Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

New Regulations for LPG in Saudi Arabia | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Tanker trucks form a queue as they wait to unload crude oil at a refinery. (REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed)


Tanker trucks form a queue as they wait to unload crude oil at a refinery. (REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed)

Tanker trucks form a queue as they wait to unload crude oil at a refinery. (REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed)

Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Government agencies including the Riyadh Principality and the Department of Civil Defense have issued a series of health and safety requirements to regulate inter-city and intra-city transport of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Saudi Arabia.

The regulations come after a series of accidents involving the fuel, the worst of which was the explosion of a truck carrying LPG in Riyad in November last year that killed 22 and injured more than 100 people.

A copy of the law obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat shows that the new law outlines the measures necessary to operate sales centers in residential areas. Vendors will have an implementation period of six months to one year to comply with the new regulations.

Article 1 outlines ten conditions that must be met by locations intended for the storage and sale of LPG. Each shop will be required to obtain a license confirming that these conditions have been met; the license holder is liable for breaches of the law, whether through negligence or delinquency.

For example, Article 1(2) stipulates that there be a minimum safe distance of 25 meters between facilities involving the sale, distribution and storage of gas cylinders and public places like mosques, hotels, cafes and restaurants.

Article 3 requires the government to set up specialized offices to oversee workplace safety and industrial security, which are to be certified by the General Directorate of Civil Defense.

Only one article seeks to regulate tankers that transfer LPG from filling stations to the storage tanks used to supply homes and other facilities. The National Gas and Industrialization Company will now have the sole authority to deem tankers suitable for the transport of LPG.