Email Enquiry

Subject:                         Rim Seal Pourers - How do you maintain fit for purpose?

Date of Email :   18/12/2007

Initial Email Detail:

Following the fire on our unleaded gasoline tank fire (which is nearing the investigation completion) I would like to ask our JOIFF members what practice they use to ensure their floating roof tank rim seal foam pourers are regularly checked and ready for use.

Second Email Detail: (dated 18/12/2007)

Our testing regime as follows:-

• Full functional system testing on an annual basis. (Including Foam Quality Testing)
• Manual & Automated starting functions, checked on a monthly basis by our Fire & Gas System Technicians.
• Visual Inspection carried out on one system, Bi-Weekly by a Senior Fire Officer.
• Integrity and Inspection department provide, usually over a 36 month period (Dependant on last endorsement period) inspection of all major components (Foam Skid Tank, All associated Pipe Work and Pourers) in line with required standards, certifying/or/recommending changes accordingly.

Were currently going through a replacement of all Foam Skid Tanks, over the next 3 years, as they have now reached the end of their life span.

Third Email Detail: (dated 18/12/2007)

We fully function test our rim seal pourers on an annual basis, the foam damp is completely filled to ensure we cover the secondary seal and also to confirm the foam flows correctly. Connections for our Fire Tenders to link into the foam riser are checked every six months to ensure they all operate correctly. I have allocate the tanks between shifts as this encourages ownership and bit of competition.

I am always challenged by our environmental reps, but so far I have not be made to change this policy. As far as I am concerned this is a critical function test which needs to continue to ensure the operability of our system, we have had two rim seal fires in the past, both due to lightening.