Petrol pump stations are particularly hazardous workplace because they store and sell a highly flammable product. To sensitize the general public on the safe handling of Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant products and to avoid a potential disaster in petroleum retail outlets, an awareness workshop was conducted by the Indian Oil Corporation.
Stakeholders including suppliers, distributors, regulators and consumers participated in a one day workshop.
Indian Oil Corporation has committed to conducting its business in a way that protects the safety of personnel involved in the business including the operators, customers and the public. They say they expect the retail outlets 100 per cent free from accidents and injuries through the active participation of everyone involved in the business.
“In the petrol pump, there are incidences where while offloading the truck into the underground tank, accidents have taken place and the pump has been blown apart. So all this learning gives us a sense that we must propagate this, prevent people from having any unsafe act so that this doesn’t happen altogether,” said Pritish Bharat, the Executive Director for Indian Oil Corporation, West Bengal State Office.
Safety measures such as keeping at least two fire extinguishers in petrol pumps, safe decantation of LPG and other aspects of safe handlings of petroleum products were included during the programme.
“As of now the awareness on safety is very limited or minimal and we need to take some safety measures such as switching off the mobile phones and not allowing the use of mobile phones within the restricted area or very close to the pump stations. Number two also to see that there are no leakages from the gas cylinders so that in every household we can prevent any fire hazard incidences,” added Rinchen Lhazom, the Chief Trade Officer for Department of Trade.
To detect leakages, 105 LPG leak detectors were distributed to domestic petroleum, oil and Lubricant’s dealers.
Also, the Indian Oil Corporation committed to replace all its old dispensing Units with latest Multi-products dispensing pumps by the end of this year. This will ensure more safety and accuracy which means consumers will get the right quantity of fuels that they pay for.
Samten Dolkar.
