§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment what recommendations are observed with regard to Klonnetype gasholders not being fitted with flame arresters; if this recommendation is embodied in current codes of practice; and if it will be embodied in any subsequent codes relevant to such installations.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the provision of flame arresters on Klonne type gasholders is not recommended by Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate. Although provision of these devices has been suggested as a means of reducing risk of fire in the event of a vent pipe being struck by lightning, the Inspectorate believes that, because of the difficulties and risks involved in fitting them, alternative methods of reducing this hazard are more suitable, for example, by shortening the vent pipes to reduce the risk of lightning actually striking a pipe. The British Steel Corporation, the principal user of this type of gasholder, has incorporated these alternative methods into its operating and maintenance instructions for waterless gasholders.
The Institute of Gas Engineers is at present revising its publication on safety recommendations for gasholders.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Employment what recommendations are observed with regard to Klonnetype gasholders being modified to bond electrically the internal piston to the shell; and how many such gasholders have been modified in this way.
§ Mr. John GrantI am informed by the Chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that the provision of electrical 797W bonding between the piston and shell of Klonne-type gasholders poses serious practical difficulties. Despite a number of experiments no method of bonding has been discovered which does not itself introduce an element of greater risk of ignition of gas, so that the balance of advantage at present lies in not fitting bonding devices. Her Majesty's Factory Inspectorate takes the view that a system for electrical bonding is a desirable objective, whenever the means exist to achieve it safely, but that it is not able in the
Peterhead Employment Office area Fraserburgh Employment Office area Numbers registered as unemployed Percentage rates of unemployment Numbers registered as unemployed Percentage rates of unemployment November 1975 311 3.6 295 3.8 December 1975 323 3.7 321 4.2 January 1976 421 4.8 409 5.3 February 1976 398 4.6 389 5.0 March 1976 393 4.5 366 4.7 April 1976 364 4.2 337 4.4 May 1976 303 3.5 317 4.1 June 1976 320 3.7 330 4.3 July 1976 392 4.5 369 4.8 August 1976 384 4.4 361 4.7 September 1976 334 3.8 316 4.1 October 1976 320 3.7 305 3.9