The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, has urged operators of fuel stations and managers of petroleum depots to ensure safety compliance to avoid accidents.
He underscored the need for players in the sector to work together to achieve ‘zero accidents’.
Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid made the call when management and staff of Chase Logistics climaxed ‘1000 Days of Lost Time Injuries’ at Tema Tank Farm last Friday.
He noted that many Ghanaians are worried about recent increases in petroleum related accidents involving various fuel facilities and tankers.
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According to him, these incidents, which are mostly avoidable, do not only result in physical loss of lives and properties but psychological consequences as well.
“We need to operate safely as an industry to regain the confidence of the general public in our operations.
“We are all aware that, most residents are apprehensive about the siting of fuel related facilities within their communities because of the fear of accidents. Compliance to safety standards will result in no accidents, thereby, boosting the confidence of the general public in the operations of these facilities,” he advised.
Speaking on the theme: ‘Advancing a culture of excellent health and safety standards in the petroleum industry: A key to sustainable development of Ghanaian economy’, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid noted that the petroleum industry is the engine of growth of the Ghanaian economy.
He, therefore, stressed that “we strive to carry out our operations in an efficient and safe manner to achieve sustainable development of the Ghanaian economy.”
Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said NPA is committed to developing and improving safety standards in line with international best practices and ensure all operators strictly adhere to such.
To this end, he said NPA, as part of measures to ensure safety and reduce accidents involving Bulk Road Vehicles(BRVs), has teamed up with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and Road Safety Limited (RSL) to train BRV drivers on general defensive driving, Safe Loading & Unloading Procedures, Basic Fire-Fighting and Emergency Response, among others.
“I also entreat all depots to ensure that the pre-loading checks on these BRVs are thoroughly carried out to confirm their safety status, before they are loaded with petroleum products,” he advised.
He commended management of Tema Tank Farm for being safety compliance and urged them to keep up the high standard and not compromise on safety at anytime.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com