DOWN AMONG THE PETROL FUMES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 84, 30 June 1927, Page 9

DOWN AMONG THE PETROL FUMES

GAS-MASKS ESSENTIAL DANGEROUS WORK IN TANKS Should the occasion demand it there are men ready to don gas masks and disappear inside the huge petrol tanks at Freeman’s Bay, where the Vacuum Oil Company and the British Imperial Oil Company store their supplies. These huge tanks each contain 500,000 gallons of petrol, and measure 50ft. across. t The job of going into the petrol tanks is no joke, as the deadly fumes would quickly overpower the strongest man. That is why the gas-masks are used. Fortunately the occasion has not yet arisen when a man has had to go inside the big tanks, but frequently adjustments are required on the tankcars used on the railways for the carriage of petrol to the country districts. The masks are reminiscent of those used during the war to protect soldiers from German gas. They are slipped over the head and tied round the neck, inside a suit of overalls. Two men remain outside the tank, one with a life-line and one with an air-pump, continually pumping fresh air to the man inside. The men do not acually go down into the petrol. This is removed from the tanks before the men go in, and a considerable time is allowed to elapse before sending the men inside. Even then the fumes are very strong and deadly.

The petrol tank “divers” are always ready to go into the underground tanks in the city if anything goes wrong. A picture of a man in his mask will be found among the illustrations.