Announcements

MPGC Meeting -
The next commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 19th at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Mid-States Expo in Overland Park Kansas. The meeting will be open to the public and all are welcome to attend. An agenda for the meeting will be posted closer to the meeting date. For more information about the meeting or the Mid-States Expo you can contact Courtney Kremer at 573-893-1073.

Decorative Tank Covers ~ Article by Dennis Carroll - Over the years, there has been a multitude of ideas and products to hide a propane tank. The latest method is the “hollow rock”. They are made out of a lightweight material in the shape of a rock and are designed to fit over a propane tank. They are advertised to fit up to a 500 gallon tank and have an access door in the top and some vents in the bottom.

While the idea sounds good, they appear to be a safety hazard and some states do not allow them. I have only read the advertisements about the product and have not actually seen the real thing but here are some concerns:
The 2008 version of NFPA 58 section 6.4.7 says that structures shall not be permitted around or over containers unless they meet certain specifications. This regulation is a result of a BLEVE at a tank that was partially covered for aesthetic reasons. The structure contributed to the ignition but the real problem was that the fire department was unable to apply a water stream on the tank surface to keep it cool. The hollow rock type cover would not allow a water stream in the event of a fire.

There does not appear to be an opening for the relief valve to vent unobstructed. In this case it would be possible for a venting tank to ignite causing a “blow torch” on the tank itself and greatly increase the potential for a BLEVE.

If the tank is covered, how would the driver ever visually inspect the tank?

Based on what we know today, the MPGC would not allow the installation of this type product