Province strengthens safety management in gas business activities

Recently, in Binh Duong province in particular and many provinces and cities across the country in general, gas-related fires, explosions, and accidents have occurred at some gas businesses and households, seriously affecting human life and health.

On the morning of July 16, 2024, a gas explosion occurred at a restaurant on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, Khai Quang Ward, Vinh Yen City, Vinh Phuc Province. The explosion, which happened just before the restaurant was due to open, resulted in 7 injuries and significant damage to the properties of nearby residents.

A LPG filling station

According to regulations, gas is a conditional business line. All establishments wishing to register for business must be granted a certificate of fire safety by the competent authority, a license to trade in liquefied petroleum gas, etc. However, in reality, there are many illegal gas shops without the required documents, fire safety assurance, and show signs of buying and selling gas of unknown origin.

According to statistics, in Binh Duong province, there are about 1,000 gas shops, 10 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) filling stations and 2 CNG filling stations for vehicles.

To ensure safety in business activities of LPG products according to the provisions of Decree No. 87/2018/ND-CP dated June 15, 2018 of the Government on gas business and Circular No. 53/2018/TT-BCT dated December 25, 2018 of the Minister of Industry and Trade regulating the Program and technical safety training for gas business activities, on August 8, 2024, the Provincial Department of Industry and Trade issued Official Dispatch No. 2413/SCT-QLNL&KTAT on strengthening safety management in gas business activities in Binh Duong province, requiring units to comply with some requirements.

For Economic Offices of districts and cities in the province: must urge and remind gas business establishments under their management to strictly comply with regulations on gas business in general and technical safety training in LPG business activities in particular.

For LPG filling stations: must fully perform the obligations and responsibilities as prescribed in Article 23 of Decree No. 87/2018/ND-CP dated June 15, 2018 of the Government on gas trading; develop documents on safety management as prescribed in Circular No. 40/2018/TT-BCT dated October 30, 2018 of the Ministry of Industry and Trade; implement safety procedures in LPG filling, receiving, circulating, storing, transporting...; have measures and plans to prevent and respond to chemical incidents; supplement and update when there are changes during operation. In addition, LPG filling stations must comply with safety regulations and provide technical safety training for gas businesses as prescribed.

For gas businesses and retail stores selling LPG cylinders: must fully perform the obligations and responsibilities as prescribed in Article 32 of Decree No. 87/2018/ND-CP dated June 15, 2018 of the Government on gas trading; including regulations on the responsibility to check the tightness of cylinder valves, connectors and flexible pipes after installing new or replacing LPG cylinders for customers, directly providing necessary information on safety when using LPG; establishing a book or electronic database applying information technology to monitor LPG cylinders sold at the shop (information about the cylinder: owner, type of cylinder, cylinder serial number, place of import of cylinders to the shop, date of import, name and address of customer, date of delivery to customer).

At the same time, there must be a minimum 1-year contract to sell bottled LPG with a trader with a valid certificate of eligibility as prescribed in Decree No. 87/2018/ND-CP, except for the case of a store affiliated with the trader; the shop owner and employees working at the shop must be trained in safety techniques, fire prevention and fighting as prescribed.

According to Hoang Ai (Energy Management and Safety Engineering Department)