Importance of Equipment Inspections

There are usually multiple reasons for equipment failures with many of the root causes outside of the owner or operators control. One thing the owner/operator does have control over is how often they are inspecting their equipment for such failures and catching them before there is a loss.

Items that contribute to equipment failure are compatibility issues with new fuel blends, sub quality materials, sub quality installers or contractors, adverse geographic or climatic conditions that provide constant wear and tear to the tank system. It can take years for these items to cause a failure and it can happen relatively quickly, within just a few months.

Simple ways to protect yourself from these conditions brewing up a “perfect storm” is to perform routine self- inspections of your ancillary equipment and perform inventory control and reconciliation regularly.

Sump and Spill Bucket inspections are now required as part of the US EPA 2005 Energy Act.

Sumps are a subsurface area that provides access to the equipment located below the ground. Contained sumps (turbine, dispenser or transition/immediate) are designed to prevent releases into the environment by having sides, bottom and a cover to be airtight and avoid water seepage. Spill buckets are located where the delivery driver connects the product and vapor recovery hoses to your tank. They are meant to contain drips and small spills that may occur with delivery of product.

Some items to look for while inspecting your sumps and spill buckets include: o Are the lids tight and sealed correctly?

o Are the walls intact?

o Is the area free of debris, liquid, or ice?

o Is the containment area free of cracks or wholes?

o Is there a sign of a leak, staining or new staining?

o Do you see any signs or rust?

o Is the equipment inside the containment in good condition? This would include the flex connector hoses, couplings, system piping, connections, leak detectors, etc. IF you answer no to any of these questions or notice your system is not what it used to be, please contact your testing or pump company to come to your site immediately to do a professional inspection and make repairs before they cause a problem.

For more information and guidance visit the EPA website: http://www.epa.gov/oust/pubs/sumps%20manual%204-28-05.pdf http://www.epa.gov/oust/pubs/sumpmanl.htm