Road tanker at a top-loading rack
Transfer & loading

Truck & Rail Gantry

Foam and water spray over loading bays, with detection at the arms.

Discuss this hazard

At a glance

Hazard family
Transfer & loading
Protected by
Foam, Water spray, Hydrant, Water curtain, Gas detection, Flame detection
Designed to
NFPA 16, NFPA 11, OISD‑STD‑117
Foam-water discharge density
6.5 L/min/m² over the protected area

Design basis

Foam-water discharge density
6.5 L/min/m² over the protected areaNFPA 16
Foam concentrate supply
At least 10 minutes at the design dischargeNFPA 16

Standards that apply

  • NFPA 16Foam-water sprinkler and foam-water spray systems.
  • NFPA 11Low-, medium- and high-expansion foam.
  • OISD-STD-117Fire protection for petroleum depots and terminals.

The risk

Loading is where product is handled most: arms and hoses connect and disconnect, vehicles bring their own ignition sources, and an overfill or a failed coupling puts product on the ground under the vehicle.

A fire at a gantry spreads to the vehicle, the next bay and the gantry structure, and can close the terminal’s dispatch until it is rebuilt.

The scheme

Cover every bay from above and below, and detect at the loading point:

  • Foam-water deluge over each bay, with nozzles low enough to reach under the vehicle.
  • Gas detection at the loading points, and flame detection to release the deluge.
  • Monitors at the ends of the gantry, and hydrants within reach of every bay.
  • Water curtains where bays or neighbouring plant need separating.
Loading gantry with a road tanker under foam-water deluge nozzles, gas and flame detectors at the loading point and a monitor at the end

Systems that apply

Products used

Deluge Valves & Systems · 9

Foam Equipment · 11

Spray Nozzles · 4

Strainers · 6

Questions we are asked

Why foam-water rather than plain water at a gantry?

A gantry fire is usually a spill of flammable liquid under or around the vehicle. Foam-water puts a foam blanket on the spill; plain water would spread it.

How is the area under the vehicle covered?

With low-level nozzles or monitors, because overhead nozzles cannot reach beneath the tanker.

What releases the system?

Flame or heat detection, or a manual release at the gantry. Gas detection at the loading points raises the alarm before anything ignites.

Related hazards

Track record

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