GUIDELINES FOR UPLIFT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM FILLING STATION AND CUSTOMER STORAGE TANKS

GUIDELINES FOR UPLIFT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM FILLING STATION AND CUSTOMER STORAGE TANKS

GUIDELINES FOR UPLIFT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM FILLING STATION AND CUSTOMER STORAGE TANKS 2nd edition January 2006 Published by ENERGY INSTITUTE, LONDON The Energy Institute is a professional membership body incorporated by Royal Charter 2003 Registered charity number 1097899

The Energy Institute gratefully acknowledges the financial contributions towards the scientific and technical programme from the following companies: BG Group BHP Billiton Limited BP Exploration Operating Co Ltd BP Oil UK Ltd Chevron ConocoPhillips Ltd ENI ExxonMobil International Ltd Kerr-McGee North Sea (UK) Ltd Kuwait Petroleum International Ltd Murco Petroleum Ltd Nexen Shell UK Oil Products Limited Shell U.K. Exploration and Production Ltd Statoil (U.K.) Limited Talisman Energy (UK) Ltd Total E&P UK plc Total UK Limited Copyright 2006 by the Energy Institute, London: The Energy Institute is a professional membership body incorporated by Royal Charter 2003. Registered charity number 1097899, England All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, or transmitted or translated into a machine language without the written permission of the publisher. The information contained in this publication is provided as guidance only and while every reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of its contents, the Energy Institute cannot accept any responsibility for any action taken, or not taken, on the basis of this information. The Energy Institute shall not be liable to any person for any loss or damage which may arise from the use of any of the information contained in any of its publications. The above disclaimer is not intended to restrict or exclude liability for death or personal injury caused by own negligence. ISBN 978 0 85293 453 1 Published by the Energy Institute Further copies can be obtained from Portland Customer Services, Commerce Way, Whitehall Industrial Estate, Colchester CO2 8HP, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1206 796 351 email: sales@portland-services.com

CONTENTS Foreword... vii Acknowledgements...ix 1 Introduction, scope and application... 1 1.1 Introduction... 1 1.2 Scope... 1 1.3 Application... 2 2 Organisational arrangements, work control arrangements, and safety, health and environmental aspects of uplift operations... 3 2.1 Introduction... 3 2.2 Organisational arrangements... 3 2.3 Work control arrangements... 4 2.4 Safety aspects of uplift operations... 6 2.5 Health aspects of uplift operations... 9 2.6 Environmental aspects of uplift operations... 10 3 Uplift operations equipment selection... 13 3.1 Introduction... 13 3.2 Equipment for pumped uplift to a petroleum road tanker... 13 3.3 Other equipment... 15 3.4 Inspection and maintenance of equipment... 15 3.5 Equipment for vacuum uplift to a vacuum tanker... 15 4 Site infrastructure... 17 4.1 Introduction... 17 4.2 Vapour collection... 17 4.3 P/V valves... 17 4.4 Gauging and mechanical overfill prevention devices... 17 4.5 Inter-tank connections... 18 4.6 Electrical bonding and earthing... 18 4.7 Liquid seal within storage tanks... 18 4.8 Decommissioning... 18 Page v

Contents Cont... Page 5 Good practice in uplift operations... 21 5.1 Introduction... 21 5.2 Preparatory work responsibilities... 21 5.3 Equipment checks prior to uplift contractor departure to site... 22 5.4 Uplift contractor arrival on site... 23 5.5 Site preparatory work... 23 5.6 Layout of uplift operations work area... 24 5.7 Generic procedure for pumped uplift to a petroleum road tanker... 26 5.8 Generic procedure for completing pumped uplift to a petroleum road tanker... 26 Annexes Annex A - References... 27 Annex B - IP classification of petroleum and its products... 29 Annex C - Equipment held on an uplift response tender... 31 Annex D - Generic procedure for pumped uplift to a petroleum road tanker... 33 Annex E - Generic procedure for completing pumped uplift to a petroleum road tanker... 35 Annex F - Specification and use of vacuum tankers... 37 Annex G - Glossary of terms and abbreviations... 39 Tables B.1 IP classification of some relevant petroleum products... 30 Figures 2.1 Protocol for avoiding switch loading when selecting petroleum road tankers... 8 5.1 Generic plan view of equipment layout for uplifting Class I product from an underground storage tank using an extendible drop pipe or internal fill pipe, with pumped uplift using an indirectly powered hydraulically or compressed air-driven pump and a power unit with suitable type of protection, to a petroleum road tanker... 26 vi

FOREWORD Occasions arise when bulk quantities of petroleum products need to be removed from a filling station or customer storage tank; uplifting the product using an extendible drop pipe or internal fill pipe, with pumped uplift to a petroleum road tanker is the most common means to do this, however such operations require careful planning and close control to ensure adequate protection of people, the environment and assets. These Guidelines have been prepared on the basis that most product uplift operations are outsourced to specialist uplift contractors by clients who encounter them infrequently. For the former, they identify hazards and necessary control measures, including specifications for appropriate equipment, and set out good practice. Whereas for clients, they provide information that will help them understand the operation and set out necessary organisational and work control arrangements. Following the Guidelines should safeguard the health and safety of people including employees and the public (such as neighbours), adequately protect the environment, and minimise risks to assets. Therefore, the Guidelines are intended for use by both uplift contractors and clients that commission them. The Guidelines provide good practice, rather than a set of rigid rules, based on satisfactory experience in uplift operations and so are necessarily generalised. The 2nd edition of the Guidelines was commissioned following a comprehensive review of all sections of the 1st edition of IP Guidelines for uplift of product from retail filling stations and customer tanks; whilst amendments have been made throughout, major changes have been made to: Clarify the scope. Recognise that most product uplift operations are outsourced to specialist uplift contractors. Set the Guidelines against the requirements for uplift operations from underground storage tanks at most major oil company operated filling stations. These numerous sites are subject to regulatory licensing and rigorous contractor control. For uplift operations at other sites, the Guidelines represent a framework of good practice that should not need to be supplemented. Reference the Guidelines to APEA/IP Design, construction, modification and maintenance of filling stations. Recognise that client staff have an enhanced understanding of work control arrangements applying to contractor operations at most major oil company operated filling stations (as set out in IP Code of practice for retailers managing contractors working on petrol filling stations). Recognise that uplift contractor staff have an enhanced understanding of general safety, health and environmental issues, such as identifying hazards, assessing risks and taking necessary precautions (as set out in IP Code of practice for contractors working on filling stations), due to them being required to hold valid Retail Safety Passports when working at most major oil company operated filling stations. Enhance guidance on selection and competence assurance of uplift contractors. Enhance guidance on fire and explosion hazards, in particular the IP classification system, and enhance guidance on assessing flammable atmospheres, as required by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations. vii

GUIDELINES FOR UPLIFT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM FILLING STATION AND CUSTOMER STORAGE TANKS Enhance guidance on the control of sources of ignition, such as electrostatic hazards and selection of suitably protected electrical and non-electrical equipment for use in hazardous areas, as required by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations. Enhance guidance on confined space access, as required by The Confined Spaces Regulations. Provide guidance on the means of preventing falls from the top of petroleum road tankers, as required by The Work at Height Regulations. Provide guidance on health risk assessment for hazardous substances, as required by The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations and The Control of Lead at Work Regulations. Provide guidance on environmental aspects of uplift operations, including product hazards, emissions to soil, groundwater, surface water and air, and waste management. Provide a criteria-based control framework for selecting and using vacuum tankers. Provide guidance on personal protective equipment requirements and use. Clarify guidance on the interface between uplift equipment and site infrastructure. Provide guidance on additional requirements for storage tanks being withdrawn from service or for sites being decommissioned. Clarify responsibilities for preparatory work. The information contained in this publication is provided as guidance only and while every reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of its contents, the Energy Institute and the technical representatives listed in the acknowledgements, cannot accept any responsibility for any action taken, or not taken, on the basis of this information. The Energy Institute shall not be liable to any person for any loss or damage which may arise from the use of any of the information contained in any of its publications. The Guidelines may be further reviewed from time to time. It would be of considerable assistance in any future revision if users would send comments or suggestions for improvement to: The Technical Department Energy Institute 61 New Cavendish Street LONDON W1G 7AR email: technical@energyinst.org.uk viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS These revised Guidelines were commissioned by the Institute s Distribution and Marketing Safety Committee and were prepared by Keith Harrison (Consultant). Significant contributions were made by: Anthea Aggus Dave Hughes Robert Harris Graham McDowell Paul Shone John Stephenson Rex Wheeler Shell UK Oil Products Chevron Shell UK Oil Products Whale Tankers Chevron Marsafe Environmental Services Consultant Affiliations refer to the time of participation. Technical editing and project co-ordination was carried out by Mark Scanlon (Energy Institute). The Institute wishes to record its appreciation of the work carried out by them and others who participated during the technical review. ix

GUIDELINES FOR UPLIFT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM FILLING STATION AND CUSTOMER STORAGE TANKS x

1 INTRODUCTION, SCOPE AND APPLICATION 1.1 INTRODUCTION Occasions arise when bulk quantities of petroleum products need to be removed from a filling station or customer storage tank, for example: to enable maintenance or modification; where a grade or product change is required; when inadvertent contamination has occurred (e.g. following a product crossover); where the storage tank is losing containment; or where the storage tank is to be withdrawn from service or the site is to be decommissioned. Transferring product to an adjacent storage tank should first be considered as a means of emptying the storage tank or of reducing the contents to a temporarily safer level, e.g. below the point where containment is breached. However, when this is impractical, uplifting the product provides a solution. Most product uplift operations are outsourced to specialist uplift contractors by clients who encounter the operation infrequently. 1.2 SCOPE The scope of the Guidelines includes uplift of petroleum products from both underground and above-ground storage tanks at filling stations and customer sites. The Guidelines are primarily set against the requirements for uplift operations from underground storage tanks (USTs) at major oil company operated filling stations: these numerous sites are subject to regulatory licensing and rigorous contractor control. Clients should understand work control arrangements and general safety, health and environmental issues as they apply to contractor operations at most major oil company operated filling stations (as set out in IP Code of practice for retailers managing contractors working on petrol filling stations). Uplift contractor staff working at such sites should hold valid Retail Safety Passports so that they also understand work control arrangements and general safety, health and environmental issues, as set out in IP Code of practice for contractors working on filling stations. Consequently, the Guidelines refer to the respective content of those Codes as pre-requisites and focus on issues specific to product uplift operations. For uplift operations at other filling stations and customer sites, the Guidelines represent a framework of good practice that should not need to be supplemented. The Guidelines are also primarily written around the most common method used, that is, of uplifting the product using an extendible drop pipe or internal fill pipe, with pumped product uplift to a petroleum road tanker. The petroleum products that may need to be uplifted at filling stations are petroleum spirit (petrol), diesel (DERV), and possibly kerosine (paraffin). At customer sites, other products may also require to be uplifted, such as aviation fuels, gas oil, and heavy fuel oil. The scope of the Guidelines excludes: Uplift of product from petroleum road tankers involved in road traffic accidents, such as roll-overs (see IP Code of practice for the development of a response plan for significant incidents involving petroleum road tankers). 1

GUIDELINES FOR UPLIFT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS FROM FILLING STATION AND CUSTOMER STORAGE TANKS Uplift of liquefied petroleum gases (LPG or autogas), although it may be present at filling stations. Uplift of bitumen products. Uplift of lubricants. Uplift of leaded petroleum products, due to their withdrawal from the UK market. However, the Guidelines refer to the possibility of there being residual lead in storage tanks being decommissioned, in particular in sludge ('tank bottoms'). Where leaded petroleum products are to be uplifted in other countries, there should be additional consideration of their adverse health effects during handling and environmental implications of disposal. Recovery of product in oil spill response (see IP Inland waters oil spill response). Cleaning of oil/water separators and disposal of oily waste and sludge (see IP Guidelines for soil, groundwater and surface water protection and vapour emission control at petrol filling stations). Manual methods of pumping product from storage tanks. Such methods can be safely carried out providing potential hazards are carefully considered; however, they are time-consuming and, if large volumes of product have to be transferred, may be precluded on the grounds of unacceptable interference with routine site operations. 1.3 APPLICATION contractors that carry out uplift operations and clients that commission them. For uplift contractors, the Guidelines identify hazards and necessary control measures, including specifications for appropriate equipment, and set out good practice. For clients, the Guidelines provide information that will help them understand the operation and set out necessary organisational and work control arrangements. Following the Guidelines should safeguard the health and safety of people including employees and the public (such as neighbours), adequately protect the environment, and minimise risks to assets. The Guidelines provide good practice, rather than a set of rigid rules, based on satisfactory experience in uplift operations gained by several organisations, and so are necessarily generalised. It is intended that users of these Guidelines should develop their own procedures, which may differ in detail but should conform to the principles set out herein. Such procedures should also take into account any unusual or local circumstances, on which it is impossible to generalise. Whilst written in the context of the UK legislative and regulatory framework, the principles set out in Guidelines can be similarly applied in other countries providing national and local statutory requirements are complied with. Where the requirements differ, the more stringent should be adopted. The Guidelines are intended for use by both uplift 2