When an unforeseeable emergency occurs at your retail motor fueling facility, are your employees adequately trained and prepared to respond to the situation? Retail motor fueling facilities, such as gas stations, have underground storage tanks (USTs) containing regulated substances. Unforeseen situations such as fires, spills, or severe-weather-induced power outages can have serious consequences on a facility’s UST system. If the first responder does not know the proper emergency response when an alarm sounds, the chances of human injuries and environmental damages can quickly escalate.
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An owner of a UST system is responsible for ensuring that all Class C operators are designated and trained appropriately. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies the Class C operator as the person who typically controls or monitors the dispensing or sale of regulated substances. The EPA further defines a Class C operator as the individual responsible for addressing emergencies presented by a spill or release from a UST system.
The Class C operator is most often the gas station attendant and is usually occupied not only with the sale of gasoline but also with in-store sales and customer interactions. As such, the Class C operator positions are known to have high employment turnover rates. It is not uncommon for regional gas stations to train thousands of Class C operators. Therefore, gas station owners must remain proactive, diligent, and organized in ensuring Class C operators are adequately trained.