PETROLEUM ACT: INDEX TO SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
Petroleum (General) Regulations
PETROLEUM (GENERAL) REGULATIONS
[Section 3]
[RETAINED UNDER SECTION 15 OF THE INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL PROVISIONS ACT]
Arrangement of Regulations
Regulation
1. Title and application
2. Interpretation
3. Issue of licences
4. Storage sheds
5. Soldering of filled tins
6. Inspection of premises
7. Application for licences to possess dangerous petroleum
8. Expiration of licence
9. Possession of valid licence required
10. Liability for expenses incurred through breach of Regulations
11. Renewal of licences
12. Prescribed fees
13. Prescribed forms
14. Revocation of licences
15. Transport of dangerous petroleum
16. Transport of dangerous petroleum in bulk
17. Powers of police and road traffic inspectors
18. No relief from liability for damage
Act 13 of 1994,
GN 48 of 1932,
GN 108 of 1932,
GN 63 of 1939,
GN 88 of 1948,
GN 281 of 1958,
GN 156 of 1959,
GN 375 of 1961,
GN 69 of 1963,
GN 202 of 1964,
GN 481 of 1964,
GN 497 of 1964,
SI 33 of 1965,
SI 446 of 1969.
[Regulations by the Minister]
These Regulations may be cited as the Petroleum (General) Regulations, and shall apply to all areas other than those to which the Townships (Petroleum) Regulations, the Livingstone Municipal By-laws or the Ndola Municipal By-laws have been applied.
[As amended by 63 of 1939.]
In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires—
“council” means a township council or a rural council;
“dangerous petroleum” means the following brands of petroleum—
Atlantic, Atlas, Benzol, B.P., Natalite, Pegasus, Pratts, R.O.P., Shell, Texaco;
and any other brand of petroleum which may be declared by the Minister, by statutory notice, to be dangerous petroleum;
“licensing officer” means any person authorised in that behalf by resolution of a council to issue licences under these Regulations;
“petroleum in bulk” means petroleum in quantities exceeding two thousand five hundred litres contained in any one receptacle;
“premises” means any land or any building together with the land on which the same is situated and any adjoining land used in connection therewith for the storage of dangerous petroleum in excess of two hundred litres otherwise than in bulk;
“protected works” include buildings in which persons dwell or assemble, docks, wharves, timber yards, public roads and any other place not forming part of an installation which the Minister may by notification declare as protected works, it being understood that the timekeeper’s or administrative office of an installation does not come under the classification of “protected works”;
“storage shed” means a building used for the storage of dangerous petroleum in excess of two hundred litres otherwise than in bulk.
[As amended by 108 of 1932; 88 of 1948; 202 of 1964 and 446 of 1969.]
Licences for keeping dangerous petroleum exceeding two hundred litres may be issued by a council, and shall ordinarily be granted only when the premises intended to be used for the storage of such petroleum fulfil the conditions of regulation 4:
Provided that a council, with the approval of the Minister, may, for special reasons to be recorded in writing before granting such licence, dispense with any or all of the said conditions, and such licence shall be endorsed accordingly.
[As amended by 88 of 1948; 202 and 481 of 1964 and 446 of 1969.]
(1) The following conditions shall apply to the construction, maintenance and operation of storage sheds—
(a) licences may be granted for any quantity of dangerous petroleum to be stored in any one building, if the plot on which the storage shed is erected is so situated or is large enough to ensure a clear space of one thousand five hundred and twenty four metres in width around the shed or sheds. A clear space of at least ninety-one metres in width must be left between storage sheds on the same plot;
(b) the storage shed shall be constructed either—
(i) entirely of non-inflammable material; or
(ii) of inflammable material specially approved by a council;
(c) adequate ventilation shall be provided;
(d) every person managing or employed on or in connection with a storage shed shall abstain from any act whatsoever which tends to cause fire and which is not reasonably necessary, and shall prevent any other person from doing such act;
(e) no smoking shall be permitted in a storage shed or adjacent thereto, and suitable notices to this effect shall be conspicuously posted on the plot;
(f) no fire or naked lights shall be permitted in or adjacent to a storage shed;
(g) supplies of sand or dry earth (not less than three thousand nine hundred and two kilogrammes) shall be kept available for use in case of fire, and, in addition, at least one extinguisher of a type approved by the authorised officer in the Ministry of Energy;
(h) no vessel containing dangerous petroleum shall be opened and no petroleum shall be drawn from any vessel within the building in which the dangerous petroleum is stored;
(i) if a council requires the holder of the licence, by notice in writing, to execute any repairs to any part of the installation which may be necessary for the safety of the premises in respect of which the licence is granted and of adjacent premises, the holder of the licence shall execute the same within such period as may be fixed by the notice;
(j) no artificial light other than a filament electric lamp may be used on the plot on which a storage shed is erected;
(k) no aircraft engine shall be run on the plot;
(l) all grass, bushes and scrub must be cut short to the satisfaction of a council, and no cultivation shall be allowed on the plot;
(m) such other conditions as may be prescribed by a council.
Storage other than in storage sheds
(2) The following conditions shall apply to dangerous petroleum stored upon premises other than in a storage shed:
(a) the area within which dangerous petroleum is or is intended to be stored shall be fenced to the satisfaction of a council, and the plot on which the fenced area lies shall be so situated or large enough to ensure a clear space of 15.24 metres in width around the fenced area;
(b) paragraphs (d), (e), (f), (h), (i), (k), (l) and (m) of sub-regulation (1) shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to such fenced area.
[Am by 281 of 1958;156 of 1959; 375 of 1961; 481 of 1964 and 446 of 1969.]
The soldering of any tin shall not be carried out on the premises.
A licensing officer or any officer deputed by him for the purpose or any police officer of or above the rank of Sub-Inspector may, at any reasonable hour, enter any premises in respect of which a licence for the possession of dangerous petroleum has been granted, for the purpose of inspecting the same.
[As amended by 69 of 1963; 481 of 1964 and 446 of 1969.]
7. Application for licenses to possess dangerous petroleum
(1) Every application for a licence to possess dangerous petroleum shall be in writing and shall be accompanied by a plan drawn to scale, showing the site of the installation and the design of the storage shed (if any), in all respects in sufficient detail to enable the project to be fully understood. The application shall be submitted to a licensing officer.
(2) Applications for licences for the possession of dangerous petroleum shall specify—
(a) the description and quantity of dangerous petroleum which the applicant desires to keep, and the manner in which it is proposed to store it;
(b) the name and position of the premises in which it is proposed to keep the dangerous petroleum, and whether the said premises fulfil the conditions required by regulation 4 in so far as they are applicable to such storage.
[As amended by 481 of 1964 and 446 of 1969.]
Every licence for the possession of petroleum shall expire on the 31st December of the year in which it is issued.
9. Possession of valid licence required
No person, unless he is in possession of a valid licence issued under these Regulations, shall on any premises store dangerous petroleum exceeding two hundred litres; and no person shall store dangerous petroleum for which a licence is required under these Regulations except in the manner prescribed in these Regulations and endorsed on the licence.
[As amended by 88 of 1948.]
10. Liability for expenses incurred through breach of Regulations
In addition to any penalty prescribed by the Act, a person convicted under these Regulations may be required to pay any expenses incurred by a council in consequence of any breach of these Regulations or of the conditions of any licence issued under these Regulations committed by such person, or in consequence of the failure by him to execute any work directed in accordance with these Regulations to be executed by him.
[As amended by 481 of 1964 and 446 of 1969.]
Every application for the renewal of a licence for the possession of dangerous petroleum shall be made in the same manner as an application for an original licence, except that a plan need not be submitted if it is certified that no alteration has been made to the premises described on the original plan submitted.
The following fee units shall be charged per annum or for any lesser period for licences for the possession of dangerous petroleum, namely—
(a) when the quantity to be stored exceeds two hundred litres, but does not exceed twenty two thousand seven hundred and thirty litres, thirty fee units;
(b) when the quantity to be stored exceeds twenty two thousand seven hundred and thirty litres, thirty fee units for each twenty two thousand seven hundred and thirty litres to a maximum of seventy-five fee units.
[As amended by 88 of 1948 and Act 13 of 1994.]
Licences granted under these Regulations shall be in the forms prescribed in the Schedule.
Every licence granted under these Regulations may be revoked at any time by the Minister or by the officer who granted it, on its being established to the satisfaction of the Minister or of such officer that the licensee or any person in his employ has infringed any of the conditions of the licence or any provision of these Regulations.
[Am by GN 202 of 1964.]
15. Transport of dangerous petroleum
Dangerous petroleum shall be transported only if it is packed in airtight tins or other vessels not easily broken, or is contained in bottles securely corked and carefully packed so as to avoid risk of breakage.
16. Transport of dangerous petroleum in bulk
(1) No dangerous petroleum in bulk shall be conveyed by road vehicle to or from any store except in substantial and securely closed vessels of a suitable type, and no goods of an explosive or inflammable character shall be carried in the vehicle at the same time that dangerous petroleum is being so conveyed; such vehicle must be certified by a vehicle examiner as being fit for such transport.
(2) No dangerous petroleum in bulk shall be transported by road except in accordance with a licence issued by the Road Traffic Commissioner:
Provided that motor tank lorries used exclusively for the transport of petroleum may lawfully transport dangerous petroleum if licensed by the Road Traffic Commissioner under this proviso. Such licence shall expire on the 31st December of the year in which it is issued. A charge of seventy-five fee units shall be made for a licence under this proviso, which sum shall be additional to any licence fee payable under any other written law for the time being in force.
[As amended by 481 of 1964 and Act 13 of 1994.]
17. Powers of police and road traffic inspectors
Any police officer or road traffic inspector in uniform may at any time require the driver of a vehicle in which dangerous petroleum is being conveyed by road to stop and may inspect the vehicle for the purpose of ascertaining whether the provisions of these Regulations are being complied with.
[Am by 33 of 1965.]
18. No relief from liability for damage
Nothing in these Regulations shall be deemed to relieve any person from liability for damage caused by dangerous petroleum.
SCHEDULE
PRESCRIBED FORMS
[Regulation 13]
FORM 1
LICENCE TO POSSESS DANGEROUS PETROLEUM
No. ………………………………………………………………….
Fee …………………………………………………………………
Licence is hereby granted to ……………………….., for the storage in the premises described below of …………………….. litres of dangerous petroleum, subject to the conditions prescribed by the Petroleum (General) Regulations.
This licence shall expire on the 31st December next following the date of issue hereof, and may be renewed on application being made for this purpose.
Description of premises above referred to: ……………………………………………………………………..
………………………….
Date of issue
…………………………………
Licensing Officer
This licence is issued subject to the provisions of the Petroleum (General) Regulations, of which the holder admits cognizance.
[As amended by No. 481 of 1964 and No. 446 of 1969]
FORM 2
LICENCE TO TRANSPORT DANGEROUS PETROLEUM
No ……………………………………… Fee ……………………………………..
Licence is hereby granted to …………………… for the transport of …………………………. litres of dangerous petroleum from …………………. to ……………………….., subject to the conditions prescribed by the Petroleum (General) Regulations.
This licence shall expire on the 31st December next following the date of issue hereof, and may be renewed on application being made for this purpose.
…………………………….
Date of issue
…………………………………………….
Road Traffic Commissioner
This licence is issued subject to the provisions of the Petroleum (General) Regulations, of which the holder admits cognizance.
[As amended by 481 of 1964.]