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 side-lines 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
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