Fire, Explosion and Human Safety

Most states will have a "uniform fire code" for motor fuel and waste oil stored in aboveground storage tanks (ASTs). These Code practices are usually quite thorough, detailed, and REQUIRED for the petroleum industry (refiners, service stations, etc.) and for various public and commercial organizations which store and use fuel in their own vehicles and equipment. However, in some states (example: Indiana), there may be a special section of the Code which applies only to ASTs on farms and at construction sites. In these cases, farms may be exempt from the other Code rules which apply to all the others. In Indiana, for instance, only Division X (in Article 79 of the Code) applies directly to farms. [Check to see what applies in other states.]

Most of the fire, explosion and human safety factors that need to be considered with ASTs are:

Tank Location
Gravity Discharge Tanks
Tank Venting
Sun Shades and Evaporation Loss
Fire Extinguishers
Security and Signs
Top-Opening-Only Tanks

The rules set forth in the "uniform fire codes" of most states are typically designed to protect people and property. Most were developed long before "environmental protection" became an important issue. So, they may or may not have rules about secondary containment - to protect the environment in the event of a major fuel release from an AST; or the secondary containment rules may apply only to non-farm ASTs, with farms being exempt (as in Indiana). Be sure to check with the State Fire Marshal and other authorities to determine the situation in each state.

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