Petroleum Act 1879 facts for kids
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to continue and amend the Petroleum Act, 1871. |
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| Citation | 42 & 43 Vict. c. 47 |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 11 August 1879 |
| Commencement | 31 December 1879 |
| Repealed | 4 August 1928 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | Petroleum Act 1871 |
| Repealed by | Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 |
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Status: Repealed
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The Petroleum Act 1879 was an important law passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It updated and continued an earlier law from 1871. This Act was all about making sure that petroleum, which is a type of oil, was stored and moved safely.
Contents
Why We Needed This Law
For many years, there have been rules about how to store and transport petroleum. This is because petroleum can be very dangerous. It can easily catch fire. Before 1879, laws from 1862 and 1871 tried to control these dangers.
The Petroleum Act 1871 was only meant to last for a short time. It was supposed to end in 1872. But because it was so important, Parliament kept extending it each year. By 1879, it was clear that the rules needed to be made permanent and even stricter.
Making Petroleum Safer
The 1871 law said that petroleum was dangerous if it gave off flammable (easy to burn) vapor below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 37.8 degrees Celsius). The 1879 Act changed this rule. It said petroleum was dangerous if it gave off flammable vapor below 73 degrees Fahrenheit (about 22.8 degrees Celsius). This was a much stricter and safer standard.
To check this new temperature, the Act made sure a special test was used. This test was called the Abel test. It was created by a chemist named Frederick Abel. This test helped make sure petroleum was handled more safely.
What the 1879 Act Did
The Petroleum Act 1879 became law on August 11, 1879. Its main goal was to continue and improve the earlier 1871 law.
Key Changes in the Act
This new law brought in several important changes:
- It officially changed the safety test for petroleum to the stricter 73 degrees Fahrenheit standard.
- It made sure that the equipment used for this test was checked and accurate.
- It made the Petroleum Act 1871 a permanent law, instead of needing to be renewed every year.
- It started on December 31, 1879.
- It removed some older parts of the 1871 Act that were no longer needed.
What Happened After the Act
The Petroleum Act 1879 helped make rules for handling dangerous petroleum. For example, the people in charge of the River Thames used this Act. They made rules to stop ships carrying petroleum from going too far into London. This helped keep the city safe from fires.
This Act stayed in force for many years in the United Kingdom. It was eventually replaced by a new law, the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928. The 1879 Act also applied to Ireland. It remained a law in the Republic of Ireland until 1972.
See also
- Petroleum Act
