The provisions of this section of Part 2 in the 2002 BSS Standards are mandatory for non-private boats where applicable.
Labelling all deck connections will help prevent cross-contamination between different fuels, water and other liquids. Many deck connections and fittings are already marked to show their purpose but, if they aren't, you must clearly mark them by putting a label on or immediately beside them to indicate their purpose. The label must be clear, permanent and tough enough to do the job it's designed for. You can paint on the signs, if you prefer. You must label the exact type of fuel that is being used, e.g. petrol, diesel, paraffin etc. - simply labelling it 'fuel' isn't enough!
Cross-contamination, such as petrol being added to the water system, can become a fire hazard. It's recommended that your boat's deck and filling connections are set up in such a way to minimise the risk of this happening. [2.3]
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A boat fire became very serious when petrol which had escaped into the bilges was ignited. The fuel had leaked from a filler hose that had been detached from the spigot on the fuel tank. Investigations showed that although from outward appearance the hose appeared sound, petrol had seriously permeated the hose over a period of time causing it to deform and become detached from the tank spigot. It turned out that the hose never was suitable for use with petrol and a dangerous situation had been building up for a long time. Fortunately the boat wasn't in a lock, marina or near anything else when the fire occurred. [2.3] |