Airfield Spillages

Heres one for you ex and current raf people lol. What is the protocall for airfield fuell spillages on hard surfaces ie
asp
runway
taxiways

And is it common for a small spill to bring the operation of a airfield to a halt or even close it

Cheers rich

Hmm The last time I browsed the COSH handbook I noted that it advised under 'Water'
This was genuine, not a wind up and a clear case of H&S in headless-chicken mode.

sounds like my cossh folder. i only ask as there was a fuel spillage and its closed the main runway at linton

Coltishall used to get one of the fire wagons to sluice a section of pan down. It was fairly common for one of the Jags's fuel valves to stick during refuelling, this caused a spurt from the overflow at the base of the fin. Sticking fuel tank valves necessitated a linie to jump up and down over the wing in the pylon area.

Yeah they did that. got the RIV to come out and turned it from a small into a big one. didnt get rid of it just a major problem

In my time on Lightnings, the finest fuel leakers of all time, one called for a 'washdown' and a fire truck would hose the area with water to speed up evaporation. It is still the logical first aid. Most fuel spillages take place on pressure refuelled aircraft often as a result of a sticking valve in the aircraft fuel system.

The Lightning had an AC/DC electrical power system. When applying external power from a GPU (25KVa) one needed to ensure that both AC and DC were ON otherwise the DC Fuel Pumps would run and overpressurise the wing tanks causing the outward vent valves to open and cascade fuel over the leading edges!

With fuel spillages on concrete it used to be get a fire truck out to wash it down. If its on the blacktop then the fuel will eat in to the surface(thats why petrol stations have concrete forecourts) and in that case specialist stuff is used to treat the spillage, and thats why when an aircraft is parked on blacktop drip trays are normally put under them.

Was typing a response to this at home last night when my computer blew up. Don't have time to respond while at work.

Out of interest Smiler, is this a loaded question?

If you have a fuel spillage on the runway then I can quite well beleive that it closed the runway, as I said in my post fuel loves to eat tarmac. Back in 87 Lossiemouth closed for runway resurfacing, one of the first aircraft to land back on it pissed fuel all the way down the runway!

I'm not sure how it can be a loaded question, its an interesting subject. I always thought a fuel spillage was covered by sand before it can be cleared properly - or have I been hanging around too many petrol stations!!!