West Fuel Systems is an OFTEC Registered Business offering a nationwide service for domestic and commercial oil tank installations, inspections and maintenance work. OFTEC BUSINESS REGISTRATION NUMBER: 103365

Protection of the environment and property is vital, although oil is an intrinsically safe fuel. Oil tank inspections are essential and allow our engineers to assess the environmental and fire risks associated with Domestic and commercial fuel storage facilities. An oil tank inspection should be carried out prior to any installation work commencing or to identify and record risks regarding the existing system.

For domestic properties with a capacity not greater than 3,500 litres, British Standard BS 5410:1 applies and for non-domestic premises, British Standard BS 5410:2 applies to oil tank installations. Each installation will have individual features, and they must be assessed on each occasion as to their likely effect on both the risk of spillage and the risk of spread of fire to the contained fuel.

As a trusted provider of heating oil tank installation and maintenance, West Fuel Systems Ltd is registered with the Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC), and our engineers are trained to OFTEC 10-600A for our oil tank installations. OFTEC accreditation is an important qualification to check for when purchasing a heating oil system or changing your current oil tank, or when you have moved to a new property and inherited an oil system.

A registered OFTEC engineer will aid you in selecting the type of tank that you require and more importantly, will help you to determine where the oil tank needs to be positioned for it to be within UK safety and regulations. OFTEC regulations help to mitigate environmental and fire risks – West Fuel Systems OFTEC certified technicians will ensure that your oil tank meets the OFTEC regulations, as well as ensuring that the oil Tanks location complies with current building regulations.

Our safe service doesn’t end with oil tank installation though, as you should have your oil tank inspected on an annual basis by an OFTEC certified technician to make sure that the oil system is in good working order. Getting the oil tank checked at regular intervals will mean that any potential issues are identified prior to them causing real problems, which could save a considerable amount of money and effort in the future. It is particularly important to arrange an inspection if you’ve recently moved to a new property with a heating oil tank. You could end up paying the price for the previous owner’s poor choice of tank, or their neglect of proper oil tank inspections.

It is highly unlikely that a fire could be started by a domestic oil tank and its oil contents. However, tanks are required to comply with fire separation distances in order to adequately protect the stored fuel from a fire or heat source, that may originate nearby.​

Tanks should be sited:

• 1.8m away from non-fire rated eaves of a building
• 1.8m away from a non-fire rated building or structure (e.g. garden sheds)
• 1.8m away from openings (such as doors or windows) in a fire-rated building or structure (e.g. brick built house/garage)
• 1.8m away from oil fired appliance flue terminals
• 760mm away from a non-fire rated boundary such as a wooden boundary fence
• 600mm away from screening (e.g. trellis and foliage) that does not form part of the boundary.

If it is not possible to comply with these requirements, then a fire barrier with at least 30 minutes fire ratings should be provided. A minimum separation distance of 100 mm is required between the tank and fire-rated barrier unless a larger distance is specified by the tank manufacturer.

Externally sited commercial oil storage tanks should comply with the requirements laid out in the fire regulations of 2m for capacity up to 3,500 capacity and 6 m for capacities over 3,500 litres. Where these separation distances cannot be achieved, a firewall must be provided between the tank and the hazard (either a building or boundary) in accordance with the specifications.

Additionally, where a tank contains more than 3,500 litres any openings in the walls between 1.8 and 6m away from the tank should be fitted with 1-hour fire-resisting glass or 1-hour fire-resisting self-closing doors.