The Bauchi office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has embarked on a one-week sensitisation tour of filling stations and existing Liquefied Petroleum Gas plants (LPGs) on strict adherence to safety measures during the harmattan season.

Malam Abdullahi Iliyasu, the operation controller of the department, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi on Tuesday.

He said the exercise would sensitise operators of filling stations, gas plants and the general public on the need for strict adherence and observance of safety measures in their stations.

He said fire outbreaks were mostly recorded during the harmattan due to the strong wind and constant use of inflammable substances like petrol, gas and charcoal, and that DPR would expose them to simple preventive safety measures.

Iliyasu explained that the department would beam its searchlight on the existence or otherwise of safety equipment across filling stations, especially fire extinguishers, sand buckets and other necessary requirements, stressing that erring stations would be sanctioned.

He said operators of cooking Gas plants were not expected to expose gas cylinders to sunlight or any heat source, and should always observe the safety standard as stipulated by the department.

The controller cautioned that consumers who used LPG should also always check the expiry date of a gas cylinder before purchase, buy gas from certified gas plants and follow safety rules while refilling their cylinders.

He added that cooking gas users were expected to always check leakages on their cylinders and take immediate remedial measures against the possibility of an unnecessary explosion, which could be dangerous to life and property.

“We call on the general public to report to us any unsafe practices at any cooking gas plants for action,” he said.

NAN reports that the DPR office in Bauchi recently sanctioned no fewer than seven filling stations for violation of safety measures.