Tema-Ghana, July 18, GNA – Energy Consultant Mr Samuel Otu Larbi has recommended the creation of a body with the authority to control the use of home imported used and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
He said”it is time to establish a body or require an existing regulatory authority to verify and authorise used Gas cylinders before putting them in the Ghanaian market.
“Having such a body, according to him, would guarantee the security of consumers who purchased and used refurbished cylinders at home.
Speaking at the Ghana News Agency Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue on how to detect second-hand petrol cylinders and its connected difficulties, Mr. Otu Larbi, said most of the refurbished cylinders were attractive and dangerous.
He said to look at and the marketing prowess of the dealers would also persuade you to buy, it was difficult for the average individual to recognise such cylinders on the market simply by looking at the physical qualities.
He said such a body, would examine the cylinder’s integrity, approve it, and then mark it as such for simple identification.
He said used cylinders were simply repainted and sold to unwary customers as brand-new ones; yet “at the end of such cylinders had the prospect of leaking and eventually blasting.”
He said cylinders needed to undergo standard verification every 10 years, as it did in Togo, Benin, and other nations to reduce home fires.
He said petrol cylinders must be treated in the same way that some used gadgets were before being imported into Ghana.
To avoid purchasing used cylinders as new ones, he recommended prospective gas cylinder buyers to carefully scrutinise the valve, the marking, the underside, any dents and the neck protecting the valve.
“Make sure there is a black cover over the valve, and also the neck protecting the valve must have the printed information containing the date of production, producing company, net weight, and water capacity,” he continued.
