Tema-Ghana, Feb. 7, MNN – Switch over to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Fiber Cylinders as their quality is assured and safe from explosion. “LPG Fiber Cylinders are made up of a blow-molded High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) inner liner, covered with a composite layer of polymer-wrapped fiberglass and fitted with an HDPE outer jacket.
“The difference in the fiber cylinder is that it is lightweight and has a transparent body which makes it easier for users to see the quantity of gas inside to prevent people from shaking the cylinder to check,” Mr. Samuel Otu Larbi, Managing Director of Solution Solve, an energy advocacy think-tank has recommended.
Mr. Otu Larbi who is also an LPG Expert stated at the Ghana News Agency Tema Industrial News Hub Boardroom Dialogue platform in Tema that “It is safe for the whole family,”
Speaking on how to identify second-hand and home-used gas cylinders and related issues, Mr. Otu Larbi said the LPG Fiber Cylinder is lighter, safer
rust-free, therefore, very ideal for usage outside the kitchen, and when it falls, “it does not explode or blast, unlike metal cylinders”.
Mr. Otu Larbi added that although the other cylinders do not explode when it falls, they were a bit heavier with or without gas in them.
He advised Ghanaians not to shake their cylinders in the name of checking their gas because when they do that, it built pressure in the cylinder, and may cause an explosion when the stove is turned on.
Mr. Otu Larbi also encouraged people to make it a habit to change the valve regularly and the rubber as often as they refill their cylinders, “do not put stones on the cylinders because there is a leakage, make sure to change the valve. It is risky to put stones on gas cylinders”.
He also cautioned against the patronage of home-used or second-hand LPG Cylinders as what pertains currently is that people just respray the old cylinders and recycle them into the market and sell them to unsuspecting users.
Mr Otu Larbi reiterated that LPG Cylinders are supposed to be subjected to standard verification every ten years as pertained in Togo, Benin, and other countries, but in Ghana, the situation is not the same.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Manager noted that leakages constituted one of the major contributing factors that could trigger disasters associated with the mishandling of LPG.
He said the hazard associated with the product could occur during transportation, delivery or consumption of the gas, and drew attention to the need to encourage good safety practices.
“In dealing with those potential threats, one must first begin to understand the product and application of all the controls and safety procedures put in place.
“Managing safety is knowledge-based,” Mr. Ameyibor noted and stressed the need for consistent public education.
