Fuel Spills and Environmental Response

Fuel spill response and environmental protection for fuel station attendants, cashiers and supervisors at the invented Northfield Fuel and Market: why spills matter and the four pathways spilled fuel takes, federal OSHA, the state fire code, EPA UST rules run by Montana DEQ, Class A, B and C operators, the Clean Water Act and SPCC, HazCom and RCRA waste rules, spill scenarios from topping off to underground leaks, the five steps of stop, make safe, protect drains, contain and absorb, and tell and record, PPE and absorbent quantities, cleanup, contaminated waste and spill kit logs, storm drains and oil-water separators, UST equipment, walkthrough inspections and 0.2 gph tank gauge tests, inventory control and release detection, reporting to Montana DEQ and the National Response Center, how fuel moves through soil and groundwater, prevention with the hierarchy of controls and ullage checks, and drills, reviews and the annual check.

HSE-351 12 lessons · 4 h 26 min

Offered by HSM University · Safety Training

This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.

What you'll learn

Explain why fuel spills matter, describe the four pathways spilled fuel takes and estimate the volume of a spill from its size.
Explain how federal OSHA, the state fire code, EPA's UST rules run by Montana DEQ, the Clean Water Act and SPCC, HazCom and RCRA waste rules apply to spills and tanks, and who is responsible for what, including Class A, B and C operators.
Recognize the main spill scenarios at a station, from topping off to underground leaks, and compare how gasoline and diesel behave once spilled.
Respond to a fuel spill with the five steps (stop the source, make it safe, protect the drains, contain and absorb, tell and record), choose PPE and absorbents, and know when to get people away and call 911.
Finish a cleanup, decide when a contractor is needed, handle fuel-contaminated waste and recovered fuel correctly, and keep spill kits stocked with a log.
Explain where storm and sanitary drains go, how an oil-water separator works and fails, and how to protect and maintain drains and separators.
Describe the parts of an underground tank system, explain how tank gauge leak tests and line leak detectors work, and respond correctly to tank alarms.
Reconcile book and measured inventory, recognize the pattern of a leak in variance records, and follow up an unexplained loss.
Decide with the manager whether a spill must be reported in Montana and to the National Response Center, make the report within the required time to a live person with the right facts, and keep the records.
Explain how fuel moves through soil and groundwater and into buildings and surface water, estimate groundwater travel time, and describe how contaminated sites are investigated and cleaned up.
Apply the hierarchy of controls to spill prevention, prevent delivery overfills with an ullage check, and compare the expected cost of spills with the cost of prevention.
Plan, run, time and review spill drills, review real spills for causes, and carry out an annual check of the station's spill system.

Course content

12 lessons · 4 h 26 min total · final exam

1 Why fuel spills matter 22 min · quiz
2 Law and responsibilities for spills and tanks in the United States 22 min · quiz
3 Spill scenarios at stations 23 min · quiz
4 The first minutes: stop, protect and contain 22 min · quiz
5 Cleanup, waste and restocking 23 min · quiz
6 Drains, separators and stormwater 22 min · quiz
7 Underground tanks and their equipment 22 min · quiz
8 Inventory reconciliation and leak detection 22 min · quiz
9 Reporting spills 22 min · quiz
10 When fuel reaches soil and water 22 min · quiz
11 Preventing spills 22 min · quiz
12 Drills, reviews and keeping the plan alive 22 min · quiz
E Final exam 20 questions

Requirements

HSE-350 Fuel Station Safety

Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.