[ 2017-10-09 ]

Boakye Agyarko, Energy Minister

Fuel explosions: NPA to employ 200 extra safety auditors – Agyarko
The Ministry of Energy has said the National
Petroleum Authority (NPA) will employ 200 safety
auditors to ensure safety standards at various
petrol/diesel and Gas Stations across the
country.

According to the ministry, this will ensure that
all safety and health standards at fuel stations
are adhered to, to prevent explosions.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of an event
to inaugurate the new board of the Ghana National
Gas Company Limited, Sector Minister, Boakye
Agyarko, said the safety auditors will also make
sure all safety equipment are in place.

“This explosion is one too many and we need to
bring it to a screeching halt. There are a lot of
things that we are going to do…we will enforce
all safety and health standards. NPA, which is the
regulator, is now going to be allowed to hire 200
auditors who will go from station to station to
make sure that safety standards are complied with,
that safety equipment are all in place,” he
added.

The Energy Minister also called for the
introduction of the gas re-circulation policy
which has been put on hold following agitations
from stakeholders.


“…We have to come to the sensible and logical
position of having bottling plants well under
control, both technical and safety, so that they
rather do the filling and bring to us in our
homes. At the end of the day, what are citizens
looking for, gas in their cylinders. If it’s
done offsite under the strictest of safety
conditions, I believe we will spare this nation
the harrowing agony,” he added.

Fuel explosions in Ghana

According to the Finer Newspaper, over 250 people
have perished in the last ten years in explosions
recorded at various petrol/diesel and gas stations
across the country.

Last Saturday, seven people died  whereas 132
others sustained varied degrees of injury
following an explosion at a gas filling station at
Atomic Junction in Accra.

Government has subsequently promised to enforce
the necessary laws regulating the sector.

Source - citifmonline.com

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