Managing fire risk at petrol filling stations

Managing fire risk at petrol station forecourts is crucial for ensuring the protection and safety of all who use the sites. 

Here, we highlight the very real risks of the premises and the fire safety regulations that help mitigate them, as well outline duties of the responsible person to remain compliant with fire safety law.  

What are the fire safety regulations for petrol forecourts?

Implemented in December 2002, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) is a set of regulations written to help control the risk of fire and explosion in the workplace. DSEAR applies at all workplaces where a dangerous substance is, or could be, present and there is a consequent risk to employees or others. Therefore, it applies at any workplace where petroleum spirit is kept, and on any premises where petrol is dispensed from a storage tank into the fuel tank of a vehicle.The aims of DSEAR are as follows:

1. Reduce quantities of hazardous substances to a minimum. Applying this to a petrol filling station – where the purpose is to keep these substances for sale – is challenging. 
2. Avoid or minimise substance release through leak prevention, leak detection and control of spillage. 
3. Control releases at source. 
4. Prevent the formation of explosive atmospheres. 
5. Contain or remove any releases to a safe place (for example, using ventilation or a forecourt separator). 
6. Avoid ignition sources. 
7. Avoid adverse conditions. 
8. Keep incompatible substances apart. 

Filling stations are required to conduct DSEAR risk assessments and, under the Petroleum Consolidation Act, must be licensed by the relevant Petrol Licensing Authority. In accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO), the premises should be equipped with the appropriate means for fighting fire. Furthermore, measures must be taken to ensure equipment is maintained and protected so it remains in working order and in good repair. 

Who is responsible?

The person responsible for fire safety on a petrol forecourt is the employer, which may be deemed to be the site operator and the person/company responsible for the equipment or the fuel on site, if they differ. When there is a contractor working on site, either their employer – or themselves if self-employed – and the employers responsible for the petrol filling station, have responsibilities under DSEAR. 

What do the responsibilities include?

Firstly, the employer is required to carry out a risk assessment of the premises and any activity involving a dangerous substance, and must identify hazard zones on site where an explosive atmosphere may occur during certain activities. The employer must then provide measures to eliminate or reduce risks, which could be by means of procedures to be followed along with installation and maintenance of suitable equipment. Finally, the employer must provide suitable equipment and procedures to deal with any incidents that may occur on the forecourt due to fire or explosion associated with fuel. 

The fire risk assessment

As in any other ‘business’ setting, every petrol station must be able to produce a detailed and up-to-date fire risk assessment. This is a five-step process:

• Identify fire hazards. Fuel and sources of ignition are the main hazards at a petrol filling station, along with activities typically involving fuel deliveries, dispensing, repair, modification and maintenance. To help mitigate these risks, the forecourt should be zoned into hazardous areas.

• Identify anyone at risk. This would include members of the public who may be affected by an accident, including both service users and those in neighbouring buildings.

• Evaluate, reduce, remove and protect from risk. Assess the risk and decide upon any control measures that would reduce it to an acceptable level.

• Record, plan, inform, instruct and train. If there are five or more employees, including the site operator or contractors, the findings of the risk assessment must be recorded in writing. The document should contain the measures put into place to eliminate or reduce the risk of fire and explosion, along with information to show that the workplace and equipment will be safe during operation and maintenance. The fire risk assessment results must also outline arrangements in place to deal with incidents and demonstrate the measures taken to train and inform all employees in fire and explosion related safety matters.

1. Regularly review the fire risk assessment. It is important that if any changes are proposed, the risk assessment be recognised to assess whether or not there is any change to the level of risk arising from the changes. The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly and as required.

Fire and explosion risks on petrol forecourts

Service stations carry a much higher risk of fire or explosion than other types of retail outlets. This is because, even at very low temperatures, petrol emits highly flammable vapours that can ignite if they come into contact with a heat source. An electrical switch, a cigarette or a static electrical discharge are all potential sources of ignition sparks.

Hazardous area zoning

Service stations must be zoned on the basis of the probability of an explosive vapour mixture forming. The aim is to prevent mixtures of this nature from coming into being. Hazardous areas are classified into three categories:

Zone 0: A flammable atmosphere is continually present or present for long periods.

Zone 1: A flammable atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation.

Zone 2: A flammable atmosphere is not likely to occur in normal operation and, if it occurs, will exist for a short period.

A person deemed competent should carry out the zoning, clearly marking out the zones on drawings of the service station. The zones are in three dimensions so the drawings will need to indicate plans and elevations, to show their full extent. These zoning diagrams should be contained in a document called an Explosion Protection Document (EPD), and be made available at any time at the station.

Installing fire protection measures

Once the presence of risk has been concluded (and removed as far as is possible), it’s crucial that steps are taken to reduce any remaining risk and precautions are put in place. Alongside adequate means of contacting the fire brigade where necessary, there should be suitable equipment for dealing with minor incidents. This includes a supply of dry sand and fire extinguishers readily available, in addition to conspicuous signage – ‘’Petrol’ or ‘Petroleum Spirit’, ‘Highly Flammable’, ‘No Smoking’, and ‘Switch Off Engine’ – positioned close to pumps and dispensers to alert customers to the hazards.

Owing to the abundance of flammable liquids and gases present at petrol station forecourts, there are several classes of fire risks that may occur. Therefore, in this environment, the most suitable type of fire extinguisher is an ‘ABC’ dry powder fire extinguisher. A versatile option, this type of fire extinguisher is suitable on Class A (flammable solids), B (flammable liquids) and C (flammable gases) fires, as well as on electrical fires involving electrical equipment under 1000v.  At petrol filling stations, fire extinguishers are usually mounted on a fire extinguisher trolley (for easy access and mobility) next to the petrol pumps alongside a fire bucket containing sand, which can be used for covering any fuel spillages on the floor.

Visit our resource centre to benefit from more comprehensive guides, expert advice and detailed information on sector-specific fire safety. For regular updates regarding fire safety, sign up to our newsletter and receive industry-leading resources.