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16 DECEMBER 2016 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www.fueloilnews.com There are "very specific" federal laws that apply to reporting a leak or spill, and among states, Massachusetts has detailed reporting requirements as well, says Marc Nerino. Nerino conducts training sessions for fuel oil com- panies and groups such as the North Shore Oil Heat Association, which meets monthly in Middleton, Mass. Ken Reardon, who owned Ken's Oil & Burner Service in Danvers, Mass., before retiring and is the association's founder and treasurer, says Nerino was booked this year to do a presentation on Nov. 15, at the beginning of the heating season, so that seasonal drivers could benefit from timely instruction. Nerino served 28 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, is a certified police officer in Massachusetts, and a "call" firefighter (receiving a stipend) in Marshfield, Mass., his hometown. Capitalizing on the hazardous materials and other training he has received in those varied pursuits, Nerino in 2003 founded a company, T.I.G.E.R. Training Corp. The initials stand for "Technical Instruction and Guidance for Emergency Response." His training sessions for fuel oil companies' drivers and other employees cover reporting and responding requirements, including U.S. Department of Transportation training that is mandatory every three years. He also teaches requirements set by the EPA and, in Massachusetts, by that state's Department of Environmental Protection. "They can get really heavy fines if they don't report spills," Nerino says of fuel oil com- panies, "and, if they cause a spill, if they don't do anything to clean up a spill." A "spill kit" for each truck is recommended, Nerino says, and drivers should have a basic knowledge of how to use it. "I do push [the kits]," he says. "It's far more expensive to clean up a spill than it is to try to prevent it in the first place—or remedy a small spill on site." The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is converting its hazard communications standard to conform to "global harmonization"—common standards that have been or are being adopted in European nations Kits vary in the type and amount of containment tools and absorbent mate- rials they include, but a "drain stopper" is a standard item. The drain stopper is a large rubber mat that features a jelly- like underside designed to conform to ruts, bumps and general irregularities of the surface it is laid over, Nerino says. "It conforms to the nooks and crannies." The mat weighs thirty to forty pounds. "I recommend stepping on it a little bit," Nerino says. That helps to press the mat into closer contact with the surface. If a spill occurs within reach of a storm drain and the truck's kit includes a drain stop- per, a driver "absolutely, positively" has to cover the drain with it, Nerino says, since a spill with environmental repercussions can put a company out of business. More comprehensive kits are usually contained in a yellow plastic drum that includes absorbent "socks," as they are called. Kits are advised Nerino says, because "we're talking about environmental impact, [and] the sheer cost of what a cleanup would be." Fuel oil dealers have insurance, Nerino notes, "but you don't want to tap into that insurance because of that type of incident." Another impetus for control- ling a leak or spill is to try to ensure road safety for other drivers, Nerino says. Fuel can make a road surface "extremely slick" for passing vehicles. "You could actually create an accident," he says. "Having more things for that type of [containment] operation is always better than less," Nerino continues. "So I always say, 'Don't go cheap on buying the spill kit for your truck. If you're going to have one you might as well spend the right amount of money so that if you do have an event you can do a better job, if not a complete job, of stopping the discharge.'" A basic kit runs about $400 to $500, with more advanced versions starting at around $1,500, Nerino says. Kits are often seen on tractor trailers, where they can be installed on the undercarriage, he says. The length of many kits had prevented their installation on typical fuel oil delivery trucks, which are shorter, Nerino notes. But manufacturers have recognized the different dimensions required for the kits SAFE HANDLING BY STEPHEN BENNETT If fuel oil leaks or spills, do you know what to do?