About one hundred Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s) and LPG Marketing Companies (LPGMC’s) have taken part in the 2019 Safety Declaration Certificate signing ceremony organized by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) in Accra.
The ceremony forms part of the launch of the 2019 National Petroleum Safety Campaign, under the Theme: “PEOPLE SAFETY FIRST”.
The National Petroleum Authority’s Safety Campaign was launched back in 2017.
The campaign among others seeks to engage all stakeholders in the petroleum downstream industry and the general public on the collective responsibility of safety.
As part of the safety campaign, the NPA has reiterated its call to stakeholders in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry as well as the general public, to view safety as a shared responsibility.
Speaking on the significance of the safety campaign, the Chief Executive Officer of the NPA Alhassan Tampuli, said the authority has intensified education on the need for safety.
He stated that following the unfortunate LPG explosion incident at the Atomic Junction and in line with Cabinet’s decision to implement the Cylinder Recirculation Model, the authority undertook a risk assessment exercise of all LPG Refilling Plants across the country.
“Let me emphasize that at the end of the exercise, 510 out of the 659 translating to 77.4 percent of LPG stations inspected nationwide were classified as high risk stations, 115 medium risk stations and the remaining 34 stations recorded as low risk”.
By this, he explained that all the high risk stations will subsequently be converted into cylinder distribution centers under the Cylinder Recirculation Model.
“They will no longer be permitted to fill cylinders or autogas when the CRM fully rolls out. Low risk stations will however be considered for autogas refilling centres only with improved standards,” he added.
Mr. Tampuli stated that his outfit’s quest for a safe and explosion free industry will be challenged if other stakeholders do not play their role.
“The NPA as the Regulator of the petroleum downstream industry expects that the public understands the risks and dangers of not using petroleum products safely and discouraging any unconventional use of the products without seeking expert advice. ”
The Deputy Minister of Energy, responsible for Finance and Infrastructure Joseph Cudjoe, who served as the guest of honor for the ceremony, called on responsible industry players to hold their peers accountable.
“I would like to reiterate that industry players need to take the bold step of adhering to industry safety standards through industry associations and peer review and where necessary expose their peers who are not keeping up with the industry standards”.
The CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies Kwaku Agyeman-Duah, said that his members were not only viewing safety as a means to profitability, but they are being proactive in their efforts to improve their safety standards.
–
By: Bobbie Osei/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana