Manufacturing & Engineering

Which coke and petroleum manufacturing regulations apply to your business

Refining crude oil and making coke and other refined petroleum products is among the highest-hazard manufacturing there is, and it sits inside the COMAH major-accident regime, environmental permitting and the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, with fuel quality standards and excise duty on top. Use this guide to find the route that matches your business and the guides you need to follow.

UK-wide
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UK-wide

Manufacturing in this division means operating an oil refinery, a coke works, or a plant making other refined petroleum products. These are among the highest-hazard sites in industry, so the workplace health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the COMAH major-accident regime, explosive-atmosphere controls and environmental permitting all apply. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulates workplace and major-accident safety in Great Britain (HSENI in Northern Ireland), jointly with the environmental regulator for COMAH.

On top of the operational duties, the fuels you make carry quality standards and excise duty. Use the routes below to find the guides you need.

Find your route

A refinery or coke works needs both routes below — the operational spine and the product-and-duty rules. Work through them, then confirm everything with the checklist.

  1. 1

    Set up and run a safe installation

    Start with the universal spine. Follow "Set up and run a safe oil refinery or coke works" for your health and safety, COSHH and DSEAR controls, work equipment, manual handling, fire safety, the COMAH major-accident regime, your environmental permit, the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, insurance, equality and data protection duties.

  2. 2

    Meet motor fuel quality and hydrocarbon oil duty

    Meet the statutory fuel-quality standards for the petrol and diesel you supply, and account to HMRC for the excise duty on the mineral oils you make. Follow "Meet motor fuel quality and hydrocarbon oil duty".

  3. 3

    Confirm you have covered everything

    Finish with the coke and petroleum manufacturer compliance checklist to confirm your obligations are met.

Open the guide you need

Official sources

Authoritative starting points for coke and petroleum manufacturing.

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