2014. The HSE Board will make recommendations to ministers after consideration of the consultation responses.

 

Full details are contained within the consultation document available on the HSE website www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd264.htm