By Ben Thomas
My, how things have changed.
When federal underground storage tank (UST) regulations were published in 1988, I suspect nobody could have envisioned how much the Internet would be used to automate UST compliance.
The ability to smartly manage UST compliance has been transformative over the last 35 years. Automatic tank gauges have replaced wooden sticks, web portals have replaced faxes, webinars have replaced classrooms and online software systems now instantly track fuel levels, line pressure, leak tests, alarms and more.
As I watch the evolution of so many mechanical practices into web-based applications, I feel compelled to highlight the benefits of this transition and call to your attention the importance of keeping up to date with your many responsibilities that can be easily automated in a cost-effective manner.
If you operate UST systems and are not optimizing most or all of the following technological improvements, you’re seriously being left behind. Using these modern tools, you could be running your business more efficiently, but without them you also could be missing leaks or be subject to shut down and fines. Which of the following transitions might be in your future?
From the stick to the tank gauge. Sticking an underground tank using a calibrated stick with water-finding paste to measure for fuel and water in your tank may give you a visceral sense of confidence. And seeing is believing; I get it. But as far as accuracy and reliability, you’re way off. (Also, clipboards are out, see below.) Use a stick if you must increase your 1/8” tolerance comfort level, but please use your tank gauge probes for 1/1000” accuracy.
From the fax to the portal. More and more state UST agencies are abandoning faxes, emails and snail mail letters as ways of collecting information in lieu of a statewide underground storage tank portal. There you can access critical site information, check on compliance actions, file notifications and even pay your annual fees. All 100% online. Check your state UST agency webpage about the status of your portal. If your state agency doesn’t have one yet, demand one.
From the classroom to the webinar. One thing COVID gave us as a society is the opportunity to experience the effectiveness of remote learning. Not too many years ago the classroom was the only place to get certified. But now online learning is commonplace. As someone who started UST operator training in 2003 with my trusty PowerPoint, three-ring binder and classroom model, it’s been very exciting to reach so many more people with an online alternative. Assume most certification training you need today can be found online. Also, keep track of all your training certificates that way.
From the clipboard to the tablet. Pretty much any site testing, service and inspection work that used to require a clipboard to document information can be completely done on a tablet. You reduce the redundancy of entering information, the problems of transcription errors and the time it takes to put information in a centralized location. Check with your service provider about the many digital platforms that are available to track inspections.
From the backroom alarm to the call center. If your automatic tank gauge does not have internet connectivity, and one of your employees goes in the backroom and sees an alarm, he or she is the only person in the world who knows about that alarm. Forget that. Even with quality operator training and alert employees, your tank gauge can give you a wide array of alarms, some serious and some not. Who decides which is important and how to react? Hook your tank gauge up to the Internet and communicate all mission-critical information, such as fuel levels and alarms, to an essential call center. The systems can also prioritize alarms and reduce the background noise of inconsequential notifications. Better yet, send that critical inventory and alarm information directly to the smartphone of people in charge of UST compliance. There are a number of software platforms that can send the information from the back room right to your back pocket.
From the printer to the LED screen. Major tank gauge manufacturers have moved away from buttons and have embraced touchscreen technology for tank monitors. This is perfect technology for your Gen XYZ operators. Plus, it’s good to know that if your tank monitor still has buttons, it’s probably no longer manufactured and may need to be replaced anyway. Start saving and upgrade your tank monitor for better security, more reliability and easier serviceability. Plus, visually seeing a cross-section of a tank partially full of fuel only improves operator competency in fueling operations.
From the three-ring binder to the cloud. Three-ring binders are a tried-and-true way of organizing all your information, but those days are pretty much gone. Plus, with increased testing in compliance requirements, managing a binder can be quite complex. There’s plenty of software applications and companies out there. They will organize all your compliance information and store it in the cloud. No more lost records!
From the wall calendar to the e-alert. Most operators know there are mandatory action items required every day, every month, every year and every three years. Really? You’re still using a wall calendar? The growing list of required actions can be quite complex and beyond what a simple wall calendar can manage. Use an online service to store and remind you of mission-critical compliance actions that are calendar driven.
From the shutdown test to never shutting down. Historically, tank and line leak testing required downtime (i.e. shutting down the site) in order to get reliable test results. Obviously, shutting down your site disrupts traffic flow and can reduce sales. There are now web-based software solutions that allow you to test while you pump simultaneously.
From phone tech support to QR codes and YouTube. Technical assistance on operational and compliance issues used to take the form of calling into a toll-free hotline number. Why wait on hold for tech support? Hop on YouTube and search for the latest how-to topic on the internet (Example: our popular Tank Savvy Minute series) or find a QR code and go directly to the information that you need.
From the open tank pit to virtual reality. Unless you watched a gas station being built, you probably were never given an opportunity to look at a real live configuration of tanks, pump, stumps, piping and so on. Now with virtual reality, you can literally experience the geographic and spatial relationship with all the parts that make up UST system. This is an excellent learning tool. Google it.
The reliance on the internet to increase business efficiency and accountability, as well as to manage critical compliance actions, is clearly today’s reality if you manage underground petroleum storage tank systems. UST owners and operators, whether a small business or a large corporation, can and should increasingly rely on the internet to transfer manual mechanical duties into digital ones. For some of the action items above, there are literally dozens of vendors to choose from. Shop around and find the best one that works for your organization.
Ben Thomas is the president of UST Training. He has over three decades of UST industry experience, with networking and ideas to help owners and inspectors solve complex technical problems in the management of UST systems. Contact him at [email protected].
