Liquefied Petroleum Gases Bulk Storage Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1152)

42 All piping, subject to external corrosion, shall be painted or otherwise protected.

• 43 (1) Pipelines running parallel to a track, except those between adjacent loading or unloading racks, shall not be closer than 10 feet to the gauge side of the nearest rail of that track and shall comply with subsection (2).

• (2) Except for pipelines between adjacent loading or unloading racks, pipelines on the railway right-of-way and within 20 feet of a track shall be laid not less than 3 feet below ground, be enclosed in a reinforced concrete or steel trench, as prescribed in section 44, be carried on an overhead pipe bridge with a clearance above ground of not less than 13 feet or be enclosed by a suitable fence.

• 44 (1) Except as prescribed in subsections (2) and (3), below ground liquefied petroleum gas pipelines shall be laid not less than 3 feet below ground level or be enclosed in a reinforced concrete or steel trench with a recessed removable cover which shall be flush with the ground.  The trench shall be of sufficient strength to support all traffic that may pass over it and shall be provided with drainage.

• (2) Pipelines under railways shall be installed in accordance with Pipe Crossings Under Railways (No. E-10) Regulations.

• (3) Pipelines under roadways on railway property shall be enclosed in an encasing pipe of sufficient strength to support all traffic which may pass over it and shall not be less than 3 feet below the surface of the road.

• 45 (1) The piping system shall be electrically grounded for protection against the build-up of static electricity, as prescribed in the latest edition of the National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet No. 77.  The resistance to ground should be as low as possible and preferably not more than 6 ohms.

• (2) All pipelines shall be bonded at the joints with a No. 6 electrical conductor where flow to ground is interrupted by a gasket, joint compound, etc.

• 46 (1) The use of stationary internal combustion engines for the operation of liquefied petroleum gas pumps, compressors or vapourizers is not recommended, but if necessary, the installation shall be in accordance with subsections (2), (3), (5), (6) and (7).

• (2) If housed, an internal combustion engine shall be isolated from the pump or compressor by fireproof and vapourproof walls.

• (3) Except for the frame, the building shall be constructed of non-combustible or fire restraint materials.

• (4) The spark plugs and ignition system should be shielded and the engine equipped with a spark arrestor muffler.

• (5) The entire system shall be maintained in good operating condition at all times.

• (6) The exhaust shall terminate outside the building.

• (7) The building shall be cross ventilated near the floor level with permanently open louvers.

  • NOTE: 

    Electric motors used for the operation of liquefied petroleum gas pumps, compressors or vapourizers shall be explosion proof, as prescribed in section 69.

47 All materials such as joint compounds, gaskets, valve seats and packing shall be resistant to the action of liquefied petroleum gas under the service conditions to which they are subjected.

• 48 (1) All piping, valves and fittings shall be inspected and tested after assembly and prior to commencing operations for the first time and be proven gastight at a pressure not less than the working pressure of the tank, pump or device to which they are connected, or at 150 psig, if this is a higher pressure.

• (2) The results of the test of subsection (1) shall be reported to the Commission.

49 When loading or unloading racks are not employed for loading or unloading tank cars, the filling or discharge terminals shall be protected on all sides by a guard rail of metal or other material of equivalent strength and permanence.  Guard rails shall be not less than 3 feet in height.

50 Loading or unloading lines shall be equipped with shut-off valves at the tank car end of the line.  These valves shall not be used for throttling purposes but shall be either fully open or fully closed in order not to interfere with the operation of excess flow valves on the tank car.

PART VSafety Relief Devices

51 A cylinder or tank with a water capacity not exceeding 100 Imperial gallons and manufactured, filled, operated and maintained in accordance with a Canadian Transport Commission or an Interstate Commerce Commission specification, which is approved by either of these authorities for liquefied petroleum gas use, is exempt from the provisions of this Part.

• 52 (1) Every storage tank and vapourizer (except as provided in Part VII) shall be provided with one or more safety relief valves of the spring loaded type or an equivalent type which have been approved for the intended service by the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Committee of the A.S.M.E. or the Compressed Gas Association, Inc. or Underwriters’ Laboratories.

• (2) Such valves shall be of a size that will ensure a rate of discharge not less than specified in the current edition of National Fire Protection Association’s Pamphlet No. 58.

• (3) The rate of discharge prescribed in subsection (2) shall be obtained before the pressure is in excess of 120 per cent of the maximum (not including the permitted plus tolerance of 10 per cent) permitted start to discharge pressure setting of the device.

• (4) Safety relief valves shall be installed in a manner that will ensure that the full relief requirements are always satisfied.

• (5) Storage tank and vapourizer safety relief valves shall be set to start to discharge at pressures as prescribed in the current edition of the National Fire Protection Association’s Pamphlet No. 58 for vessels designed according to the A.S.M.E. Code.

53 A safety relief valve venting to the outside atmosphere shall be installed between each pair of shut-off valves on liquefied petroleum gas liquid lines where liquid may be trapped.  The start to discharge pressure setting shall not be in excess of 5000 psig.  The minimum setting shall not be lower than 140 per cent of the container relief valve setting, except that for 1.C.C. or B.T.C. containers, the minimum setting shall not be lower than 400 psig.

• 54 (1) For tanks exceeding 2,000 Imperial gallons water capacity, the discharge from tank safety relief devices shall be vented vertically to the outside atmosphere at a point not less than 7 feet above the storage tank.  Such discharge should be at least 100 feet and in no case shall it be less than 50 feet from any open flame or source of ignition.

• (2) For tanks with a water capacity of 2,000 Imperial gallons or less, the discharge from safety relief devices shall be vented vertically to the outside atmosphere in a manner that will prevent the gases from impinging on the tank.

• (3) The ends of relief valve discharge pipes shall be fitted with loose rain caps that cannot freeze in place.

• (4) All storage tank relief devices shall be located on the storage tank and shall have direct communication with the vapour space of the storage tank.

• (5) If the design of the safety relief system is such that liquid can collect on the discharge side of the disc, provision shall be made for drainage of the liquid.

• (6) Return bends and restrictive pipe fittings are not permitted in relief valve piping.

• (7) Safety relief devices shall be so arranged that the possibility of tampering will be minimized.

• (8) External pressure settings or adjustments shall be sealed.

55 The safety relief device shall be permanently marked or labelled with the following information:

• (a) start to discharge pressure in psig;

• (b) full-open rate of discharge in c.f.m. of air at 60°F and 14.7 psia;

• (c) manufacturer’s name or symbol;

• (d) year of manufacture;

• (e) letters “LPG” to indicate suitability for liquefied petroleum gas service; and

• (f) A.S.M.E. or Compressed Gas Association or Underwriters’ Laboratories approval symbol.

56 Safety relief valves and devices shall be inspected and tested prior to being put into service and shall be tested periodically as prescribed in the Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet Safety Relief Device Standards for Compressed Gas Storage Containers.

PART VILoading and Unloading

• 57 (1) The tank car, during loading and unloading operations, shall be protected on the connected end or ends of the siding by a sign of metal or other suitable material 12 inches by 15 inches in size and reading “STOP — TANK CAR CONNECTED”. The word “stop” shall be in letters at least 4 inches high and the other words in letters at least 2 inches high. Letters shall be white on a blue background.

• (2) The “Stop” sign shall be placed on the tank car or on the loading or unloading track in a manner that will ensure it is always visible to the crew of an engine on the same track.

• 58 (1) During loading or unloading operations, tank car hand brakes shall be kept applied and the wheels at both ends of the tank car shall be blocked.

• (2) Tank cars shall be disconnected from pipelines immediately after the completion of loading or unloading operations.

• (3) At least one experienced operator supplied by the consignee or the consignor, as the case may be, shall supervise the loading or unloading operation.  During the absence of the operator supervising the loading or unloading operation from the installation site, operations shall be discontinued.

• (4) Gas or liquid shall not be vented to the atmosphere to assist in transferring the contents of one container to another.

• (5) Loading or unloading operations shall only be carried out during the hours of daylight unless adequate permanent lighting installed in accordance with section 69 is provided.

59 The direct transfer of liquefied petroleum gas between tank trucks and tank cars on carrier’s right-of-way is prohibited.

60 All loading and unloading tracks shall be grounded and bonded at the loading and unloading site in accordance with the Electric Sparks Prevention Regulations.

61 The loading and unloading of tank cars located on carrier’s tracks are subject to the following conditions:

• (a) except as provided in paragraph (c), tank car discharge connections shall be equipped with excess flow valves;

• (b) lading shall be piped directly to permanent storage tanks of sufficient capacity to receive the entire contents of the tank car; the tanks and all of the facilities associated with them shall be in accordance with all applicable provisions of these Regulations;

• (c) tank cars of the I.C.C. 106A type may be loaded or unloaded on carrier’s track if written permission is obtained from the carrier concerned and equipment is provided for the safe loading or unloading of the unit tanks, but such tanks shall not be stored on carrier’s property except as provided in these Regulations; and

• (d) when the carrier’s track is a team track, it is recommended that, where practicable, the tank car be protected during loading or unloading by a locked derail located at least one car length from the tank car on the connected end or ends of the team track.

PART VIIVapourizers

62 Except as otherwise provided in this Part, vapourizer design, location, construction and operation shall be in accordance with the current edition of National Fire Protection Association Pamphlet No. 58.

63 Vapourizers, heating devices for vapourizers, and vapourizers buildings shall be separated from loading and unloading sites, tanks, location on an adjoining property which may be built upon or other buildings by distances not less than the following:

• (a) indirect fired vapourizers, 10 feet;

• (b) heating devices for indirect fired vapourizers, 25 feet;

• (c) direct fired vapourizers, with a capacity of 100 gallons per hour or less, 25 feet; and

• (d) direct fired vapourizers with a capacity exceeding 100 gallons per hour, 50 feet.

• 64 (1) Vapourizers, if housed, should be installed in detached buildings used exclusively for liquefied petroleum gas vapourization and if the vapourizer is installed in a lean-to, shed or room of a building, such building may only be used for liquefied petroleum gas operations.

• (2) The vapourizer building or room, as the case may be, shall be constructed of non-combustible or fire resistant materials, shall be cross-ventilated at the floor and ceiling levels by louvered openings, and should be provided with not less than 1 square foot of explosion relief venting on the open side per 40 cubic feet of inside space.

• 65 (1) A direct fired vapourizer or the heating device which supplies steam, hot water, or other fire-safe heating medium for an indirect fired vapourizer shall be separated from all other liquefied petroleum gas equipment, such as pumps or gas mixing devices by fireproof and vapourproof walls.  Access to such vapourizer and heating device shall be from the outside only.  The firewall shall be of not less than 1 hour fire resistance.  Other parts of the room housing the heating device shall be constructed of noncombustible or fire resistant material.  Cross ventilation shall be provided by other means than doors and windows.

• (2) This section does not apply to domestic water heaters which may supply heat for a vapourizer in a domestic system.