DPR Introduces MISTDO For Safety Standards Enforcement
GILBERT EKUGBE
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has introduced its Minimum Industry Safety Training for Downstream Operations (MISTDO) for strict standards enforcement in the nation’s downstream industry.
The Department stated that move was to bring down the level of accidents and gas-related fire outbreaks in the country to the barest minimum.
The Director and Chief Executive Officer, DPR, Engr. Sarki Auwalu, at a stakeholders engagement on MISTDO, said, “We are leveraging on technology to save Nigerian lives working in the industry before now it is very hard to track the number of trucks carrying products from all the depots we have to all the filling stations in the country. The issue of safety, property loss and environmental damage is so enormous, we are using technology to create a platform whereby workers in the industry will go there train themselves, get certified and by doing that we have the record of every individual working in the industry.”
According to him, personnel without MISTDO training would not be allowed to operate in the nation’s downstream industry effective from September 1st, 2020 in some states of the federation while saying that the enforcement would be extended nationwide as from January 1st 2021.
In his words,”Effective from January 1st 2021, compliance will be extended nationwide. In addition, effective January 21st, 2021 we will also be renewing licenses if and only if we confirm that the operator has met our safety requirements.”
“MITSDO is an interactive portal that is translated in three Nigerian languages and previously, we were witnessing gas explosions, MITSDO will take care of the necessary things that would check against gas explosions,” he said.
Delivering his goodwill message, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, James Manager, said the oil and gas industry is very volatile, advising that operators, business community and stakeholders to be safety conscious.
He lauded DPR for the initiative, pointing out that training and educating people on safety is very apt for the downstream sector.
The Lagos State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Hauwa Olowookere, said safety is everybody’s business, restating the Corps’ commitment to supporting DPR to driving safety in the downstream sector.
The Head of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), DPR, Olusanya Bajomo, said MITSDO, provides a platform for marketers, regulators and the business community to converge to ensure safety in the nation’s downstream industry.
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