Many people in Tiree may require fuel for use at home or at work, such as for fuelling petrol powered gardening equipment, diesel generators, etc. It is important to be aware that there are regulations and safety guidance regarding filling containers for transport of fuel, and on how much you are allowed to dispense and transport at one time. Failure to follow these restriction will mean that station staff are obliged to take action to stop illegal and/or unsafe filling activities and may put you at risk, and subject to Police action.
Generally diesel is not restricted to the same extent as petrol. Anyone may (responsibly, and subject to vehicle loading limits and general road safety requirements) purchase up to 1000 litres in one or more “suitable containers” without triggering a requirement to operate under additional regulatory requirements. This is called the “small load exemption”. Customers are welcome to carefully fill e.g. multiple plastic or metal “jerry can” containers with diesel at the station, however if you plan to dispense more than 100 litres, please contact us to discuss options and for safety advice.
Petrol is much more volatile than diesel, and is regulated as a “dangerous substance”. There are very tight restrictions on how much petrol can be transported outwith a vehicle tank, without certifications in place and additional regulatory compliance.
As a general restriction, customers may only fill a maximum of two containers, of a certified type suitable for petrol transportation, up to 10 litres maximum for a plastic container, 20 litres maximum for a suitable metal container – with a combined maximum of 30 litres in total at any one time. For example, you may fill two of the green plastic 5 litre petrol containers, but not three at once. You may fill a suitable metal petrol container of up to 20 litres, plus another with no more than 10 litres. You may alternatively fill a single “demountable fuel tank” designed and certified for that purpose, with up to 30 litres of petrol.
Any requirements beyond the above may only be done with specific permission of the filling station operator, and with a risk assessment in place. There are further “small load exemptions” that can be used if you have a UN approved container (such as a suitable metal trailer mounted bowser), and if you put in place ADR-certified procedures, even larger fillings can be permitted – and we have made arrangements to accommodate these where needed, with suitable safety requirements in place. However you must contact us to discuss and agree those arrangements ahead of attempting filling, or you may be in breach of the relevant legal requirements.
Fillings of towed-bowsers or other very large containers must not be carried out without prior contact with station staff, and with the required arrangements in place prior to commencing filling.
Filling of towed vehicle tanks (e.g. rigid inflatable boats, other vessels, etc) – It is permitted to fill a fixed, integrated vehicle tank up to it’s maximum capacity (diesel or petrol) without this being subject to the above restrictions for “transport in containers”. If however the vehicle tank is “demountable” (e.g. simply attached to the deck of a boat, or similar) this would be regarded as a “container” and the 30 litre restriction would apply for petrol. We would ask customers to contact us about filling of trailer-mounted vehicles so that we can advise you on how to do so safely when you visit. There are safety considerations around potential build-up of static electricity when filling trailer mounted vehicles with petrol – for your safety and that of others using the station please take advice on this and contact us.
In all cases: We would encourage you to check that you are in compliance with Road Traffic Act and related regulations and Health and Safety regulations if in doubt. Our responsibilities end once you drive off the forecourt and we cannot accept any responsibility for you on the public roads. If in doubt, seek advice from the Police.
