The CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) Kwaku Agyemang-Duah believes a reward system rather than a punitive regime will encourage LPG Refilling Plant operators to ensure best practice at the various gas stations.

Mr. Agyemang-Duah made the submission when it emerged 510 out of 659 Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) stations inspected were operating without maximum safeguards in place to protect lives and protect against fire outbreaks thus were classified as high risk stations.

The AOMCs head is of the view that the regulatory agency instituting a reward regime for best compliance will rather make the defaulting station owners to self-censor themselves rather than dodging regulatory agents when they come for inspection at the gas stations.

The NPA said the risk assessment also found 115 gas stations categorised as medium-risk with another 32 graded as low-risk.

The risk assessment became necessary after last year’s disaster at Atomic Junction in Accra where a gas station exploded claiming the lives of seven people, injuring over 100 and causing damage to property worth thousands of cedis.

The high-risk stations according to the National Petroleum authority CEO; Alhassan Tampuli will subsequently be converted into cylinder distribution centres under the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM) meaning they will no longer be permitted to fill cylinders or autogas when the CRM fully rolls out. Low-risk stations will, however, be considered for autogas refilling centres only with improved standards.”

The risk assessment exercise took into consideration the siting, engineering, equipment conditions, safety management systems, staff and facility management, materials and fabrication of the LPG stations.