Dangerous Substance Regulations 2019
On 11th December 2019, Minister Pat Breen, TD., Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, signed the following Regulations into law:
• Dangerous Substances (Flammable Liquids and Fuels Retail Stores) Regulations, 2019 (S.I. No. 630 of 2019) and
• Dangerous Substance (flammable Liquids and Fuels Distribution and Commercial Supply Stores) Regulations, 2019 (S.I. No. 631 of 2019)
Repealing and replacing the Dangerous Substances (Retail and Private Petroleum Stores) Regulations, 1979 (S.I. No. 311 of 1979) and the Dangerous Substances (Petroleum Bulk Stores) Regulations, 1979 (S.I. No. 313 of 1979).
These Regulations make a number of changes to the petroleum sector; to increase safety standards for employees, the public and the environment, and will come into force on 1st April, 2020. The Regulations are broader in scope than the 1979 Regulations and include diesel, as well as several ‘alternative fuels’ such as electricity, hydrogen, biofuels, synthetic and paraffinic fuels, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Given the significant changes between the 1979 Regulations and the 2019 Regulations, the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has prepared a document of Frequently Asked Questions to assist stakeholders in preparing for the new regulatory regime.
Please view the pdf version of the new regulations and the frequently asked questions document which is available on website of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation website.
If there are any queries which have not been addressed here, please forward them to dangerous.substances@dbei.gov.ie
Role of the Local Authority under these regulations
Laois County Council as the licencing authority has a role in relation to the licensing, inspection and prosecuting breaches of licences under the Dangerous Substance Act, 1972 and Dangerous Substances Regulations, 2019.
The new Regulations provides for the inclusion of diesel, and indeed other flammable liquids and fuels. While diesel is not combustible at ambient temperatures, it can be an environmental hazard. As such, it should be subject to the same controls as other flammable liquids. In addition, where diesel is co-located with more flammable liquids, it may also become a hazard if those combust. The legislation that provides for this is the Dangerous Substances Act 1972 (Part IV Declaration) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 147 of 2020).
Licence obligations
1. For retail and kerbside stores:
All retail and kerbside stores which store flammable liquids and fuels for the purpose of sale or supply to the public must have a licence to operate granted by the appropriate licencing authority.
2. For distribution and commercial supply stores:
All distribution and commercial supply stores which hold flammable liquids and fuels for supply or sale to commercial enterprises, for supply to the licencee’s own vehicle or for use in any engine under the licences control must have a licence granted by the appropriate licensing authority.
Application Forms can be found at the bottom of this page.
Additional guidance on the documents required to be submitted with the application are detailed in the pages following the Application forms.
Licence fees
Laois County Council, as the licencing authority, charge a licence fee for licences under both Regulations which are set out in the Dangerous Substances (Licensing Fees) Regulations, 1979 (S.I. No. 301 of 1979). On the grant of a licence, the amount of the fee for each year or part of a year for which the licence is to be valid shall be:
Dangerous Substances (Licencing Fees) Regulations 1979
| Capacity of store | Licence fee per year or part of a year |
| (a) Not exceeding 500 litres | €3.80 |
| (b) 500 litres – 2,500 litres | €7.60 |
| (c) 2,500 litres – 5,000 litres | €11.40 |
| (d) 5,000 litres – 25,000 litres | €15.20 |
| (e) 25,000 litres – 50,000 litres | €30.40 |
| (f) 50,000 litres – 100,000 litres | €45.60 |
| (g) 100,000 litres – 250,000 litres | €70.40 |
| (h) Over 250,000 litres | €126.90 |
Application for Amendment of Licence
| Not exceeding 25,000 litres | €3.80 |
| Exceeding 25,000 litres | 50% of fee paid when licence was granted |
Application for transfer or replacement of licence
€3.80 in all cases.
Administrative Fee
In addition to the licence fee, Laois County Council as the licensing authority also apply a charge of €500 in respect of administrative costs associated with the processing of licence applications.
Legislation
• Dangerous Substances Act 1972 (DSA 1972)
• Dangerous Substances (Flammable Liquids and Fuels Retail Stores) Regulations, 2019 (S.I. No. 630 of 2019)
• Dangerous Substance (flammable Liquids and Fuels Distribution and Commercial Supply Stores) Regulations, 2019 (S.I. No. 631 of 2019)
Definitions
'Appropriate licensing authority’ means the licensing authority with functional responsibilities for the area in which the retail store or kerbside retail store is located, or a licensing authority or group of licensing authorities designated as an appropriate licensing authority, or a body established to act on behalf of a licensing authority or group of licensing authorities and designated as an appropriate licensing authority. An appropriate licensing authority may also be an appropriate fire authority.
- A ‘retail store’ means a place or premises used or intended to be used for the keeping for sale or supply to the public under a licence flammable liquids and fuels for use in the propulsion of a vehicle or the running of an engine of any kind.
- A ‘kerbside retail store’ means a retail store, premises or location where:
flammable liquids and fuels are stored for the purposes of sale or supply to the public and are dispensed to vehicles that are parked on a public road, whether the dispensing equipment is located on a public footpath or otherwise, or the vehicle from which flammable liquids and fuels are transferred to the store is parked on a public road. - ‘Commercial supply’ means the sale of flammable liquids and fuels to commercial operations, or the supply of flammable liquids and fuels for commercial activities, whether the flammable liquids and fuels are supplied to another person or company or within the same company
Role of the Health and Safety Authority under these regulations
Under the Regulations for retail stores or commercial stores, the Health and Safety Authority is the ‘appeals authority’.
If a licence application for a retail store or commercial store is refused, or the store is the subject of an adjudication on any matter by the licensing authority, the owner or operator may appeal the decision to the Health and Safety Authority within 60/30 days from the date of the decision by the licensing authority.
*Kerbside retail stores can appeal decisions to the District Court.
Application forms
Further information
Details on how to make an appeal can be found on the flammable liquids and fuels retain page on the Health and Safety Authority website.