The Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission (LASSC), Lanre Mojola, has cautioned stakeholders against the inappropriate use of gas cylinders, promising to begin audit of gas filling stations.

Mr Mojola said the incessant gas explosions had caused several fire incidents in the state and in other parts of the country, hence the need for safety standards.

After a closed-door meeting with stakeholders in the oil and gas sector, on Tuesday, Mr Mojola said that the state government had commenced training and sensitisation of marketers and distributors of industrial and cooking gas in the state.

He said the training was to ensure that stakeholders comply with safety standards with regards to gas usage.

The stakeholders at the meeting were representatives from the Nigerian Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers (MALPGAM) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Retailers (LPGAR).

According to Mr Mojola, explosions may occur when gas is adulterated, cylinders are not properly handled, or when either cooking gas or industrial gas is used close to sources of ignition.

Mr Mojola said other causes of the gas explosion were the proliferation of gas retail outlets as well as improper training of operators and users on the safe handling of gas.

“In addition to the training exercise, a safety audit of all gas distribution outfits will be conducted,” he said.

The DG said the safety audit exercise would identify all hazards and unsafe practices that give rise to risks in the sector.

He said once these risks were removed or properly managed, the rate of explosions and fire incidents caused by gas would drastically reduce.

The Director, Oil and Gas operations at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Sesan Odukoya, said there was the need to streamline regulatory activities of all relevant stakeholders in the state to avoid problems related to uncoordinated actions and multiplicity of inspections.

“The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources should be recognised as the one-shop agency for coordination of all regulatory activities towards the operations of the oil and gas sector.

“The Ministry of Energy, as well as Safety Commission, should be contacted by the public for enforcement of safety standards in the sector,” said Mr Odukoya.

He added that a technical working committee, with members drawn from the Ministry of Energy, Safety Commission and Trade Unions from the oil and gas sector, should be established for effective collaboration to ensure the safety of lives and property.

Mr Odukoya, however, appealed to all operators in the sector to cooperate with the government operatives on inspection of their facility.

“We are convinced that at the end of this annual exercise, Lagos would become a safer place for all,” he said.