Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Fire and explosion
Petrol is a dangerous substance, its storage and dispensing at a workplace is covered by the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) and other legislation specifically controlling petrol.
These pages tell you more about petrol:
Petroleum licences – the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 (as amended by DSEAR) requires that anyone operating a petrol filling station should have a licence issued by their local Petroleum Licensing Authority. The licence is renewed at regular intervals, currently annually. The requirement applies both to retail and non-retail filling stations ie those that dispense petrol to the general public and those which only dispense petrol into their own vehicles. Petrol filling stations are defined as sites that dispense petrol into vehicles, boats or aircraft by electrical or mechanical means.
The licences have conditions relating to safe storage, dispensing, maintenance, record-keeping etc. The requirements of DSEAR also apply.
Prior to the introduction of DSEAR, anyone storing significant amounts of petrol required a licence. However the requirement now applies only to operators of petrol filling stations and certain non-workplace situations (see the link below relating to the Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicle etc) Regulations).
The Petroleum Spirit (Motor Vehicles etc) Regulations 1929, no longer apply to workplaces (including petrol filling stations). However, they do apply to the domestic storage of petrol, including vehicles parked in a domestic garage or near residential premises.
The Petroleum Spirit (Plastic Containers) Regulations 1982 no longer apply to workplaces (including petrol filling stations). However, they do apply to the domestic storage of petrol, including vehicles parked in a domestic garage or near residential premises.
Further information on specific petrol safety issues is available in HELA LACORS Petroleum Enforcement Liaison Group PETEL circulars