By Prince Okafor

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineering, (NSCHE) have called on stakeholders in the country to invest in safety-systems, stressing that it will help prevent unforeseen accidents.

This is coming even as the Director General, DPR, Mr. Mordecai Ladan, disclosed that the agency is currently working on a safety audit clearance policy.

Ladan made this known during the NSCHE Process Safety Seminar in Lagos, with the theme: ‘Deepening process safety understanding and practice in the oil and gas and process industry sectors in Nigeria.’

According to him, “The department is currently working on safety audit clearance policy which is geared towards enhancing process safety management and operation’s steadiness in the downstream sector.

“The Nigerian oil and gas industry as major focus on policy trust is to ensure optimal production and distribution of good oil and petroleum products and to secure a safe and environmental friendly manner by a healthy work force.”

Ladan who was represented by the Deputy Director, Safety Health and Environment, DPR, Mrs Onyebuchi Sibeudu, noted that, the failure of process safety management is an accident waiting to occur,

“Majorly, most of the safety challenges in the industry are found in the downstream sector. Non adherence to safety guidelines and procedures by some of the operators, low awareness on the importance of process safety, none implementation of adequate safety management system, high number of facilities setup and manned by unequipped or untrained hands are part of  difficulties faced by the downstream sector.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Vita Foam, Mr. Bamidele Makanjuola, said that it was very difficult to find safety gadgets with the independent marketers adding, “It doesn’t show the level of commitment we have as people committed to the safety market.

“Safety is still to be a serious subject matter to Nigerians. That we are in the oil and gas industry doesn’t mean that we have eternalized the process of safety because industrial processes are becoming more complex.

“How many safety gadgets and equipment did you install in your stations? Investing in safety systems is never a waste of money because it is used to prevent accidents.”