An expert in oil and gas, Dr. Oyet Gogomery has declared that considering the inflammable nature of petroleum products, tanker drivers must exercise utmost caution, saying the products are potential bomb.
Gogomery noted that the situation where tanker drivers and other drivers of articulated vehicles compete on the road for space portends serious danger for road users and the environment at large.
The expert made this known on Thursday in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, while presenting a paper on the topic:” Safety Practices in the Production, Transportation and Handling of LPG-General Overview and the way forward”, at the 2020 Annual General Meeting organized by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Osogbo Field Office.
He maintained that the oil and gas sector remains the most sensitive, hence, the need for stakeholders in the sector to be careful as well as being vigilant at all times.
He added that most of the incidents in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry were caused by human error.
“Operators and consumers of LPG should sharpen their smelling organ, they must make use of this organ than any other tools of operation to prevent unpleasant experience of explosion.
“Also, tanker drivers should know for sure that they are carrying potential bomb. It is not logical for drivers of petroleum products to be completing with other drivers of articulated vehicles on the road .
“It is obvious that observation of proper safety procedure will mitigate against untoward incidents in the sector”, he said.
In his earlier remarks, the Director/CEO of DPR, Eng. Sarki Auwalu, who was represented by Mrs. Osode, the Head of Servicom of the agency, harped on safety to engender growth in the sector as well as safeguard lives and property.
He decried recent unpleasant incidents in the industry which resulted in avoidabel loss of lives and wanton destruction of property, as well as environmental pollution.
Auwalu, however, reiterated the commitment of the agency to reverse the ugly trend, by launching the Minimum Industry Safety Training for Downstream Operations(MISTIDO).
Speaking in the same vein, the Operations Controller for Osogbo Field Office, Eng. A.P. Daboh, in his welcome address explained that the essence of establishing an office in the state was to ease business environment for operations.
Dabor further emphasized the need for operators in the industry to be conscious of basic safety tips and necessary precautionary measures.
“The oil and gas business do not only generate financial value but also cause hazards if not properly handled. To this end, DPR has successfully launched MISTIDO. This programme is targeted at the process and equipment, as well as workers in the downstream sector, which include petroleum tanker drivers, motor boys and attendants in the petroleum sector”.
