Community Info

LPG is a nontoxic, non-poisonous gas, but it is highly flammable, which is why Contact’s Woolston LPG Terminal, where we store large quantities of LPG, is classified as an upper tier Major Hazard Facility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. 

This means we must prove to WorkSafe that we have the right safety, operating and maintenance systems in place to ensure we keep any risk as low as possible.

To do this we develop Safety Cases, which comprehensively document our ability to manage and control any major incident effectively, and include a summary of our safety assessments, safety management system and emergency plans. These are submitted to Worksafe for approval, and refreshed and reviewed every five years.

Safety Assessment
The main risk is from an uncontrolled release of LPG, which could catch fire if it comes in contact with an ignition source. However, the probability of this risk occurring is extremely low as our tanks are designed to be impact and fire resistant. Other sources of uncontrolled releases could come from our above ground 30 tonne tank, tankers and cylinders, but since these systems contain less LPG than our large storage tanks the risk is commensurately lower. In addition, all of the electrical circuits on our sites have been specifically chosen to ensure they don’t create an ignition source, and all of our safety systems (including fire and shutdown sirens) are tested on a regular basis. 

Safety Management System
Our Safety Management System is the primary means by which we ensure our safe operation and it provides the link between systems and controls. It contains things such as policy and procedures, organisation and personnel, performance monitoring, audits and reviews.

Emergency Plans
Following an uncontrolled release such as those identified in the Safety Assessments, a fire siren will sound and the site will automatically shut down. The NZ Fire Service will automatically be called out to help manage the release, and to ensure they are in place should a fire occur. The release may take the form of a visible cloud travelling at wind speed, although this may vary depending on the strength of the wind. Water sprays may activate to disperse the cloud. The risk of such a cloud reaching our neighbours is very low, but anyone able to self-evacuate from a cloud should do so.

Immediate neighbours will be notified directly by Contact staff via telephone. Nearby neighbours may be contacted by either the Fire Service or the Police. They should shelter in place if they can, unless told differently.

For further information contact our Branch Manager on 03 3848703.