HYDROCARBON
ENGINEERING
30
HOW
SAFE
ARE YOUR
TANKERS?
I
n the UK, major accident hazards are regulated through
the Control of Major Accident Hazards (CoMAH)
regulations. CoMAH regulations implement the Seveso II
Directive,
1
aimed at the prevention and control of
onshore major accident hazards involving dangerous
substances. CoMAH is enforced by the Competent Authority,
which consists of the Health and Safety Executive and
Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency and Natural Resources Wales.
Demonstrating that risks are being managed in
accordance with CoMAH can be challenging when
equipment used in hazardous operations is not permanently
located or controlled by a site. This is the case with petrol
tankers entering and exiting a petroleum terminal. For this
reason, a revised Safe Loading Pass Scheme (SLPS) has been
introduced in the UK and is now fully operational.
Background
The SLPS was first established in the UK in 1989 by six major
oil companies. Initially, the scheme was informally managed
by participating companies, each issuing a safe loading pass in
Peter
Davidson,
UKPIA,
looks
at managing
safety risks
for tankers
entering
terminals.
