TS 13260

TS 13260 is a general-rules standard for fuel storing and filling facilities, addressing structural characteristics, storage and safety distances, fire protection, and personnel characteristics. In practical terms, it frames how a petroleum storage and transfer site should be laid out and managed so that fuel handling takes place in a controlled and safety-conscious environment.

Site layout, spacing and protection principles

In fuel facilities, the central technical issue is the safe segregation and control of flammable liquids. In general engineering practice, tank arrangement, loading and unloading areas, access routes, ventilation, drainage, and fire-risk reduction measures are considered together. The subjects covered by TS 13260 include the physical structure of the facility, storage and safety distances, and fire prevention, which means the standard addresses not only equipment but also the logic of the site layout.

What the standard leaves outside its scope

This standard does not cover LPG, LNG, or compressed natural gas storage and filling facilities. It also excludes the rules for fuel retail stations under TS 12820 and the tanks located at those stations, as well as underground tanks. TS 13260 therefore serves as a general framework for fuel storing and filling facilities, rather than a standalone basis for retail fuel station design or underground tank systems.

The reference to personnel characteristics shows that the standard is concerned not only with physical infrastructure but also with the people operating it. In facilities handling flammable products, role clarity, attention, training, and disciplined working practices are especially important because the operational environment carries inherent hazards. The standard treats these matters at a general-rules level, while detailed implementation is normally considered together with the relevant construction, electrical, concrete, fire-safety, and installation standards.

• General site layout and structural organization for fuel storing and filling facilities
• Core approach to storage and safety distances
• Fire prevention and risk-reduction principles
• General personnel characteristics expected in the facility context
• Exclusions for LPG, LNG, CNG, retail fuel stations, and underground tanks