loading areas. At night and during slower months, sites are fenced and well-lit, and all vehicles and pumps are locked. Even so, Whritenour believes there is no substitute for the naked eye. “I can’t stress enough,” he urges, “the importance of walking around your facility to see things for yourself.” Along with periodic personal inspections, LeVine of Total
Meter Services believes that 24/7 automated monitoring of inventory and fueling activity is also vital. The company’s TMS6000 solution, he says, meets the need for an affordable Windows-based system. Monitoring not only generates data important for management decision-making but also pro- vides capabilities to improve safety and security. “Monitoring access to the facility is the first step to secur-
ing the site as you ensure that only authorized persons get through the gate,” relates LeVine. Through an automated solution such as his company’s TMS6000, drivers seeking entrance to the plant must use a card reader or PIN pad to identify themselves. “You can track expiration dates of safety protocols, be alerted if a driver’s license is expired, and oth- erwise make sure a driver maintains all safety procedures. Without automated credentialing to control access to the loading platform, any person with the least bit of mechanical know-how might potentially access your product.”
Next to ensuring that “the wrong people don’t access
your site,” continues LeVine, “is making sure the amount of fuel that goes into a truck isn’t too much. You don’t want overfills so that product is pouring down the street or pool- ing on the concrete pavement below the truck.” Though sensors are helpful in determining when a tank
is at capacity, automation can prevent a spill earlier in the chain of events. “Skids should always be equipped with an overfill device,” relates LeVine, “but automation also allows you to manage drivers, carriers, and trucks with preset boundaries. “So if a trailer can hold 5,000 gallons, but the driver
attempts to input a 6,000, then you’ll get an alert and can prevent the transaction.” Over the years LeVine has seen bulk plants that lack even
gated access. “First, understand the importance of the sim- ple, basic things you must do to ensure safety and security,” he counsels. “And then remember that it’s critical for you, as a bulk plant operator, to have the capabilities required for commanding and controlling access to and information about your facility.”
Mark Ward Sr. also contributed to this report.
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