Fuel stations are flammable-liquid facilities transferring thousands of liters daily. NFPA 30A (Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities) defines dispenser layout, UST (Underground Storage Tank) leak control, emergency shutoff and Class I electrical classification. The US logs ~5,000 station fires annually — most originate at the dispenser area.
Dispenser Separation Distances
- Dispenser to building exterior: 3 m min
- Dispenser to property line: 1.5 m
- Dispenser to combustible material: 6 m (optional under canopy)
- Tank fill pipe to dispenser: 7.6 m
- Tank vent: 3.7 m above grade
Underground Storage Tank
- Double-wall tank: interstitial sensor for leak detection
- Cathodic protection: bare-steel tanks corrode and leak
- Overfill prevention: 90 percent level shutoff valve
- Spill bucket: 15 L at the fill point
- ATG (Automatic Tank Gauging): inventory + leak test
Class I Electrical Classification
NFPA 30A Table 8.3:
- Class I Div 1: dispenser interior, tank interior
- Class I Div 2: 6 m radius from dispenser, 3 m radius from vent
- Unclassified: >6 m above canopy
All equipment (LED, camera, pump) must be Div 2 listed.
Emergency Shutdown and Fire Protection
- Emergency shutoff: at dispenser + remote 6-30 m away
- Crash valve: below dispenser with thermal fuse + shear
- Portable extinguisher: 2A:10B:C 9 kg within 30 m of each dispenser
- Canopy sprinkler: NFPA 13 OH2 0.20 gpm/ft2 (optional — depends on canopy construction)
- Fire alarm: UL/FM listed per AHJ
Service station fire protection with SprinkCalc
SprinkCalc supports canopy sprinkler design, deluge nozzle layout, emergency shutoff routing and portable extinguisher distribution per NFPA 30A.
Download SprinkCalc on the App Store
Sources & Further Reading
NFPA 30A, NFPA 30, NFPA 70 (NEC Article 514), PEI RP100, UL 87 Dispenser. NFPA 30A Motor Fuel Dispensing standard.