Takoradi, Oct. 10, GNA – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working to ensure that only properly trained persons could operate in the gas value chain.
Mr Ebenezer Appah-Sampong, the Deputy Executive Director of the EPA, said the move was to help end the wrongful handling of the product from the point of transportation to the final consumer.
It would also curb the many accidents that had engulfed the sector over the years.
Mr Appah-Sampong said this at the training of LPG dealers, station attendants, technicians and members of the LPG Marketing Companies’ Association in Takoradi in the Western Region.
He said gas was an essential service, which must be handled more safely.
The Deputy Executive Director said though the sector had witnessed many incidents in the past, education and training initiated by the EPA led to the reduction in fatalities in the sector.
He said the EPA would continue to work with the Ghana National Fire Service and the Land Use and Spatial Authority to ensure that providers in the gas value chain worked within international best practices.
The training, which centred on Environmental Safety and International Best Practice, is under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The training introduced participants to the safe handling of the products, efficiency in the regulatory requirement, emerging issues and best practices.
Others are effective customer service, characteristics of good workplace ethics, LPG product accounting, fire safety education, and safe handling of products.
Mr Samuel Otu Larbi, Executive Director, Solution Solve Limited, who is the lead consultant for the Training, said LP gas was potentially hazardous if mishandled or misused.
He, therefore, urged national and local authorities to take advantage of the expertise within the LP gas industry to ensure an informed and uniform approach to good safety practice.
Mr Larbi said being able to control risk would guarantee the health and safety of people and safeguard property and environment.
« The danger is always present only the risk is reduced by behaviour, » he noted.
« To manage the hazard associated with LPG, one must first begin to understand the product and with the application of all the controls and safety procedures put in place.
« Managing safety is knowledge-based and procedures should be revised periodically, » he added.
Mr Larbi said incidents and accidents were sources of case studies and should be shared with the appropriate stakeholders.
