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