Global experts in fuel handling consumer safety
Breaking News
EU-Commission - Classification Labelling & Packaging (CLP) Regulation - 2024 update to hazard labelling
20th November 2024 - published in the EU Official Journal
10th December 2024 - enters into force
While fuel labels must already be compliant to both the GB CLP and EU CLP (since 1st June 2017 for hazardous mixtures already on the market), Annex-II (Special rules for labelling and packaging of certain substances and mixtures) of the EU CLP 2024 update includes additional context for fuel stations:
EU-Commission - Classification Labelling & Packaging (CLP) Regulation - 2024 update to hazard labelling
20th November 2024 - published in the EU Official Journal
10th December 2024 - enters into force
While fuel labels must already be compliant to both the GB CLP and EU CLP (since 1st June 2017 for hazardous mixtures already on the market), Annex-II (Special rules for labelling and packaging of certain substances and mixtures) of the EU CLP 2024 update includes additional context for fuel stations:
- "For a substance or a mixture supplied at a filling station and directly pumped into a receptacle that forms an integral part of a vehicle and from where the substance or mixture is normally not intended to be removed, the label elements referred to in Article 17 shall be provided on a visible place on the respective pump."
|
Why the 2024 update to the EU CLP?
The EU-Commission recognised "insufficient protection and suboptimal communication to consumers of hazardous products." Fuel station operators: Please contact our experts directly to learn what you need to do and the options available. CLP labels can be shown to consumers within your existing nozzle display units (i.e. most units available are big enough to display the content required by CLP Article 17).
However, if your CLP labels are missing or so far overlooked, they are quick to implement. While CLP labels can be shown in any nozzle display unit, GripHero's CLP (Article 17) Hazard Labels enable quick, easy and inexpensive compliance to both the GB CLP and EU CLP requirements.
|
|
Consumer safety when refuelling is easy to get right,
but what can happen if it's done wrong?
but what can happen if it's done wrong?
|
May 2024:
Exxon is hit with $725 million verdict over carcinogen in gasoline https://www.reuters.com/legal/exxon-hit-with-7255-million-verdict-over-mechanics-leukemia-diagnosis-2024-05-10/ "Following the trial that lasted just over a week, the jury found Exxon liable for negligently failing to warn about the health risks of benzene, which the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) has classified as a known carcinogen. The entire verdict was in compensatory damages, according to Gill's attorneys." "This verdict is important because it’s a finding that their gasoline causes cancer," said Patrick Wigle, an attorney for Gill, in a statement. "ExxonMobil has known for decades that benzene causes cancer, yet they resisted warning the public and taking basic precautions to warn the public and limit exposure." September 2024: Judge rejects Exxon's challenge to $725 million benzene verdict, adding $91m in delay damages https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2024/09/16/793075.htm The Court denied all of ExxonMobil's post-trial motions and added over $90 million in delay damages, to bring the total award to just under $816 Million. "The denial of the post-trial motions reinforces the jury's determination that ExxonMobil must be held responsible for causing Mr. Gill's injuries," said Andrew DuPont, a partner with Locks Law Firm. "It's important that we continue to fight to bring to light the cancer hazard of exposure to benzene in gasoline". |
|
Would you like to learn more about the labelling & PPE requirements
associated with handling & selling fuel?
Please read on...
associated with handling & selling fuel?
Please read on...
Do you know the details of the Consumer Safety Laws for handling fuels?
To date, have they been overlooked or ignored?
GripHero's compliance products safeguard your fuel stations against Personal Injury Claims
|
Every day, in the UK alone, over 2 million consumers are invited onto the petrol station premises to handle extremely flammable, Category-1 human carcinogenic/mutagenic substances; some without clear, highly visible and regulation-compliant hazard signage, labelling and safety-gloves always available at the exact point of contact.
Consumer Safety Laws for handling fuels are very detailed, specific and often overlooked. For example, Petrol/Gasoline contains four Category-1 hazards, officially termed and coded as follows:
Hazard Labelling Regulations In United Nations countries, there are specific laws to warn, inform, instruct and protect consumers in universally standardised and specific ways. For the labelling of hazardous chemicals in Europe and GB, these laws are the EU CLP and GB CLP Regulations respectively [in the USA, this is regulated by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA)]. You will have already seen these CLP hazard labels displayed prominently in the correct location on all substances and mixtures classified as hazardous. These labels must contain the CLP-compliant signal words, hazard pictograms, precautionary statements and other obligatory details. As a minimum, the labels must contain the elements listed for each chemical in the EU 'Harmonised Classification' index, or GB 'Mandatory Classification and Labelling (MCL) index. |
|
For petrol (gasoline) and diesel fuels, these are indexed as follows:
and:
Question for fuel retailers / distributors / end users:
Are the CLP labels for your fuels currently missing, overlooked, or are adverts/promotions being displayed in the place of than the statutory CLP hazard labels? Contact us to learn how we can quickly fix this for you.
- EU Harmonised Classification Index # 649-224-00-6 = Diesel fuels (EC Number 269-822-7)
- EU Harmonised Classification Index # 649-378-00-4 = Gasoline fuels (EC Number 289-220-8)
and:
- GB MCL Index # 649-224-00-6 = Diesel fuels (EC Number 269-822-7)
- GB MCL Index # 649-378-00-4 = Gasoline fuels (EC Number 289-220-8)
Question for fuel retailers / distributors / end users:
Are the CLP labels for your fuels currently missing, overlooked, or are adverts/promotions being displayed in the place of than the statutory CLP hazard labels? Contact us to learn how we can quickly fix this for you.
|
PPE Regulations
Accompanying the CLP hazard labels for fuels, the EU/GB PPE Regulations then mandate PPE provided for use in "Potentially Explosive Atmospheres" comply with: Annex-I - Risk Categories of PPE and Annex-II - Essential Health and Safety Requirements. This specifically excludes standard forms of gloves (i.e. Category-1 PPE - for use in 'minimal risk' applications only). Question for fuel retailers / distributors / end users: Please check your PPE is compliant to this regulation; you will find the PPE Risk Category printed on the pack. Please see the Static Safety section for further detail. |
|
GripHero, having globally specialised in this niche area of fuel handling consumer safety for over 8 years, has become the leading expert in the detailed requirements of these laws, and a regular consult by law and insurance firms around the world during fuel handling and exposure cases.
By law, all fuel consumers must be warned, informed, instructed and protected, at the exact point of contact with hazardous chemicals and products.
If you would like our support to specify your fuel stations with CLP/FHSA-compliant hazard signage, labelling and anti-static ATEX safety-gloves (Category-2 PPE - for use in 'Potentially Explosive Atmospheres'), please get in contact with us directly.
Providing GripHero to consumers is very quick, easy, simple and inexpensive to implement and operate.
By law, all fuel consumers must be warned, informed, instructed and protected, at the exact point of contact with hazardous chemicals and products.
If you would like our support to specify your fuel stations with CLP/FHSA-compliant hazard signage, labelling and anti-static ATEX safety-gloves (Category-2 PPE - for use in 'Potentially Explosive Atmospheres'), please get in contact with us directly.
Providing GripHero to consumers is very quick, easy, simple and inexpensive to implement and operate.
Static safety on petrol stations
There are a number of fuel-handling health & safety regulations and consumer safety laws which govern petrol stations. Shown below, are screenshots from Paragraph 2.6 from EU 2016/425 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations. This is the key section of the PPE Regulation that manufacturers, distributors and end users of anti-static (static dissipative) Category-2 PPE refer to.
In preparation for Brexit, UK Parliament transposed the EU PPE Regulations into GB law via Statutory Instrument 2018 #390.
Did you know... Standard gloves (Category-1 PPE - for use in 'minimal risk' applications) both generate and amplify static spark energy on the person, enough to ignite fuel vapours. Standard forms of gloves also enable the transmission of static energy built up on the clothes of the motorist. The combination of these two factors means that the use of standard gloves can amplify static energy around the motorist's hands, therefore amplifying and increasing the static risk when used as hand-protection in the ATEX-classified fuelling zones.
The 5 exclusive applications for Category-1 (minimum risk) PPE include:
The 5 exclusive applications for Category-1 (minimum risk) PPE include:
- "Contact with cleaning materials of weak action or prolonged contact with water"
- "Atmospheric conditions that are not of an extreme nature"
|
In accordance with the PPE Regulation, all PPE must be labelled with its 'Risk Category'. Is the PPE on your fuel station the incorrect Risk Category (Category-1 for 'minimal risk applications only')?
In accordance with the PPE Regulation, it is illegal to manufacture, distribute and make available PPE with the incorrect risk category for the application. In accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH) Regulations (Section 7: Prevention or control of exposure to substances hazardous to health), Paragraph 9 states: "Personal protective equipment provided by an employer in accordance with this regulation shall be suitable for the purpose and shall-- (a) comply with any [legal requirement (The Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/390))] which is applicable to that item of personal protective equipment" |
|
Since 2018, GripHero's Anti-Static ATEX-Certified Safety-Gloves (Category-2 PPE - for use in 'Potentially Explosive Atmospheres') have been preventing and blocking static sparks between the person and fuel equipment.
While there are many options for Category-2 PPE, GripHero is proud to boast by far the lowest environmental impact (plastic, CO2 and cardboard) and lowest cost. [Image shows various Category-2 PPE options. GripHero is shown on the right of the image] By providing ATEX Safety-Gloves at the customers' point of contact in the ATEX Fuel zone, GripHero enables full regulation compliance, maintaining valid insurance cover and helps safeguard petrol stations against fuel-exposure injury claims. |
|
It is not surprising that a growing number of accident reports and Personal Injury Claims are occurring against petrol filling stations, particularly for fuel contamination/exposure, as a result of the inadequate provision/availability of regulation-compliant hazard labelling and Safety-Gloves.
Terms that are forming part of fuel exposure legal cases include "reasonably available lawful alternatives" and "lawfully acting competitors".
What do these terms mean?
Empty safety-glove dispensers and non-compliant signage and labelling leaves petrol stations non-compliant to sell fuels to consumers, and open and vulnerable to injury and exposure claims.
For example:
In the UK, key consumer safety law references include the detail within fuel Safety Data Sheets, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH) Regulations, GB CLP Regulations, Consumer Protection Act, General Product Safety Regulations, The PPE Regulation, Health & Safety at Work Act and the Occupier's Liability Act.
In Northern Ireland, the key Consumer Safety Law references used include fuel Safety Data Sheets, CoSHH Regulations, EU CLP Regulations, The PPE Regulation, and the Health & Safety at Work Order.
In the Republic of Ireland, key Consumer Safety Law references used include fuel Safety Data Sheets, Statutory Instrument #122 of 2024 (Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Regulations 2024), EU CLP Regulations, The PPE Regulation, HSA Explosive Atmospheres at Places of Work, and the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act.
In the USA, one of the key Consumer Safety Laws used referencing the consumer's handling of fuels is the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, part of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The FHSA encompasses many of the EU/GB regulations in one place.
Terms that are forming part of fuel exposure legal cases include "reasonably available lawful alternatives" and "lawfully acting competitors".
What do these terms mean?
- There are various inexpensive options to display CLP/FHSA fuel labels and various inexpensive PPE options with the correct Risk Category.
- There are many already complying with these regulations and acting lawfully; rather than profiting from misbranding, adverts/promotions.
Empty safety-glove dispensers and non-compliant signage and labelling leaves petrol stations non-compliant to sell fuels to consumers, and open and vulnerable to injury and exposure claims.
For example:
In the UK, key consumer safety law references include the detail within fuel Safety Data Sheets, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH) Regulations, GB CLP Regulations, Consumer Protection Act, General Product Safety Regulations, The PPE Regulation, Health & Safety at Work Act and the Occupier's Liability Act.
In Northern Ireland, the key Consumer Safety Law references used include fuel Safety Data Sheets, CoSHH Regulations, EU CLP Regulations, The PPE Regulation, and the Health & Safety at Work Order.
In the Republic of Ireland, key Consumer Safety Law references used include fuel Safety Data Sheets, Statutory Instrument #122 of 2024 (Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances Regulations 2024), EU CLP Regulations, The PPE Regulation, HSA Explosive Atmospheres at Places of Work, and the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act.
In the USA, one of the key Consumer Safety Laws used referencing the consumer's handling of fuels is the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, part of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The FHSA encompasses many of the EU/GB regulations in one place.
|
Did you also know...
Whether settled or not, a Personal Injury Claim against a forecourt can have an immediate and significant effect on the public liability insurance renewal premium, excesses and claims reserves. Furthermore, the associated costs and stress on staff of trying to settle a Personal Injury Claim can be huge, for something that initially seems as insignificant as providing regulation-compliant hazard signage and safety-gloves for consumers. However, as has already been shown, a low prioritisation of consumer safety and empty safety-glove dispensers, leaves forecourts vulnerable to a claim from one of the 2-million consumers (in the UK alone), that refuel every single day. |
|
A consumer suffering harm/fuel contamination/exposure at the pumps, and simply documenting empty safety-glove dispensers and non-compliant hazard labels, has all the evidence needed for submitting a no-win-no-fee Personal Injury Claim.
Therefore, regulation-compliant labels and consumer Safety-Gloves should be high on the priority list of daily forecourt operations. However, many fuel operators have both shown and told us that these two consumer safety aspects have historically been at the bottom of their operational priorities. Interestingly, we have also been shown why this low prioritisation to consumer safety on fuel stations has historically been the case. Let's see why... Many fuel operators rely on assessments and inspections against the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR). However, DSEAR specifically excludes these two elements of consumer safety, as stated in DSEAR Section 4, Paragraphs 1(a) and (b). Here, duties including PPE, information and instruction "shall not extend to persons who are not his employees". The duties for the provision of PPE, information and instruction to consumers is actually governed by the CoSHH, CLP and PPE Regulations, the Consumer Protection Act, and the General Product Safety Regulations. However, fuel stations, despite being hazardous environments selling hazardous chemicals, do not traditionally have assessments and inspections against these regulations. |
|
Aside from labelling and PPE regulation compliance, remember, when a consumer handles your fuel dispensing equipment to refuel, this is their first and most important interaction with the forecourt, setting the tone for their customer journey and experience.
With GripHero's regulation-compliant hazard signage, labelling and 'always-available', ATEX-Certified, anti-static ATEX Safety-Gloves protecting consumers in ATEX Zone-1 (the Fuelling Zone),
GripHero makes it very quick, easy and inexpensive to:
With GripHero's regulation-compliant hazard signage, labelling and 'always-available', ATEX-Certified, anti-static ATEX Safety-Gloves protecting consumers in ATEX Zone-1 (the Fuelling Zone),
GripHero makes it very quick, easy and inexpensive to:
- Safeguard forecourts against fuel handling and exposure Personal Injury Claims
- Maintain valid insurance cover for Public Liability/Fire
- Comply to fuel Safety Data Sheets, and consumer safety laws for handling extremely flammable Category-1 carcinogenic/mutagenic substances.
|
Most sites only passively offer gloves, showing no real additional return (Why? Because 80% to 90% of your customers have dirty, sticky hands).
However, there are huge gains made by actively and pro-actively protecting customers and encouraging clean hands. GripHero enables you to efficiently get to the high percentages, making your sites safe and hygienic, while increasing profitability. #CleanHands #IncreaseRevenue 
|
|
What our customers say
|
What your customers say
|
94% reduction to your environmental footprint
|
GripHero efficiently dispenses
ultra-low-carbon anti-static CAT-II ATEX Safety-Gloves at the exact point of consumer contact, directly from the nozzle...
|
Please contact us directly to see how we can help you feel proud of safe and efficient forecourts
