Petrol Storage

Regulations|Fuel Dispensers|ATEX Regulations|Petrol Station Licencing|Decommissioning

What regulations cover safety and health in petrol stations?

• SHWWA 2005 General workplace requirements
• Dangerous Substances Act, 1972 as amended
• Dangerous Substances [Retail and Private Petroleum Stores] Regulations, S.I. 311 of 1979, as amended.

Full texts can be found on www.irishstatutebook.ie

How do I know that the fuel dispensers in my forecourt are of good design and manufactured to the relevant standard?
Refer to NSAI for details of standards that apply .

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Do the ATEX regulations apply to petrol stations?
Yes. Refer to answer given in the ATEX FAQs.

Who is responsible for petrol station licensing?
It is the responsibility of the licensee (the person operating / managing a petrol station) to hold a licence to store petrol. The licence is issued by the local licensing authority - Local Authority (usually by the Chief Fire Officer in the local authority in which the petrol store is located) and is typically renewed every three years.

In the first instance the licensee should contact the local authority fire department and request application details for a licence to store petrol. The legislation governing petrol storage is the Dangerous Substances [Retail and Private Petroleum Stores] Regulations, S.I. 311 of 1979, as amended. Full text can be found on www.irishstatutebook.ie.

What should I do if I wish to decommission petrol storage tanks?
The first step is to notify your local fire department of your intention to decommission petrol storage tanks. The fire department should be able to advise on appropriate means of decommissioning. In the short term tanks can be filled with water, but this is not an acceptable long term solution and generates significant quantities of contaminated waste water which must eventually be disposed of appropriately.

Permanent solutions involve; excavation of tanks after product removal and degassing, leaving the tanks in place and filling with chemical foam or filling with a weak sand cement (foamed) slurry. These processed require specialist contractors and must be properly risk assessed prior to any work. Full details can be obtained from your local authority fire department or the HSA.