Do you check the use-by date of LPG cylinders when the delivery guy comes around with them? That's should be part of standard operating procedure for domestic safety because a cylinder past its expiry date can potentially be as much a safety risk as a worn-out tube or a faulty valve.
An investigation has yet to be completed to determine if the LPG leak that led to a fire in Maraimalai Nagar on Saturday night, killing four people and seriously injuring two others, was caused by negligence , such as a stove burner not being shut, or due to a fault with the cylinder, valve or other parts of the mechanism.
Whatever the cause, experts say, customers should pay attention to all aspects of safety in the use of LPG for cooking. They say it is also essential for oil companies to instruct new customers on safe use of stoves and cylinders.
Most LPG cylinders have a life span of 20 to 25 years but t h e y s h o u l d b e checked every five years, oil industry officials say. Cylinders past their expiry date are prone to leaks because of wear and tear to valve pad rings and to bleeder and safety valves. They estimate that 8% of cylinders in the market are past their expiry date.
Indane gas customer K Raghavendra Bhat says he was delivered a cylinder on April 26 that had expired in September 2012. "The cylinder leaked in the valve area but my distributor changed the cylinder only after I lodged a complaint," he said.
An official with an oil major said every cylinder contained the expiry date in three-character alphanumeric code. A, B, C and D denote three-month clusters of a year, and the last two digits indicate the year. For instance, a cylinder marked A-15 would expire at the end of March 2015.
Consumers pay 75 every two years for mandatory safety checks of their cooking gas connections and are covered by insurance against accidents like cylinder explosion. An Indane official says consumers should be made aware of this and request their agency to check their connections regularly.
"We keep a close watch for expired gas cylinders and remove them from the market," he said, adding that most accidents were caused due to customer negligence.
But consumer activist T Sadagopan says he has come across several instances of old cylinders being delivered to households. "Delivery boys admit that they sometimes have to supply old cylinders but blame oil companies for this," he said.
All India LPG Distributors Federation general secretary C G Krishnamoorthy says he regularly sees expired cylinders, but ensures that they are taken out of the system and are not be delivered to customers. mp.christin@timesgroup.com
Times View
Lack of adherence to safety standards with cooking gas connections has led to an alarming spate of accidents and, for the most part avoidable , loss of life. Oil companies, distributors and customers are all to blame for this reckless nonchalance. What is required is a safety mechanism that involves thorough investigation of every LPG-related accident, regular safety audits at manufacturing units and distributors' facilities and safety checks of domestic and commercial connections. The authorities should take action against those responsible for accidents that such a system would otherwise avert. As long as responsibility is not affixed, it is unlikely that a foolproof system can be put in place. It is also essential for oil companies and distributors to instruct customers on safe use of gas connections and for customers to take responsibility for their safety.
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