Risk Assessment is largely about evidence. Companies have increasing obligations to prove they manage risks and demonstrate compliance. Laid open for all to view – from the shareholders to the employees – professional risk management will lead to cost red
December 1st 2006

Ignoring diesel regulations is a slippery slope Diesel fuel is extremely environmentally hazardous with a typical 30 kVA generator with sufficient fuel for 12 hours operation will have approximately 200 litres of diesel fuel stored in the integral base tank or in some remote locations as much as 1000 or even 2500 litres in separate external bulk tanks.

Oil leaks can cause serious and long-term damage to wildlife and the environment, as well as disrupting businesses, damaging reputations and potentially contaminating the drinking water supply. In 2003, oil leaks were responsible for 18 percent of the most serious pollution incidents. For these reasons, the Environment Agency has consistently targeted reduction of oil pollution.

Bunds are now a legal requirement and the storage, containment and subsequent safe usage of oil is the subject of regulations from DEFRA which came into force September 2005.

The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001 relates to all existing bulk fuel storage installations of greater than 200 litres whatever the application.

All existing oil storage tanks must comply with these regulations.

The regulations make it a legal duty for users to install as an absolute minimum a 110% capacity drip tray or bund to contain fuel spillages or leaks.. Specialist companies, such as Merlin Power Management, have designed a range of steel bunds and fuel containment systems together with double skin fuel tanks,pipework and fittings that meet the regulations and can be retrofitted to existing generator fuel systems.

The penalty for not meeting these regulations is unlimited fines and it is a criminal (not civil) offence that can lead to prosecution resulting in potentially unlimited fines and closure of the site until remedial action is taken.

Prosecutions for oil have already seen substantial fines and clean up costs imposed on companies, typically under the Water Resources Act 1991. Such amounts can be substantial – last year one company faced a £1.2 million clean up bill, with another spending £100,000 each on two separate incidents – quite apart from the fines and legal costs.

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