Fuel Tanks Capacity & Distance Regulations

AN OVERVIEW ABOUT

Flammable & Combustible

The Australian Dangerous Goods Code makes a distiction between flammable and combustible liquids based on their flash point and boiling point. Liquids with a flash point of below 60°C are considered as flammable, while liquids with a flash point between 60°C and 93°C are considered combustible.

Regulations on handling, storage, and transportation of flammable and combustible liquids may vary.







The Basics

600mm DISTANCE

Horizontal Tanks

Horizontal tanks must have at least a distance of 600mm from each other when installed together.

AS 1940-2017 5.7.5 and 5.7.6



1m DISTANCE

Vertical Tanks

Vertical tanks must have at least a distance of 1 meter from each other when installed together.

AS 1940-2017 5.7.5 and 5.7.6





NOT MORE THAN 1000 LITRE CAPACITY

Tanks Inside Buildings

Tanks for combustible C1 liquids can be installed inside a building provided that they are not more than 1,000L, not interconnected, and there is a provision to contain small leaks and spills.

AS 1940-2017 5.6.3.1



NO POLYETHYLENE STORAGE TANKS

On Construction Sites

Polyethylene and composite storage tanks are not allowed to be used on constuction sites. Tanks on such sites must be 1 metre away from any boundary, protected place, or environmentally sensitive area.

AS 1940-2017 2.2.6



3m DISTANCE FROM

Ignition Sources

A minimum of 3 metre distance is required from a flammable self-bunded tank to any ignition source, including the vehicle being refilled.

AS 1940-2017 5.9.2 (g)








Minor Storage


AN OVERVIEW ABOUT

Minor Storage Exemptions

Storage of flammable or combustible liquids in quantities not exceeding the amount below may be classified as minor storage and are exempted from the other sections of AS 1940 Standards.

Multiple minor storages in an allowable area must be separated by at least 20 metres for indoors or 15 metres for outdoors.

AS 1940-2017 2.1 and 2.2.3


MINOR STORAGE CAPACITY LIMITATIONS

Class 3 PG II [Petrol]

Indoors: Factories / Warehouse / Workshops
1 litre per 2m2 not exceeding 250 litres in 500m2 area

Indoors: Commercial Buildings
10 litres per 50m2

Outdoors: Commercial Buildings with 1m Separation
250 litres

Construction Sites
2,500 litres

Open Land
5,000 litres

AS 1940-2017 2.2.4 and 2.2.5 Table 2.1






MINOR STORAGE CAPACITY LIMITATIONS

Class 3 PG III [Jet Fuel / Kerosene]

Indoors: Factories / Warehouse / Workshops
1 litre per 2m2 not exceeding 500 litres in 500m2 area

Indoors: Commercial Buildings
25 litres per 50m2

Outdoors: Commercial Buildings with 1m Separation
1,400 litres in tanks not over 700 litres each

Construction Sites
5,000 litres

Open Land
5,000 litres

AS 1940-2017 2.2.4 and 2.2.5 Table 2.1





MINOR STORAGE CAPACITY LIMITATIONS

Class C1 &C2 [Diesel / Lube Oil]

Indoors: Factories / Warehouse / Workshops
4 litres per m2 not exceeding 2,000 litres in 500m2 area

Indoors: Commercial Buildings
500 litres per 500m2 area

Outdoors: Commercial Buildings with 1m Separation
5,000 litres

Construction Sites
10,000 litres

Open Land
10,000 litres

AS 1940-2017 2.2.4 and 2.2.5 Table 2.1









Separation Distances


FUEL TANK SEPARATION DISTANCE TO

Boundary or Security Fences

Flammable Liquids Class 3 [Petrol / Kerosene]
Width / diameter of the tank or 15m, whichever is less, but not less than 6m or the distanced based on capacity as indicated below.

Combustible Liquids Class C1 [Diesel]
Width or diameter of the tank or 7.5m but at least 3m, whichever is lesser.

Combustible Liquids Class C2 [Lube Oil]
Unrestricted, determined by the compound

AS 1940-2017 5.7.2 Table 5.3





DISTANCE FROM OFF-SITE PROTECTED PLACES

Flammable Class 3 PG I & II [Petrol]

Max Capacity

Minimum Distance

Tank Options

250 litres

Unrestricted

1,000 litres

3 metres

2,000 litres

4 metres

4,000 litres

5 metres

7,000 litres

6 metres

10,000 litres

7 metres

14,000 litres

8 metres

20,000 litres

9 metres

26,000 litres

10 metres

34,000 litres

11 metres

42,000 litres

12 metres

64,000 litres

14 metres

77,000 litres

15 metres

AS 1940-2017 5.7.2 Table 5.4





DISTANCE FROM OFF-SITE PROTECTED PLACES

Flammable Class 3 PG III [Jet Fuel]

Max Capacity

Minimum Distance

Tank Options

500 litres

Unrestricted

4,000 litres

3 metres

8,000 litres

4 metres

16,000 litres

5 metres

28,000 litres

6 metres

40,000 litres

7 metres

56,000 litres

8 metres

80,000 litres

9 metres

104,000 litres

10 metres

136,000 litres

11 metres

AS 1940-2017 5.7.2 Table 5.4





DISTANCE FROM OFF-SITE PROTECTED PLACES

Combustible Class C1 [Diesel]

Max Capacity

Minimum Distance

Tank Options

2,500 litres

Unrestricted

10,000 litres

3 metres

20,000 litres

4 metres

40,000 litres

5 metres

70,000 litres

6 metres

100,000 litres

7 metres

AS 1940-2017 5.7.2 Table 5.4





DISTANCE FROM OFF-SITE PROTECTED PLACES

Combustible Class C2 [Lube Oil]

Max Capacity

Minimum Distance

Tank Options

5,000 litres

Unrestricted

20,000 litres

3 metres

40,000 litres

4 metres

80,000 litres

5 metres

140,000 litres

6 metres

AS 1940-2017 5.7.2 Table 5.4





FUEL TANK SEPARATION DISTANCE TO

ON-SITE PROTECTED PLACES

*On-Site Protected Places refers to office buildings, warehoues, manufacturing and processing areas, workshop, or amenities blocks that are in the same premises or boundary as the storage tank.

Flammable Liquids Class 3 [Petrol / Kerosene]
Required distance based on capacity as indicated above but need not exceed 15m.

Combustible Liquids Class C1 [Diesel]
Required distance based on capacity as indicated above but need not exceed 7.5m

Combustible Liquids Class C2 [Lube Oil]
Unrestricted, determined by the compound

AS 1940-2017 5.7.2 Table 5.3









Clustering of Tanks

REQUIREMENTS IN CLUSTERING

Vertical Tanks

Width or Diameter
Tanks with width or diameter greater than 3m but not more than 10m can be clustered with reduced tank-to-tank spacing.

Reduced Distance
The distance between two tanks must be at least 1 metre.

Cluster Area Limitations
Total cross-sectional area of all tanks must not exceed 320m2.

AS 1940-2017 5.7.5





REQUIREMENTS IN CLUSTERING

Horizontal Tanks

Compliance
Horizontal tanks must comply with AS 1692 and AS 1940 requirements.

Reduced Distance
The distance between two horizontal tanks must be at least 600mm.

Clustering with Vertical Tanks
Distance from an adjacent vertical tank must be at least 1 metre.

Horizontal Tank Placement
Tanks may be arranged parallel but not end-to-end unless potential end failure and exposure hazard has been taken into account.

AS 1940-2017 5.7.6