The storage of Kerosene and gas oil in its liquid state is considered safe providing that the tank and its contents are protected from the effects of fire or a heat source that might originate nearby. The fire protection of oil storage tanks is required by building regulations and compliance can be met usually by physical separation or by using a suitably rated barrier. For normal domestic installations the following separation distances apply:
Any part of the tank to a building/structure wall with less than 30 mins fire resistance
Not less than 1.8 m
Any part of the tank to combustible leaves
Not less than 1.8 m
Any part of the tank to a non-fire rated boundary
Not less than 760mm
A boundary mainly refers to a legal boundary separating properties from each other, but it can also refer to boundary lines dividing land associated with a dwelling from other land nearby.
Any screening not forming part of a boundary, including plants and foliage used to conceal the tank from view should be kept at least 600mm away from the tank.
All these regulations are designed to prevent any potential fires from reaching the stored oil you have on site, trying to minimise the risk of a far greater incident happening.
Learn more about unsafe tanks and how you can check your heating oil tank before delivery.
