DPR Warns Fuel, Gas Outlets Over Unsafe Practices
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has warned gas and fuel retail outlets over unsafe procedures and practices in the discharge of petroleum products.
The Department stated that the noncompliance with safety procedures has contributed to persistent fire outbreaks in gas and fuel retail outlets.
A statement issued by the DPR’s Operations Controller in Akwa Ibom, Tamunoiminabo Kingsley-Sunday, noted that 75% of fire disasters in the gas and fuel retail outlets are due to the failure of operators of the outlets to adhere strictly to the safety procedures in the discharge of petroleum products.
Kingsley-Sunday said, “The operators of petrol stations and Liquified Petroleum Gas (cooking gas) plants are hereby cautioned to desist from unsafe practices like discharging petroleum products while sales are ongoing and decanting.
“Performing such activities simultaneously in oil and gas facilities are unsafe and can cause fire outbreaks.
“The DPR’s attention has also been drawn to a new practice by gas operators where they conduct their retail businesses within their plants.
“This trend has also gotten to the LPG plants facility in petrol stations, where some of them are doing decanting.”
He disclosed that eight fuel retail outlets and one LPG facility have been sealed in Akwa Ibom for discharging petroleum products while sales are on-going.
He described such operations as inappropriate, noting that the act was dangerous not only to their properties but to the public as well.
He warned that fuel stations should no longer carry out the two sensitive activities together, as one should be stepped down for the other one.
“In spite of our warnings and sensitisations of operators of these retail stations, they still discharge petroleum products and equally sell to the public at the same time,” he stated.
The controller said that the guidelines and operational procedures of oil and gas facility required that operators of the stations not carry out the two activities simultaneously.
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