The recent Labadi gas explosion in Accra has revived the debate around the location of fuel stations in residential areas, but the Fire Service has said enforcing safety measures will reduce the fire incidents.
After the June 3 disaster, the National Petroleum Authority said it had put in effective measures to enforce and tighten relevant regulations on the building of fuel stations in residential areas.
Labadi gas explosion, which has claimed 10 lives so far, has left many people, including President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo, calling for a strict enforcement such regulations to avert any future disaster.
Preliminary investigations have pointed to a leakage at the station which led to the explosion according to the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Prince Billy Anaglate.
Speaking to Citi News Mr. Anaglate said enforcing strict safety measures will go a long way to prevent such disasters.
“It is not about the siting of the filling stations; it is about the lack of maintenance of safety measures put in place. If you are able to ensure that safety measures are put in place and are maintained, you have reduced the hazard associated to the barest minimum. So it is not about the siting.”
Mr. Anaglate indicated that the Fire Service had in place a system to train staff of filling stations but he noted that without the training, such staff “wouldn’t have what it takes to identify hazards within the premises, let alone knowing what mitigating factors to put in place when they identify the hazard.”
“So those people may be responsible for some these preventable fires that might be caused. It is not about the siting of the filling station,” he stated.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
