ACCUMULATING DUST IN STORAGE AREA

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), a flammable mixture of hydrocarbon gases used as a fuel in heating appliances and vehicles increasingly became popular in Ghanaian households around the mid-1990s. It was greatly encouraged by the government such that LPG was subsidized to enable households make the switch from charcoal and firewood. One of the reasons behind this move was to help save our forest from deforestation or extinction. Whereas in other parts of the world gas pipes are specially connected to stoves in kitchens, homes in Ghana have to depend on pressurized gas cylinders which are routinely sent to filling stations for refills.

I vividly remember our first gas cooker at home, it was a day of joy and I believe I was the happiest of all because it meant I was no longer required to go buy charcoal and kerosene with the annoyance of having them stain my clothes. No more extra chores of scrubbing blackened pots from soot emanating from the kerosene stove. Better still, I no longer had to go through the pain of lighting a thousand match sticks just to make a little fire for warming up food!

The coal pot and kerosene stove are now relics, though we still have them in the storage area to remind us of an era gone by but they sure do come in handy when the country experiences acute gas shortages. The gas cooker did not come without its own regulations for me. For safety reasons, I was responsible for checking to ensure it was off before going to bed or leaving the house.

Fast forward to 2013 and a gas cooker can be found in almost every home despite the fact that we have increasing number of gas related accidents – from explosions, people losing their lives to houses being burned down to ashes as a result of these cylinders being mishandled.


The recent and ever persistent LPG shortage not only revealed how almost every Ghanaian household relies heavily on LPG but also brought out the short, tall, new, fairly new and the “I-have-seen-better-days” cylinders all queued up in “one logologo line,” waiting their turn to be refilled. Therefore, considering the fact that almost every household uses LPG, have we thought of addressing, implementing and adhering to strict standards for manufacturing and importing so as to avert some of the gas calamities we are experiencing? At this stage I doubt it. Instead, all I see round me is a huge supply of these gas cylinders – of high quality, inferior quality and second hands without any easily accessible information to avoid some of the gas disasters occurring.

I do not recall our first gas cylinder coming with an instruction manual, information about the lifespan of the cylinder and how to handle it in case of an emergency etc. I believe we figured things out by tips from the occasional fire safety talks on radio, television and from other users.

How often do people replace the tube connecting the gas cylinder to the cooker? What about the regulator? The last time I bought a gas regulator I was offered a variety of choices where the attendant told me the depth of my pocket determined which type I could buy. I asked him what the difference was between the pricier regulator and the less pricey ones to which he replied: the pricier one was of better quality – duh! Even a child would know that. But well, the price was not the issue; the issue was, how was I sure that buying a relatively expensive regulator would guarantee me safety? What parameters was I to look for in making the purchase?

Furthermore, after using the cylinder for a certain number of years, what happens to old ones? How does one dispose of them? How does one even know if their cylinder is too old to be used any longer (when their outer appearances look relatively new)? I’ve heard a couple of fire safety personal advocate the replacement of these cylinders when they start leaking – but wait, what if my cylinder never leaks even after fifteen years of usage? And if for my own safety I routinely decide to replace my cylinders after five or seven years of using them, how am I assured that an unscrupulous person wouldn’t pick it up, give it a good wash, re-paint it and place it back onto the market confidently knowing he or she would easily get away with it because no one barely checks?

LPG manufactures or importers, Ghana National Fire Service, we greatly need more work from your end in tackling these issues. Intensify public education for handling gas cylinders – especially addressing the importance of routinely replacing the tubes, the regulators and disposing the cylinders when they are no longer safe to use. In the meantime, do give me a heads-up if you are reading this article and know of a place I can safely dispose my old gas cylinders. They are accumulating dust in my storage area as I’m yet to locate a place for disposing them. Thank you in advance for your help in this direction.