Health & Safety For Your Business
At Certas Energy, we are committed to preventing injuries and ill health for our commercial customers, our colleagues and anyone else who may be affected by our activities. We comply fully with all applicable legislation and industry codes of practice as a minimum standard, striving to achieve industry best practice and continual improvement in our Health and Safety performance.
Ensuring Tank Safety
In order to make sure that your oil tank is safe and check current regulations please visit the government website: https://www.gov.uk/oil-storage-regulations-and-safety/business
Bunding
Your container must have a bund, which is an internal or external case that prevents leaks or spills. External bunds may be made from masonry or concrete and must be impermeable to both oil and water. They must also surround every part of the container including valves and gauges, and must not have any drainage points. Integrally Bunded tanks must meet the following standards:
• OFS T100 for plastic tanks
• OFS T200 for metal tanks
Labelling
Your container must be clearly and prominently labelled to state that it contains fuel oil, together with advice about what to do in the event of a spillage. It should also carry the Environment Agency Incident Hotline Number, which is 0800 80 70 60.
Container location
Your container must be located somewhere that minimises the risk of impact damage occurring. For example, it should not be situated close to driveways, tanker turning circles or designated fork lift truck routes.
Safety checks
• Every week, inspect your tank and pipework. Look out for any rust, damage, cracks (IN plastic tanks) and any signs of leaks.
• Never leave a tank sight gauge valve open. Sight gauge valves that do not close automatically should not be used. The valve should only be opened when tank oil level is being.
• Be alert to possible leaks by noting your oil use. A small leak, over time, can add up to a large loss of oil.
• If you notice a leak investigate it immediately and carry out any repairs.
Find out more about tank storage and safety at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/storing-oil-at-a-home-or-business
What to do in an emergency
In the first instance, and where it is safe, try to stop the oil flow. Proprietary leak putty can be used as temporary repair on a metal tank and a bar of soap rubbed across a split in plastic tank can provide a temporary seal.
You should then immediately
• Use sand/earth to contain the oil and prevent it from entering drains or watercourses. Please also note that you should never use detergents or a hosepipe to wash away spilt oil.
• Call the Environment Agency/SEPA 24-hour emergency pollution hotline on 0800 807060.
• Notify your Insurance Company as soon as possible.
You can also find out more about dealing with spills at: http://www.oilcare.org.uk and on the UK Spill Association website: http://ukspill.org
Find out more about oil storage regulations for your business on the government website: https://www.gov.uk/oil-storage-regulations-and-safety/business
