Oil tank TV episode prompts safety advice to Cambridgeshire homeowners

Homeowners in Cambridgeshire are being warned of the dangers of not properly installing an oil tank following an episode of BBC’s Jay Blades’ Home Fix.

The episode, which aired on Thursday (June 4), shows a DIY expert demonstrating how to build a wooden fence around a garden oil tank.

However, the tank had not been installed in line with building regulations, and the fence was not constructed to British Standards guidelines for screenings, according to OFTEC.

OFTEC - the registration body for off-grid heating - has contacted the BBC on the matter, as the guidelines weren't mentioned in the programme.

Speaking to households in Cambridgeshire, Malcolm Farrow from OFTEC, said: “Oil heating systems have an excellent safety record. However, Building Regulations and British Standards guidelines are in place for a reason and there is a clear risk that the programme could encourage people to place tanks too close to their home, or fit non-compliant screens around their oil tanks, with obvious dangers arising from this.

“In the case shown in the programme, the minimum distance for an oil tank to a solid structure has not been met and so compromises the requirement to provide adequate access to the tank for general inspection. This increases the risk of a pollution incident as, if there were a leak, it could go undetected.

“The potential risk of a fire spreading to the tank has also been greatly increased by using a combustible material like timber so close to the tank.”

To read OFTEC’s full statement, or for more information visit here