Use of substandard accessories in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other gas cylinders is causing an increasing number of accidents along with loss of lives and properties in the country, stakeholders and experts said.
A testing centre or point is much needed to check the standard and quality of imported LPG and other gas cylinders. A regulatory body should also be formed immediately, they suggested.
Some 65 people were killed and 111 others injured in gas explosions and related accidents, according to an investigation report of the Department of Explosives (DoE).
The DoE investigated at least 16 incidents and analysed their places of occurrence, causes, and damage from January 2020 to June 2021.
On September 16, 2020, a fire accident from a cylinder at a LPG warehouse in Munshiganj damaged 4,000 cylinders, three trucks and a three-wheeler.
Energy specialist Dr Shamsul Hoque said such cylinder-related accidents could be reduced by ensuring accountability of all regulatory agencies concerned.
Investigating every incident seriously and impartially is also a must to find out the people, who are responsible for such accidents.
Mr Hoque, also a professor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), also suggested taking legal actions against those officials, whose negligence led to such accidents.
To this end, law-enforcement agencies must be given all-out assistance, so that they can collect proper evidence and place those before the court.
The solution to dangerous cylinder accidents lies in taking lawful actions against the responsible government agencies. At the same time, other stakeholders, who have a part in such accidents, should also be brought to justice, he added.
Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence Director (Operation & Maintenance) Lt Col Zillur Rahman said most people use time-expired accessories, leading to different kinds of accidents.
Cylinder accessories must be of world-standard to protect people and their properties from hazards.
Consumers must stop using substandard accessories and date-expired cylinders to avoid accidents, he added.
DoE Chief Explosives Inspector Abul Kalam Azad said most cylinder accidents occurred due to rampant use of substandard accessories, like - hose pipe and regulators, in cylinders.
He claimed that no cylinder exploded and no technical defect was found in LPG or cylinders in those accidents.
Use of substandard accessories is solely responsible for almost all cylinder accidents.
To ensure safety, the DoE is mulling to make an app to create awareness about quality accessories of LPG and other gas cylinders.
Mr Azad focused on creating a massive awareness campaign to make the end-level consumers more cautious about the hazardous practices.
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