Manual gauging and sampling of petroleum tank

Most accidents in the manual gauging and sampling of tanks in the

petroleum industry due to following factors

• Toxic vapors.
• Inadequate fire precautions.
• Improper or faulty equipment.
• Hazardous weather conditions.
• Unsafe structures.
• Lack of knowledge of emergency procedures.
• Failure to wear required protective equipment.

To Preventing accidents requires that employees develop a habit of

obtaining all the special information needed for doing the job safely
before they attempt to gauge the contents of a specific tank.

1. Trainees should learn the properties of petroleum and other materials to be

gauged and should understand the effects of these properties on the gauging
operation. Specific gravity, volatility, flammability, and toxicity are among the
properties that should be studied. Units of measurements for those properties.
Such-as API gravity. Reid vapor pressure, flash point and flammable limits
(percentage by volume in air), and probable values of these units
For substances that will be gauged, should be learned.

2.Safe techniques of gauging and sampling.

3. Hazards likely to be encountered and special precautions to be observed

With each type of tank (floating roof, fixed roof tanks, spheres, etc.) to be
Gauged.

4. Recognition of possible sources of ignition and of ways to prevent them

From occurring during the gauging operation,

5. Function and operation of tank vents. Valves, spray lines, and other
appurtenances.

6. Function and operation of roof drains (used on floating roofs).

7. Personal protective equipment needed, and its use and maintenance.

8. Proper care and maintenance of the gauging equipment to prevent hazards
caused by defects.

9. Emergencies that might occur and what to do about them.

10. Location and use of fire fighting

Proper Gauging Procedure

• The gauger should not start the gauging procedure after climbing the.
stairs or ladder until the following conditions have been met:

a. His breathing has returned to normal He has checked the direction and
Velocity of the wind so that he can take a position upwind of gauge hatch where
he will have the least exposure to vapors and where there will be no interference
with pay out of the tap

b. He has placed the gauging equipment in position for convenient use

d. He has allowed a sufficient waiting period (up to 30 minutes) after agitation or

filling has stopped in tanks of oil of intermediate volatility, such as jet and
turbine fuels and other oils that have Reid vapor pressure in the 1- to 5-pound
range. (Intermediate oils are likely to have static charges on their surfaces as a
result of movement. and their volatility may cause the vapor-air mixtures
immediately above them to be combustible. The waiting period will allow the
static charges to dissipate and. Thus will eliminate a possible hazard. A waiting
period is not necessary if
(a) Completely non- conductive hand gauging devices are used
(b) The tanks are equipped with floating roofs, inert gas blankets above the
oil, a full depth gauging well. Or other means of eliminating combustible
vapor-air mixtures.)

2. As the first step in gauging, the gauge hatch should be opened approximately
one inch in order to release vapors that may be held under pressure by the
tank's pressure-relief vent. The gaugcr should keep his face as far away from the
hatch as possible to avoid inhaling vapors. After vapors have been released, he
then should open the hatch completely.

3.When lowering has tape into the tank the gauger should slide it against the
edge of the hatch. Tape should be paid out carefully. and while it is being
lowered and raised, it should be kept in contract with the tank to permit static
discharge by contact rather than by sparking across un air gap.

4. When raising a thermometer or tape. the gauger should avoid dripping any
liquid outside the gauge hatch. He should carefully pour the contents of the
thermometer cup back into the hatch after reading the temperature. Drips or
spills should be wiped up with a wiper.

5. When he must place his thumbnail on the tape at a measurement specified by

a benchmark. Or if his hands should otherwise become soiled, he should wipe
them clean with a wiper before putting on his gloves. Dermatitis may result
from constant use of dirty gloves. The tape should be cleaned with a wiper, and
not with the gloves, as it is rewound.

6. Rags should not be left inside the gauge hatch or on top of the tank. They
should be placed in a covered metal container located out-side the tank area.

7. Metal containers should be used for samples larger than one quart. The
gauger should lake care not to drop a metal sample container into the tank. Such
a container might float, act as a condenser, discharge surface static
accumulation, and, in the case of some oils, create an ignition hazard. Not less
than 10 per cent outage (vapor space above the liquid) should be left in all
sample containers, with greater amounts provided for the more volatile
materials.

8. When using a gauge pole, the gauger must take care not to touch overhead
electric wires if any should be present (electric wires strung over tanks arc, in
themselves, a hazard).

9. The gauger should close the hatch when he is finished. Gauge hatches not in
use must be kept closed.

Gauging during bad weather

1. When an electrical storm is close enough for its thunder to be heard, it is

hazardous for persons to be on any part of a tank structure. No manual gauging
should be done at such a time.

2. The gauger should take extra precautions when walking on slippery when
gauging must be done under these conditions. He should take short steps on
slippery surfaces and should not release his grip on available handholds until his
feet are on a solid surface and his body is balanced.

Proper use of stairs and ladders

1. Wherever possible, stairways and platforms should be built so that the gauger
can work directly from them. The gauger should not walk on a cone roof unless
he knows, or has been properly assured, that it is safe to do so. He should report
to his supervisor any hazardous or unusual roof condition .
2. Gaugers although not directly responsible for maintenance of stairways and
walkways should be required to report any unsafe conditions which they are
unable to correct. Metal stairs and walks should be checked for corrosion.
general deterioration. Loose tools and materials, which may cause slips and falls,
should not be left on stairways or walkways.

3. In approaching and returning from the point of gauging, the gauger should
use the stairways and walkways provided and should not take shortcuts, such as
climbing over or walking on pipelines, climbing the sides of earthen dikes, or
walking along the top of concrete retaining walls.

4.He should use the handrails when ascending or descending stairs, and should
use both hands when climbing up or down ladders.

Smoking

1. Gaugers should not smoke within the safety zones established around tanks.
"Strike anywhere" matches, single-action cigarette lighters, or other devices
that could easily become accidental sources of ignition should not be canned
during the gauging operation.

Equipment

1. Special items, such as a first aid kit should be added to the gauger's
equipment as occasion demands.

2. Thief ropes or cords (frequently made of synthetic fibers such as nylon) may
be used safely in many situations. However, where static electricity and
combustible vapor-air mixtures create fire and explosion hazards:

a. Only lines made of a good electrical conductor, such as metal, should be used
when gauging or sampling tanks.

b. Gauging or sampling should not be done in tanks in which the vapor-air

mixture is in the flammable range until any charge on the oil surface has
& relaxed, unless the tank is equipped with a metal gauging well which shields
the gauge tape or thief from electrostatic charges on the oil surfaces.

3. Flashlights may be conventional three-cell type or smaller.

4. A container for carrying the gauging equipment can aid safety. So that the
gauger will have both hands free for climbing when using vertical and inclined
ladders or stairs to reach the gauging point, he should wear a carpenter's apron,
a shoulder-slung haversack of drip- proof material and construction, or pull his
equipment up in a canvas bucket or specially constructed box with a light line.
Use of a bucket or box and line to raise and lower equipment not only adds to
safety in climbing, but also helps to prevent fatigue.

Specific Precautions

Floating roof tanks

1. On a floating roof tank, the gauger should work from the platform at the top
of the tank's shell. If this is not possible, he will have to work from the roof.
Gaugers should not work alone when the roof is more than ten feet below the top
of the tank shell.

2. Before a gauger descends to a floating roof , the atmosphere above the roof
should be tested for toxic gases and combustible vapors. Even though tests
indicate that the atmosphere is safe he should notify others on the premises or
nearby, whenever possible, before he goes onto the roof.

3. Unless tests definitely indicate the atmosphere above a floating roof is

uncontaminated by suffocating or toxic vapors, the gauger who descends to the
roof should wear personal protective equipment. Also, he should be kept under
observation by another employee who is similarly equipped.

4. Small leaks into pontoons of floating roofs may cause flammable gas mixtures
to develop in them. Larger leaks may cause flooding and affect stability of the
roofs. These conditions are hazardous. Since gaugers usually see floating roofs
more often than other employees do, they should assist with maintenance
by reporting the condition of the roofs as a routine part of their jobs.

Horizontal tanks and spheres

1. Gaugers should not walk on the rounded surfaces of horizontal tanks or

spheres and risk a bad fall. Tanks should have platforms protected by handrails
and toe boards. and safe ladders or stairs so that there will be no need for
gaugers to try to walk on the tanks.

2. Horizontal tanks usually are gauged by means of wooden gauge poles. The
lightweight and electrical insulating properties of wood make it especially
suitable for this purpose and contribute to safety.
Toxic materials

1. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is released by some crude oils and may be released by
the products distilled from these crude oils. It is extremely toxic and may cause
death, even in very low concentrations. Being heavier than air, the gas may
accumulate in dangerous concentrations around tanks, inside firewalls, in low
lying areas, or around floating roof decks.

2. Before any attempt is made to gauge a tank containing crude oil or petroleum
products that may release H2S, the atmosphere in the ganger's working area
should be tested, where practicable, to determine the concentration of H2S.

3. When the H2S concentration or the tank's design or location warrants, two
men should be assigned to the job, one to do the gauging and the other to
observe the gauger from a safe distance and to be ready to render immediate
assistance. Each man should be equipped with a suitable breathing apparatus,
a safety belt, and a lifeline.

4. Canister gas masks may be used only when it is definitely known that the
concentration of hydrogen sulfide vapors are less than 0.1 percent and the
hydrocarbon vapors constitute less than 2.0 percent of the atmosphere above the
tank. Even then, a canister gas mask can only be used if the oxygen
concentration is at least 19.5 percent. Since the gauger usually does not
definitely know and will not be able to ascertain these concentrations, the
safe approach is to use only self-contained breathing equipment.

5. Although hydrogen sulfide is the toxic gas most commonly encountered in

petroleum gauging operations, other toxic gases or vapors may be encountered,
depending on what liquids are handled in the tanks. Before manual gauging of
such materials is done. Gaugers should be sure that they know the
Special procedures and rules to be followed for safe performance of the job.

5.Because the composition of petroleum products varies considerably, no single

threshold limit value (TLV) is applicable. Generally, the aromatic hydrocarbon
content and the presence of hydrogen sulfide will determine the TLV that should
be followed. Consequently, gauger must include the methods for determining the
TLV from the composition of materials in the tank.' Where petroleum distillates
are present for which no specific TLV is known and where no hydrogen sulfide
is present. .