The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has approved ten (10) new standards outlining safe use, storage, transportation and disposal of Petroleum and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) products in the country.
“Petroleum and LPG products are highly flammable and therefore they need to store, transport and dispose of them in a safe manner. The new standards aim to safeguard consumers throughout the LPG and other petroleum products supply chain,” says Lt Col (Rtd.) Bernard Njiraini, Managing Director, KEBS.
The new standards provide specifications for LPG mountable burners and cylinder grills used by the 3Kg and 6Kg LPG domestic cylinders and safe disposal of cylinders found not fit for use. Specifications on transportation modes, storage and distribution, codes of practice for LPG and requirements for road tankers used to transport flammable liquids have been developed.
For the last one year, a total of 44 incidents involving LPG and Petroleum tankers rollover and spillages and LPG cylinders were recorded. It is therefore expected that these standards will address the problem of fire disasters due to accidents involving LPG and other petroleum products road tankers overturning on transit and cylinder explosions.