Automatic valves can prevent gas explosions - Expert

An expert in gas filling station operations, Samuel Addo, has indicated that Ghana must adopt a policy to ensure that all gas cylinders have automatic valves.

According to him, in most advanced countries, players in the gas sector have been mandated to fix these automatic valves in order to avert explosions, a step he wants Ghana to emulate.

Mr Addo told Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom, on Accra 100.5FM on Friday, October 13 that: “The only way we can help prevent explosions is when we adopt a policy to ensure that all gas cylinders are fixed with automatic valves. That is the way to go if we are to avoid these explosions. When we do this, then all other safety measures can follow.”

He was commenting on the gas explosion that occurred at the Atomic Junction near Madina on Saturday, October 6.

Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has said the Cylinder Recirculation Module proposed by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) aimed at ensuring that Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) posts are sited away from densely populated areas and commercial centres, must immediately come into force as part of measures to sanitise the industry and avert disastrous explosions like the one that occurred at Atomic Junction in Accra last week Saturday, which resulted in the death of seven people and injured 132 others.

“At the Cabinet meeting of 12th October 2017, the President of the Republic, on the advice of Cabinet, directed that henceforth the Cylinder Recirculation Model of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distribution be implemented. This model means that LPG Bottling Plants will be sited away from congested commercial and population centres and will procure, brand, maintain and fill empty cylinders to be distributed to consumers and households through retail outlets.

Low risk stations will be designated for the supply of gas to vehicles. This whole exercise must be completed within one year,” Minister of Information Mustapha Hamid said in a statement.