Known as the Oil storage regulations or OSR England, these regulations require anyone in England who stores more than 200 litres of oil, to provide more secure containment facilities for tanks, drums, Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) and mobile bowsers. This is to prevent oil escaping into the environment.
Heating and distribution
Oil is used as a heating fuel in hundreds of thousands of domestic premises and over 800,000 industrial and commercial sites. Over 200 companies are involved in oil distribution. The UK oil industry employs over 140,000 people and petroleum products supply about a third of the primary energy used in the UK.
Waste pollution
Oil is the most commonly reported cause of waste pollution. We record over 5,000 incidents annually. Even a small quantity can cause a lot of damage to the environment and threaten human health.
This section contains questions and answers on the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001.
If you wish to read the regulations in full, you will find them listed in Annex C of the following document:
Remember that other regulations and standards apply to the storage of oil and these aren't enforced by us. For example, Building Regulations (PDF, 4MB), OSR Northern Ireland (PDF, 1.1MB), OSR Scotland and petroleum licensing legislation.
It is your responsibility to make sure that your oil storage facilities comply with all relevant legislation.
For more information about the OSR England please read this document:
