Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to consolidate the enactments relating to petroleum and to petroleum-spirit. |
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| Citation | 18 & 19 Geo. 5. c. 32 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales, and Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 3 August 1928 |
| Commencement | 4 August 1928 |
| Repealed | 1 October 2014 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repeals/revokes |
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| Repealed by | The Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/1637) |
| Relates to | Petroleum (Amendment) Act 1928 |
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Status: Repealed
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 was an important law in the United Kingdom. It brought together and updated many older rules about petroleum and petroleum-spirit. Think of petroleum-spirit as an early name for petrol or gasoline. This Act set new rules for how people could get licenses to store petroleum-spirit. It also explained how containers should be labelled and how this fuel should be transported safely.
Contents
Why This Law Was Needed
Before 1928, the main law for handling petroleum was the Petroleum Act 1871. But a lot had changed since 1871. Cars were becoming very popular, and more people were using petrol. The old laws were spread across many different Acts, which made them confusing. Local councils found it hard to understand and enforce these rules. Also, the 1871 Act itself was not very clear, leading to problems when people tried to follow it.
The definition of "Petroleum Spirit" also changed over time. Originally, it was any substance that gave off a flammable vapour below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celsius). This was later changed to 73 degrees Fahrenheit (about 23 degrees Celsius) in 1879. This lower temperature meant more substances were considered dangerous and needed to be regulated.
Before the main 1928 Act could be passed, some existing laws needed to be fixed. This was done by another law called the Petroleum (Amendment) Act 1928.
The Petroleum (Amendment) Act 1928
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to amend the enactments relating to petroleum and to petroleum-spirit. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 18 & 19 Geo. 5. c. 20 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 3 August 1928 |
The Petroleum (Amendment) Act 1928 was a shorter law with four main parts. It helped clear up some unclear rules.
- It clarified the definition of a "harbour authority", which was important for safety in ports.
- It allowed rules to be made for other dangerous substances, not just petroleum.
- It removed an old rule from 1896 that applied to early motor cars. By 1928, petrol was used for many new things like farm machines, boats, and engines for electricity. The old law made it seem like these new uses needed a special license, which was no longer practical.
- It gave canal companies the power to make their own rules for transporting petrol on canals.
This "Amendment" Act fixed many small problems in the old laws. Once these fixes were made, all the rules could be combined into the bigger Petroleum (Consolidation) Act.
What the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 Did
The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 became law on 3 August 1928. Its main goal was to bring together all the existing rules about petroleum and petroleum-spirit into one clear document.
Key Rules in the Act
The Act had 26 sections, divided into nine main parts, plus three extra lists of details. Here are some of the important areas it covered:
- Licenses for Keeping Petroleum-Spirit
- This part said that you couldn't keep petroleum-spirit without a special license.
- It explained how to get these licenses and what to do if a local authority refused to give you one.
- It also set the fees you had to pay for a license.
- Labelling of Containers
- This section made sure that all containers holding petroleum-spirit had clear labels. This was important for safety, so people knew what was inside.
- Transporting Petroleum-Spirit
- The Act set rules for how petroleum-spirit should be carried on roads.
- It also allowed harbours to create their own rules for ships carrying petroleum-spirit.
- Special rules were made for transporting petroleum-spirit on canals.
- Rules for Motor Vehicles and Engines
- This part included specific rules for keeping and using petroleum-spirit for cars, motorboats, aircraft, and other engines.
- It also allowed local areas to make rules about petrol filling stations.
- Special Types of Petroleum-Spirit
- The Act allowed for rules to be made about types of petroleum-spirit that might be especially dangerous or harmful to health.
- Dealing with Accidents
- If an accident happened involving petroleum-spirit, this section required it to be reported.
- It also set up ways for accidents to be investigated.
- For deaths caused by such accidents, it explained how coroners' inquests (investigations into deaths) should be handled.
- Inspection Powers
- Government inspectors and local authority officers were given powers to check on petroleum-spirit.
- They could test petroleum-spirit to make sure it was safe.
- They could also get warrants to search for and seize petroleum-spirit if rules were being broken.
- Applying the Act to Other Substances
- This part allowed the government to extend the rules of this Act to other dangerous substances if needed.
- Other Important Details
- The Act included details about the equipment and methods used for testing petroleum.
- It also said that new rules and local laws made under this Act had to be shown to Parliament.
The three extra lists (Schedules) at the end of the Act included:
- The fees for licenses.
- Details about the equipment and method for testing petroleum.
- A list of all the older laws that this new Act replaced.
What Happened Next
The Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 replaced several older laws, including:
- The Petroleum Act 1871
- The Petroleum Act 1879
- The Petroleum Act 1926
- The Petroleum (Amendment) Act 1928
In 1936, another law, the Petroleum (Transfer of Licences) Act 1936, was passed. This Act worked together with the 1928 Act. Together, they were known as the Petroleum (Regulation) Acts 1928 and 1936.
These laws stayed in effect for a long time. They were finally replaced on 1 October 2014 by a new set of rules called The Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014.
See also
- History of fire safety legislation in the United Kingdom
- Petroleum Acts
