NPA Orders Shutdown of Flooded Fuel Stations, Cites Safety and Environmental Risks
The National Petroleum Authority has directed all Oil Marketing Companies, fuel station operators, dealers, transporters, and the public to comply with mandatory safety measures at fuel retail outlets affected by the recent heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of the country.
The Authority said any station where floodwater has inundated the forecourt, tank area, or entered tank manholes, fill points, or vent pipes must immediately suspend all fuel dispensing, loading, and offloading activities.
Operators are also required to safely disconnect electrical power to dispensers, canopy lighting, pumps and other forecourt equipment using the main isolation switch where it is safe to do so, evacuate all staff, customers and vehicles from the premises, and establish a safety exclusion zone of not less than 100 metres around the affected facility.
Smoking, naked flames, welding, and the use of spark-producing equipment are to be prohibited within the exclusion zone, while incidents must be reported without delay to the nearest NPA Regional Office, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the respective Oil Marketing Company.
The NPA said operations will not resume until floodwaters have completely receded, the station has undergone a joint safety inspection by the NPA and the GNFS, underground storage tanks, pipelines, dispensers and associated equipment have been inspected and certified fit for service by qualified personnel, and any water-contaminated fuel or hazardous waste has been safely removed and disposed of in line with environmental requirements.
It warned that the sale or distribution of contaminated petroleum products constitutes a violation of petroleum regulations and will attract severe sanctions.
Members of the public have been advised to avoid entering, driving through, or gathering around flooded fuel stations and to refrain from contact with floodwater in and around affected stations because it may contain petroleum products or other hazardous contaminants.
The Authority urged the public to immediately report any fuel leaks, unusual petroleum odours, visible fuel sheens on floodwater, or other unsafe conditions to the Ghana National Fire Service or the nearest NPA office, and to comply with all safety instructions issued by emergency responders and regulatory authorities.
On environmental protection, the NPA said operators must take all necessary measures to prevent contaminated water, petroleum products, or hazardous substances from entering drains, streams, rivers, or other water bodies, and any suspected spill or contamination must be reported promptly to the EPA and the Authority.
It added that it will undertake compliance inspections at affected fuel stations nationwide, and any station found to have resumed operations without the required safety clearance will face enforcement action, including suspension, regulatory sanctions, and prosecution where applicable.
The Authority reiterated that public safety is everyone’s responsibility and stressed that when a fuel station is flooded, operations must stop, the area must be evacuated, the incident must be reported, and operations must not resume until official clearance has been granted.
Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
