Reduce Fuel Spills by Mitigating Risk

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Eliminating fuel spills in the FBO environment is virtually impossible; however, they can be reduced by mitigating the risk.

Although fuel spills are not an everyday occurrence, there is an increased chance they will happen more frequently in a fast-paced FBO environment where hundreds, even thousands of aircraft are refueled monthly.

The most common type of fuel spill happens when topping off an aircraft, especially in the summer when temperatures rise on the ramp and cause fuel to expand in the aircraft wing tank. This expansion can cause a spill through the aircraft fuel venting system.

Most of these types of spills are relatively small and can be managed by FBO personnel. However, they are still considered a hazard and a safety risk and should be dealt with using environmentally safe procedures such as approved hazmat absorbent materials.

By keeping track of the number of fuel spills that occur on a monthly and annual basis, FBO management can detect if there is a trend or a propensity for this type of event that needs to be mitigated.

Mitigating risk is a process. It starts with FBO ownership:

  • Investing time and resources in safety training
  • Adopting a safety management system (SMS)
  • Developing properly written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that spell out the correct methods for fueling aircraft under various conditions

As an example, here are some basic best practices for developing an SOP to help prevent fuel spills by overfueling:

  1. Over-Wing Fueling – Overfueling/Spill Prevention:
    1. Confirm fuel load in writing as well as distribution in fuel tanks.
    2. Place wing mat over fueling port.
    3. While inserting nozzle, do not insert to bottom of fueling port/wing.
    4. While fueling, do not use full fuel flow. This will prevent back splash and allow trapped air to escape.
    5. Monitor fuel meter for correct amount of fuel to be delivered.
    6. Do not fill fuel to top of fueling port. Allow for some expansion space — most important in warm/hot weather.
    7. Complete paperwork or electronic fuel log.

  2. Single-Point Pressure Fueling – Overfueling/Spill Prevention:
    1. Confirm fuel load in writing
    2. Confirm correct number of gallons and pounds of fuel to be delivered.
    3. Connect pressure fueling nozzle.
    4. Confirm proper aircraft fuel tank distribution with pilot in command.
    5. Open pressure nozzle valve.
    6. Engage deadman device.
    7. Monitor fuel meter for correct gallons.
    8. Monitor fuel pressure not to exceed 45 to 50 lbs.
    9. Cease fueling when correct fuel load is delivered.
    10. Avoid having the aircraft fuel valves shut off the fueling operation.
    11. Complete paperwork or electronic fuel log.

  3. In the event of a fuel spill, observe the following fuel spillage safety measures:
    1. Activate fuel shutoff valve, where installed.
    2. Alert person in charge of fueling operation and/or pilot in command.
    3. For spills that cannot be contained by FBO personnel, contact fire service as appropriate.
    4. Verify with fueling supervisor if all operations must be halted.
    5. Restrict operations to reduce potential fire hazards.
    6. Clean up fuel spill as necessary.

For more information on establishing an SMS and a safety committee, please read this blog post. Also, if FBOs want to take their internal safety culture to a higher level, we recommend the International Safety Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) registration program.

Please leave any comments you have about this blog post below. If you have any questions, please give us a call or send us an email: jenticknap@bellsouth.net, 404-867-5518; ronjacksongroup@gmail.com, 972-979-6566.

ABOUT THE BLOGGERS:

John Enticknap has more than 35 years of aviation fueling and FBO services industry experience and is an IS-BAH Accredited auditor. Ron Jackson is co-founder of Aviation Business Strategies Group and president of The Jackson Group, a PR agency specializing in FBO marketing and customer service training. Visit the biography page or absggroup.com for more background.

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