Storing Diesel Inside Your Warehouse: What MOM Expects
Most people ask one question: how many litres of diesel am I allowed to keep?
That question has an answer for SCDF. It has no answer for MOM. And MOM is usually the one who walks into your warehouse.
MOM does not give you a number
SCDF works with quantities. Above a certain amount you need a licence, below it you do not.
MOM does not work that way. There is no “maximum 500 litres” or “maximum 1,000 litres” anywhere in the workplace safety law. Instead the law says the occupier must keep any substance kept on the workplace safe, so far as is reasonably practicable.
Why a small amount does not save you
If you could reasonably have kept the diesel outside, or had a supplier refuel your trucks, then keeping it inside is hard to defend. That is true whether it is 200 litres or 20 litres.
Being under the SCDF licence limit only means you do not need a licence. It does not mean the arrangement is safe, and it does not answer MOM.
The questions an inspector will ask
A MOM inspector can enter and examine any workplace at any time. No appointment. If there is diesel inside your warehouse, expect these:
- Why is the diesel stored inside?
- Why do you need this much?
- Did you consider keeping it outside?
- Where is your risk assessment?
- What happens if it spills, or catches fire?
- Is the amount based on what you need, or on what is convenient?
If you cannot answer those, the arrangement is a problem — even if SCDF would not have needed a licence for it.
The paperwork they will look for
Diesel counts as a flammable substance under the law. That brings a short list, and it applies at any quantity:
| What | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Safety Data Sheet | You must have it, and your workers must be able to see it. This is the one most sites are missing. It is free from your fuel supplier |
| Warning notice | Put up where the diesel is kept, in a language your workers read |
| Labelled containers | An unmarked pail is a finding by itself |
| A person in charge | Someone named, who understands the risk |
| Nothing hot nearby | No welding, no grinding, no charging bay next to the fuel |
| Fire extinguisher | Present, reachable, and tested |
What MOM can do about it
| Order | What it means | If you ignore it |
|---|---|---|
| Remedial order | Fix it by a set date | $50,000 plus $5,000 a day |
| Stop-work order | Stop work now, until it is fixed | $500,000 plus $20,000 a day |
A stop-work order does not need an accident to happen first. A breach of duty is enough. For a warehouse that is the real damage. The trucks stop, the pallets stop, and your customer still wants their delivery.
What to do instead
In order, best first:
- No diesel at all. Electric forklifts, so there is nothing to store
- Let a supplier refuel your trucks on a schedule, so no stock sits on site
- Keep it outside, in a proper bunded area away from the building
- If it must be inside, keep the smallest amount you actually need, write down why, and have the risk assessment and the paperwork above ready
Number four is the weakest answer, and it is the one most warehouses are living with.
The honest summary
There is no magic number that makes diesel inside a warehouse acceptable. MOM will ask why it is there at all. If a reasonable alternative existed, the amount will not help you.
An electric truck removes the question completely, because there is no fuel to store, no Safety Data Sheet for it, no warning notice, and nothing for an inspector to ask about.
Diesel is still the right machine for heavy work outdoors on rough ground, and we rent and sell both, so we have no reason to push you one way. Tell us what you lift and where, and we will tell you which suits. See also forklift safety rules in Singapore and lithium versus lead-acid.
Common Questions
How much diesel can I keep inside my warehouse?
There is no set figure from MOM. The workplace safety law requires the occupier to keep any substance on the premises safe so far as is reasonably practicable, which is a test rather than a number. In practice the question an inspector asks is not how much you keep, but whether you needed to keep it inside at all. If keeping it outside or having a supplier refuel your trucks was a reasonable option, storing it indoors is hard to justify at any quantity.
Does keeping only a small amount of diesel keep me compliant?
Not necessarily. Being under the SCDF licensing quantity means you do not need a storage licence. It does not mean the arrangement is safe, and it does not satisfy the separate workplace safety duties, which carry no quantity threshold. A single jerry can still requires a Safety Data Sheet available to workers, warning notices, labelled containers, separation from ignition sources and a competent person responsible for it.
Can MOM inspect my warehouse without warning?
Yes. An inspector has power to enter, inspect and examine any workplace at any time, with no appointment. The inspector can also require your records and certificates and take copies, take samples of substances found on site, and measure what workers are being exposed to.
What is a stop-work order?
It is an order to cease work immediately, either indefinitely or until the danger is fixed to the Commissioner's satisfaction. It does not require an accident to have happened first - a contravention of a duty under the Act is enough. Failing to comply carries a fine of up to $500,000, or 12 months imprisonment, or both, plus up to $20,000 for every day it continues.
What questions should I be ready to answer about diesel on site?
Why it is stored inside, why that quantity is necessary, whether outdoor storage was considered, how the risk assessment was carried out, what spill and fire controls are in place, and whether the amount is based on operational need or convenience. If those cannot be answered convincingly the arrangement may be challenged even where SCDF licensing was not required.
What is the safest way to handle forklift refuelling in a warehouse?
In order of preference: use electric forklifts so there is no fuel to store; arrange scheduled refuelling by a supplier so no stock sits on site; keep diesel outside in a bunded area away from the building; and only as a last resort keep the minimum operational quantity indoors, supported by a documented risk assessment and the required controls.
Sources
Two different authorities govern this, which is exactly why it confuses people. Read both:
- Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006 — Singapore Statutes Online, Attorney-General’s Chambers. The “so far as is reasonably practicable” duty on occupiers and employers, and an inspector’s powers of entry and examination. This is the MOM side, and it applies whether or not SCDF requires a licence.
- SCDF — Petroleum and Flammable Materials (P&FM) Storage Licence — who must apply, the exemption-quantity principle, and the application route. This is the licensing side.
- SCDF Fire Code 2023 (PDF) — the fire safety requirements that apply to the building itself.
This page explains what the published sources say. It is not legal advice, and where your situation turns on a detail you should check with the authority named or your own adviser.
Diesel or electric — which one actually suits you?
Tell us what you lift, the surface you lift it on, and roughly how many hours a week. We will give you a straight answer. We rent and sell both, so we do not mind which you pick.
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