24 September 2004 - Petrol Extraction From End-Of-Life Vehicles
The safe recovery of petrol from
end-of-life vehicles (ELV), is a guidance document published by the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in association with the end-of-life
vehicle industry.
The publication advises on the safe removal, storage and disposal of petrol
from vehicles being disposed of, in accordance with the End-of-Life Vehicle
Directive.
Vehicle dismantlers will be the main parties interested in the published
guidance, as it deals with the fire and explosive hazards, which may be
incurred from the extraction and storage of petrol. One of the other areas
covered is aimed at the unauthorised waste disposal sector of collection or
re-use.
Manual extraction, using a pick and bucket is not covered in the guidance,
as this is considered to be unsuitable. It is mainly aimed at large-scale
facilities.
Information offered in the guidance is quite comprehensive and covers the
following areas:
-
legislation
-
fire and explosion hazards
-
risk assessment
-
control measures
-
separation distances
-
storage facilities
-
vehicle depollution
-
spillage control
-
fire fighting
-
means of escape
-
sources of ignition
-
maintenance
-
information and training
-
emergency procedures
The guidance does not cover the health
hazards related to working with petrol within the motor vehicle repair
industry. It does, however, cover small-scale activities, where
conventional equipment, such as fuel retrievers, is used for the withdrawal
of petrol from the existing fuel tank openings. Other areas not
covered in the guidance are, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), compressed
natural gas (CNG) and explosive devices used to inflate air bags, nor any
health hazards arising from exposure to petrol.
The guidance document has recommendations regarding contaminated diesel
mixed with petrol for the handling and storage, although not specifically
aimed at diesel fuel.
This guidance will enable employers to fulfil their statutory obligations with respect to the fire and explosion hazards of petrol arising from the following sets of regulations:
-
the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR)
-
the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
The guidance can be accessed by clicking the following link:
The safe recovery of petrol from end-of-life vehicles
Article by Alexandra Johnston
