Rank: Forum user 
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We have a bunded oil tank that supplies kerosene to an office boiler. As you would expect, the tank is outside the office block Is there any guidance as to the minimum distance that a smoking shelter can be positioned away from it.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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What is the capacity of the tank? Assume the oil is stored and fed at ambient pressure?
In theory you should have a hazardous area drawing, required under the DSEAR regs.
Your smoking point should be outside of the identified hazardous area i.e. outside of where a flammable atmosphere might be present.
What is the ventilatiuon like? Outdoors with good ventilation or is the tank indoors??
If the oil is fuel oil/diesel - the hazardous area will probably be 2- 3m fom filling point, vents etc
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Rank: Forum user
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Thanks Ian
Its only a 2000 litre tank so quite small (ie not industrial scale). The tank is outside. Having just measured the area, the pathway along which people may smoke is 3.5m away. I have seen some information from OFTEC the liquid fuel systems trade body. On their site they cite: "To protect tanks from an ignition source, tanks should be sited: - 1.8m away from non-fire rated eaves of a building
- 1.8m away from a non-fire rated building or structure (e.g. garden sheds)
- 1.8m away from openings (such as doors or windows) in a fire rated building or structure (e.g. brick-built house/garage)
- 1.8m away from liquid fuel appliance flue terminals
- 760mm away from a non-fire rated boundary, such as a wooden boundary fence
- 600mm away from screening (e.g. trellis and foliage) that does not form part of the boundary"
This being the case, and some of the info you have, 3.5m appears appropriate
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Rank: Super forum user
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What would expect the smokers to do when the tanker turns up to refill it?
it might be ok just sitting there but during filling operations there might be a spill and this has to be taken into account during the DSEAR risk assessment.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Originally Posted by: Davidfilce 
Having just measured the area, the pathway along which people may smoke is 3.5m away.
So a distance that smokers could easily flick a butt!
You know they will, people are dumb.
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 1 user thanked chris42 for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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As this is heating oil/diesel oil - a cig butt won't cause ignition. Drips of such oil, will be below flash point, with no/very little vapour. Diesel only comes within DSEAR / considered flammable because of a change in classification criteria in 2015.
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1 user thanked Ian Bell2 for this useful post.
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