PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
IC.O. 885
23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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the risk of damage to surrounding property by escaping oil, and also as a general safe- guard against war risks or injury by malicious persons. Each tank should be fitted with an efficient lightning conductor. The site should be kept as clear as possible from any rubbish or inflammable matter, and in some cases it may be desirable to provide that the ground surrounding tanks should be kept free from vegetation. Provision should be made for pumping out any rain or other water that may accumulate in the "saucer.' In special circumstances, where local conditions are favourable, drain pipes may be allowed. These pipes should be controlled by valves, which should be kept closed and only opened when it is necessary to run off an accumulation of water. It is highly desirable that the site selected should permit of the pipe line being led to a berth with 30 feet to 31 feet of water in order to accommodate the large tank vessels which are now being built in increasing numbers. Drainage cocks should be capable of being locked or otherwise protected against unauthorised opening. Valves should be kept closed, with the exception of one or more which must necessarily be kept open at all times to admit of the expansion of oil in the pipe system.
III. Control of Oil Ships.-Notice of the arrival of a ship having on board oil fuel for delivery should be given to the proper authority. The notice should state the quantity and description of the oil fuel, and should be accompanied by a certificate as to the flash point. The proper authority should have power to take samples for testing, if thought necessary. If the ship is fitted with electric light no other light should be used on board; if not so fitted the permission of the proper authority should be obtained before any other form of light is used. The precautions against fire enforced on land should also be enforced on the ship while in harbour, so far as possible; and it may be well to provide that an officer of the ship or other responsible person shall be in charge of the ship during the whole period of her stay. Neither oil fuel nor the water used in cleaning The any tank which has contained oil fuel should be allowed to run into any dock. permission of the proper authority should be required before repairs are undertaken on board a ship while in harbour.
IV. Conditions of Working.-Smoking and the use of naked lights should be forbidden within the limits of the depôt. No artificial light other than electric light, where this is available, should be allowed without special permission, and then only in case of necessity. The use of fires for heating or soldering, &c., should be restricted to what is strictly necessary.
These restrictions should apply to ships discharging or receiving oil as well as to the land site. An adequate supply of sand or dry earth should be kept on the spot for the extinction of fire. Receipt and discharge of oil fuel by ships should be by means of pipes only.
The rate of supply by pipe line will depend on local requirements. If the Govern- ment is in a position to prescribe a standard of efficiency it is desirable that the minimum rate of delivery should not be fixed lower than 100 tons an hour.
The Government should, if possible, stipulate that preference should be given to His Majesty's ships and to mail steamers. Apart from these two exceptions, it will be in the interests of the port that there should be a provision against giving preference to particular ships or lines.
The rules for safe working should prescribe the precautions to be taken in cleaning out tanks on shore or on a ship in harbour. No one should be allowed to enter the tanks without the express authority of a responsible person. Before
ie allowed to enter
anyone
a tank, it should be thoroughly ventilated and found, after test by a competent expert, to be free from all traces of vapour. Tanks should not be entered until they have been emptied of as much oil as possible by means of the pumps fitted. The residue can be removed, if necessary, by hand pumps or buckets. any oil or oil vapour remains
in the tank, men in it should wear a man rope.
When repairs necessitating the use of hot rivets are to be carried out, tanks should be well steamed out after emptying them. After they have been steamed out the above precautions should be taken before any person is allowed to enter them. Tanks need not be steamed out when only inspection or cleaning is required.
No naked lights must be allowed in tanks. Only portable safety lamps (oil or electric) should be used of a kind approved by the Home Office from time to time under the Coal Mines Regulation Acts and the Regulations made thereunder for use in coal mines.* Electric lamps with wandering leads should be strictly prohibited in the tanks.
Model instructions on the use of the safety lamp are attached.
Colonial Office,
July, 1915.
*Note: A list of approved lamps can be obtained from the Home Office.
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INSTRUCTIONS ON THE USE OF THE SAFETY LAMP.
1. Persons using safety lamps should be carefully instructed as to the uses of these lamps for ascertaining the condition of the air in any confined space, bunker, or tank in respect to the presence of dangerous gases.
2. It should be understood that such gases may be inflammable or explosive, or they may be dangerous to breathe without being inflammable or explosive.
3. The non-explosive gas is usually heavier than air, and remains in the lower part of the space, whether closed at the top or not.
4. The inflammable or explosive gas is usually lighter than air, and collects in the upper part of a closed space, but inflammable gas may be slightly heavier than air and may remain in the lower part of the space. Consequently, extraordinary precautions should be taken to examine and test for inflammable gas.
5. To test for small quantities of inflammable gas with a miner's safety lamp the flame must be carefully turned down until all the white light has disappeared and only a small blue flame is left. The presence of inflammable gas in the air is indicated by a pale triangular flame or "cap," which appears over the top of the blue flame, varying in size and intensity according to the amount of inflammable gas present. The lamp should be held close to the observer's eye in making this examination.
6. If a "cap," however faint, is visible on the lowered flame, men should not be allowed to work until the space has been ventilated so as to remove all trace of inflammable gas.
7. . If the flame of a safety lamp be extinguished either by explosive or non-explosive gas, or burns dimly, no person should be allowed to work until the space has been thoroughly ventilated and the gas removed.
8. Before men enter any compartment, bunker, tank or boiler which is not already known to be free from dangerous gases, a preliminary test must be made with a locked safety lamp. The lamp must be tried us for inside the opening of the confined space as the lamp can be held without losing sight of the flame, and it must be lowered by a line, if necessary, to reach the bottom of the space.
9. As soon as the lamp will burn steadily in these positions the compartment may be entered, but only for the purpose of making a further examination to test thoroughly the presence of inflammable gas (see Regulation 5). The flame of the safety lamp must then be lowered for testing purposes, and a careful and detailed examination made of both the upper and lower bays of each compartment. Should any indication of the presence of dangerous gas be observed the space is to be quitted immediately, and to be further ventilated until no indication of dangerous gas can be detected. The person making the test should keep in communication with those outside the compartiment.
10. To prevent unauthorised interference with the safety lamps the person in charge
is to make arrangements for trimming the lamps before they are issued, and for the keys to be retained by some responsible person.
Note. The foregoing instructions as to the use of safety lamps and naked lights in bunkers and other confined spaces (which are issued in poster size) are to be hung in a conspicuous place.