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Draining fuel tanks Posted by Tony Gould on November 10, 2005, 2:10 pm Hi All At the moment we use varying methods to drain contaminated fuel out of vehicles,and as always trying to think of a quicker and easier way to do it safely. If only these vehicles had a drain bung there would be no problems. So my question to you guys. Would it be possible to drill a hole in the bottom of tank and reseal it somehow? being metal or plastic tanks. Please Give it some thought. Kind Regards Tony  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by Steve Middleton on November 10, 2005, 4:06 pm, in reply to "Draining fuel tanks" hi tony, i think the reason there not designed with a drain bung is for saftey reasons, something to do with how they withstand a impact in an accident, we've found the best way is the sealey vacuum pump for draining engine oil (the pipe seems to be the correct size to fit quick release fuel lie connectors. regards steve  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by Roy Ritchie on November 10, 2005, 6:56 pm, in reply to "Re: Draining fuel tanks" We use a astra fuel pump and hook it to fuel pipes under bonnet takes about 10 mins for a full tank.Remember to take fuel cap off.  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by Steve Nicholas on November 11, 2005, 8:22 am, in reply to "Draining fuel tanks" I remember seeing a "directive" somewhere stating that you would need a local authority licence to drain fuel. To gain it you would have to be trained and have the appropriately designed and approved equipment (oh yes, and pay the appropriate fee too, no doubt!) Check out the following link for a handy printable list of DOs & DON'Ts when draining fuel. It reminds me of my first racing driver years ago who would check the contents of a jerrycan with a fag hanging out of his mouth! I like the No Smoking sign which reads "If we see smoke coming from you we will assume that you are on fire and take immediate action to extinguish the flames" Happy draining, Steve Link: HSE advice on fuel draining  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by john smithson on November 11, 2005, 12:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Draining fuel tanks" Hi Tony it is ok using old fuel pumps etc until something goes wrong.As an employer your insurance will probably be void if you allow your employees to use "unsafe" working practises.Fuel draining is probably the most dangerous task we are called upon to do and you only get it wrong once.Have a look at www.Autodrain.co.uk.The correct gear is not cheap but neither are the consequences of an "accident".  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by Tony Gould on November 11, 2005, 8:47 pm, in reply to "Re: Draining fuel tanks" Thanks all,With all this technology around I was just looking for a method of sealing a drilled hole in bottom of tank as even with the best fuel retrievers i don't think you can get all fuel out. So no magic fix,yet Regards Tony  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by Tony Sefton. on November 11, 2005, 10:18 pm, in reply to "Re: Draining fuel tanks" Hi Tony. Who are you going to get to stand under the car with the drill, to have petrol pouring down his arms and onto the Battery operated or mains drill. ?? Or even a hand drill, Espescially through a metal Tank. ?? Or is that a Silly question. ??  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by Rob Drinkwater on November 11, 2005, 11:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Draining fuel tanks" Message modified by user UKAT5513 November 11, 2005, 11:58 pm One of our customer, is currently in prison for manslaughter, following a workshop accident last year. His apprentice died of his injuries a few days after the incident following draining fuel from a tank. An extract from the report is below. Garage Fuel Explosion The owners of a garage have been prosecuted following an explosion. The father and son owned Anchor Garage at Peacehaven, Sussex.  Teenage apprentice mechanic Lewis Murphy helped one owner handling fuel in February 2004  A petrol and diesel mixture was moved from dustbin to waste oil tank  Vapours were sucked into a gas boiler flue  The ignited vapour exploded  The teenage worker was horrifically burnt and died four days later  No procedures were in place for fuel handling  The garage was not registered with the HSE  The owners said that they relied on common sense to ensure safety  Unfortunately common sense is often not in common supply  The owners were prosecuted for gross negligence at Lewis Crown Court in April this year  Glen Hawkins (son) was jailed for nine months  Howard Hawkins (father) was fined £10,000 plus £15,000 costs. Imprisonment for failure in health and safety is rare and this is only the fifteenth case that we are aware of. It does show, however, that gross failure will lead to jail. There is also additional information at this address:- http://www.freesafetycheck.co.uk/March05-04.html I think this is a stark warning for all garages to equip themselves with the correct gear for this type of work. Regards Rob. Link: Further information on this subject.  Post a Response ( * ) Required

Re: Draining fuel tanks Posted by john smithson on November 12, 2005, 10:23 am, in reply to "Re: Draining fuel tanks" I wonder if one of your customers would risk his/her life to save you a few pounds? Many modern vehicles have access under the rear seats but you still need a safe place to store the recovered fuel and dispose of the vapour.With the proper equipment vacumn recovers the fuel and the vapour is exhausted outside the building.Either price this type of work according to the risks involved or turn the work away.  Post a Response ( * ) Required

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