The accident that occurred at the Indian Oil Corporation bottling plant here raises questions as to whether petroleum companies are taking proper steps for handling inflammable products at their LPG plants. According to the police, Murughan, the driver of the bullet tanker from which LPG leaked, submitted to them that it is the drivers who unload the petroleum products at the Truck Load Decantation (TLD) and not the company staff.
The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) had issued guidelines regarding the handling of petroleum products in bottling plants. “Petroleum products must be handled by trained persons deployed by the respective companies. An expert having proper qualification like engineering should monitor the unloading work. Apart from training the people to handle the products, they should be trained at regular intervals,” an official of the PESO said.
Several bullet tanker lorry drivers told ‘Express’ that they take the truck near the TLD shed and they have to attach the gas connection from the tanker to the TLD. “The officials only sit on the chair near the machine, and the entire unloading work has to done by us. Firstly, a case must be filed against the company officials for their negligence rather than blaming the driver,” said Joy, a lorry driver. Some of the drivers alleged that the machines in the Udayamperoor plant are not proper.
SI Sajeev Kumar, of Udyamperoor police station, said that they will take action against the officials present at the TLD. “An investigation is on, and there are some lapses on the part of the officials present at the TLD,” he said.