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What environmental legislation requires OFTEC surveys?

What environmental legislation requires OFTEC surveys?

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Annual OFTEC surveys offer peace of mind that your oil storage is being suitably maintained and that it remains compliant with all current regulations. The regulations are extensive and far-reaching, though simple to follow, and include:

From the Control of pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001:

It’s important to note that The Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001 set out the requirements to be met for the safe storage of oil in containers above ground. As of 1st September, 2005, all oil storage containers above 200 litres are required to comply with these regulations.

The Environmental Alliance – comprising the Environment Agency (EA) for England and Wales, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) for Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for Scotland – have also produced the Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPGs). These are a collection of documents that provide best practice guidance to avoid pollution in various practical types of activities, and also make reference to associated legal requirements. Most notably, in relation to oil and OFTEC inspections, are “PPG 2: Above ground oil storage tanks”, “PPG 3: Use and design of oil separators in surface water drainage systems’’, ‘’GPP 8: Safe storage and disposal of used oils’’ and ‘’GPP 22: Dealing with spills’’.

Below we outline important guidance and recommendations to follow from these five PPGs:

PPG 2: Above ground oil storage tanks:

Deciding where to put your fuel tank can be tricky, but the Environmental Alliance recommends that you don’t store oil in high risk locations, which include:

PPG 3: Use and design of oil separators in surface water drainage systems

Under ‘Maintenance and use’, they claim that to prevent pollution and reduce costs, you should manage your separator effectively. All parts of the separator that have to be regularly maintained must be accessible at all times, and every 6 months, experienced personnel should:

GPP 8: Safe storage and disposal of used oils

Under section 4: ‘Disposing of commercial and industrial used oil’ of GPP 8, it states:

‘’Used mineral oil from commercial and industrial sources will be classified as hazardous/special waste. It must be managed in accordance with the relevant regulations which impose legal requirements for its movement, recovery and disposal.’’

This involves:

GPP 22: Dealing with spills

Under section ‘’2.2 Assess your risk’’, it states that businesses, ‘’should carry out a pollution risk assessment or pollution prevention plan’’ that considers the following:

At Dale, we have in depth knowledge of the regulations that you should follow to minimise risk. For more information on the related GPPs, please contact us today on 0330 999 3000 and visit Netregs for the PPGs themselves.

 


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