If you operate a petrol filling station, you’ll need to understand the risks associated with storing and dispensing petroleum spirit and take appropriate measures to protect employees, customers, and the public. The Petrol Retailers Association Red Guide is an important source of guidance for managing these risks.
Officially titled Petrol Filling Stations – Guidance on Managing the Risks of Fire and Explosion, the Red Guide provides practical guidance for businesses responsible for for safely operating sites where petrol is stored and dispensed for purchase. It's particularly relevant to compliance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR).
But what exactly does the Red Guide cover, and how does it relate to the wider requirements for fuel storage and dispensing in the UK?
Key takeaways
The Red Guide provides guidance on managing fire and explosion risks at petrol filling stations.
It covers petrol storage and dispensing, tanker deliveries, new and redeveloped stations, and decommissioning.
The guidance helps businesses meet their DSEAR responsibilities.
The Red Guide differs from the Blue Book, which focuses on the design, construction, modification, maintenance and decommissioning of filling stations.
Following recognised industry guidance can help businesses demonstrate that appropriate safety measures are in place.
What is the Petrol Retailers Association Red Guide?
The Red Guide is industry guidance for managing the risks of fire and explosion at petrol filling stations. The UK-based Petrol Enforcement Liaison Group (PELG) developed it by bringing together industry, regulators, and petroleum enforcement authorities, and the Energy Institute publishes the guidance.
Its purpose is to help site operators understand and control the risks associated with storing and dispensing petrol, rather than just providing technical specifications for constructing a filling station.
The current first edition was published in January 2024 and is intended to help employers comply with their legal responsibilities under DSEAR, while being used as a framework for site inspections by enforcement authorities.
What does the Red Guide cover?
Alongside information, advice, and best practice examples, the guidance inside the Red Guide covers some of the most significant activities and risks associated with petrol filling stations, including:
unloading petrol from road tankers
storing and dispensing petrol
commissioning new filling stations
redeveloping existing stations
taking tanks and equipment out of use (decommissioning)
identifying common fire and explosion hazards
assessing, identifying, and controlling associated risks
It provides information and advice on managing these risks. This makes the Red Guide particularly relevant to petrol retailers, site operators, and others responsible for health and safety at filling stations.
How does the Red Guide relate to DSEAR?
DSEAR requires employers to assess and control risks arising from dangerous substances, including the risks of fire and explosion.
Petrol is a dangerous substance that can produce flammable vapours. At a filling station, these risks can arise during activities such as fuel delivery, storage, dispensing, and maintenance. The Red Guide provides practical guidance for managing these risks and can therefore form an important part of a site's approach to DSEAR compliance.
While it doesn't remove the need for businesses to carry out their own suitable and sufficient risk assessments, it helps operators meet their legal obligations under DSEAR 2002 and adopt appropriate measures to control risks. It also helps PEA inspectors enforce standards consistently.
Red Guide vs Blue Book: what's the difference?
The Red Guide is sometimes confused with the Blue Book, but the two publications have different purposes.
The Blue Book, produced jointly by APEA and the Energy Institute, is the established technical guidance for the design, construction, modification, maintenance, and decommissioning of filling stations. It covers civil, mechanical, hydraulic and electrical installation issues, as well as measures intended to minimise risks to fire, health and the environment.
The Red Guide is focused specifically on managing fire and explosion risks during the operation of petrol filling stations.
In practice, the two can complement each other. For example, the Blue Book may be relevant when a station is being modified or new equipment is being installed, while the Red Guide provides operational guidance for managing fire and explosion risks.
What does the Red Guide mean for fuel storage?
Safe fuel storage is central to petrol station compliance. Storage tanks, pipework, filling points, vents, and dispensing equipment must be considered as part of the wider risk management approach.
Businesses should also consider how fuel is delivered to the site and how it's dispensed to vehicles. Leaks, spills, or uncontrolled releases can create dangerous atmospheres, particularly where vapours can accumulate and come into contact with an ignition source.
This is why appropriate maintenance, inspection and control measures are important throughout the operating life of a filling station.
Separate industry guidance is also available on inspecting and testing safety-critical equipment at retail filling stations, covering inspection frequencies, faults, follow-up actions, and record keeping. This guidance complements both the Red Guide and Blue Book.
Is the Red Guide a legal requirement?
The Red Guide itself is guidance rather than legislation. However, it supports businesses in meeting their legal duties, particularly under DSEAR.
Following recognised guidance can help demonstrate that businesses have taken appropriate steps to control risks. However, businesses should not assume that simply following a publication automatically makes a site compliant. Businesses still need to assess risks at each station and put appropriate control measures in place.
The guidance is also not intended to prevent alternative approaches where these provide an equivalent level of safety.
Why is Red Guide compliance important?
Petrol filling stations involve potentially serious fire and explosion risks. Fuel is regularly delivered, stored, and dispensed, often in locations where employees, customers and members of the public are present. A suitable approach to compliance can help businesses:
identify potential fire and explosion hazards
maintain appropriate storage and dispensing arrangements
manage risks during fuel deliveries
ensure safety measures remain effective
support DSEAR compliance
protect employees, customers and the public
Compliance should also be treated as an ongoing responsibility, not something addressed only when a station is constructed or modified.
Fuel storage & petroleum safety training
Good fuel storage compliance depends on more than equipment and procedures. The Petrol Tank Company also provides fuel storage & petroleum safety training, helping businesses and their employees understand the risks associated with storing, handling, and dispensing fuel and how to manage them safely.
Why choose The Petrol Tank Company?
At The Petrol Tank Company, we understand the practical challenges involved in safely storing and managing fuel. Our experience with fuel tanks, associated equipment, and fuel storage systems gives us a practical understanding of the risks that businesses need to manage.
Whether you're reviewing an existing fuel storage installation, planning changes to your system, or looking for compliance support, we can help you assess your equipment's condition and identify areas that may need attention.
Our focus is on practical fuel storage solutions and compliance support, helping businesses manage their responsibilities while keeping safety at the centre of their operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Red Guide is guidance for managing fire and explosion risks at petrol filling stations. It covers activities including petrol storage, dispensing, tanker unloading, station redevelopment, and decommissioning.
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The Red Guide itself is not legislation. It provides recognised guidance to help operators meet their legal responsibilities, particularly under DSEAR.
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The Red Guide focuses on managing fire and explosion risks at operating petrol filling stations. The Blue Book covers the design, construction, modification, maintenance, and decommissioning of filling stations.
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Yes. The guidance covers the storage and dispensing of petrol and the associated fire and explosion risks that businesses need to identify and control.
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Review safety arrangements whenever changes, maintenance, incidents, or other circumstances could affect the risks. Regular inspection and testing of safety-critical equipment is also important.
