Guide Service Station Op PDF
Guide Service Station Op PDF
PN11388 Version 2 Last updated June 2016 - A guide for service station operators under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 Page 2 of 18
Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 4
2. Information at the site boundary ...................................................................................................... 6
3. Maintaining the service station forecourt......................................................................................... 7
Controlling fire or explosion during tanker filling operations (s.355) ............................................. 9
Abandoned underground tanks (s.366 and s.367) ............................................................................ 9
Abandoned aboveground tanks (s.365) .......................................................................................... 10
Dispensers (s.363) .......................................................................................................................... 10
Placards (s.350) and safety signs (s.353) ....................................................................................... 11
Spill containment and cleanup provisions (s.357) ......................................................................... 12
Portable LPG cylinder exchange facilities ..................................................................................... 13
Controlling potential ignition sources (s.355)................................................................................ 14
Firefighting equipment (s.359) ...................................................................................................... 14
General Housekeeping (s.53) ......................................................................................................... 14
4. Inside the shop ............................................................................................................................... 16
What should service station staff know?........................................................................................ 17
Information the PCBU should keep on site or have available for an inspector ............................. 18
5. Further information ........................................................................................................................ 18
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1. Introduction
The Queensland Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (the Act) regulates the safe management of
hazardous chemicals including flammable and combustible substances at Queensland workplaces.
A person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) which uses, handles, stores or generates
hazardous chemicals must comply with specific sections in chapter 3 and chapter 7.1 of the Work
Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (the Regulation).
Fuels found at service stations include commercial grades of petrol (e.g. unleaded, premium
unleaded, ethanol blends), diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). These fuels are classified as
hazardous chemicals under the Regulation. Service station owners and operators have duties as a
PCBU under the Act and Regulation in regards to the safe management of hazardous chemicals.
The service station industry adopts a range of business arrangements where different parties (i.e.
duty holders) may be responsible for different parts of the business.
Responsibilities range from:
the supply of liquid and gaseous fuel products
fuel storage and dispensing systems (infrastructure and its maintenance and repair)
the retail store
the land ownership.
Service station owners and operators must note that under s.14 and s.15 of the Act, a duty cannot be
transferred to another person, and that a person can have more than one duty (e.g. duty holder could
be a PCBU and a supplier). Guidance provided here may be relevant to multiple duty-holders
involved in a service station operation.
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While compliance with these standards is not mandated by the legislation, they are valuable in
providing good industry practice and known ways1 to control the associated risks.
This guide is based on a combination of specific WHS Regulation requirements and relevant
sections from Australian Standards where practical guidance is available.
A service station will typically store in excess of the prescribed manifest quantity of 2500 litres for
flammable liquids (e.g. petrol), as well as quantities of combustible liquids (e.g. diesel) and LP Gas
for retail sale and refuelling of vehicles. Hence, a service station is referred to as a Manifest
Quantity Workplace (MQW), requiring the workplace to:
have a site manifest (includes a site plan)
notify2 WHSQ of their location and quantities of hazardous chemicals
provide to the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES)3, a copy of the workplace’s
emergency plan which addresses relevant chemical emergencies such as a large fuel spill, gas
leak or fire.
1
Refer to Safe Work Australia’s Interpretive Guideline for the meaning of ‘reasonably practicable’ under the Model
Work Health and Safety Act available at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
2
Under WHS Regulation s.348, a manifest quantity workplace must notify WHSQ of the types and quantities of
hazardous chemicals and provide a copy of a Schedule 12 compliant manifest. This can be done using Form 73
available at www.worksafe.qld.gov.au
3
Under WHS Regulation s.361, a copy of the emergency plan must be provided to QFES for review. This can be done
by emailing the plan to [email protected]
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2. Information at the site boundary
A service station (which is an MQW) must have the following located at the main entrance (most
used) to the site:
Manifest in a weatherproof container (s4.347)
The manifest and site plan must be kept in a place that
is in agreement with QFES. QFES recommend that the
manifest and site plan be kept in a red waterproof
container kept as close as possible to the main
entrance. While it is not mandatory to include the word
HAZMAT, it is recommended as a useful inclusion.
Refer to QFES guidance on what to do about storing
the manifest.
Information to be contained in the site manifest is listed in schedule 12 of the WHS Regulation. Such
information is mandated to assist QFES manage an incident at the workplace.
The manifest must have the following: A site plan that must include:
name and address of workplace main entry and other entry and exit points to
date manifest prepared the site
24/7 contact numbers of two persons location and identification of tanks and
for tanks – tank ID, Type: U/G or A/G and package stores
capacity (L) location of manifest, site drains, fuel and
proper shipping name, UN Number, DG Class power isolation points
and Packing Group for dangerous goods essential fire services and gas supply
for diesel the words ‘Combustible Liquid’ nature of the occupancies of the adjacent
for package storage areas – ID Code and largest sites
quantity of each Class of DG likely to be stored legend of symbols and codes used in the plan
in the area identification of true north.
site plan
For non-retail sites, that is, fuel not-for-retail-sale such as a works depot or fuel distributor facility,
the HAZCHEM outer warning placard is required at the entrance of the site if placard quantity is
exceeded.
4
(s) Refers to the section in the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. For example s.347 refers to section 347 in
the Regulation.
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3. Maintaining the service station forecourt
Impact protection (s.358)
Bollards, high curbing or other barriers with
sufficient clearance to that being protected such
as dispensers and vent pipes is required to
protect them from impact damage.
Underground tanks must have colour-coded fill and dip point markers according to the AS4977:
Fill / dip containment or spill containment boxes must be free of fuel. Any tank overfill should be
cleaned up or drained into an underground tank. If fuel is present, it presents a fire risk and would
indicate unacceptable tank filling procedures. If there is any water present, the seals could be faulty
and may need replacing.
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Vent pipes (AS 1940)
Vent pipes should be located away from trafficable areas to avoid impacts. Wherever there is a risk
of impact and damage they should be protected with suitable bollards or barriers. Curbing can
provide protection from impact from slow moving vehicles provided vent pipes are set back and not
in the direct line of traffic flow.
Vent pipes positioned against a wall should be secured to the wall and protected against damage
when directly adjacent to a vehicle parking space or vehicle manoeuvring area.
Vents should be fitted with ‘up-flow’ type vent caps which prevent the ingress of rainwater as
shown above.
Vent termination point must be located at least 4 m above the ground and at least 4 m laterally for
flammable liquids and 2 m laterally for combustible liquids from any building opening. This may
include a window, door, air-conditioner or mechanical vent intake to reduce possibility of the entry
of vapour.
Cathodic protection
At some service stations, cathodic protection may have been installed on underground storage tanks
(UST) and piping (e.g. steel construction) to help protect against corrosion and maintain system
integrity. According to AS1940, any buried tank must be provided with corrosion protection. This
can be in the form of non-corrosive materials such as fibreglass or fibreglass coatings. For steel
tanks, corrosion protection can be provided with protective coatings and wrappings or cathodic
protection (CP) according to AS 2832.1 or AS 2832.2 for pipework and buried structures
respectively. In some sites with bad corrosion history, both coatings and cathodic protection are
used in conjunction to protect steel tanks and pipes.
There are two types of cathodic protection systems for UST facilities:
sacrificial (galvanic) anodes
impressed current systems.
Both types do exactly the same thing—deliver current to the steel tanks and piping that are in
contact with the soil and/or water. In both cases it is necessary to conduct periodic inspections of
the cathodic protection systems. Current must be provided continually to the tank system. Should
the CP system be interrupted, the tanks will continue to corrode.
If a cathodic protection system has been installed, then it must be maintained in accordance with AS
2832 Cathodic Protection of Metals Part 1 - Pipes and Cables and Part 2 - Compact Buried
Structures. The standard requires surveys to be carried out every 12 months for underground petrol
or diesel tanks and every six months for buried LPG tanks. Survey reports should be available as
well as design documentation for the cathodic protection system. It is also recommended that
regular monitoring (at least every two months) of voltage and current should be maintained on
impressed current systems.
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The PCBU should be able to provide documentary records that the appropriate levels of monitoring,
inspection and testing is being done on the CP system, the minimum requirement being the AS
2832 test criteria.
These systems are regulated by Part 13 of the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013, where all cathodic
protection systems capable of delivering a current greater of 0.25A must be registered. This would
apply to all induced current cathodic protection systems and where there are a number of tanks
connected together to sacrificial anodes.
These systems must be periodically tested and test results kept. Further information on cathodic
protection requirements under the Electrical Safety Regulation 2013 is available at
worksafe.qld.gov.au/electricalsafety or contact the Electrical Safety Office via 1300 362 128.
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Wherever possible the underground tank should
be removed from site.
However, if decommissioning in-situ is
undertaken (i.e. removal of residual liquid and
vapours and filling with inert material) the vent
pipe and other associated fittings must be
removed.
Dispensers (s.363)
Hosepipes
lying on the
ground can be
easily
damaged by
vehicles.
A better option
Evidence of to reduce wear
leak shown at for longer
hose hose lengths.
connection.
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Placards (s.350) and safety signs (s.353)
Warning placards (s.350)
Any aboveground LP gas tank (container with a water
capacity greater than 500 litres) requires an information
Liquefied Petroleum Gas placard as shown.
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Spill containment and cleanup provisions (s.357)
Single-walled aboveground tanks (excluding LP gas) must have a spill containment system which
may include bunding, graded or sloping surfaces and sumps, drainage to a holding pit, tank or
interceptor or a combination of these. The Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace
Code of Practice 2013 states that bunding should be designed and constructed in accordance with AS
1940: The storage and handling of flammable and combustible liquids, which covers bunds and
compounds for tanks.
The service station should have documented procedures on how to contain any spill or leak and
have appropriate equipment to prevent it leaving the site. The required emergency response
resources should be specified and readily available in the event of an incident. Resources and
equipment may include spill absorption material, cleanup equipment, drain plugs or covers and
labelled waste containers as illustrated below.
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Portable LPG cylinder exchange facilities
AS1596: The storage and handling of LP Gas provides GAS CYLINDER
requirements and recommendations for the location of cages in EXCHANGE
which portable exchange LP gas cylinders are kept. Refer to
section 4.6 and Appendix G.
For a single cage of 22 L (9 kg size) cylinders, the cage should:
be sturdy and stable, and shall allow free air movement
through it
be located away from, or be protected from, significant trafficable areas
be kept locked when located in public areas
have a maximum aggregate capacity of cylinders of 2500 L.
Cages shall be located outdoors clear on at least two sides from any wall, solid display or other item
that could restrict air flow with minimum clearances as depicted below.
ignition source
(vertically)
> 0.5 m
fuel >1.5 m
dispensers ignition source
>1.5 m (horizontally)
>1.5 m
>5m
>3m
pit or drains
other dangerous
goods tanks LPG tank
Every cylinder cage shall be provided with signs and notices that are clearly visible and readily
distinguishable from any advertising signs attached to the cage. The red class label or ‘diamond’ for
flammable gas (Division 2.1) and a warning notice should be prominently displayed on the front of
the cage, reading
Gas cages should be located in areas away from traffic movements to minimise risks of impact and
damage. If location options are restricted or concerns about impact exist, consider the use of impact
protection devices such as bollards and physical barriers.
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Controlling potential ignition sources (s.355)
Check for potential ignition sources encroaching into the hazardous area associated with the fuel
systems. Ensure a minimum distance of 4 m is maintained around fuel dispensers for excluding
potential ignition sources.
Ignition sources
(e.g. freezers and vending machines)
Check that fill and dip points are at least 3 m away from ignition sources. Ensure that the area
below vent termination points are also clear from ignition sources, where a minimum of 1.5 m
radius around a vent pipe is recommended (Australian Standard for Hazardous Areas
AS60079.10.1).
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Extinguisher maintenance (s.359)
Ensure extinguishers are fit for purpose and maintained. Dated records of maintenance are required
by the WHS Regulation (s.359) for fire fighting equipment.
Check the
needle of the
gauge is in
the green
region
Check stamp on yellow maintenance tag indicating dates of servicing, typically required every six
months for portable fire extinguishers.
AS1851 Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment provides information on routine
maintenance of fire equipment such as fire extinguishers, hose reels and hydrants. Section 1.16
provides information on routine service records including logbooks, and in the case of tags and
labels, hardcopy summary records.
Routine service records for fire hose reels and portable fire extinguishers consist of tags or labels
along with a supporting hardcopy summary record which includes a register of the equipment on
the premises, a statement of the service performed and details of missing or defective items. Other
recorded information should include items such as date of service, name and signature of service
person and date, name of service provider or company. For fire extinguishers, the date of
manufacture or the date of the last pressure test should be provided. For fire hose reels, details of
the flow test results for the most hydraulically disadvantaged hose reel should be included.
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4. Inside the shop
The quantity of hazardous chemicals stored in the shop area should not exceed ‘minor storage’
quantities (Table 2.1 AS 1940 ) and must be stored away from food items.
Minor storage quantities within a service station building should not exceed:
500 litres of Class 3 packing group I and II, e.g. petrol (all packages must be under 20 litres
capacity and not opened)
1250 litres of Class 3 packing group III, e.g. kerosene
3000 litres of C1 and C2, e.g. diesel and motor oil.
Any portable container used to decant flammable liquid must have a maximum capacity of 25 litres
and comply with AS2906 – Fuel containers – portable: plastic and metal.
Every dispenser should be clearly visible from the console/counter or on video to the control
console operator and have direct access to emergency isolation/shutdown controls.
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What should service station staff know?
Service station staff should know the procedures to deal with a
forecourt leak or spill, as well as:
emergency procedures and evacuation points
tank dipping procedure
tanker discharge procedures for the site
where the written procedures such as the site emergency plan is
kept
under what circumstances a console operator should not allow
fuel to be dispensed, such as when:
- a vehicle engine is running (s.355)
- a person is smoking in the forecourt (s.355)
- a person under 16 years is attempting to operate a dispenser (s.336)
- a person is attempting to fill a food container with fuel
- a person is attempting to fill fuel into a non compliant container (s.337, s.363)
- a fuel delivery nozzle is wedged open by customer with a fuel cap or similar device
(s.363)
- a person is filling a container with flammable liquid inside a vehicle, in the boot or if on the
back of a ute (s.363).
The console operator must have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and authority to
manage safety in a public place.
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Information the PCBU should keep on site or have available
for an inspector
The following items should be available on site:
A receipt to confirm notification of a manifest quantity workplace (MQW) has been made as
required by s.348. When a notification has been lodged complete with a copy of the Schedule 12
compliant manifest and site plan, a receipt letter should be available from the Hazardous
Industries and Chemicals Branch (HICB) within WHSQ. Notification history can be checked
directly with HICB via [email protected] or by contacting 3874 7579.
A register of all hazardous chemicals (s.346).
Safety data sheets (SDS) for the hazardous chemicals at the workplace (s.346).
Site operating procedures (s.39).
Product tank filling and dipping procedures (s.39).
Equipment inspection and maintenance procedures (s.39).
A documented emergency plan to deal with the range of emergency situations that may arise at
the workplace such as liquid and gaseous fuel leaks and spills, and fires (s.43). It is a
requirement to submit a copy of the site emergency plan document in PDF format to QFRS
(s.361). Refer to www.fire.qld.gov.au/planning for further information.
Reconciled inventory records of fuel received and dispensed (s.39).
Other relevant documents which demonstrate the safety systems at the workplace including:
- the roles and responsibilities of staff
- staff training and retraining records
- equipment inspection and maintenance records
- fire fighting equipment inspection records
- fuel system equipment testing records
- work permit system
- incident reporting
- investigation procedures and records
- a system to review and update documents.
5. Further information
Australian Standards
Contact Standards Australia on 1300 654 646 or visit www.standards.org.au to purchase AS1940 or
other Australian Standard.
Consultants and industry associations
For consultants specialising in fuel systems, refer to the Equipment and Services Council within the
Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACAPMA) at
www.acapma.com.au or contact 1300 160 270. This organisation incorporates the former Australian
Petroleum Industry Contractors and Suppliers Association (APICSA).
WHSQ maintains a list of consultants specialising in dangerous goods, under ‘consultants, trainers
and equipment suppliers’ at www.worksafe.qld.gov.au .
Another organisation that can assist with consulting services is the Australasian Institute of
Dangerous Goods Consultants which again provides a contact list at www.aidgc.org.au.
Manufacturers, suppliers and local distributors may be able to provide technical assistance
regarding their products, including the provision of safety data sheets.
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