Plumbing Africa November 2016 | Page 7

NEWS 5 LPG and flammable gas cylinders safety tips Homeowners and businesses that store LPG or flammable gas cylinders on their premises need to have the necessary safety systems in place to deal with any potential gas leaks. They also need to be aware of the necessary regulations and by-laws concerning gas cylinders. Despite many homeowners and businesses using gas — whether for cooking and heating or hot work — many are unaware of safe handling and storage practices. They also do not have any kind of disaster management plan in place in the event of an emergency, says ASP Fire’s Michael van Niekerk. “Local emergency services by-laws state that homeowners or businesses cannot store more than 100kg of LPG gas without an appropriate certificate. Bulk gas storage, such as for industrial businesses, requires specific approval from the local authorities on submission of a rational design,” he says. The obvious danger of dealing with gas is any kind of leak as a result of faulty equipment or mishandling and incorrect storage. If the gas leak is sufficiently large, a highly flammable gas cloud will form. Largely invisible, this gas cloud will ignite in the presence of an ignition source, resulting in a major explosion. “This is where the disaster management plan comes into play. It is incumbent upon you as business owner to warn your neighbours of the unfolding emergency, and to instruct them to turn off all electrical appliances. This will limit the ignition sources that can set off a spreading gas cloud, and thereby prevent the propagation of any fire.” In the event of a piped gas leak, the best approach to containing the gas leak is simply to turn off all valves. Here it is important to note that it is mandatory for all bulk gas installations to have two shut-off valves: one within the hazardous zo