8:51pm Saturday 4th September 2010
I am pleased to see Calor Gas has the equivalent of Bob the Builder on site at Canvey. Perhaps he could be called Philip the Screwdriver, keeping their self-regulating site up to scratch Perhaps Philip was on holiday when, in 2008, there was a ship-to-shore transfer and Calor had the escape of 163 tonnes of LPG through a bursting disc that was 11 years old.
Seventeen tonnes of the liquid went into the atmosphere. There were no permanent perimeter alarms working, the valve to turn off the pipeline to the disc was chained and padlocked.
The management said “we are seeking guidance and clarification of the rules and regulations that govern our site” as the reason for not notifying the Health and safety Executive, the emergency services or the local authority for two weeks.
Does this give residents faith in the self-regulating system or the way it is operated by Calor Gas?
The self-regulating system is open to abuse; therefore there is a need for much stronger controls such as a “safe siting policy” for these sites. If you have a vehicle that is more than three years old, you have to pay for an MoT or take it off the road. Why can’t there be an MoT for hazardous sites and if they fail it, their licence to operate is withdrawn until they can pass the test?
George Whatley
Limburg Road
Canvey
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/trade_directory/