Health, safety, security and environment are cardinal areas of concern in any society. No less so in an oil-rich environment. Even though the Bayelsa State petroleum environment is said to be one of the safest in the country as a result of zero-fatalities in petrol stations and gas points, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), the regulatory agency for the oil sector, is not complacent on this feat. It has continued to sensitise stakeholders to the need for perfection in this regard. In the circumstances, the DPR has held an Annual General Meeting (AGM) as a special forum to constantly interact with all stakeholders on how best to improve and ensure safe operations in any oil environment, MIKE ODIEFWU writes
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) is concerned about sustaining operational safety in Bayelsa State’s petroleum environment; it wants to ensure that no tragic incident is recorded in filling stations and gas-dispensing points.
So far, the petroleum environment of Bayelsa is adjudged one of the safest in the country as a result of zero-fatalities in petrol stations and gas points. But the department does not want to let down its guards. To sustain the feat, DPR introduced the Annual General Meeting (AGM) as a special forum to constantly interact with all stakeholders.
The maiden edition of the AGM was held recently in Yenagoa. All the agencies involved in the distribution, dispensing and sales of petroleum products were in attendance. Owners of petrol stations were also present.
The stakeholders, who attended the DPR’s first AGM were the Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association (IPMAN), the police, Army, Navy, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Fire Service, Nigeria Association of LPG Marketers and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others.
The theme of the AGM was “Together We Deliver Safe Operations in Bayelsa”. The subject matter revolved around health, safety and environment (HSE). The stakeholders agreed to adhere to all regulations designed to ensure operational safety in Bayelsa.
Speaking at the AGM, DPR’s Acting Director, Ahmad Shakur, said the meeting was in line with the department’s responsibilities of ensuring that health, safety and petroleum environment conformed to international best practices.
Shakur, whose address was read by the Operations Controller, Yenagoa Field Office, Mrs. Ufondu Ejiro, urged all stakeholders to work together to ensure safe operations by adhering to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines.
He said: “DPR as enforcer of this event wants us to reason together on how best we can improve and continuously ensure safe operations and return safely to our families on daily basis.
“Without your co-operation, DPR cannot deliver safe operations. Therefore, with utmost passion for safe and seamless day-to-day running of our businesses, I am calling on all marketers and stakeholders to continuously adhere to petroleum laws, regulations and guidelines.”
He appealed to the stakeholders to take safety management more seriously, insisting that profitability and compliance to safe environment could be achieved.
He said the AGM was designed to stem the growing spate of fire incidents that affect petroleum products storage, transportation and retail outlets facilities in which fatalities were sadly recorded in some cases.
He commended the Yenagoa Office of the DPR for organising the AGM which was aimed at ensuring consistency in acquainting operators with regulatory policies.
He said: “The increasing scope of activities in the downstream sector necessitates the implementation of measures and policies that would raise our health, safety and environment (HSE) standards to minimise incidents in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
“This year’s theme of the AGM which is ‘Together We Deliver Safe Operations in Bayelsa State” was chosen to raise consciousness on contemporary HSE issues in the Nigeria oil and gas industry not merely for HSE appeal but more importantly for its relevance as bedrock for orderly economic and technological development of the industry.”
In her remarks, Ufondu emphasised that the meeting was designed to make the operators know that they could still make profit while adhering to safety standards.
She said: “We can comply with the regulations and be profitable at the same time. Accident is too expensive; none of us can afford any accident. So, we have to do everything in our power to ensure that together we deliver safe operations in Bayelsa State which is the theme of this year’s event.
“The good news is that in Bayelsa State, we have not had any accident. Across the country, we’ve had several accidents and more than 20 people have died. So, we have good safety records here in Bayelsa State and we are striving that with this AGM, and with all the stakeholders working together, we will continue to lead the way in safety in this country.”
She commended the operators for complying with regulations, which she said was the reason for Bayelsa not recording any disaster. She advised them to continue to enforce safety standards to ensure that workers returned home to their families every day.
While acknowledging that Bayelsa depended on depots in Rivers and Delta states for products, she said only one filling station was sealed for sourcing products from unlicensed depot. Ufondu said there were enough products in Bayelsa, adding that there was no case of hoarding in the state.
On siting of filling stations at unapproved locations, she said other regulatory agencies involved in locations of petrol stations should do their part to ensure adherence to regulations. She said most times, an operator would have secured licenses from other stakeholders before approaching the DPR.
She said: “It’s a tall call because we are aware that some petrol stations are beside residential houses. This is why we have invited all the stakeholders to this AGM. Before we approve any station to be built, there are other entities that will grant their approvals such as the Bayelsa State Fire Service, the state planning authority, the police and others. It’s not just the DPR that approves.
“They must have received approval from all these entities before coming to us and when the site is not suitable, people try to blackmail us and put us under pressure to force us to approve the site. We can never approve any station except all these other entities had granted their approvals.
“So, we all are working together to ensure that new stations that are coming up are not sited beside not just homes but also not beside public buildings such as houses of worship and schools.”
On his part, IPMAN Chairman in the state, Erefamote Peters, appealed to his colleagues to procure safety equipment in their filling stations. He thanked the DPR for organising the AGM. He said the only way safety could be achieved was strict adherence to standard operating procedures.
He said: “Safe operations are important to us. Compliance is the only veritable tool for safe, effective and efficient operations in the oil and gas industry.
Over the years, there have been regrettable mistakes because of non-compliance to safety guidelines.
“Going forward, it is expedient we procure adequate safety equipment in our retail outlets in compliance to DPR safety requirements to ensure safe operations. I, therefore, urge all petroleum marketers to adhere to safety procedures.
“We sincerely appreciate the DPR’s consistent effort of sensitising stakeholders and checking them in the handling of petroleum products so as to reduce the risk of accident to the minimum.”
Also, the Sector Commander, FRSC, Ikechukwu Igwe, called on tanker drivers to adhere to safety standard while conveying their products from depots to filling stations. Others also delivered goodwill messages at the AGM.
At the end of the meeting, the stakeholders issued a communique. They agreed that profitability, compliance and safe operations were achievable. They also agreed to collaborate in the downstream sector to deliver safe operations and safe environment in Bayelsa.
The communique reads in part: “Regulators and other stakeholders should put in place continuous, functional and effective review, carry out regular inspection and improvement on commitment to safe operations.
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