Early in the hours of Saturday morning (25 February), the industry woke to seek the images and footage of every site operator’s worse nightmare come to life, a retail fuel site ablaze and then burnt to the ground. A fire on a fuel site is, thankfully, a rare thing. A tanker fire on a fuel site is even rarer still, it is what is called a Low Frequency, High Consequence event. As the first responders packed up and investigators moved in, the industry was abuzz with discussion of what happened, how it happened and what should they be doing to ensure it didn’t happen to them. The investigations and clean up are still underway, and while it will be some time before the final findings are released and the industry can internalise the learnings, there are steps that we can take now as an industry to ensure this kind of incident remains an extremely rare one, including self-examination, compliance review and coordinated consultation.
At 22:15pm on Friday, 24 February, 16 fire trucks, one mobile command centre and over 65 Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) workers responded to a fire that had engulfed the Westside Petroleum service station site at Campbelltown.
After five hours of concerted effort the blaze was extinguished, and fire crews moved into standby and observation.
Investigations are still ongoing as to the cause of the fire, however what is clear is that the fire broke out while a laden fuel tanker was on site and apparently dropping product into the site tanks.
While thankfully there was no serious injuries (one FRNSW firefighter sustained a cut to his hand) or loss of life associated with the event, even with the overwhelming response of the first responders the devastation to property on site was almost complete.
“Three cars, the fuel tanker and the site itself burnt to the ground, there was nothing left. Several of the LPG decanting cylinders exploded in the heat of the blaze. The only thing left standing was the above ground LPG Autogas tank. The fact that the FRNSW crews were able to keep that particular tank cool enough that it did not explode is something that we are all extremely thankful for. Had that tank gone up too, this terrible event could have been significantly worse”, explains ACAPMA’s Elisha Radwanowski.
The neighbouring houses were impacted not just by smoke, but by the intense heat of the fire, with one house siding melting in the heat.
ACAPMA is actively working with WorkSafe NSW, EPA NSW and FRNSW through the Fuel Industry Safety Forum to understand the key issues from this incident and communicate it to industry.
“There will be a raft of lessons to learn from this incident, we will have to wait for those to come out in the fullness of time, once the investigations are complete. What we can do right now however is ensure that we are getting the important things [done] right now. That means reviewing site emergency response plans, ensuring that site staff are trained on what to do when a tanker is on site, ensuring that site staff are trained on what to do in the event of an emergency and ensuring that there are off-site copies of all manifests, tank drawings and site plans for provision to responders and investigators”, continued Elisha.
“Site operators, regardless of their size or systems, should take this event as an opportunity to really review all systems and talk to their staff. Review and refresh is never a bad idea”, added Elisha.
“In the coming weeks, ACAPMAg will feature specific safety articles on items like evacuation points, exclusion zones and getting paperwork right. Of course, members can reach out for assistance now, but these staggered articles, which will have the input of WorkSafe, EPA and Fire and Rescue, will serve as ongoing reminder points for all operators”, explained Elisha.
Fuel transport companies are also on notice that Transport Emergency Response Plans (TERPs), driver training and exclusion zone management are a key focus of enforcement activity as a matter of course, and that as a result of this incident that activity is likely to increase.
ACAPMA is bringing together the Fuel Transport Council to explore this incident, and to review best practice guidance and communicate any learnings that arise.
“There are over 8000 fuel retail locations and almost countless farm, industrial, commercial, airline and defence locations that are filled every day, sometimes multiple times a day, by road tankers. Dangerous Goods drivers are required to hold licencing and training at a higher level than general freight drivers, and must have exemplary records to access insurance, they really are the pilots of the road. This incident should rightly cause the industry to review all operating practices but should not cause the public any undue concern when they see a tanker on the road”, continued Elisha.
“There is no need for panic, but there is a need to understand, review and remember. The images and footage from the event are shocking but something the industry needs to keep top of mind as we step up consultation and process the learnings” concluded Elisha.
Here to help
Safety Highlights are things to consider, implement and watch out for in your business. They are provided as general information for you to consider and do not constitute advice. You should seek further advice on your situation by contacting your legal advisor. ACAPMA members can access resources and receive advice, guidance and support from the ACAPMA employment professionals via employment@acapma.com.au, it is free for members. ACAPMA Membership delivers this and more benefits, see https://acapma.com.au/membership/ for more information.
Elisha Radwanowski BCom (HRM & IR)
ACAPMA
Source: https://acapmag.com.au/2023/03/tanker-fire-onsite-causes-industry-action/.
