Posted By Xiao Bao Is it ok to store diesel in an indoor factory environment?

Posted By MP Grayson Descarte. Xiao is in Hong Kong. So DSEAR etc will not apply. Xiao. Descarte has given you some very good pointers which, although referring to UK legislation will steer you in the right direction and give food for thought. Sadly, like many of your questions posted on this site, I cannot give a definite yes or no answer. Firstly because I don’t know anything about H/S legislation in China/HK and secondly: I regularly undertake fire risk assessments and I have given the thumbs up to heavy oil storage inside on one occasion. BUT. That was only after I had visited the site and looked at other issues such as other substances in use/storage (i.e. flammables, oxidisers and those that could result in exothermic reactions). And the location/proximity of fire exits, flammable materials and smoke extraction systems etc to name but a few. There are just too many variables to be considered. So the best I can say is: maybe, maybe not? Crack on.

Posted By MP Grayson Yes you are missing something. In fact quite a few things. 1. How do you know what he has in his workplace, where it is, how it is stored and all the other factors which should be considered for his fire risk assessment. 2. Whats the law in Hong Kong with regards to Environmental and Health and Safety legislation? There is no way that anyone sat on the other side of the World can SIMPLY say YES. Crack on.

Posted By SteveD-M DSEAR/ATEX does not apply to Diesel fuel or the vessel in which it is contained unless it is heated to a point beyond its flash point (about 60 Deg C), then it is covered by DSEAR. Hot-work should not be undertaken on a tank or container which contains diesel until the tank or container has been completely emptied and gas-free as otherwise there is a serious risk of a fire or explosion. Some information that may be useful not exactly on subject as this may be relevant to GRP tanks regardless of which country. http://www.hsl.gov.uk/ca...ties/bulk_containers.htm

Posted By Guderian2 Colin Disel may be a problem if you are transporting by road, but within the terms of the UK DSEAR (I know the original poster is oversea), diesel is not a major fire safety issue - but sure you can't ignore it either. 5mins of research on the HSE website came up with the following. The quote below is from the 3rd web link on the list http://www.hse.gov.uk/cdg/pdf/diesel.pdf http://www.hse.gov.uk/of...infosheets/is10-2008.pdf http://www.hse.gov.uk/fi...osion/petroleum/faqs.htm 1.0 How should I store diesel and what quantity am I allowed? There are no specific legal requirements on how to store diesel or the quantity allowed either in workplaces or domestic premises. It is not, from a health and safety point of view, a particularly hazardous substance within the meaning of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 - its vapour flash point is too high. This means that its vapour will not ignite at normal room temperatures. That said, there are some general issues you'll need to take into account: • no 'hotwork' should be performed on the vessel unless it is emptied and purged of any remaining vapour. • the drum should be positioned away from any source of direct heat. • the drum should be located in an area where there is no risk of collision with vehicles, fork-lift trucks etc. (diesel splashing onto a hot engine will probably ignite). • leaks and spills should be contained to the vicinity of the drum and mopped up quickly, to lessen the risk of slipping. • refilling and dispensing activities need to take account of manual handling issues etc. While diesel is not a particularly dangerous substance from a health and safety point of view, it is an environmental hazard, with considerable clean-up costs if it should leak into a drain, watercourse or the soil. You may, therefore, wish to contact the Environment Agency for further information . My previous advice and opinion stands.

Posted By Guderian2 http://www.scf.co.uk/downloads/ULSD.PDF Link to MSDS produced by TOTAL Section 15 Risk Phrase R10 'Flammable' is NOT listed. As previous, aware the original poster is in China etc - however if he asks questions on a UK safety forum, he will get advice relevant to UK law/practice. Its up to him if he decides to accept the advice.

Posted By Guderian2 Colin As the original question was about storage in a building, while your advice is correct about transport of diesel - it is not relevant to the question. RTFQ as I was always taught - Read the Flipping Question

Posted By MP Grayson Xiao. A few thoughts for you. You do need to look at the bigger picture. Regardless of what some may say I recommend that if you can get hold of any information such as DSEAR then read it. It is full of good info. People here in the UK do not know what other substances etc are in your workplace, only you will know that, so off the cuff remarks about it being OK are inappropriate. This is not the site to discuss the following issue further but, Diesel when mixed with certain other specific substances becomes an explosive material and that would cause you problems. Possibly with the HK Police. So if you do store heavy oil inside, make sure it is isolated and away from contaminants. Don't store it near fire exits etc. It may not be readily flammable but it will under certain conditions support combustion. No matter what anyone else says, locating Diesel near a fire exit is just not done. End of story. Look at what else is stored in your workplace. Cardboard etc will burn extra nicely if soaked accidentally in oil. Plastic (made from oil) when burning with oil will give off extra toxic fumes. To keep the area clear. As already stated look at what hot work you undertake. Diesel does have a high flash point. But, given the wrong conditions, especially if heated and sprayed it will burn and support combustion. I have been involved in two Diesel fires in the past (Guderian. One for you here, one fire was in a MK11 rig, it went up like a Roman candle). Xiao, having said that, I suspect that you, like me will find yourself in the situation where the higher risk is actually from the machinery/vehicle using the fuel. And not the method of storing the fuel. Any spilt oil is a slip hazard. So think about who and how people will refuel the vehicles. How will you prevent people/vehicles slipping on any spilt fuel. Think about what Diesel does to your skin. We have COSHH here, what’s the HK equal to COSHH? Look at the environmental issues regarding spills. Diesel is not good for the Environment. It floats on the surface and spreads very rapidly. It has a long term detrimental effect on the food chain. Look at the UK Environment Agency web site. There is good info there on how to avert an environmental incident and how to deal with one. Read a guidance sheet called PPG 21. Clean up cost will be expensive, so prevention is always better than a cure. You need to consider the quantity that you store. UK environmental legislation kicks in after a certain quantity is held on site. You need to research HK Legislation and consider the quantities in question. What about bunding? You need to contain any spills. Under UK legislation the bund (which must be constructed to specific standards) must be able to contain 110% of the quantity in the storage tank. Anyway, as stated earlier not a straight forward answer. You must look into HK rules and regulations. Good luck mate and keep smiling. Guderian. I cannot believe that you worked for that bunch of red muppets. As an ex-CFS person who had to work extra hours to support your prima-donnas (especially in Winter) that’s you right down in my opinion. ;-). Welcome back me old fruit, chin up and get the banter going. Crack on.

Posted By Guderian2 MP Grayson Might be prima donnas - but some very good beer calls and parties etc...... Even worse when I tell you I was a 'split brain'and not a 'chock/DE' Ex Apps get every where