‘Procedures must be put in place to manage LPG cylinders’

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is the most dangerous of the petroleum products imported into St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and so standards must be put in place in terms of the way it is handled, stored, transported and sold.

This was the position taken by major stakeholders in the LPG industry, who last Wednesday, during a press conference, released new controlled retail prices for the sale{{more}} of LPG or “cooking gas,” which came into effect on September 1.

The plan is for the St Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards (SVGBS) to work alongside Sol, RUBIS and Petro Caribe to put in place procedures and inspection programmes that would ensure compliance with the standards.

According to general manager of Sol Steve Francis, persons across the island are selling the product without basic safety items, such as fire extinguishers.

He said there must be a move towards the certification of resellers, as it is recognized that there are a number of persons who are currently selling LPG that may not qualify for certification, but should be given an opportunity to “make good,” on whatever deficiencies there are with respect to the operation.

Francis stated that within the next couple months, the standards should be ready so that persons would know to purchase LPG only from certified sellers.

Additionally, he pointed out that LPG cylinders should be stored in an upright or vertical position, but instead they were being stored in a horizontal position, which is hazardous.

“These are like bombs, these are like bullets, if something goes wrong…,” said Francis.

“…Once these bottles explode it’s gonna wipe out your property and not just your property, but within a certain radius from your property, so when it comes to installation we have to ensure that the people who are doing the installation understand exactly what they are doing.”

Francis said although it has not yet been finalized, there would be some sort of signage on premises to indicate that a reseller is certified. He said that serial numbers should also be put in place for persons who repaint bottles, so that the bottle would be properly identified when reported.

Also speaking at the press conference, country representative of Rubis Elroy Edwards agreed with Francis that LPG is indeed hazardous and that standards must be put in place.

He noted that there would be training for all stakeholders in the industry, but urged stakeholders not to wait until there is a major incident to put measures in place.

Edwards said while it is their responsibility to put out a clean and safe product, the consumer has a responsibility also to take care of the cylinders.

During remarks, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Commerce Nathaniel Williams that SVG is one of the few countries within the OECS where there is no standard in the market for the distribution and sale of LPG cooking gas.

“The manner in which it is distributed and the manner in which it is stored is one which is of concern to all the players in the market,” he said.

Williams disclosed that the Government is working to ensure that there is a standard in place for the transportation and storage of the gas by the fourth quarter of this year.

He also appealed to the sellers to make out receipts to consumers, with the cylinder’s serial number, in order to verify that the zonal prices are being adhered to.(AS)