Petrol licence

It is a criminal offence to store over 10 litres of petrol unless you are licenced to do so.

Strict controls are applied in relation to the storage of petrol to minimise the risk of fire, explosion, death and serious personal injury.

You must obtain a licence from the Isle of Man Office of Fair Trading (OFT) if you store more than 10 litres of petrol.

This applies wherever petrol is stored including:

• in your home, in your garage
• in a workshop
• at motorsport events

The quantity stored does not include petrol kept in a fuel tank integral to any motor vehicle or motorbike.

If you currently store or intend to store any petrol on the Island, even if the quantity of petrol concerned is very small, you should contact the OFT to ascertain whether or not you need a licence to do so.

Licence costs

• Licence to keep petroleum spirit in a quantity not exceeding 2,500 litres - £45 (up to 12 months)
  
  
• Licence to keep petroleum spirit in a quantity exceeding 2,500 litres but not exceeding 50,000 litres - £87.50 (up to 12 months)
  
  
• Licence to keep petroleum spirit in a quantity exceeding 50,000 litres - £175 (up to 12 months)

Reasons petrol is dangerous

• Petrol is a highly flammable liquid.
• Petrol gives off a flammable vapour at low temperatures. Flammable vapour will be present immediately after any petrol has been spilt within a tent or on a workshop floor.
• There is always a risk of fire or explosion if there is a source of ignition for example someone smoking, having a barbecue or welding, in the presence of petrol or petrol vapour.
• A flammable atmosphere exists when the proportion of petrol vapour in the air is as little as 1% – it only needs a minute quantity (a teaspoon of petrol to create a flammable atmosphere).
• Petrol floats on the surface of water and may, therefore, increase the risk of fire or explosion well away from where it escapes by travelling long distances along a water course such as a drain.
• The presence of petrol vapour increases the risk of fire or explosion in places where there is little movement of air such as within tents, inspection pits or enclosed spaces, as it does not disperse easily and tends to sink to the lowest possible level.
• Petrol vapour may increase the risk of fire or explosion well away from where it escapes by travelling long distances for instance between tents or across a workshop floor.
• A flammable atmosphere may be present in any empty vessel (for example a fuel tank or a jerry can, in which petrol has been kept).
• Petrol or petrol vapour may flash back over long distances to where it has escaped from (between tents or across a workshop floor).
• Contaminating clothing or anything else that is absorbent with petrol, (rags, a towel or sand) increases the risk of fire or explosion.

Please note there is an age restriction on the sale of petrol.

Good practice

Here are a number of ways in which you can minimise the risk of fire, explosion, death and serious personal injury:

• Avoid storing excessive quantities of petrol and store it well away from where people work and live
• Prevent anyone under 16 years of age and unauthorised persons from having access to petrol
• Store and carry petrol in specifically designed plastic containers or in metal containers, for example jerry cans, which are capable of being securely closed, free from leakage of liquid or vapour and conspicuously labelled PETROLEUM SPIRIT – HIGHLY FLAMMABLE
• Keep all sources of ignition away from where petrol is being stored or handled including:
  • open flames
  • hot surfaces
  • sparks from electrical, welding or cutting equipment
  • static electricity
  • electronic devices (including mobile phones, chargers and tuning devices)
  • sparks from footwear
• Secure the storage facility against theft and vandalism, ensure that it is adequately ventilated and ensure that there is adequate and appropriate fire fighting equipment to hand together with an adequate supply of an appropriate absorbent material or dry sand to contain any spillage
  • Safely dispose of any absorbent material or sand that has been used to contain a spillage.
• Take precautions to prevent the escape of petrol or petrol vapour from where petrol is being stored or handled – avoid spillages by using containers that close securely and funnels
• Use petrol as a fuel only – do not use petrol to clean components and do not attempt hot work on fuel tanks unless you are a specialist
• Do not handle petrol, such as by draining or filling fuel tanks over drains or inspection pits, and only drain fuel tanks into an appropriate container (a jerry can) on a flat surface in a well-ventilated area (the open air)
• Wear adequate personal protective clothing, including footwear and headwear.
  • If your clothing is contaminated with petrol, change as soon as possible and keep the clothing away from ignition sources
• Pay attention to what is going on around you (for example someone having a barbecue adjacent to where petrol is being handled) and devise a fire safety plan including any designated escape routes

The above list is by no means exhaustive.

Enforcement

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is responsible for the enforcement of legislation relating to the storage of petrol at filling stations, in commercial and private can-stores and during motorsport events.