Archive for year: 2020
Are you effectively investigating the cause of every incident or component failure?
Australian SLP Inspection Location,
I bring to your attention a couple of issues that have been raised with us at SLP and we in turn are sharing this information as a way of raising your awareness to problems that can hopefully be avoided or lessened in the future.
Incident One:
Consecutive overfill protection probe activations on a tanker after repairs;
- Tanker overfill protection probe was activated before reaching the pre-set loading level and under SFL level during loading ULP.
- Tanker was inspected by third party maintenance contractor who tested/adjusted probe height and completed return to service paperwork.
- Tanker returned to site and the high level probe was again activated before reaching the pre-set loading level and under SFL level during loading ULP.
- Tanker was again inspected by third party maintenance contractor who tested/adjusted probe height and completed return to service paperwork.
- Tanker returned to site and the high level probe was activated for a third consecutive time before reaching the pre-set loading level and under SFL level during loading ULP.
- Tanker was inspected by third party maintenance contractor – it was then determined that the compartment had been incorrectly calibrated.
As an Inspection location how do you assure yourself that the tanker and its compartments are correctly calibrated, what information can you obtain for the manufacture or owner to assist you in making the correct call when you are requested to set an over protection probe hight? In this case we are very lucky the overfill protection probe did its job and prevented the loading system from potentially overfilling the compartment leading to loss of containment and then on to worst case scenario of explosion/fire/injury or loss of life.
OS10 Road Tanker – Overfill Protection Standard
Incident Two:
Reoccurring Leak;
- Leak found on pipework from compartment to tanker manifold after loading at Terminal.
- Tanker inspected by third party maintenance contractor who repaired leak and returned tanker to service.
- Within 3 months the leak reoccurred after loading at Terminal.
- Tanker again inspected by third party maintenance contractor – repair was completed and tanker returned to service.
In this incident the repairers ability to adequately conduct quality repairs has been questioned? I must ask that at all times repairers understand the risk of cargo component failure and the seriousness of the potential outcome, I am not suggesting that in this incident that poor workmanship contributed to the second failure, but I do ask that you don’t let your repairs become a potential disaster due to poor quality work or a failure to fully investigate the reasoning behind the initial failure.
Please consider this information as an opportunity for learning and share with your staff .
Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Lee Stringer SLP Manager
22nd June 2020 ID Card Renewal Assessment Commences
The new Load Training ID Assessment process went live on the 22nd of June 2020 “this month” the new process allows ID card holders to access and complete their renewal training assessment remotely. This means ID card renewers, no longer need to book in and attend a terminal to complete their load training assessment.
ID card holders simply need to login to the SLP system with their User ID and password, make their ID card renewal payment via credit card and once payment is complete, access to the online assessment will be activated. The card holder can immediately complete their online assessment. In the background our security processes will monitor all assessments via a number of data gathering statistics that will allow us pick up risks via a reporting engine that will continually analyse card holders completing their assessments.
ID card renewal steps:
- go to the SLP website www.safeloadprogram.com.au
- go to the “SLP Driver Program” Tab
- Click on the “SLP driver Login” Tab
- Click on “Go To Driver Login”
- Enter your User ID (this is your SLP number)
- Enter your Password (if you have forgotten your password contact SLP during business hours to have your password reset)
- “Click here to start the renewal process” (follow the prompts to complete your credit card payment)
- Return to your desktop and select the assessment link (follow the prompts to complete your online assessment)
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Do you have questions?
Question: I have already paid my renewal but not completed my online assessment, what do I do?
Answer: After the 22nd Jun 2020 you can login to the SLP system and the assessment link will be waiting for you to click and complete your assessment.
Question: When I pay my renewal, do I need to complete my assessment at the same time?
Answer: You don’t need to do your assessment at the same time, but you will need to complete your assessment before your original expiry date or your access to the system will be locked.
Question: Where can I do my online assessment?
Answer: You can complete your assessment anywhere you have access a computer, tablet, iPad etc. with internet access, this can be at your work premises, at home, etc.
Question: What can I do if I get into trouble while completing the assessment?
Answer: You can call SLP during working hours or contact your companies trainer for assistance, or send SLP and email and we will reply back to you within 48 hours.
SLP Manager
Lee Stringer
Driver Assessment Update
SLP is currently developing an alternative ID card renewal assessment method to replace the current terminal assessment process, we are doing this to reduce driver and terminal operator contact at fuel terminals under COVID-19.
We anticipate our new IT assessment process will be ready for release in July 2020, but if we are unsuccessful at meeting the July release then we are prepared to extend ID card expiry dates again if necessary.
We previously announced that if your SLP ID was due to expire in April – May or June 2020, then it has automatically been extended for a further 90 days (3 months) from your original card expiry date. The SLP computer system has been updated to reflect the change and we have also informed fuel terminals across the country of the expiry date change for affected ID card holders.
Please don’t be worried as we will ensure ID card holders have the time they need to complete their renewal, if you are concerned that your ID is close to expiring then please contact us at SLP and we will be happy to discuss how the changes are progressing and ensure you are not disadvantaged.
We know that ID card assessments will not be conducted at terminals as they have in the in the past.
We will be in contact again to either advise you of how to complete your renewal, or we may be advising you of a further extension to current expiry date.
Please be patient and we will be in contact again soon.
If you require further information or you are having difficulty with this process please call SLP on 1300921713 and press option 1
SLP Manager
Lee Stringer
5 Yearly Hydrostatic Test {are you testing the tanker vapour coaming?}
In a recent incident at an Australian fuel terminal gantry, a driver attempted to load a tanker compartment that had already been loaded.
This error by the driver resulted in an estimated 10 litre spill, the tanker/gantry overfill protection system was activated and closed the gantry loading system. However due to an incorrectly installed overfill protection probe in the compartment, this error led in a failure to contain the product within the compartment. As a consequence, product entered the vapour recovery vent, pipework and coaming rail. Normally if this were to occur the product would be contained within the vapour system. In this incident however product leaked from the vapour coaming via small holes drilled at various points along the vapour coaming.
Thankfully no one was injured, and no equipment was damaged.
Direct Causes
- The tanker overfill protection system probe was not set to industry minimum safe fill ullage requirements.
- The driver understood but did not follow loading procedures.
- The tanker rollover/vapour coaming had holes in it when purchased by the current owner, the holes were not known or identified by the owner as a problem.
- The tanker had been tested and certified on (5) five previous hydrostatic tests conducted by (4) four different maintenance/inspection businesses.
Recommendations
- Prompt industry to ensure they are hydrostatically testing the tanker vapour pipework and coaming rail at (5) five yearly hydrostatic testing events.
- At (5) five yearly Hydrostatic and 2 ½ yearly Hatch & Vent testing events, maintenance and inspection businesses must ensure overfill protection system probe heights are set in line with industry minimum ullage requirements.
- Tanker owners must ensure they are provided with documentation that confirms their tanker vapour system has been hydrostatically tested during the (5) five yearly inspection.
Lee Stringer
SLP Manager
Australian Standard 2809.1 & 2 release 9th April 2020
Australian Standards have released the latest versions for 2809.
Publication Number AS 2809.1:2020
Title: Road tank vehicles for dangerous goods, Part 1: General requirements for all road tank vehicles
Publishing Date: 09-04-2020
Publication Number AS 2809.2:2020
Title:Road tank vehicles for dangerous goods, Part 2: Road tank vehicles for flammable liquids
Publishing Date: 09-04-2020
Points to be aware of:
- AS 2809.1 & 2 2020 become active from the date of release of the 9th April 2020. (this simply means that anyone in Australia can now build a vehicle to these new standards)
- Standards are not retrospective; so vehicles built prior to the 9th April 2020 are not required to meet AS 2809.1 & 2 2020, vehicles built prior to the 9th April 2020 are required to meet the previous standard of AS2809.1 & 2 2008
- Competent Authorities Panel (CAP) members agreed that a 12 month transition period from the date of publication (9th April 2020) of AS 2809.1 & 2 2020 would be a reasonable compromise between: the need to ensure that tankers are being designed and built to the latest edition of the standard, and allowing manufacturers and regulators the necessary time to begin manufacturing or approving tankers to the new standard.
We were planning on holding information and question sessions across the country, but unfortunately this has been thwarted due to COVID-19.
We are working with specialists within the transport industry on the development of guidelines, instructions and checklists designed to assist manufactures, owners, repairers, service providers and fuel terminal operators to better understand the affects the new standards will have on their operations.
More will be released in the near future on how we will assess, identify and approve vehicles built to these new standards.
Please feel free to contact us at SLP for more information.
Lee Stringer
Safe Load Program Manger
Minimum Thread Protrusion
Safe Load Program don’t have a specific standard for the correct installation of bolts and fasteners for ancillary fittings used on tanks and tankers in our industry, but simply turn to basic engineering practices for our guide.
When Installing bolts complete with nuts washers spring washers, self-locking nuts, etc, we have a basic requirement for minimum a thread protrusion to ensure that all the threads in the fastener are engaged.
- Threaded fasteners, when installed and tightened, should protrude a minimum distance of at least one thread beyond the top of the nut or plastic insert, any unthreaded chamfer or crown must not be considered in this thread count/protrusion.
Industry “Basic Principle“
- The simple rule is that two full threads should protrude above the face of the nut, this method ensures that all the threads in the nut are engaged.
There may however be situations where two full threads simply cannot be maintained due to limitations in component assembly.
- Excessive thread protrusion should be avoided.
- Where possible, the number of threads protruding should not exceed five.
- In no case should thread protrusion exceed ten threads.
- Self-locking nuts; where the distance from the top of the nut to the locking element (plastic insert) is equal to or greater than the bolt chamfer or crown, the bolt or stud end may end flush with the top of the nut.
- A good rule to follow is to always use the shortest standard-length fastener that gives a minimum one thread protrusion.
SLP Manager
Lee Stringer
