The
Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has urged Nigerians to be careful with
the use of Liquify Petroleum Gas, LPG, gas cylinders, as some are expired and
prone to fire accident at homes and other uses.
Most
fire accidents that occur at homes and other places are as a result of the use
of expired gas cylinders and sometimes the carelessness of users.
Head
Gas, DPR, Lagos Zonal Office, Mr. P.A. Emordi, who disclosed this stated that
gas cylinders have expiring dates on the valves with a duration of 22 years of
validity before which they should be disposed for another one.
Highlighting
the breakdown of the years required for gas cylinders, Emordi noted that,
“After the purchase of gas cylinders, it should be taken for the first integrity
test after ten years, and five years before carrying out another integrity
test.”
Also,
he stated that the cylinder should be used for
five years and then taken for integrity test, and then finally two years
( 10-5-5-2), making the duration of 22 years before final disposal.
He
added that
gas cookers should undergo integrity test to correct every likely
leakage of gas from the cookers.
He,
however, advised users of cooking gas not to open the gas cylinder before
striking the match or fire, as the pressure of the gas can lead to a possible
explosion.
Speaking
on safety of operators in the industry, Mrs. C.N. Njuku stressed the need for
operators to adhere to various design consideration/ approvals and requirements
such as layout, spacing and distance requirements for vessels, drainage and
containment control.
She
noted that additional considerations such as fireproofing, water-draw system,
and relief systems are also important with respect to the integrity of the
installation and risk reduction.
According
to her, stakeholders in the industry should ensure the proliferation of the LPG
plant and prospective plant operators must follow due to obtain approval for
the commencement of any intended gas project.
Njoku
argued that it is unethical for depots storing or coastal LPG to continue
operation without a quality control laboratory even if an MOU is signed with a
third party. “To stem the tide over fire accident, all product reception points
must establish a functional laboratories, depots for products re-certification.
“Additional
considerations such as fireproofing, water-draw system, and relief systems are
also important with respect to integrity of the installation and risk
reduction, adding that DPR aim is to increase monitoring of operations in order
to ensure that it is done in a safe and secure manner and required by extant
petroleum regulations,” she stated. On his part, the National President of the
Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Marketers, NALPGAM, Mr. Basil
Ogbuanu, urged operators in the industry to think safety first in their
operations. According to him, NALPGAM is in partnership with DPR and has over
the years reported issues of irregularities from tank farms that pose risk to
operations.
Vanguard
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