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The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced that it will resume its technical safety examination of all fuel retail outlets, tankers, refining facilities, and depot operations to stop the rise in accidents.
According to the NMDPRA, at least one death was recorded every four days in the course of product transportation, with 412 fatalities in 244 accidents between 2018 and the first quarter of 2023.
Dr Mustapha Lamorde, Executive Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), in meeting with petroleum products transportation stakeholders in Abuja assured the operators of a halt to the deaths.
The engagement had in attendance executives of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
Lamorde said that petroleum products retail outlets took the lion’s share of accidents and fatalities during the period with 39 per cent.
He said that this was followed by tankers, refining facilities and gas facilities which shared 13 per cent each and depot accidents with 11 per cent.
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Lamorde was represented by Mrs Maijiddah Abdulkadir, North Central Regional Coordinator, NMDPRA.
He said that the engagement was to call for a sound management of safety in the transportation of petroleum products operations in the downstream sector.
He said that the proper approach to achieve this was to ensure that HSE was managed from a business perspective and not for compliance purposes only.
He noted that safety-related matters should be integrated into the management decision-making process.
He added that the NMDPRA would continue to attune operators to the need to fully comply with relevant safety laws and regulations as stipulated in the Petroleum Industry Act.
In addition, the executive director said that this would forestall the dangers or risks posed by unwholesome practices and noncompliance to statutory provisions with respect to safety in the transportation of petroleum products.
