News
96 die in gas accidents, 486 injured between 2007 and 2015
Ninety-Six people died in 19 accidents from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) refilling plants in the country between 2007 and 2015.
Over the period, 486 people also sustained serious injuries .
Investigations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revealed that the tragic incidents were as the result of the lack of proper training for operators along the supply chain (drivers, managers, supervisors and pump attendants) on the safe handling of LPG.
Mr William Hayford-Acquah, acting Director of Field Operations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), disclosed these while interacting with journalists on the second day of a three-day capacity building training for 136 workers in the LPG sector in the Volta Region, at Ho on Tuesday.
“The LPG plant operators received no formal training on the safe handling of LPG but were tasked with the responsibility of manning the plants,” he said.
The training, organised by the EPA was meant to introduce the participants to the safe handling of petroleum products to make them more efficient in responding to their regulatory requirements and equip them with pollution prevention and control methods and systems, among others.
The participants were taken through emerging issues and best practices in the LPG industry and the compliance with regulations of the sector.
Mr Hayford-Acquah said that the EPA had taken a firm stance to inject professionalism in the industry and make the operators more efficient.
In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Henry K. Kokofu, Executive Director of EPA, noted that the growth in the gas sector had come with public concerns over the proliferation of gas services outlets in residential areas.
He said that EPA in collaboration with other stakeholder institutions initiated the training and certification programme to avert LPG accidents in future.
He said that the demand for LPG in the country had increased tremendously over the past decades, adding that there were now 3,596 refilling LPG and fuel stations nationwide.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho
Minister for the Interior, Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka, has confirmed that former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, is in prison and serving her jail term.
Speaking in an interview on Joy news, Mr. Muntaka dismissed claims that the former MASLOC boss was being held in a private location.
He said she has been in the custody of the state since she returned to Ghana.
“From the day Sedina came, she has been with us, and she’s serving her time,” he said.
The minister explained that the public is not usually told the specific prison where inmates, especially high-profile persons, are being held for security reasons.
He said even judges who sentence offenders do not necessarily know the specific prison where they are sent.
“If you want to visit her, you can write to the Prisons Service. They will talk to her, and if she is interested in you coming, she will let you come,” Mr. Muntaka stated.
According to him, disclosing the location of high-profile inmates could put their lives at risk, adding that some developed countries also keep such information confidential for security purposes.
His comments come amid public speculation over the whereabouts of Ms. Tamakloe Attionu following reports that she had returned to Ghana to begin serving her prison sentence.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Western Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), ACFO I Cecil Addo, has completed a familiarization tour of major corporate and industrial institutions across the Western Region to strengthen partnerships and enhance fire safety preparedness.
The tour covered key organizations including the Bank of Ghana, GOIL PLC, Ghanstock, Western Terminals, Zen Terminal, Keda Ceramics, Takoradi International Company (TICO), Volta River Authority (VRA), Harlequin Oil and Gas, and Western Serene Atlantic Hotel.
During the engagements, the Regional Commander encouraged management of the institutions to prioritize proactive fire prevention measures by incorporating strict safety protocols into their daily operations.
Discussions also focused on improving fire readiness and strengthening collaboration between GNFS and the corporate sector.
As part of the initiative, GNFS presented firefighting equipment, including Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Dry Chemical Powder (DCP) extinguishers, as well as Fire Extinguishing Balls, to support workplace safety.
The institutions expressed appreciation for the outreach and pledged to support regular safety audits, joint emergency drills, and potential Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnerships with the Service.
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